UglyViking
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Hey all,
This post is a bit of a “soft open” announcement for EOD (Expedition Off-Road Development), a company I recently co-founded to develop products for the full-size overland community.
We created the company because we are passionate HD truck guys, who felt like we had a lack of options for our rigs. Our philosophy is to build a capable rig, for work and play, while making products that look like they belong on the rig.
So with that, I present to you, our prototype sliders. This is our first version, installed on the founders 2012 3500 Cummins truck. These prototype sliders have been used for R&D heavily, we tested a few paint options looking for something easier to touch up, but decided that powder coating was the best option, so our second set is on the way back from powder.
Design
We start 4 solid 2x2 mounting bars that run to the rub rail mounted 1” from the bottom of the pinch weld to lose as little clearance as possible. From there, our rub rail follows the lines of the body from wheel well to wheel well. We run a 2 piece outer tube, angled back at 45°,and up 25°. This keeps you protected but also gains clearance over options that are straight out from the rub rail, plus we think it looks great. Finally, 4 additional supports inside again angled at 45°.
Material specs:
As you can see, we tested these prototype sliders a lot looking for deformation, movement, etc. We searched out trails with rocks to test the kickouts, to drop the truck on, and just run hard. We have seen no contact of the rub rail to the pinch welds of the cab, and thus far have only made very minor adjustments to the initial design. Our production slider will have a few additional goodies I’m gonna keep under wraps for the moment, as well as our branding, and will be offered in raw and black powdercoat.
Our goal is to launch mid April, with a handful of sliders ready to ship. Our goal is to have product on the shelves, so there is no wait. We are also pricing competitively, and since we are literally just opening our doors, we wanted to offer a discount on the first handful of units. We realize there is a lot of trust that needs to be put into a brand new company, so we want to offer a deal for those willing to take the plunge.
Finally, while we are modeling in CAD before we fab, we would like to get our hands on some trucks to confirm fitment. So if you have a 2013-current power wagon or hemi equipped 2500, and live in the VT, NH, ME, MA area and are willing to lend us your truck for a bit so we can test fit and use the truck for install videos, we will cut you a steep discount on the sliders, and you’ll get them back fully installed and ready to go.
Please feel free to drop any questions or comments. If you’ve got a truck you’re willing to lend for us to confirm fitment please reach out. Thanks for taking the time to read and check us out. I’ll follow up with another post when we are officially launching, until then feel free to follow us on social media for updates as we get closer to launch.
Facebook | Instagram
- Nick Cochrane, Co-Founder - Expedition Off-Road Development
This post is a bit of a “soft open” announcement for EOD (Expedition Off-Road Development), a company I recently co-founded to develop products for the full-size overland community.
We created the company because we are passionate HD truck guys, who felt like we had a lack of options for our rigs. Our philosophy is to build a capable rig, for work and play, while making products that look like they belong on the rig.
So with that, I present to you, our prototype sliders. This is our first version, installed on the founders 2012 3500 Cummins truck. These prototype sliders have been used for R&D heavily, we tested a few paint options looking for something easier to touch up, but decided that powder coating was the best option, so our second set is on the way back from powder.
Design
We start 4 solid 2x2 mounting bars that run to the rub rail mounted 1” from the bottom of the pinch weld to lose as little clearance as possible. From there, our rub rail follows the lines of the body from wheel well to wheel well. We run a 2 piece outer tube, angled back at 45°,and up 25°. This keeps you protected but also gains clearance over options that are straight out from the rub rail, plus we think it looks great. Finally, 4 additional supports inside again angled at 45°.
Material specs:
- ½” thick frame mounting plates
- ¼” thick 2x2 mounting bars
- 3/16” thick 2x3 rub rail
- .120” thick 1 ¾” DOM tube
- ½” x 5” Grade 8 hardware with nylon lock nuts
As you can see, we tested these prototype sliders a lot looking for deformation, movement, etc. We searched out trails with rocks to test the kickouts, to drop the truck on, and just run hard. We have seen no contact of the rub rail to the pinch welds of the cab, and thus far have only made very minor adjustments to the initial design. Our production slider will have a few additional goodies I’m gonna keep under wraps for the moment, as well as our branding, and will be offered in raw and black powdercoat.
Our goal is to launch mid April, with a handful of sliders ready to ship. Our goal is to have product on the shelves, so there is no wait. We are also pricing competitively, and since we are literally just opening our doors, we wanted to offer a discount on the first handful of units. We realize there is a lot of trust that needs to be put into a brand new company, so we want to offer a deal for those willing to take the plunge.
Finally, while we are modeling in CAD before we fab, we would like to get our hands on some trucks to confirm fitment. So if you have a 2013-current power wagon or hemi equipped 2500, and live in the VT, NH, ME, MA area and are willing to lend us your truck for a bit so we can test fit and use the truck for install videos, we will cut you a steep discount on the sliders, and you’ll get them back fully installed and ready to go.
Please feel free to drop any questions or comments. If you’ve got a truck you’re willing to lend for us to confirm fitment please reach out. Thanks for taking the time to read and check us out. I’ll follow up with another post when we are officially launching, until then feel free to follow us on social media for updates as we get closer to launch.
Facebook | Instagram
- Nick Cochrane, Co-Founder - Expedition Off-Road Development
