Big Rigs Conquer Moab's Poison Spider Trail

Fullsize Invasion Group Of Fullsize Rigs On Trail

The beauty of the Poison Spider Mesa trail is that it’s challenging without being a destruct-o-fest.

The beauty of the Poison Spider Mesa trail is that it’s challenging without being a destru

If there’s one thing you can count on at the Moab Easter Jeep Safari (EJS) in Moab, Utah, it’s that the majority of the rigs will be short-wheelbase Jeep vehicles. Well, we like to mix things up so we hit the trail with a few fullsizes at this year’s EJS.

Stephen Watson, the intrepid, amicable owner of Offroad Design led the way in his ’99 GMC 2500 that sports a 454ci V-8, NV4500 transmission, NP203/205 Doubler, Dana 60 front axle, 14-bolt rear axle, ARB Air Lockers, King shocks, 40-inch Goodyear MT/R with Kevlar tires, and a custom Offroad Design-fabbed bed.

Stephen Watson, the intrepid, amicable owner of Offroad Design led the way in his ’99 GMC

We like short-wheelbase Jeeps, but we also dig fullsize rigs, and we think that many of the Moab trails are a great place to explore in a fullsize rig, so we joined some big rigs on the Poison Spider Mesa trail. The run was the brainchild of Off-Road magazine Editor Jerrod Jones and Four Wheeler Editor John Cappa. “We just got tired of seeing nothing but JK Wranglers at Easter Jeep Safari the past couple of years. We wanted to make a push with the fullsize trucks. They are awesome to take wheeling because the longer wheelbases and underbody clearance make some of the climbs way easier. Plus, a mildly-built fullsize truck can make a somewhat boring Jeep trail pretty exciting,” says Cappa.

This incredible MaxBilt ’53 Dodge M-37 has a 383ci V-8, SM465 transmission, NP200 transfer case, Dana 60 front axle, 14-bolt rear axle, ARB Air Lockers, custom leaf-spring suspension with Fox remote-reservoir shocks, TrailReady beadlock wheels, and 40-inch Interco SS-M16 tires. It also has an onboard welder/generator, onboard air compressor with 50-foot hose reel, and Warn VR12000 winch among many other features.

This incredible MaxBilt ’53 Dodge M-37 has a 383ci V-8, SM465 transmission, NP200 transfer

We wheeled with over 20 fullsize rigs and they represented 13 states including Pennsylvania, Colorado, Ohio, Wisconsin, Maryland, Utah, Idaho, Texas, Indiana, Arizona, California, Michigan, and Nevada. Each rig was unique and fascinating and many sported some very unusual mods. Here’s a rundown of most of the rigs that attended.

Did someone say party? Philip Kennedy Jr. from Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, brought out his “Party Patrol” ’88 Ford F-350. The 7.3L Power Stroke-powered truck is low-buck, trail-conquering goodness. The trucks mods include Rancho shocks, custom bumpers, hydro-assist steering, and welded spider gears.
Did someone say party? Philip Kennedy Jr. from Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, brought out his
Dan Merrill from Orem, Utah, doesn’t need no stinking bed on his capable K20. This rig sauntered through Poison Spider thanks to a 6.2L diesel, SM465 four-speed transmission, NP208 T-case, chromoly-shafted Dana 44 front axle, Ouverson-spooled 14-bolt rear axle, and 37-inch Parnelli Jones Dirt Grip tires. It also has a 12,000-pound Badland winch and hydro-assist crossover steering with a heavy-duty tie rod.
Dan Merrill from Orem, Utah, doesn’t need no stinking bed on his capable K20. This rig sau
Anybody need a ride? David Hellman, owner of Extreme 4x4 Tours in Phoenix, Arizona, drove his Suburban-based tour rig with three rows of seating. Its specs read like a rock crawler and include an Offroad Design Doubler, Eaton ELocker-equipped Dana 60 front axle, 14-bolt rear axle with Detroit Locker, flexy leaf-spring suspension with 13-inch-travel Bilstein 7100 shocks, and 39.5-inch Interco IROK tires.
Anybody need a ride? David Hellman, owner of Extreme 4x4 Tours in Phoenix, Arizona, drove

Mickey Main is from Blackfoot, Idaho, and he bought his Chevy to mud race, but found out he enjoys the rocks more. The truck has a fuel-injected 454ci V-8, four-speed manual transmission, NP203/205 Doubler, ARB-locked Dana 60 front axle, Detroit-locked 14-bolt rear axle, custom four-link suspension with Fox coilovers, and 42-inch-diameter Super Swamper tires. It took Main about a year to complete the chassis and tube work on the truck.
Mickey Main is from Blackfoot, Idaho, and he bought his Chevy to mud race, but found out h
Michigan-based BDS Suspension wheeled their cool company tow rig, a ’10 Ram 2500. It’s equipment inlcudes a BDS 8-inch long-arm suspension, 40-inch Toyo M/T tires, BMF wheels, and Iron Cross bumpers.
Michigan-based BDS Suspension wheeled their cool company tow rig, a ’10 Ram 2500. It’s equ
Shaun Wagner drove his Dodge Ram 2500 from Uvalde, Texas. Wagner was inspired to build his Dodge after he saw Kent Kroeker (KORE Off-Road) earn a podium finish at the Baja 1000. Wagner’s Cummins-powered truck is outfitted with an impressive number of mods including a mix of KORE, Carli, and Pure Performance suspension components, Bilstein shocks, Dynatrac ball joints, upgraded steering system, Flex-a-lite electric fan conversion, Defiant steering box support, and 37-inch Goodyear MT/R tires.
Shaun Wagner drove his Dodge Ram 2500 from Uvalde, Texas. Wagner was inspired to build his

Jerrod Jones, editor of Off-Road magazine, brought out his ’74 Chevy K5 Blazer and quickly became the master of the “line less taken,” which produced some cool wheels-up photos.
Jerrod Jones, editor of Off-Road magazine, brought out his ’74 Chevy K5 Blazer and quickly
It doesn’t get much more fullsize than this ’09 Ford E-350. It belongs to Quigley Motor Company and it was driven by Tiger LeBrun, Quigley’s production QC supervisor. Some of the vans features include a V-10 engine, NV271 two-speed transfer case, a pair of Dana 60 axles, front Eaton ELocker, rear ARB Air Locker, coil spring front suspension, leaf spring rear suspension, and 38-inch BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM2 tires. Quigley says this van was the prototype special project vehicle for the National Science Foundation in Antarctica. Quigley built 24 units like this one, without the front and rear lockers, for use in Antarctica.
It doesn’t get much more fullsize than this ’09 Ford E-350. It belongs to Quigley Motor Co
If you’re looking for something unusual, look no further than Toby Boyer’s way cool 24-valve Cummins 6BT-powered Jeep Grand Wagoneer. This South Bend, Indiana-based rig also has an Advance Adapters Atlas 3.8:1 ratio T-case, Detroit-locked Dana 60 front axle, ARB-locked 14-bolt rear axle, Atlas leaf springs, Poly Performance BBCS shocks, Offroad Design shackles, Hutchinson beadlocks, and BFGoodrich Krawler T/A tires.
If you’re looking for something unusual, look no further than Toby Boyer’s way cool 24-val

This ’02 Dodge Ram 2500 is normally David Lozupone’s tow rig. The V-10 engine has been tweaked with a cold air intake, a throttle body spacer, and headers. Other mods to the truck include engine oil and transmission coolers and 35-inch Pro Comp all-terrain tires. Lozupone, of Laytonsville, Maryland, normally uses the Dodge to trailer his Hummer H3 trail rig to various wheeling locations.
This ’02 Dodge Ram 2500 is normally David Lozupone’s tow rig. The V-10 engine has been twe
Four Wheeler Editor John Cappa piloted Chrysler’s Powerwagon concept truck.
You may remember Dirk Phillips ’83 Chevy Silverado from the cover of our May ’06 issue. The rig has undergone a number of changes since we photographed it all those years ago, but one thing is still the same; it’s a surefooted animal that demonstrates that a fullsize rig can be a phenomenal trail machine.
You may remember Dirk Phillips ’83 Chevy Silverado from the cover of our May ’06 issue. Th

There’s a reason why that black smoke is visible in this image. It’s because this ’69 Kaiser M715, owned by Kevin Mackie of Milpitas, California, has been fitted with a biofuel-capable 7.3L Power Stroke turbodiesel engine. But wait there’s more. Like a Dana 60 front axle, Ford 10.25 rear axle, and bobbed frame and cargo bed. We’ll have a full feature on this incredible owner-built rig in an upcoming issue of Four Wheeler.
There’s a reason why that black smoke is visible in this image. It’s because this ’69 Kais
This IFS ’10 Chevy G2500 12-passenger van also belongs to Quigley Motor Company. It was driven by Todd Quigley, Quigley’s vice president of engineering and production. The van is powered by a 6.0L engine and has a NV261 two-speed transfer case. The front differential is an AAM unit as is the rear axle. Both diff’s are fitted with Eaton ELockers. The rig rolls on 35-inch BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM2 tires.
This IFS ’10 Chevy G2500 12-passenger van also belongs to Quigley Motor Company. It was dr
One of the rewards of the Poison Spider Mesa trail is a killer view of the town of Moab and the La Sal Mountains.
One of the rewards of the Poison Spider Mesa trail is a killer view of the town of Moab an

Mickey Thompson’s “Big Rig” had no problem squashing Poison Spider. The truck’s massive list of features include a 6.7L Power Stroke turbodiesel engine, six-speed automatic transmission, MBRP dual stack exhaust system, 10 inches of Fabtech suspension lift, Mickey Thompson’s new 20x11 Classic Big Rig wheels, and 38x15.50R20 Mickey Thompson Baja MTZ tires.
Mickey Thompson’s “Big Rig” had no problem squashing Poison Spider. The truck’s massive li
Technically, Dan Wright’s ’97 Chevy S-10 extended cab pickup isn’t a fullsize, but it has fullsize specs and that’s good enough for us. Some of its features include a TPI L98 Corvette engine, NP435 Ford transmission, twin-stick NP205 T-case, Detroit-locked Ford high-pinion Dana 60 with enough goodies to make your head spin, Detroit-locked 14-bolt rear axle, four-link suspension with 16-inch-travel King remote-reservoir coilovers, and 42-inch Super Swamper TSLs. Also, hydraulic steering, a rear-mounted radiator with push/pull electric fans, suspension seats, Tom Wood’s driveshafts, Warn winch, and dual Optima batteries.
Technically, Dan Wright’s ’97 Chevy S-10 extended cab pickup isn’t a fullsize, but it has
This incredible ’92 Chevy Suburban was piloted by its owner, Doug Hampton, who calls Pagosa Springs, Colorado, home. The rig is powered by a heavily modified Cummins 6BT 12-valve turbodiesel engine and it also sports a solid axle Dana 60 conversion up front among many other mods. Want to know more about this rig? Well, keep an eye on Four Wheeler because we have a full feature planned for this vehicle in an upcoming issue.
This incredible ’92 Chevy Suburban was piloted by its owner, Doug Hampton, who calls Pagos