The Jeep Gladiator has always been an intriguing platform for truck campers. Its combination of four-wheel-drive capability, solid axles, and relatively compact dimensions makes it a natural for backcountry travel. Unfortunately, there’s always been one major obstacle: payload.
Acela Truck Company and Soaring Eagle Campers are about to change that equation in a big way with a new purpose-built rig called the Verreaux.
Bozeman, Montana-based Acela Truck Company has named Soaring Eagle Campers its preferred upfitter for the Acela Breacher, a high-mobility platform based on the Jeep Gladiator. Together, the two companies are developing the Soaring Eagle Verreaux, a lightweight, removable flatbed pop-up camper designed specifically for the Breacher and intended to provide serious off-road capability while retaining the comforts needed for extended backcountry travel.
And after speaking with Soaring Eagle President Scott Tuttle, we’ve learned considerably more about the Verreaux than what was revealed in the original August announcement.
The biggest number might also be the most surprising: up to 3,000 pounds of payload capacity on a Jeep-based platform.
That’s 3/4-ton pickup territory wrapped in a much smaller and more trail-friendly package.
There’s one important caveat, however. The Verreaux is still being engineered, and several specifications—including its final weight, water capacity, electrical system, and interior configuration—haven’t been finalized. Soaring Eagle hopes to have the production version ready for January 2027.
The Breacher Wasn’t Originally Built for Campers
The story begins with the Acela Breacher itself.
The Breacher starts with proven Jeep Gladiator architecture, but takes the platform in a decidedly more heavy-duty direction. Built in a unique two-door extended-cab configuration, it retains the Gladiator’s standard 137.3-inch wheelbase while providing a full 7-foot bed—considerably more usable space behind the cab than a standard Gladiator. Underneath are Dana 44 axles with 3.73 gears, along with an upgraded suspension and reinforced steel box frame engineered to handle substantially heavier payloads.
Interestingly, none of that extra capability was originally intended for a truck camper.
The Breacher was developed primarily for demanding commercial and emergency-response applications. One of Acela’s goals was to dramatically increase the Jeep platform’s cargo-carrying capacity so it could support equipment such as the large water tanks needed for fighting wildfires in rugged mountain terrain.
But all of that added payload capacity also made the Breacher an intriguing foundation for something completely different—a compact, highly capable expedition camper.
The idea wasn’t entirely new territory for Acela. The company had already seen its extreme off-road chassis used for campers built by The MOAB Project. When Acela owner Dave Ronson began considering the possibilities offered by the new Jeep-based Breacher, he reached out to Soaring Eagle Campers to see if the company would be interested in designing a camper specifically for the platform.
“Dave called me up and asked if we might be interested in designing a camper for their new Jeep chassis,” Scott recalled. “Of course, I said, ‘Absolutely!’ What an amazing opportunity for Soaring Eagle.”
And with that phone call, the project that would eventually become the Verrevaux was born.
A True Removable Flatbed Camper
One of the biggest details Scott revealed during our interview is that the Verreaux won’t be a permanently mounted expedition body.
Soaring Eagle is developing the Verreaux as a true removable flatbed camper.
“We’re gonna do it as a flatbed,” Scott told Truck Camper Adventure.
The reasoning is straightforward: Soaring Eagle wants owners to retain the ability to remove the camper and use the Breacher as a truck when needed.
“So they can take it off if they want,” Scott said. “We’re gonna have…the ability for the consumer to use the truck as a truck if they want.”
That’s a significant distinction.
Dedicated chassis-mounted expedition vehicles offer plenty of advantages, but once the camper is permanently attached, the vehicle essentially becomes a motorhome. The Breacher-Verreaux combination should retain one of the biggest advantages of the traditional truck camper: removability.
The Original Plan Had to Change
Interestingly, the Verreaux that Soaring Eagle ultimately builds won’t be quite what the company originally envisioned.
Scott says the Breacher chassis arrived nearly six weeks later than expected. When it finally showed up, Soaring Eagle discovered that the vehicle sat substantially higher than anticipated.
The reason was Acela’s suspension and payload upgrades.
“They really jacked that thing up with the special shocks and suspension for the extra payload capacity,” Scott explained.
The supplied flatbed also contributed to the height. According to Scott, it uses a double-layer construction approximately 6 inches thick.
Soaring Eagle’s solution is to build its own flatbed.
The new aluminum bed is expected to be only about 3 inches thick, cutting approximately 3 inches from the overall camper height while also reducing weight.
The existing flatbed weighs approximately 260 pounds according to Scott, but that figure includes the tailgate, sidewalls, and headache rack. Soaring Eagle plans to eliminate those components and believes its purpose-built camper flatbed could come in somewhere in the 100-pound range.
Every pound saved there becomes another pound available for the Verreaux, water, batteries, passengers, and gear.
Hard-Side Plans Give Way to a Pop-Up
The Breacher’s unexpected height resulted in another major design change.
Soaring Eagle originally hoped to make the Verreaux a fully enclosed hard-side camper. Once the company saw how tall the completed Breacher chassis would be, that idea was reconsidered.
“We were hoping to build a…fully enclosed model, and we’re gonna have to do a pop-up model because it’s so tall,” Scott said.
For this particular vehicle, that might actually be an improvement.
A pop-up roof should help reduce overall traveling height and frontal area while lowering the camper’s center of gravity—important considerations for a vehicle intended to travel on rough and technical terrain.
The Breacher being used for the project is already riding on aggressive 35-inch tires, with upgraded suspension and shocks intended for off-road travel.
Keeping the Verreaux relatively low while underway should complement those capabilities much better than placing a tall conventional hard-side camper on top.
A High-End Camper, Not a Bare-Bones Shell
Don’t mistake the Verreaux’s pop-up configuration for a stripped-down camper.
Scott made it clear that Soaring Eagle is positioning the Verreaux considerably higher than one of its existing lightweight campers.
“It’s going to be a lot higher end than that,” he said.
One feature already considered essential is an interior shower.
“It’s gonna have a shower in it,” Scott said. “That’s one of the key features. It needs to have a shower in it, not just on the outside.”
Soaring Eagle is also developing a lightweight metal cabinet package specifically for the project. Scott says the goal is to make the cabinetry both durable and light enough to complement the vehicle’s off-road mission.
“The inside of the Verreaux will feature all-aluminum cabinetry that’s going to be both lightweight and very durable,” Scott said.
That combination should place the Verreaux somewhere between the minimalist pop-up topper and a much larger conventional truck camper—a relatively compact expedition camper with genuine interior living amenities.
How Much Will the Verreaux Camper Weigh?
That’s still being determined.
When we asked Scott about specifications such as weight and water capacity, his answer was refreshingly straightforward:
“Don’t know yet.”
“It’s still being engineered.”
Scott’s preliminary estimate puts the Verreaux somewhere around 1,500 pounds, although he acknowledged that batteries and other equipment could push the final figure closer to 1,800 pounds.
Those shouldn’t be treated as final specifications. Engineering is still underway and the finished camper could change considerably before production.
But the preliminary numbers illustrate why the Breacher’s approximately 3,000-pound payload is so important.
Even if the Verreaux ultimately approaches 1,800 pounds, the platform could theoretically retain substantial capacity for occupants, water, food, recovery equipment, bicycles, camping gear, and other supplies. The actual remaining payload will depend on the completed vehicle’s certified ratings and final equipment, so we’ll reserve judgment until Acela and Soaring Eagle publish production specifications.
Expect a Complete Turnkey Rig
Another big revelation from our conversation with Scott is how Soaring Eagle intends to sell the Verreaux.
This isn’t expected to be merely a camper that customers purchase for an existing Jeep Gladiator.
The Acela Breacher, flatbed, and Soaring Eagle Verreaux will be sold together as a complete package.
“You get the Jeep and the flatbed and the camper all together in one package,” Scott said. “This chassis is truly a one-of-a-kind vehicle featuring a custom configured cab which allows for the increased bed length. You cannot just put a Verreaux on a standard Jeep Gladiator.”
That allows Acela and Soaring Eagle to engineer the vehicle as a complete system rather than asking owners to piece together a truck, suspension modifications, flatbed, camper, and supporting equipment themselves.
It’s an approach we’re seeing more often in the premium overland market, and it makes particular sense with something as specialized as the Breacher.
At the same time, because the Verreaux itself will be removable, owners should still have the option of taking the camper off and using the Breacher and flatbed independently.
Around $150,000
All of this uniqueness and capability won’t be inexpensive.
Scott currently expects the complete Breacher-Verreaux rig to retail for somewhere around $150,000, although that number remains preliminary.
The specialized Breacher platform itself accounts for a significant portion of the cost. Scott told us the customized Jeep-based chassis supplied for the project, with its increased carrying capacity and specialized configuration, cost Soaring Eagle a pretty penny.
That means this was never going to be an inexpensive midsize truck camper.
Instead, the Verreaux is targeting buyers who might otherwise be looking at premium turnkey overland rigs or compact expedition vehicles built on the Mercedes Sprinter and similar chassis.
As with the weight figures, final retail pricing won’t be known until engineering is completed and the production package is finalized.
Soaring Eagle Is Moving Into Flatbeds
The Verreaux project is also part of a larger development at Soaring Eagle.
Scott revealed that the company is expanding into flatbed truck campers for the first time.
Soaring Eagle has developed metal storage boxes that can be paired with its existing Aerie model and has designed a new 9-foot Aerie flatbed camper intended to match up with a popular flatbed configuration.
When asked whether this was a genuine flatbed camper rather than a conventional slide-in surrounded by storage boxes, Scott confirmed that Soaring Eagle will offer both approaches.
That makes the Acela partnership particularly timely. Soaring Eagle is already developing the engineering and manufacturing experience needed for flatbed campers just as the Verreaux project moves forward.
Development Is Happening Right Now
Don’t expect to walk into a dealership and buy a Verreaux tomorrow.
Scott emphasized several times that the camper remains a work in progress.
Soaring Eagle already has the Breacher chassis, but its late delivery put development behind schedule. For an upcoming show appearance, the company plans to place an aluminum framework on the Breacher to approximate the size and shape of the eventual camper rather than displaying a finished production unit.
The company then plans to spend the final quarter of 2026 completing the Verreaux.
“So we’re going to spend this last quarter trying to fine tune the product and try to release it in January,” Scott told us.
The target is the Florida RV SuperShow in Tampa in mid-January 2027 or possibly at Truck Camper Adventure’s very own Quartzsite Rally in February.
That timeline also explains why relatively little consumer information has surfaced about the partnership despite the August 1 announcement.
Scott says the original release was primarily directed toward RV industry publications and dealers rather than retail consumers. Soaring Eagle wanted dealers to know what was coming but planned to wait until the concept was more fully developed before promoting it heavily to consumers.
“Retail, really nothing’s been broken,” Scott told us. “Nobody really knows about it.”
That makes the Verreaux very much a developing story, with considerably more information expected as engineering progresses toward the January unveiling.
Bridging the Gap Between Truck Camper and Expedition Vehicle
The Acela Breacher and Soaring Eagle Verreaux could ultimately occupy a fascinating place in the overland market.
At one end are conventional midsize truck campers, which provide compact dimensions but must contend with relatively low payload ratings.
At the other are purpose-built expedition vehicles riding on one-ton, Class 4, Class 5, and even larger commercial platforms. Those trucks provide tremendous carrying capacity but are physically much larger than a Jeep Gladiator.
The Breacher-Verreaux attacks the problem differently.
Start with the compact dimensions and proven architecture of a Jeep Gladiator. Engineer substantially more payload into the chassis. Add a lightweight aluminum flatbed. Mount a removable pop-up camper with an indoor shower and high-end interior. Then put the entire package on 35-inch tires and an off-road suspension.
If Acela and Soaring Eagle can deliver the production Verreaux with the specifications they’re currently targeting, the result could provide something that’s still surprisingly rare: a genuinely compact expedition-style truck camper with enough payload to carry the camper properly.
There are still plenty of unanswered questions. We want to see the Verreaux’s final camper weight, GVWR, certified payload, center of gravity, holding-tank capacities, battery capacity, solar wattage, propane capacity, interior layout, overall dimensions, and final price.
Those numbers will ultimately tell us how well the concept works.
But we know considerably more now than we did when the partnership was first announced—and the project looks far more ambitious than simply putting an existing Soaring Eagle camper on a modified Jeep.
If everything stays on schedule, we should get our first look at the finished Soaring Eagle Verreaux in January 2027. We can’t wait.
For more information about this or other Soaring Eagle Campers or to get a quote, email the company directly at scott.t@soaringeaglecampers.com.
This thing looks amazing! Will th pop top be hard sided?