ROOM TO MOVE

Preston Gladd built the fixtures of an RV, and more, into his pop-top camper

- Jered Korfhage

It's not for the looks-it's pure functionality. Preston Gladd cut his teeth operating HMMWVs in the military, crawled the trails with his '91 Jeep Wrangler, and eventually found that with a growing family and more gear, he needed a 4x4 with fewer flashy modifications and a lot more room to move.

"Stock 2500 trucks are plenty capable," Preston told us, and he cited attributes like fuel range and longevity when it came to selecting his '17 Ram 2500 Mega Cab.

The 6.7L diesel had the grunt he needed whether it was hauling a trailer or a payload of adventure gear, and the truck's heavy-duty platform was more than capable of handling the rough tracks he had on his agenda. With "Mega Cab" in its name, the truck was more than spacious enough for additional occupants to join him on journeys and Preston began planning out upgrades to make off-grid recreation in his 4x4 even more comfortable.

Preston finds just about as much joy in tinkering as he does in exploring and the Ram is a prime example. From the cab to the pop-up truck camper, he has built, torn down, and rebuilt a system (or three) for most backcountry tasks from morning coffee and power management to bedding down at night and that oh-so-refreshing middle-of-nowhere shower. No matter the duration of a trip, be it a three-day weekend or a multi-month expedition, Preston can adjust the truck's loadout so that no niceties are spared when traveling away from civilization.

Preston will tell anyone that the Ram's factory axles and gears do an exceptional job of handling the 37-inch Falken Wildpeak A/T3W tires and AEV Katla wheels. There's a limited-slip in the rear differential and Preston maintains he hasn't been in any situation where he's wished for a different gear ratio or lockers.