Godzilla is our newest truck camper rig and its our biggest one yet. The rig consists of a 2025 Elevation Off Grid (EOG) Black Edition Ford F-550 with 42-inch super singles, a Bowen Customs chassis camper bed, and a 2025 Kingstar KRUZR 8 truck camper. We are calling the rig Godzilla after Ford’s 7.3L gasoline engine which goes by the same name. If you’ve been following us on Instagram and Facebook this isn’t exactly breaking news. The Avalanche Grey truck and the Bowen bed combo was revealed at the recent Overland Expo Mountain West in Loveland, Colorado and photos of it appeared on several websites and social media channels. We think you’ll agree, the beast looks great with the camper. Better than what we imagined.
We’ve test driven Black Edition EOG truck’s before so we were well-acquainted with EOG’s capabilities, but these test drives were unloaded without a camper. It’s a different ball game when you’re hauling a 5,000-pound truck camper. So how well does the EOG F-550 handle hauling a heavy load? We can honestly say the truck handles like the camper isn’t there. The LiquidSpring suspension is smooth and responsive in turns and in all kinds of road conditions. Rough and rocky dirt roads are not a problem with this setup. Not only that, but the truck’s LiquidSpring system offers three ride levels—sport, normal, and comfort as well as five ride heights—low, medium low, normal, medium high, and high. Driving the truck is easy, smooth, and stress-free, even the wife loves driving it and this includes in high winds like we recently encountered on I-80 in Wyoming.
This is our first rig with super singles and we have to say we are very, very impressed with how well they handle on pavement and off-road. The truck sports massive Goodyear G275 MSA 335/80R20 (LR F – 80 psi) tires. The tires are surprisingly quiet on pavement and smooth over rough and rocky trails. Each wheel and tire assembly weighs 195 pounds and each tire is rated for a whopping 6,395 pounds. Do the math and the four 42-inch tires can support over 25,000 pounds of weight, more than enough for the 18,000 GVWR of our truck. According to Jerime Monroe at EOG, the dually to super single conversion increases the front axle weight by 126 pounds yet lowers the weight on the rear axle by 138 pounds, resulting in a net decrease of 12 pounds overall. Pretty cool.
As for the truck itself, we opted for the Super Duty XL trim with vinyl flooring to keep the weight and the cost of the truck down. Since we were getting a Black Edition EOG upfit we didn’t think it was necessary having the truck loaded with options that we would probably never use or need. The truck comes standard with a 10-speed Torqshift transmission, a 4.2-inch touch screen, upfitter switches, a 40 gallon gas tank, dual batteries, hotspot, lane assist, and a whole lot more. For options, we ordered one package only that Ford calls the Preferred Equipment Package 660A. This package includes the 4.88 limited slip axle, a 400 watt inverter, a trailer brake controller, a 410 amp dual alternator, rear view camera, 40/20/40 cloth seats, the XL chrome package, back glass defrost, power sliding rear window, fog lamps, remote start, and privacy glass.
Unlike most who opt for a Black Edition EOG truck, we opted for the Godzilla 7.3L V8 gasoline engine. We’ve been wanting to review this engine since 2020 to see if its a good as everyone says. As most of you know, we’re big fans of pre-2007 diesel engines—we still have a 2003 Ford Super Duty with the 7.3L Power Stroke in our fleet—but with all of the emission standards found on today’s diesel engines, we wanted to go in a different direction. So far, so good for the Godzilla V8 and the 10-speed Torqshift transmission, though 4,000 rpms are sometimes needed to climb very steep mountain passes here. We are averaging about 8 mpgs with the speed limited to between 65-70 mph. Using cruise control really helps keep the mileage in check. Look for a detailed review of this engine in the coming months.
Of course, a big part of the entire build is Bowen’s CA60 custom truck bed. Bowen calls this particular bed its “chassis cab camper bed with forward garage and three-point torsion-free subframe.” The custom bed weighs 1,500 pounds, measures 8 feet 8 inches long with an overall length of 121.5 inches. Last year, we wrote a detailed story about Bowen’s quality beds and if you haven’t looked into them yet, you really should. Their beds are built using a combination of 1/8-inch and 1/4-inch aluminum and 1/8-inch and 1/4-inch steel. The steel is used on the sub frame only to support Bowen’s three-point articulating sub frame. The bed itself—the garage and all the storage boxes—are all made from aluminum using precision TIG welds throughout. The grey-on-grey truck and camper with the contrasting black Bowen bed looks pretty cool together.
Bowen Customs makes the best compartmentalized bed in the industry. It’s also the best looking with a shape that is uniquely Bowen. Unlike the truck beds made by other companies, the Bowen bed has been engineered to operate at the factory bed height. For truck campers, this is important in order to keep the camper as low as possible (the center of gravity is not only important front to rear, but also from top to bottom). Bowen’s chassis camper bed features six hermetically sealed compartments, three on either side, with one large 18-inch wide pass through garage in the front that is large enough to house a spare tire, bicycles, and other gear. Brent Bowen, the owner, spent a lot of time engineering the airtight seals and it shows. We often hear a swoosh sound when opening the sealed compartments.
Of course, one of the great things about the Bowen Custom’s truck camper bed, is the aforementioned three-point, articulating subframe. This allows Bowen’s bed to flex independently from the truck. Brent partnered with the experts at Elevation Off Grid and Globe Trekker to design a mounting system that provides not only exceptional strength but the ability to flex under extreme off-road conditions. In addition to the proprietary front and rear mounting points, Bowen employs several bump stops that not only arrest sway but cushion the load against jarring impacts when they occur. According to Brent, the range of articulation varies, but can be tuned based upon the weight of the camper and the needs of the customer.
The final piece in the entire build, of course, is the camper. If you recall, we unveiled our Kingstar KRUZR 8 at the 2025 Truck Camper Adventure Quartzsite Rally. Even with over 400 truck campers in attendance, our new Kingstar KRUZR 8 was a hit during the rally open house. Those who stepped inside to tour the camper were surprised at the roominess and that the camper didn’t have any slide-outs.
Yes, the KRUZR 8 is roomy, but Kingstar couples this roominess with the latest tech that eliminates the need to camp at RV parks with full hookups. In addition to the Epoch 460 amp hour lithium battery and the upgraded 800 watt solar power system, you find a Victron 3,000 watt inverter, a Truma Combi, a Victron Cerbo GX-50 touch screen controller, an 8,000 BTU wall-mounted air conditioner, a MAXXAIR fan 7500 Deluxe, and a Vitrifrigo 5.3 cubic foot DC compressor refrigerator-freezer. Standard features include a 32-gallon fresh water holding tank, a 20-gallon grey tank, a 4.75 gallon cassette toilet, and two 20-pound propane tanks.
The Kingstar KRUZR 8 is a beautiful camper, a real head-turner, especially sitting on the EOG-Bowen Customs combo. The Kingstar’s stainless steel nose, stainless steel edgings, and the gray slick siding, really makes it stand out from the rest. You won’t find any loud and obnoxious graphics or badging on the camper either, just a clean, straight look. For our KRUZR 8, we opted for Kingstar’s Fast Back design with the sloped rear roof. The stainless steel Overland Pack and folding steps in the rear gives the KRUZR 8 a sleek and modern look with an excellent departure angle for off-road use.
As with any build, there’s always a bit of adjustment. With 42-inch super singles, the camper sits higher than normal. As a result, the EOG truck needs to be lowered to its lowest setting each and every time we stop to use the camper. Even on this lowest setting, however, we often need to use an aluminum step to get in and out of the camper. Kingstar’s folding three-step assembly is excellent and works well, but with super single builds like ours, a four-step option is needed. We are told that Kingstar is working on this option as we speak which is a very good thing.
Overall, we are thrilled with the way Godzilla turned out. Everywhere we go we get stares and enthusiast thumbs up from onlookers. It’s hard to fuel up at gas stations without getting stopped. Is this rig better than a one-million-dollar EarthRoamer? We think so. First, the Bowen Customs bed provides a lot more storage space than the EarthRoamer. Second, the LiquidSpring hydraulic suspension used by EOG is light years better than the Kelderman air ride system found on the EarthRoamer. Third, our rig is one-third the cost. Sure, our rig isn’t exactly cheap, but it’s a lot less than an EarthRoamer. Not only that, but our rig is more versatile.
To learn more about Elevation Off Grid trucks or to get a quote, email the company directly at sales@elevationoffgrid.com.
To learn more about Bowen Customs truck beds or to get a quote, email the company directly at info@BowenCustoms.com.
To learn more about this and other Kingstar Campers or to get a quote, email the company at marcus@kingstar.net.
Specifications on the Godzilla Truck Camper Adventure Rig
I. 2025 Ford F-550 XL CA60
GVWR: 18,000 pounds
GAWR Front Axle: 7,000 pounds
GAWR Rear Axle: 13,620 pounds
Wheelbase: 179 inches (CA 60)
Total weight with Kingstar camper (including gear and two passengers): 16,380 pounds
Color: Avalanche Grey
Engine: Godzilla 7.3L Gasoline Engine: 430 horsepower and 485 lb-ft of torque
Transmission: TorqShift-G 10-Speed Automatic
Tires: GoodyearG275 MSA 335/80R20 (42-inch) Super Singles with a weight capacity of 6,395 pounds
Wheels: Hutchinson 20-inch wheels rated for 8,775 pounds
Weight of Wheel/Tire Assembly: 190 pounds
Tire Pressures Loaded w/Camper: 65 psi front/80 psi rear
Front Axle: Dana 60 Monobeam (7,000 pound rating)
Rear Axle: Dana S110 Full-Floating (13,600 pound rating)
Rear Differential: 4:88
Diesel Fuel Tank Capacity: 40 gallons
Alternator Output (dual): 410 amps
Truck Bed: Bowen Customs CA60 Truck Camper Bed with 18-inch garage
Front Bumper: Elevation Off Grid Custom
Winch: Warn 16.5ti rated for 16,500 pounds.
Springs: LiquidSpring Suspension
Shocks: LiquidSpring Suspension
Rear Sway Bar: Ford OEM
Exterior Auxillary Lighting: PIAA
II. 2025 Kingstar KRUZR 8 Fastback
Decor: Lounger layout with Clovermist palette with the Outer Banks Decor
Floorlength: 9 feet 3 inches
Wet Weight loaded: 4,520 pounds (CAT Scale: 4,760 pounds)
Exterior: Combination Stainless Steel and Grey Slickside
Fresh Water Tank: 30 gallons
Gray Water Tank (Flatbed Style): 20 gallons
Cassette Toilet Black Water Tank: 4.5 gallons
Truma Combi Water Heater Tank: 2.6 gallons
Propane: Two (2) 5 gallon, 20 pound tanks
Battery: One (1) Epoch 460 amp hour Lithium-Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) Battery (weight: 84 pounds)
Monitoring System: Victron Cerbx (12 volt and 110 volt AC)
Solar Power System: 800 watts (eight, 100 watt roof mounted panels)
Inverter: Victron 3,000 watt pure sine wave w/transfer relay
Refrigerator: Vitrifrigo DP1501B03-LF DC Compressor (Danfoss), 5.3 cubic feet
Air Conditioner: Danby 8,000 BTU wall-mounted (110 volt AC)
Water Heater-Furnace: Truma Combi Eco Plus (110 volt AC and propane)
Cooktop: Furrion Dual Induction, 1,800 watts
Roof Vent and Egress: Bomar Marine-Grade Roof Hatch (700mm x 500mm)
12 Volt Fan: Maxxair with cover
Cassette Toilet: Thetford C224-CW swivel
Rear Exterior Storage Option: Stainless Steel Overland Pack
