Alabama-based Storyteller Overland used Open House in Elkhart, Indiana, this week to unveil its new Class C adventure truck, called the HILT.
The company said the HILT is the flagship of Storyteller’s pioneering new GXV line of turnkey expedition rigs developed in partnership with its wholly owned subsidiary Global Expedition Vehicles LLC.
The HILT, which is built on the Ram 5500 chassis, is designed to take people into the wild while not making them give up the creature comforts they’ve become accustomed to. The company hopes the turnkey expedition rig will bring the adventure and expedition lifestyle into reach for a much broader audience of customers.
The HILT’s off-roading upgrades include a proprietary Zero Torsion Subframe system that allows independent movement of the capsule from the chassis; an active hydraulic Smart Suspension System from Liquid Springs; a 20,000-pound electric winch; an Extreme 360-degree exterior lighting package from KC HiLiTES; and a custom nVader rack and storage system from Flarespace.
As rugged as the outside is, the interior provides a tranquil, spa-like retreat that makes one feel at home no matter how extreme the environment around them may be, the company said.
Out of sight but a major component of the HILT is an interior lining of closed cell foam insulation providing a solid level of thermal and acoustic control throughout the entire perimeter of the vehicle. The company said that means comfort even in soaring or frigid temperatures.
“Vehicles like this have historically been outrageously expensive, built to order, and complicated to buy,” said Jeffrey Hunter, CEO of Storyteller Overland. “We wanted to solve for this by making it easier to own and lowering the barrier to entry without sacrificing a single bit of quality – instead actually elevating the quality and capability in the process.”
The HILT project has been in the works since Storyteller’s December 2021 acquisition and integration of the legendary Springfield, Missouri-based Global Expedition Vehicles, which Hunter calls the pioneers of the expedition rig in North America.
Trent Tiffin, general manager/executive vice president of Global Expedition Vehicles, said he’s excited to see the HILT finally hit the market after more than a year of hard work and many challenges overcome.
“It’s a great feeling,” he said. “It’s exciting to bring this type of unit to the overland space on this type of level. This is a massive step forward for Storyteller Overland and Global Expedition Vehicles.”
