If you wanted to build the ultimate bug-out truck, and weren't concerned about money, what would you create? For Peter Dunkel, the answer to that question began with a huge Ford F750 commercial truck, and the budget was a staggering six million dollars. The result of his project was dubbed the F750 World Cruiser, and it's quite the sight to behold.
The World Cruiser actually started out with a paltry $2 million budget, but that didn't last long. Dunkel told Mecum Auctions, “Let's just say the art piece got larger and we had to throw the budget out the window because we were going somewhere no one had ever tried to go.”
The already huge Ford truck chassis was widened 22 inches, and the custom body was mounted on an air suspension system to produce a smooth ride. In the quest for an engine powerful enough to move this beast, the standard Ford engine was replaced by a Caterpillar turbodiesel engine and Allison 6-speed transmission.
The powertrain is rated at 300 horsepower and 1,200 ft-lbs of torque, and can push the truck to 70mph cruising speed. Dual auxiliary fuel tanks carry a total of 60 gallons of fuel for long-range trips.
Creature comforts for passengers exceed even the most luxurious motorhomes, with a bedroom, full bathroom, kitchen, and living room area. Dunkel reportedly spent $20,000 on wiring alone, and installed an on-demand water heater, on-board air compressor, rear hoist, flat-screen TVs, and Kenwood Supreme entertainment system with flip-up exterior speakers (so you can play Flight of the Valkyries for the onlookers as you roll out of town). It can all be controlled by a wireless remote control from outside the truck, of course.
Now, you might be wondering why a truck this big needs a bed — what kind of cargo could it possibly haul? The answer is related to the widened frame we mentioned earlier. The F750 World Cruiser has been modified with an articulating dump-truck-style bed, and can carry a four-door Jeep Wrangler plus two quads. Total cargo capacity for the bed is more than 8,000 pounds. Check out the photo from RV Magazine of one of Dunkel's previous builds below:
The F750 World Cruiser is anything but subtle, but as far as full-size motorhomes go, this might be one of the most over-the-top builds we've ever seen. You'd need an armed entourage to defend this monster from thieves and carjackers in any sort of actual disaster scenario, but if you just spent $6 million on a single vehicle, hiring some bodyguards shouldn't be a problem. Heck, you might as well get an attack helicopter or Predator drone and carry it in the bed.
For those with a more realistic budget, check out our previous article on affordable winter bug-out vehicles.