RDWRR

RDWRR is an expedition truck: an Acela Monterra 6x6, a remanufactured M1088A1 from the US Army's medium tactical vehicle family, with an 18-foot habitat box on the back. The plan is long trips in all seasons and off pavement, the Pan-American Highway among them, and Baja surf runs where six driven wheels and low tire pressure earn their keep.

The chassis is the point. It has 22 inches of ground clearance, fords 50 inches of water, and airs all six tires up or down from the cab. The engine is a pre-emissions Caterpillar 3126 behind an Allison automatic: mechanical, common, and fixable far from any dealer. The leaf springs give way to airbags, so the truck can level itself at camp and carry a changing load well.

The box runs on 24 volts. Six lithium iron phosphate batteries hold about 30 kWh; solar on the roof, the truck's alternator, and shore power fill them. One diesel-fired hydronic loop heats the cabin, the water, and the engine block. A Meshtastic base station with a mast that flips up from the box keeps handheld radios in touch for miles, and a telescope is going on the deck.

The cab comes next: a raised floor with storage under it, steps the dogs can use, a bed for them between the seats, screens hard-mounted with the wiring hidden, and a windshield with nothing stuck to it.