The New AEV Prospector XL Is So Good It Should Be a Crime
When AEV decides to build a turn-key conversion, they do it properly. What you see here is the freshly announced Prospector XL. It’s based on their normal Prospector conversion, but designed and built to accommodate 40-inch tires instead of 37s.
Of course, being an AEV-built truck, this machine comes with more than massive tires. Matching that new rubber is a revised suspension setup. From front to back nearly every piece of this truck has been moved or altered in some fashion to keep the geometry correct. This makes sure the Prospector XL feels and drives just like it did from the factory, rather than bobbing around like most poorly-designed lift kits. AEV even made sure to reuse factory wear parts where possible, so if you ever have issues in the future, you can just head to your local dealer to snag parts.
In the oomph department, the Cummins motor under the hood is unchanged, but the diffs are swapped to 4.30 gears to keep performance levels up. When all is said and done you have a gigantic 2500 Dodge that drives, feels, and tows like it should, and you can also cross the country without any need for a road. In fact, as you can see in the photos, AEV actually uses this truck to tow. That trailer and JK piled back there weighs more than four tons, and they have hauled it a few thousand miles with zero issues.
And then we get to my favorite part: the way this thing looks.
I was showing the photos to a few off-road enthusiasts I know, and the first thing I heard was: “Damn, that’s a mean looking sumbitch.” I have to agree. The aggressive stance, Katla wheels, and huge fender flares work well with the massive steel bumper and military-green paint job to make the Prospector XL one of the most menacing-looking machines on the road. The angular, vented hood and snorkel sure don’t help to tone things down either. But don’t take my word for it, just check out the killer gallery below. And if you want to know even more info about this crazy rig, you can head over to AEV’s website. They have all the nitty-gritty details there.
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