You Spoke and We Listened: A Preview of Our Upcoming Builds for 2018!

Over the years, we've built all sorts of trucks for all sorts of purposes, so this year we turned to you for inspiration on our next build. We saw massive support for every build we polled, so as usual we're taking on more than we planned and working something in for everyone who responded. Yes, that means four purpose-built project trucks for 2018 - our biggest, most ambitious year yet. Read on for an in-depth preview of everything we have planned for 2018!

As soon as your votes began to pour in, we realized it would be a tight race deciding our next project truck. And when we adjusted for one especially passionate desert runner fan's hundreds of votes, the final tally showed roughly equal enthusiasm across the board. After much consideration, we just couldn't let anyone down. Instead of building the one truck with most votes, we're switching it up for 2018 and building all four - the hunting rig, desert runner, overland rig and budget build. Now let's dig into the details and preview some of the plans we have in store for these trucks:

2014 F150 Hunting Rig

We were long overdue for a dedicated hunting rig, so we're planning on putting everything we've got into this bone stock 2014 F150 STX SuperCab. For storage, we've got a DU-HA underseat storage unit and gun safe, Console Vault gun safe and DECKED bed storage system. A Westin grille guard up front will stand between our rig and mother nature, while a Westin headache rack will protect the rear window. Fox 2.5 coilovers and rear shocks coupled with beefy Falken M/T tires will open up all sorts of rugged terrain for the taking, and in the event we do get stuck we're throwing on a Warn winch to get us back in business.

2014 F150 Tremor Overland Build

"Wait a minute, you're building an overland rig from a Tremor?" You're darn right we are. As it turns out, the Tremor's 4.10 gear ratio is perfect for crawling around off-road. Plus, with a 4WD drivetrain, factory e-locker, short wheelbase and 3.5L EcoBoost engine under the hood, our Tremor-based overland build is already well on its way to greatness. Just trust us on this. And keep an eye out for a full project page, coming soon.

2017 F150 Lifted Street Truck

The lifted street truck is one build we've never really come close to touching. While we're more into off-road capable rigs, we understand the appeal of a massive street truck with wide tires and flashy wheels. We're looking at a 6" lift, 37" tires and 22" wheels if everything works out as planned. Throw on skid plates and a few other exterior upgrades and we'll be riding tall and proud in the very first Stage 3 lifted street build.

2017 F150 Raptor Desert Runner Build

With our last desert runner build dating back to 2015 (though still a personal favorite), it was about time we went back to the drawing board, especially with the new 2017 Raptor available as a foundation for the build. The goal here is to explore any and every way to improve upon the already monstrous Raptor, which comes from the factory with 3.0-inch internal-bypass Fox Racing shocks and 510 lbs-ft. of torque. When all is said and done, we're expecting this to be our most capable desert runner build yet by far.

2018 F150 Budget Build

We read all of your comments on this blog as well as our social media channels, and it's crystal clear that the people want a build for the working man, the "average Joe." We get it - not everyone is looking for a huge lift, new bumpers and coilover suspension systems. To that end, our very first 2018 F150 build will be dedicated to the hard-working men and women who use their trucks for a little bit of everything; the daily commute, work, camping, grocery-hauling, for whenever duty calls. This low-key, practical build will show you just how much you can accomplish on a limited budget with the right upgrades.

Also Coming This Year: A 2017 Explorer Sport 3.5L EcoBoost Build!

Whoever says soccer mom cars can't be cool will eat their words when they see our upcoming 2017 Explorer Sport build, featuring the vicious 3.5L EcoBoost under its hood. This will be another low-cost build designed to bring out the inner awesomeness in a vehicle that too often doesn't get its due credit.

Let us know in the comments how you feel about our build schedule and leave a suggestion for a future build!