Krug Bedrock XT2 expedition truck fills the gap left by EarthCruiser's end

You know what they say: One expedition company’s loss is another expedition company’s gain. As much as we enjoyed reading about EarthCruiser rigs, the Oregon outfit had to call it quits in April. Austria’s Krug Expedition is entering that rather large void with its almost-as-large Bedrock XT2. Only 13 years old, Krug produces the same kind of box-truck-based overland rigs in Europe that EarthCruiser was known for, based on Mercedes trucks and Unimogs. Those aren’t coming to the U.S. — yet. But the Bedrock XT2, built on a Ford F-500 chassis, puts Krug in direct competition with Colorado’s EarthRoamer, which builds its LTi on the same heavy duty Ford chassis cab.

Krug differentiates the Bedrock XT2 in two ways, the first by adding a third axle in back, making its truck a six-wheeler with four-wheel drive; the extra pair of tires help distribute weight. The second is that Krug enlisted Iceland’s Arctic Trucks for the chassis design dubbed AT44, the 44 representing the 44-inch Continental tires. AT designed an eight-link rear air suspension with air pressure controls in the cab, and added a set of F-550 brakes to the third axle for better stopping. Ford’s 6.7-liter Powerstroke V8 diesel with 330 horsepower keeps things moving, running through a 10-speed automatic and fed by a 63-gallon tank.Standard equipment includes front and rear limited-slip differentials and a semi-automatic tire inflation system, and the driver can separate the camper box subframe from the chassis rails to keep chassis flex from reaching the box. Customers can add a cab-operated tire inflation system for finer control.        

At 95.5 inches wide and 90 inches high, there’s plenty of living space when it’s time to bivouac. Krug says the camper’s made of reinforced sandwich panels without identifying the materials; this price bracket suggests they’re composite, especially because we’re told each each panel’s coated in a GRP (glass reinforced polymer) laminate. Factory fit installs a king-size bed over the F-550 cab, with a fine view of refined, European-style furnishings in the kitchen and dinette area, and the bathroom with separate shower and toilet. Fresh water from the 118-gallon pressurized tank gets filtered three times before use, and undergoes another two treatments including UV LED before emerging from a drinking source.   

Diesel powers the Truma Combi air and water heating system. A 1,450-watt solar array on the roof charges a 23-kWh lithium-ion battery, which in turn powers two televisions and the pre-wired network for Starlink integration. Air conditioning and frills like heated floors are optional extras.  

Pricing starts at $690,000, a nominal $5,000 less than the price of a new EarthRoamer LTi, and the order books are officially open. KRUG Expedition’s Bedrock XT2 truck will officially be introduced on U.S. soil on May 17 at the Overland Expo West in Flagstaff