AT35 Ford Expedition
For the continental crossing, the Ford Expedition was selected to. Before selecting the Expedition, we considered number of other good options but the overall favour for this vehicle was, shared components and service options with the Ford F150 Hybrid, spacious and high ride comfort on road.
Besides the Arctic and the Antarctic, the off-road challenges are limited, staying on roads, most of this is asphalt but we still expect some rough road section and smaller challenges requiring 4x4. Focusing on travel comfort, interior space, service and reliability, together with sharing tools and parts with the F150 we selected the Ford Expedition which already fills most of the requirements. In terms of service and parts, it does require some pre-arrangements for some areas of the world and determined to give it a bit bigger tires with a good balance between on and off-road performance. A mini expedition was made in September 2023, driving through some of the magical places in Colorado, Arizona and Utah where the vehicles performed excellently. This was a test of the vehicle setup, training for the team, applying responsibilities and making improvements to expedition checklists. Following Arctic Trucks in Cheyenne made some further changes and adjustments.
The name AT35 comes from the tradition Arctic Trucks works with, meaning “Arctic Trucks 35inch conversion”. Using thousands of hours in engineering and rebuilding the AT44 conversions, on the Ford Expedition, installing the BFG 35-inch tires is very simple, it only increases the circumference of the tires by approx. 7% from the standard and keeps the standard gear ratio. It has on-board air system with ports front and rear, auxiliary lighting all around, a front protective grille bar, hitch receivers front and rear for winch use, extensive interior storage, and 2000W battery inverters. One of the Expeditions carries a high-power Starlink satellite dish and router to allow the team to upload updates about the expedition and download dynamic route and plan information.
The AT44 Expeditions are powered by Ford's top twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6, which develops up to 440 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque, and are equipped with the Timberline trim options that include full locking 4-wheel-drive and standard skid plates underneath.
The name AT35 comes from the tradition Arctic Trucks works with, meaning “Arctic Trucks 35inch conversion”. Using thousands of hours in engineering and rebuilding the AT44 conversions, on the Ford Expedition, installing the BFG 35-inch tires is very simple, it only increases the circumference of the tires by approx. 7% from the standard and keeps the standard gear ratio. It has on-board air system with ports front and rear, auxiliary lighting all around, a front protective grille bar, hitch receivers front and rear for winch use, extensive interior storage, and 2000W battery inverters. One of the Expeditions carries a high-power Starlink satellite dish and router to allow the team to upload updates about the expedition and download dynamic route and plan information.
The AT44 Expeditions are powered by Ford's top twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6, which develops up to 440 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque, and are equipped with the Timberline trim options that include full locking 4-wheel-drive and standard skid plates underneath.
Fast facts:
- Payload capacity: 1700 pounds
- Towing capacity: 9300 pounds
- Water-fording max depth: 35”
- Third-row seats removed for additional storage and load space
- Underhood air compressor with ports hidden in front and rear bumper trims
- SwitchPro solid-state triggering of auxiliary lights and other accessories
- Auxiliary security electronic kill system for theft prevention
Even though these vehicles will be travelling on paved roads most of the times, there are areas which are likely to challenge the car in standard configuration so number of adjustments got made.
The Ford Expedition is a solid and all-around capable full-size, with twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6, which develops up to 440 horsepower and 510 pound-feet (691 Nm) of torque. A smooth and efficient 10-speed automatic transmission makes it easier to keep the convoy together.
AT35: To give increased performance on rough roads but still maintaining good ride and low noise on the highway, TGCE selected to increase the tire size slightly, 35 inch tires do with minimal changes and don’t make the car over all wider.
A list of changes and addition:
- BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 – 35 x 12.5-R18, double valve wheels
- Hitch re-engineered to fit 35” spare tire in factory location
- Left & right hitch receivers added for hi-lift jack or tow hooks (provided)
- On-board air compressor with front and rear air chucks
- Auxiliary, water separating fuel filter added with fitted skid plate
- SwitchPros auxiliary electrical system
- VisionX Shocker front LED light bar – white & amber
- VisionX Front, side, and rear scene lights
- VisionX Luggage compartment lighting
- BougeRV 23 Quart Cooler/Freezer AC/DC – Removable
- Front brush guard / push bar with integrated tow and hi-lift jack points
- Added anti-theft and security features.
- Xantrex ProWatt 2000W Inverter
- SpaceX Starlink equipped
- 3rd row seat removed with flat load floor & ARB locking storage cabinet
- WeatherTech Interior and exterior protection
- VHF radio with headliner-mounted remote controls
- Matching McGard wheel locks
See also