Something Wicked This Way Comes

Meet RECOIL’s Four-Wheel Mascot. Just Like Our Magazine, it’s Meant to Dish the Dirt and Leave the Competition in the Dust

If you’re going to build something that’s emblematic of your business, that decision shouldn’t be taken lightly. When conceptualizing our company vehicle, we tried to think of what make and model would best represent our brand. It couldn’t be a supercar — pretentious, impractical, and way too many “fail” videos out there showing douchebags drive them into a wall. We liked the pragmatism of a hybrid or e-car, but let’s face it, no one brags about having one, and Teslas are only nice if you don’t want to go anywhere. A vintage car, à la the Ghostbusters Cadillac ambulance would’ve been cool, but we haven’t convinced management to appropriate funds to mount a minigun to a hearse quite yet.

Lund Truck helped us accessorize our F-150 with AMP Research illuminated, retractable side steps, bed extender, and a Roll-N-Lock bed cover.

When it came to selecting a four-wheel metaphor for RECOIL, we wanted something that offers a lot of bang for its buck, is as stylish on the inside as it is on the outside, is practical for the times we live in, and keeps the owner eagerly anticipating every experience with it. So what could be more apropos than a decked-out Ford F-150? And like any good first date, for its maiden voyage we rode it hard and put it up wet after driving from Florida to Arizona and then through the mining trails from Phoenix to Prescott to make sure it was worthy of our name.

We decked out the body with Fab Fours' Grumper front bumper, Vengeance rear bumper, and ViCowl front cowl kit.

The idea was to come up with something that’d fit a variety of applications that could be built in a short amount of time: recovery truck, bug-out vehicle, support truck. The platform had to be American and modular, so the Ford fit the bill perfectly. Just like building an AR, the F-150 has a ton of bolt-on aftermarket support. The EcoBoost 3.5 twin turbo V-6 offers great power and fuel efficiency. As is also the case with GM, some may groan at the fact that aluminum bodies have replaced steel, but the fact it’s less rust-prone and keeps the vehicle light is hard to deny. The 10-speed tranny and tune control switch for highway driving, towing, sport, and economy just adds to the versatility.

Underpinnings consist of Skyjacker Suspension's 6-inch LeDuc system, with 2.5-inch Fox active reservoir coilovers, which we promptly put to work during its maiden off-road trip.

Our overall focus for the underpinnings was great ground clearance and off-road performance reliability. Skyjacker Suspensions stepped up with its 6-inch LeDuc system, with 2.5-inch Fox active reservoir coil-overs and was installed by Mirrored Images. Rolling stock came in the way of 20×12 Fuel Vapor D569 wheels wrapped in Toyo Open Country MTs. We wanted the looks to be aggressive, but also possess the ability to push things out of the way and house a winch. This was accomplished courtesy of Fab Four’s Grumper front bumper with Pro Comp lights, Vengeance rear bumper, and ViCowl system installed by High Standards.

Of course, adding 1,000 pounds worth of bumpers and wheels to a stock truck meant we needed more power. Keeping the theme of simplicity in mind, our friends at JMS Products sent us its PedalMAX and BoostMAX kits with controllers. Combined with JLT Performance’s Cold Air Kit and installed in less than an hour, it brought the truck to around 500 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque, all while still averaging about 15 mpg.

You may question what was practical about adding the AMP Research illuminated side steps. These retractable steps from Lund Truck helped add a little side clearance, which came in handy during our rock crawling and added to the aesthetics we were after. For storage and security, we decided to go with a Roll-n-Lock bed cover and AMP Research bed extender. Combined, they gave us plenty of weather protection and security for the umpteen firearms we’re known to take on off-road adventures. And the addition of a Wet Sounds SHIVR cooler with our logo embossed on it is all we’d need to stay fed, hydrated, and entertained.

Thanks to our partners for helping us create a four-wheeled version of our brand and to our readers whose support enables us to continue covering content that doesn’t pull punches. If you see us rolling near you, take a pic, post it along with #RECV1 and we’ll share your pic.

RECOIL’s Mascot
2018 Ford F-150

ENGINE
3.5L Twin Turbo V-6

TRANS
10-speed automatic

TIRES
Make: Toyo
Model: Toyo Open Country MT (35×13.50-20)
URL: www.toyotires.com

FRONT BUMPER
Make: Fab Fours
Model: Grumper
URL: fabfours.com

REAR BUMPER
Make: Fab Fours
Model: Vengeance
URL: fabfours.com

COWL
Make: Fab Fours
Model: ViCowl
URL: fabfours.com

SUSPENSION
Make: Skyjacker
Model: 6-inch LeDuc
URL: www.skyjacker.com

SIDE STEPS
Make: AMP Research
Model: Illuminated F-150 Side Steps
URL: www.lundtruck.com

COOLER
Make: Wet Sounds
Model: SHIVR
URL: www.wetsounds.com

BED EXTENDER
Make: AMP Research
Mode: F-150
URL: www.lundtruck.com

BED COVER
Make: Roll-N-Lock
Model: F-150
URL: www.lundtruck.com

COLD AIR KIT
Make: JLT Performance
Model: Cold Air Intake
URL: www.jlttruecoldair.com

THROTTLE UPGRADE
Make: JMS Products
Model: PedalMAX PX1114F
URL: www.jmschip.com

BOOST KIT
Make: JMS Products
Model: BoostMAX BX600035V5
URL: www.jmschip.com

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