Rugged Mountain RV introduces the Expedition X14 prototype; a 14-foot hard side, non-slide, dry bath, flat bed truck camper for Class 5 trucks. Who needs slides with interior space and capacities like this?
Starting in the mid-1940s, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (precursor of NASA) teamed up with the United States Navy and Army Air Force to produce one-of-a-kind aircraft designed to push the absolute limits of propulsion technology, speed, and altitude. These experimental jets, rockets, and helicopters were manufactured by the top aircraft companies in the world including Bell, Douglass, Northrop, and Lockheed. The resulting aircraft shared one letter to designate their mission–X. The legendary X-plane program still exists in 2024 and continues its flight tests out of Edwards Air Force Base in California and other top secret locations.
Today, another testing ground operates in Emmett, Idaho. At Rugged Mountain RV, an elite team secretly designs, builds, and launches some of the largest, most innovative, and technologically advanced truck and camper rigs ever imagined. Just this past August, Rugged Mountain unveiled a Denali 3S Statement Rig that established the Idahoan company as the premier flatbed triple-slide manufacturer.
Just seven days ago, Truck Camper Magazine was alerted to a new prototype camper about to emerge from Rugged Mountain’s skunk works lab.
Above: The new prototype at the RMRV facility in Idaho
At first blush, the specifications read like a dare; 14 foot floor length, 22 foot total length, 8 foot width, 11 foot flatbed design, identical tank capacities as the Denali 3S triple-slide (80 gallons fresh, 77 gallons grey, and 35 gallons black), eight 175-watt Expion solar panels (1,400-watts), enough lithium power to weld tie-downs in the desert, and a 12-foot awning to shade under while you do it.
And what did they call this new prototype? The X14. Oh, snap.
The Largest Non-Slide Camper On Earth
Since the advent of slide-outs, the industry rule has been campers longer than 10 feet won’t sell without a slide. Well, look out long bed, slide-out behemoths. The Expedition X14 is a direct challenge to that decree. It’s safe to say the X14 prototype is the largest non-slide truck camper on the planet. Someone call Guinness and bring me the camper rule book.
Above and below: The RMRV X14 expansive non-slide interior
To be absolutely clear, the X14 will require a Class 5 truck and an 11-foot flatbed. Class 5 trucks look, drive, and handle much like their one-ton dually counterparts, but require more investment, a lot more setup (like, where’s the bed?), and a pre-purchase phone call to your insurance company.
Once you get beyond that reality, Class 5 trucks really can carry a camper this size and weight (TBD, but expect OMG). That’s what Class 5 trucks are for.
Update: Rugged Mountain RV has reported the dry weight of the X-14 at 4,903 pounds
Interior Features
So far details are scant on the X14 prototype but we have some preliminary data. First, the kitchen features a 12-volt refrigerator and a residential propane oven. The rear dinette area has a folding coffee table and windows on three sides.
Click on the gallery images above and below to see them full-size.
The camper features a residential style half-bath on the passenger side, and a walk-in shower stall on the drivers side. Technically, this is a dry bath, but perhaps we need a new bathroom category. Maybe split dry bath? Or half-bath and shower stall?
The cabover has a queen bed. Air conditioning is courtesy of a Houghton air conditioner.
And the camper has a pass-through. No, not the kind that passes through from the truck to the camper, but rather a basement area pass-through from one side of the camper to the other. This is another first in our experience.
Above: This pass-through storage area is at the rear of the X14
From skis to twine-wrapped Christmas trees, that’s some serious exterior storage with two-sided outside access. That same space houses seven Victron components and lithium batteries.
X14 Feedback Requested
The Expedition X14 is officially a prototype. Built for Jared and Candice Sund of Stable Camper, the X14 is debuting at the Quartzsite Truck Camper Rally this week and will likely be at overland and RV events throughout the year. Jared is reportedly working on a pullout staircase for the unit (an intriguing idea for this tall camper) set to debut later this spring. Word has it that Jared has some other product ideas for RMRV’s flatbeds.
Jesse Collinsworth, Owner of Rugged Mountain RV, told TCM that the X14 is likely to undergo many changes before a production model is finalized. And that’s where you come in.
Rugged Mountain RV wants to hear from you about what you like, and what you want changed in the final version. This is your chance to communicate directly RMRV’s top-secret skunk works and influence an X-camper of the future.
To offer your feedback on the Rugged Mountain RV Expedition X14, or to be kept in the loop as the production version takes shape, click here.
