Introducing Elevation Off-Grid’s World Class Trucks

Truck camper rigs come in all shapes and sizes from small pop-ups to triple-slide monsters weighing well over 2 tons. While we prefer going small for extreme off-road excursions, large hard-side campers on heavy-duty trucks have their benefits too. Who wouldn’t like to “rough it” on a comfortable recliner in front of a fireplace and large screen TV while boondocking? Our friends at Elevation Off-Grid (EOG) built one such rig consisting of a Ford F-550 equipped with 41-inch super singles tires, a custom F-550 truck bed that looks OEM, and a Host Mammoth 11.6 triple-slide truck camper. All told, this matching, elephant-sized beast weighs well over 15,000 pounds. As a matter of fact, when it comes to slide-in truck campers, this combination is probably the biggest, baddest truck camper rig ever built. To learn more about this impressive, eye-popping build and EOG in general, Jerime Monroe, CEO of EOG, was kind enough to answer a few questions.

Tell us about your business. Where are you located and when did you get started?

Jerime Monroe: Elevation Off-Grid is located in Denver, Colorado. We are the only Ford F-550 pickup manufacturer in the world. Our history is one with deep roots in manufacturer certified collision repair, engineering, and product development. Every member of our team has a true passion for motorsports, the automotive industry, and developing the best products available in those worlds. Our focus is on building the most capable Ford F-550 truck for slide-in truck campers ever. We do not sell campers.

We love your Elevation Off-Grid Black Edition F550-Host Mammoth truck camper rig? What was the inspiration for building it?

Jerime Monroe: Our team has grown up outdoors, we are located dead center of the intersection of nature, and vehicles in the United States. Obviously we all love camping, being outdoors, and most of all the journey that gets us to this thing called the destination. It’s hard to argue with the advantages of being able to do this without towing a trailer, especially in a state with beautify trails and narrow roads to explore. A properly-equipped truck and slide-in camper, or an overland capable vehicle is certainly the preferred way to go further, faster, all in a self contained environment. Our heritage is heavily focused on form and function. Because of this, we generally prefer elegant simplicity, clean lines, and nothing too over the top. We are big believers in the “less is more” philosophy when it comes to aesthetics. A color-matched camper and truck combo allows us to achieve this. The two units are very complementary to each other, yet when the camper is removed from our trucks, they are still individually stunning in their own right.

The truck paired with the Host Mammoth is one of our two demo trucks. We use these two trucks to travel the country and show people who may not know why our F-550 pickup is the ultimate vehicle for heavy payloads, extreme on and off-road capability, and an F-150 ride quality when being driven empty as a daily driver. That’s right. The majority of our clients daily drive their trucks. They’re that good.

Why does your business build exclusively with Ford F-550s?

Jerime Monroe: The Ford F-550 is a versatile platform that can be built into the ideal vehicle for many environments and applications. Form and Function are two of our core ideals that made the decision to focus on this chassis an easy one. [Ed. note: EOG’s catalog now includes both the Ford F-550 and Ram 5500].

Can you tell us more about the Black Edition truck?

Jerime Monroe: Our Black Edition truck is our flagship model. We also offer a Peak Edition, which comes with less Baja Design Aux lighting and without a Warn Winch. It is mechanically and functionally identical to our Black Edition. Our Limitless F-550 is a traditional dually, full LiquidSpring Suspension, and our propitiatory pickup bed assembly. It is the highest-rated payload pickup in the world.

Is it true that the payload of the Ford F-550 is nearly 10,000 pounds?

Jerime Monroe: Yes. Our Black and Peak Edition are our single wheel conversion trucks. Both of these models have a max payload in excess of 9,500 pounds. Our Limitless is our traditional dually model and it boasts a payload in excess of 10,500 pounds. Our Limitless is the highest rated payload pickup in the world, followed by our Peak and Black Edition.

What modifications did you make to the Ford F-550 for this build?

Jerime Monroe: The Elevation Off-Grid Black Edition Ford F-550 featured in this build comes with:

• EOG custom genuine Ford quad beam LED headlamp conversion. Factory adaptive functioning with auto high beam.
• EOG custom genuine Ford LED Tail Lamp Conversion (Ford does not offer the F-550 with LED lamps regardless of trim level).
• LiquidSpring Smart Suspension – Front 2-inch lift
• LiquidSpring Smart Suspension – Rear 2-inch lift
• LiquidSpring Suspension Height Sensors (4)
• Independent Steering Angle Sensor Integrated to Liquid Spring Suspension
• Liquid Spring Suspension In-Cab Mounted Driver Interface
• Three Suspension damping settings – Sport, Normal, Comfort.
• 8-inch Height Adjustment
• Upgraded front radius arms
• EOG Proprietary Aluminum F-550 Pickup Bed Assembly
• Standard 8-foot interior bed length
• Line-X Bedliner
• OEM Black Appearance Package Front Grille and Molding
• Dometic center console refrigerator
• On board Air – Fully Plumbed ARB HP Twin Compressor, Bluetooth Pressure Control, Compressor Connect Bluetooth functionality.
• Baja Designs Onx6 Arc Series 30-inch Light Bar
• Baja Design High Speed Spot Pattern XL R Pro (2) (Forward Facing)
• Baja Design Squadron Pro 4-inch Cornering Lamp (2) (Angled Front Facing)
• Baja Designs Squadron Pro, Flush Mount, LED (2) (Rear Bumper Mounted)
• EOG Design 8-inch Buckstop Paint Grade Fender Flares & Custom Liners
• AMP Powerstep XL 3-inch Additional Drop
• One-Piece Forged 20-inch DOT Certified 7k lb Certified Wheels
• Goodyear 335/80R20 MSA 275 41″ Tires
• EOG Design Ultra Wide Concealed Front Winch Bumper w/four integrated Baja Design Lamps
• EOG Design Custom High Strength Steel Rear Bumper w/two Integrated Baja Design Lamps
• Proprietary 30,000 rated puck system gooseneck 5th wheel hitch
• Speedometer Calibration Module
• Embroidered EOG Custom Headrest Logo
• Serialized EOG Badging
• Warn 16.5ti, 16,500-pound Recovery Winch
• Warn 1.5-inch, 100-foot Synthetic Rope
• Warn 1.5-inch Hause Aluminum Fairlead
• Heavy-Duty Sway Bar
• EOG Body Side Decals
• Full Factory Ford Warranty remains intact
• Five-year, 100,000 mile suspension warranty
• Super Singles Single Wheel conversion completed to the highest standards in the industry. We use no wheel spacers, no axle modifications, no powertrain modifications, no mechanical modifications.

Why did you go with the LiquidSpring Suspension rather than the one built by Kelderman?

Jerime Monroe: The LiquidSpring Suspension System is a truly dynamic suspension system. The system’s onboard processor is constantly pulling data at a rate of 1,000 times per second. This data is then interpolated and adjustments are made in 40 milliseconds. With this technology we are able to maintain a comfortable, stable, and safe ride. It automatically adapts to environmental conditions such as headwinds and cross winds. It auto corrects for poor road conditions, and maintains stability regardless of bank angle and uneven surfaces. The truck will always instantly auto level for payload and towing weight. An in cab driver interface allows for manual height adjustment of 4 inches up, and 4 inches down from normal ride height. The driver interface also has the capability of one-touch campsite leveling. Pull up, park, press a button, and true earth level is instantly achieved. Because Liquid Spring suspension uses a compressible oil, rather than air, none of the issues that occur with air are present. No moisture, no condensation, and no premature wear on metallic components do to corrosion. No traditional air ride system offers this type of reliability. Some people think that LiquidSpring is a new company, but they’re not. The company has been around for 30 years. Fifteen years ago, all ambulances were using Kelderman Suspension Systems, today 98 percent of all ambulances are using the LiquidSpring Suspension System.

We love your Buckstop front winch bumper. Can you tell us which model you use in your builds?

Jerime Monroe: Our bumpers are made for us by Buckstop and they are designed specifically for our F-550 models.

Have you had your truck weighed at a CAT scale?

Jerime Monroe: Yes, we have weighed our truck at a CAT scale! The truck weighs 9,492 pounds.

What kind of mileage are you getting?

Jerime Monroe: Our trucks average 11-12 mpg without the camper.

What wheel and tires were used in this build and what inflation values do you typically run?

Jerime Monroe: We use the Buckstop 20-inch one-piece forged DOT certified aluminum wheel. We have the Goodyear GSA 275 dialed-in and the higher speed rating they offer makes them our tire of choice. We run 55 psi in the city and highway. We typically air down to 25-30 psi when we take our trucks off-road.

Why did you choose the Host Mammoth? Is it because it’s the largest slide-in truck camper in the market?

Jerime Monroe: The Host Mammoth is a huge, luxurious, high-quality camper. The triple-slide camper is certainly one of the largest campers on the market and is an excellent way for us to demonstrate the capabilities of our trucks.

Is this Mammoth equipped with one of Host’s off-grid lithium packages?

Jerime Monroe: Yes, the Mammoth is outfitted with Host’s best lithium battery and solar power system, the Off-Grid Extreme.

Can you tell us about the matching paint used in this build?

Jerime Monroe: The paint color is Carbonized Gray. Part of our facility in Denver includes a 5,000 square foot paint department. We have a full PPG Envirobase paint mixing bank and two Italian Accudraft Titan spray booths. PPG Envirobase is a waterborne paint so it is environmentally friendly. Through the use of this product we have excellent color match and tinting capabilities.

What provisions did you make to keep the Mammoth’s battery system charged?

Jerime Monroe: We use the camper’s off-grid system to keep the batteries charged, of course. In addition, we use a simple Redarc DC to DC charger that helps keep the batteries charged while driving.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about your rig?

Jerime Monroe: Yes. Everybody loves the payload ratings of our trucks, but what many don’t know is that our truck rides like a F-150. The majority of our clients daily drive the F-550’s that they have purchased from us. They’re extremely capable in every heavy-duty field they play in, but also have a superb highway ride and superior handling characteristics. Sure, you can put more weight in the bed of our trucks than you can any other on the planet, but when it’s unloaded and completely empty it rides better than a 2022 F-250.

Will you be displaying this rig or any of your trucks at any shows in the near future like the Overland Expo West?

Jerime Monroe: We will be releasing our complete show schedule soon. However, we have confirmed that we will have trucks at the Overland Expo West in Flagstaff, Arizona; the Overland Expo Northwest in Redmond, Oregon; the Overland Expo Mountain West in Loveland, Colorado; and many more RV and outdoor shows, including SEMA 2022 in Las Vegas. You can also follow us on Instagram.