Presented by Wolf Rigs.
To say that adventure-ready vehicles are popular would truly be an understatement. As of recent, there has been a surge of companies aiming to create the next recreational vehicle that road trip warriors and adventurers will drive across the country. However, a vast majority of these vehicles are suited only for the road and would dare not travel off of the beaten path. That’s where Wolf Rigs comes in.
Wolf Rigs came into existence after its founder, Reed Gerdes, was on his own journey to find the perfect overlanding vehicle. When he couldn’t find what he was looking for, he took on the task of creating an off-road-ready adventure vehicle on his own. After having discussions with others interested in his journey, he landed on a new Humvee-based vehicle that has become known as the Patton and would also be the first Wolf Rig model in existence. You can learn all about Wolf Rigs by watching Gott Love’s video up above, or their interview with Gerdes down below. Also, be sure to click the button below to visit the Wolf Rigs website to learn how you can get your hands on one of these rugged vehicles.
What was the inspiration for the Patton? Why use a Humvee?
We (Wolf Rigs) were going to start building 4×4 sprinter vans to sell. I was on my way back to Denver from a trip where I met Mike King who is now my business partner. I stopped in Moab on my way home and I quickly noticed how no 4×4 sprinter van could go up the trails I was used to driving with my Jeeps. I spent the better part of my adult life building and 4 wheeling Jeeps of all kinds. However, it was almost disheartening how incapable the 4×4 sprinter was. That and I always thought (and still do) they looked goofy with the tall top and skinny profile. After a short conversation with my buddy Jax Austin, he again gave me inspiration. Why don’t you build an overland vehicle on a Humvee chassis? I immediately thought the idea was the best I had ever heard. Got back to Denver and started drawing, looking at ideas, and came up with a CAD drawing. A few months later, purchased our first Humvee and started building. This was Feb of 2021. I was in the military (Army 11B) and drove the Humvee quite a bit and always loved how they could drive over and through anything. It was partly why I loved building and 4-wheeling Jeeps later in my adult life. Anyway, with the low center of gravity and the new innovations of Humvee re-manufacturers, it was literally the perfect platform to build my dream on. It’s just as wide as a 450, and yet so much more agile and light. Our rig clocks in an 8,700 lbs dry. Anyway, the Humvee is, in my opinion, a much better choice for overlanding. And they just look cool too.
What things set your rig apart from competitors?
When I set out to design this rig, I had the blessing of the people who helped me create the ideas around the necessity of systems and design. I have a lot of friends who full time on rigs. So there is a lot of stuff that other manufacturers put in their builds that really don’t make sense and create an engineering failure point. I wanted to build something that was tough, practical, easy to use, tons of fun, and could go ANYWHERE you want to go. We are shorter, yet as you saw in person, there is no skimping on room inside. You feel like you’re home. The outside was designed to be tough, practical, lightweight, and darn near bulletproof. The weight is kept low for a reason. The height was a major consideration, yet we have a 16″ ground clearance and only run 37″ tires. No other build can claim our specs & that’s largely due to the Humvee platform. We use a 1/8″ aluminum plate with a 14 gauge strap that’s panel bonded and riveted all around (3,300 rivets) for the main body. No other manufacturer uses that strong of a skin and NO ONE can claim the damage protection we have standard in our builds. I designed this rig to be able to hit a tree or rock with little to zero damage. All other tops are either carbon fiber or fiberglass and will sustain major damage going up the trails I love to camp at. Which is why I built this rig. To be able to go where no one else can and set up camp. The inside is a nod to my interior contracting days. I wanted something where the outside looked so tough and is, yet the inside was so inviting, you’d forget the toughness that got you to the top of the trail. Yes the other builds are impressive and they are pretty, but they will never be as tough as what the Patton is. Meshing the toughness with elegance was a design goal and I think we hit it out of the park. Seems we are not alone in our thought on that.
What is your favorite feature?
It’s tough to pick out a favorite feature, however, I would have to say I love we’ve created a way to have all the comforts of home anywhere you want to be and in any climate you choose to go & not worry about how you got there and how you’re going to get back home.
