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Exploring canyons, shelf roads, tight trails, and more in Mule Expedition Outfitters’ Ram 2500 Baja Runner

- Harry Wagner

What is a Baja Runner? Well, it’s a rig designed to be a rolling showcase of the brands Mule Expedition Outfitters offers and the work the company performs. The Baja Runner started life as a Hemi-powered Ram 2500 Tradesman and was outfitted with a Norweld tray bed; Four Wheel Campers Hawk pop-up camper; AEV suspension, bumpers, and wheels; 40-inch Yokohama tires; and a whole bunch of overlanding friendly gear. No one thought it was a good idea for us to take the Mule Expedition Outfitters’ Baja Runner down Lippincott Mine Trail in Death Valley, which is exactly what motivated us to do it. But we are getting a little ahead of ourselves, though. First, more on the Mule Expedition Outfitters’ Baja Runner.

Your first thought might be, “A Hemi?!” While we will confess that it was our first thought; however, after driving the Baja Runner we can report that the only drawback to the gasoline engine is fuel mileage. “We were concerned about the availability of DEF and ULSD fuel in Mexico and further south,” Mule’s Joe Marshall explained. The truck was fitted with 5.13 Nitro Gear & Axle gears that keep the engine in the powerband and provide plenty of power for passing on the freeway.