The Western Ranger Expeditionary Is Probably the Most Surprising, Elegant Overland Rig

The Western Ranger Expeditionary rig is – to paraphrase a very popular saying among comic book geeks – the hero we need but don't deserve, a most outstanding RV conversion that few probably know about. That alone makes it very special. In a context in which validation and a steady source of income are easily achieved online, this rig has a surprisingly very small online presence.

But it is a star nonetheless and, because of it, worthy of your attention.

The Western Ranger Expeditionary is a full DIY (do it yourself) build on an unspecified budget and a 1.5-year timeline. It's been a constant presence at overland expos in the United States for the past three years, and it's always a hit with overlander and vanlife content creators, who often feature it on their respective social media.

The irony is that the owners, AJ Plumber and his wife Vickie, who are also the builders, don't seem to have much of a presence on social media. The only exception seems to be a YouTube channel for the rig, where they document some of the stages of the project. Considering how famous the rig is – and how awesome, bonkers, and surprising – any other overlander would probably be much more vocal about it.

So here's what we know.

The Western Ranger started out as a tanker in the military and was converted into an overlanding RV over the course of a year and a half by the Plumbers and a friend. AJ says that they worked on and off on the project, partly because they wanted to get it right and partly because they didn't have to rush. The motivation behind the rig was the usual "with age, you want more comfort," as the Plumbers also started off camping on the ground "just like everybody else" and eventually grew out of it.

The 1995 Stewart & Stevenson M1086 was stripped to the bare bones and rebuilt, including with a new custom box featuring no less than three slide-outs. Plenty of exterior storage options, a sizable bike rack, and even an outdoor kitchen slash patio were then added on top, crafting a very cozy and functional environment.

The interior, done entirely by Mrs. Plumber, is heavy on Western motifs, which gives the rig its name, but also elegant (cowboy-style) and comfortable. Though there's a certain display quality about the interior, you can tell its main purpose is livability. This is a rolling home, even though it looks like it was built as a display unit.

As far as we can tell, the Expeditionary has already been through a couple of considerable upgrades, one for the interior and the other for the transmission. The latter is the most recent, with the turbo 3116 mechanical getting a rack adjustment and injector fine tuning for improved mileage and power output.

The former saw the four massive leather recliners (two in the lounge and two in the smaller slide-out in the bedroom) replaced with more comfortable options: a couch in the lounge and a dinette in the bedroom. A new ceiling was added to enhance the Western theme further, and a washer-dryer came to replace the smaller fridge in the master suite. Further upgrades are noticeable in the kitchen, including a larger and deeper farm sink.

The rig has 5 exterior cameras, a 5.5 kW propane generator that hardly ever gets any use, 400W of solar on the roof, a 100-gallon (378.5-liter) tank for freshwater, 260-gallon (984-liter) fuel tanks and two additional 40-gallon (151.4-liter) tanks for backup, and mostly analog and manual systems throughout. AJ says that he's old-fashioned like that, so if anything breaks down when they're on the trail, he can get out and fix it himself without having to call for professional help.

The rig is slow, but it can still get up to 70 mph (113 kph) if need be. On the other hand, it's very stable and handles very well on the trail, whether that means through the bush or the marshes, AJ explains. And apparently, nothing beats driving it right up to the ocean, setting up to fish from the fold-down patio, and cooking whatever you catch right away on the grill.

The devil is in the details, as another popular (but non-comic-book-related) saying goes. With the Western Ranger Expeditionary rig, details are everything, and the two instances of visual support included below help to offer a better picture.

Everything about this RV is custom, from the interior door handles, which are cast iron wrapped in rope, to the mirror frames clothed in leather from old cowboy boots, the crocodile leather on accent walls, the custom leather dash, and the SRT Dodge seats in the cabin. Every inch of this rig has been meticulously designed and crafted, and while clearly overworked, it still retains full functionality in an overlanding scenario.

Put simply, everything about this rig is whatever cliché descriptor comes to mind, and yes, that includes bonkers, awesome, and ultimate. But don't take our word for it, see for yourself.