American Expedition Vehicles (↗) has a reputation of creating some of the finest touring and off-road vehicles in the USA and now they will be readily available in Australia through Queensland’s Tough Trucks (↗). Australia wide.

Originally created by Dave Harriton and focusing in Jeep vehicles, AEV worked its way in to the wider Chrysler/Stellantis range of vehicles often building bespoke show vehicles for the brands to display at events like the SEMA Show and Motor shows around the USA. Among them was AEV Brute pick-up which was a single-cab Jeep Wrangler-based pick up that they sold until Jeep introduced its own Gladiator model. It’s no coincidence that the Gladiator looks a lot like a double-cab AEV Brute.

These days, with its manufacturing based in the heartland of the US auto industry in Michigan, AEV produces bespoke components and complete special vehicles for all of the Big Three manufacturers, including Ram, General Motors and Ford, and its range is always expanding to deliver the products people want.

Off-road pickup truck wading through a shallow muddy pool in a wooded area with a roof rack and spare tire on back.
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While some companies have imported and sold AEV Jeep products in Australia, Tough Trucks (↗) is the first to offer complete, turnkey new American pick-up trucks with AEV conversions here. Tough Trucks is the exclusive distributor of AEV’s GM truck products (Chevrolet and GMC), but can also offer Ram and Ford AEV solutions.

With the availability of Chevrolet and Ram trucks through official manufacturer dealers in Australia, and Ford F-250 Super Duty models via importers like Performax, the proposition of getting into an AEV-enhanced truck has never been better. On our recent visit to Tough Trucks’ Gold Coast facility, this AEV Silverado 2500 was sitting in the driveway while an AEV Ram 2500 Prospector was nearing completion in the workshop.

White off-road pickup with bold graphics and AEV logo parked in a grassy field under a clear blue sky.
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Building an AEV Silverado 2500

The Silverado was the first such truck to receive the AEV conversion from Tough Trucks.

The modifications centre around a suspension system that allows larger tyres to be fitted without resorting to an extra-tall suspension setup, keeping a relatively low centre of gravity. The Silverado rides on 37-inch BFG muddies fitted to AEV ‘Salta XD’ alloy wheels, while the Ram Prospector is on 40s!

While you can buy an AEV ZR2 Bison straight off the lot at your Chevrolet dealer in the USA, to get the equivalent here you need to have it assembled by the team at Tough Trucks. GMSV doesn’t even offer the ZR2 variant here, so you need to start with the regular Silverado 2500 LTZ model.

The key components you miss with the LTZ spec are the ZR2’s Multimatic spool-valve dampers. These shock absorbers have been tuned for high-speed desert travel and they do an excellent job on a road-going ZR2. Tough Trucks sorts this out by fitting the Multimatic dampers to the 2500 LTZ front and rear. AEV also offers its bespoke Bilstein suspension, as used in the AEV ZR2 Bison, and this will also be offered by Tough Trucks in Australia. But the fact that the Stock Class Silverados racing in the USA do so well with the Multimatics speaks wonders for their capability, and that’s what you’ll find under this truck.

Open hood engine bay of a truck showing the battery, coolant reservoir, hoses, and wiring.
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The key to tucking the 37-inch tyres under the Silverado 2500 is the AEV tyre-clearance kit, which includes replacement inner wheelarch plastic panels and the metal brackets needed to mount them out of the way to prevent the tyres rubbing at full steering lock and/or articulation. AEV uses its experience from working directly with the OEMs to match the plastic material to what Chevrolet fits for a factory finish. Also under the Silverado you’ll find AEV protection plates for the bottom of the huge radiator, the IFS, transmission and transfer case, while the rear differential wears an AEV cover.

The front bumper and brush guard are more AEV products, with a winch-mount kit carrying a ComeUp 12.5 electric winch, as well as an AEV LED driving-light kit. The bumper is a two-piece configuration that is available with just the lower section and winch mount, while the upper brush guard is optional. The lights on the bar are AEV’s 7000 Series LED lamps with optional grille guards fitted.

One of Tough Trucks’ other brands is KC HiLiTES, so there’s a plethora of its lights on this truck, including FLEX ERA roof-rack lights, pillar-mounted ditch lights and lights in the rear bumper.

Front view of a white off-road pickup truck with a bull bar and roof lights on a dirt road at sunset.
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Touring and towing kit

Other non-AEV accessories on this truck include the Tough Trucks accessory roof rack, with a Starlink Mini on a Gorilla Mount, solar panel and MAXTRAX mounted there.

An ARB Brushless twin air compressor feeds the rear airbags, as well as outlets on either side of the truck for tyre inflation. The airbag kit is controlled by the LogiQ system, while a Switch-Pros Force 12 programmable switch panel controls the electrical accessories. A pair of Trail’d 52-litre Boondocker water tanks and a pump sit under the spare-wheel cavity, while an AEV vertical mount carries the spare wheel in the tray alongside a Real Trucks swing-out storage compartment.

Powering the accessories is a Victron auxiliary 12-volt setup concealed under the back seat. It includes a DC-DC charger, input from the Enerdrive solar panel on the roof rack, a lithium battery and an inverter, with power outlets conveniently placed for easy use.

Another of the brands Tough Trucks imports is GEN-Y Hitch, so of course the Silverado has one. It’s the 4500kg Adjustable 5-inch Torsion Suspension Hitch, which can take a 50mm or 70mm ball depending on your load and vehicle rating. The Silverado 2500 HD can be rated as either NB2 or NB1 category. The GEN-Y hitch can also be supplied with a tongue to accept a DO35 or DO45 tow coupling.

Off-road pickup truck with rugged tires on a dirt track in a grassy field under a clear blue sky, left has a large tree.
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On the road

We did get a drive of the Tough Trucks AEV-converted Chevrolet, albeit on-road only.

Aside from the hum of the BFG muddies, it feels like an OEM truck with all the comfort and compliance of a new vehicle. We’re guessing it would deliver a whole new level of off-road performance, but that drive will have to wait for another day.

Tough Trucks has built relationships with GMSV, Ram Trucks, Ford Super Duty importers and their dealers in Australia to gain ready access to new vehicles, and plans to have ready-built, turnkey new AEV trucks in stock and ready to go to new owners. It doesn’t matter where your US truck brand alliances sit, AEV has the products and engineering to improve performance on- and off-road, as well as for towing and touring. Combine this expertise with Tough Trucks’ extensive range of products and dealers around the country to complete your build, and you can see why it has become Australia’s one-stop US truck shop.

Speaking of getting around the country, Tough Trucks is now an official sponsor of the National Rodeo Co. (↗) and will have trucks on display at rodeos around Australia, so you can check them out when the rodeo comes to town.

White off-road pickup with roof rack, winch, and multiple auxiliary lights parked in front of a corrugated metal warehouse at dusk with a purple sky behind it.
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FAQs

Can I buy an AEV-converted Silverado 2500 in Australia?

Yes. Tough Trucks is offering complete, turnkey new American pick-up trucks with AEV conversions in Australia, including Chevrolet and GMC products.

Which Silverado 2500 does the AEV conversion start with?

Because GMSV doesn’t offer the ZR2 variant in Australia, the AEV-converted truck starts with the regular Silverado 2500 LTZ model.

What suspension does the Silverado use?

This Silverado uses Multimatic spool-valve dampers front and rear. Tough Trucks will also offer AEV’s bespoke Bilstein suspension, as used in the AEV ZR2 Bison.

What towing equipment is fitted?

The Silverado has a GEN-Y Hitch 4500kg Adjustable 5-inch Torsion Suspension Hitch, which can take a 50mm or 70mm ball depending on the load and vehicle rating. The Silverado 2500 HD can be rated as either NB2 or NB1 category.

Can Tough Trucks build other AEV US trucks?

Yes. Tough Trucks is the exclusive distributor of AEV’s GM truck products, covering Chevrolet and GMC, and can also offer Ram and Ford AEV solutions. It has relationships with GMSV, Ram Trucks, Ford Super Duty importers and their dealers in Australia.

White off-road pickup truck with rugged bumper driving through a yellow flower field with a tree-filled backdrop.
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Build equipment

  • AEV 37-inch tyre-clearance kit
  • AEV ‘Salta XD’ alloy wheels
  • AEV front bumper, brush guard and winch-mount kit
  • AEV LED driving-light kit with 7000 Series LED lamps and grille guards
  • AEV radiator, IFS, transmission and transfer-case protection plates, plus rear differential cover
  • AEV suspension system with Multimatic spool-valve dampers front and rear
  • AEV vertical spare-wheel mount and Real Trucks swing-out storage compartment
  • ARB Brushless twin air compressor, rear airbags, LogiQ control system and tyre-inflation outlets
  • ComeUp 12.5 electric winch
  • Enerdrive solar-panel input
  • GEN-Y hitch
  • KC HiLiTES FLEX ERA roof-rack lights, pillar-mounted ditch lights and rear bumper lights
  • Starlink Mini on a Gorilla Mount, solar panel and MAXTRAX
  • Switch-Pros Force 12 programmable switch panel
  • Tough Trucks accessory roof rack
  • Trail’d 52-litre Boondocker water tanks and pump (two)
  • Victron auxiliary 12-volt system with DC-DC charger, lithium battery, inverter and power outlets
  • 37-inch BFGoodrich mud-terrain tyres
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