Savings and Choices: The Appeal of DIY 500-HP Off-Road Trucks
The Ram 1500 TRX and Ford F-150 Raptor R, with their 700-horsepower figures. capture our attention, but are they worth your time, money, and energy? These trucks come at an enormous premium and with almost too much power to be useful in any environment other than a Baja-style desert course. If you want a more practical off-road truck, consider building your own and limiting the power to 500 ponies.
Here are some reasons to build a 500-hp off-road truck instead of driving the Raptor R or TRX.
1. The choice of off-road trucks is endless
Would you like a classic pickup on a modern chassis? Does lifting your truck up higher or add beefier tires make more sense to you? Instead of the factory-built Ram and Ford high-performance trucks, invest in a custom build with everything you desire. The world is truly your oyster when creating your 500-hp truck from various parts.
2. 700 horsepower is just too much for most trails
The Ram 1500 TRX and Ford F-150 Raptor R are impressive but extremely specialized. These trucks are hard to handle on most trails unless you’re crossing a desert at high speeds. Most off-road trucks spend time crawling over rocks, up and down hills, over obstacles, and through the woods. The 700-hp trucks require extreme throttle control to minimize the power on a restrictive trail. With your custom-built truck, you can set the controls to make trail and rock climbing much less stressful.
3. Project trucks cost less
Sure, you could reach the six-figure Raptor R and TRX prices with your custom build, but if you reach this amount, you’ll probably have everything you ever wanted in an off-road truck build. When you build a project truck, you can start with some of the most important off-road components, work on the body and paint later. Spread the cost over time and spend less by creating your custom-built off-road truck.
4. Project trucks are easier to park during the week
When you spend more than $100,000 on a vehicle, you’ll likely want to drive it daily. In fact, if you’ve dropped this much money into this truck, you probably have to drive it daily because it’s your only vehicle. On the other hand, building a project truck means you’ve got a different vehicle to drive during the week, leaving your 500-hp off-road truck for your weekend shenanigans.
5. No compromises in your custom-built truck
Are there aspects of the Ram 1500 TRX and Ford F-150 Raptor R that you could live without? Unfortunately, unless those items are options, you’ll have to live with them when you drive one of these 700-hp monsters. If you build your project truck, you can choose the equipment and performance offered. Create one of the most unique off-road trucks and make your motto “no compromises” be yours for your build.
A custom-built off-road truck can become your labor of love and be much more practical on the trails than the Ram 1500 TRX or Ford F-150 Raptor R.
