This review of the 2023 Project Truck, a 2022 AEV Bison, comes from a very specific point of view. I built it and outfitted it with simplicity in mind. It needed to be able to drive most technical 4WD trails and cruise at highway speeds for long durations—comfortably. Notably, it would serve as a chase truck for the Mexican 1000 and later the Mexican 500. It would also serve as a lead guide truck for three waves of Camp Yoshi trips in Southern Utah. All told, the Bison has amassed 40,000 miles at the time of this writing. All of the bolt-on accessories have worked great, except for some peeling paint on the AEV bumper. The Chevy Colorado itself leaves much to be desired in the electrical and the fit and finish departments; the engine and the drivetrain are the only things that have kept me from driving it off a cliff.
There’s a strip of land out there in Mexico, a jagged line splitting the Pacific from the Sea of Cortez, where the rubber of ambition meets the hard dirt of reality. It’s here, amidst a landscape that’s as beautiful as it is brutal, that the Mexican 1000 was born in 1967 by a group of friends in handbuilt buggies who wanted to see how fast they could get down the peninsula.
Imagine, if you will, the late 1960s: a time of shifting tides and boundaries begging to be pushed. A band of American daredevils, off-road pioneers, decided to pit their mettle against the wild yawn of Baja. From the buzzing, vibrant streets of Ensenada to the serene beauty of La Paz, they roared their defiance against a thousand miles of unyielding earth. Thus, the Mexican 1000 wrote the opening lines of its gritty legacy.
Through the decades, the Mexican 1000 has grown into a behemoth of an event. It’s drawn men and women from all corners of the globe, a siren call for the daring and the tenacious. They come on motorcycles, ATVs, buggies, and production vehicles that bear the scars and augmentations of countless modifications. It’s a race that doesn’t discriminate—you could be a professional with a glint in your eye or an amateur with a heart full of fire.
It’s not a sprint; it’s a battle of endurance, a war against the elements in a true frontier or frontera. The sun beats down relentlessly and unforgiving, the terrain shifts underfoot from treacherous rock to deceitful sand, and the weather is as fickle as a spooked horse. Yet, the challenge, the very essence of pushing one’s limits in this magnificent, raw landscape, makes the Mexican 1000 an irresistible draw.
As soon as you leave Ensenada, you can feel the modern conveniences drifting off behind you; self-sufficiency becomes a major key. Except for a few outposts, there’s not much out there. On one particular stretch, there are no gas pumps for 100 miles in any direction.
This year, we had a crew of 16 people, including drivers supporting three race cars. Four chase trucks were assigned to the team, each with its own purpose. Two full-size Rams were the trailer haulers, sticking to the pavement with their trailers and most major parts. A Tundra carrying spare tires and other parts and the AEV Bison we will be focusing on here were used to get into the remote stretches of the course with first aid, basic repair supplies, fuel, and water.
In the demanding world of off-road racing, the role of a chase truck is more than just supportive—it’s foundational. These vehicles carry the weight of the mission, ensuring the racing vehicle remains operational and on course. I’m honestly surprised that it took me so long to realize this was the perfect venue to test an overland-specific platform.
Chase Truck Components
Mechanical Support: A chase truck’s bed isn’t merely a space—it’s a mobile workshop. Stocked with vital spare parts and tools, it’s primed for unexpected breakdowns. Whether it’s a snapped tie rod or a compromised transmission, the truck has the means to enact swift repairs.
Supply Carrier: Beyond the mechanics, it’s about sustenance. The chase truck holds fuel canisters designed for rapid refueling and water containers built for desert conditions, ensuring drivers and their machines remain fueled up and hydrated.
Emergency Response: Preparedness defines a chase truck. From first-aid kits to GPS equipment for distress signals, it’s equipped to respond to any crisis, ensuring safety in the unpredictable terrains of Baja.
Communication Central: Reliable and efficient comms equipment, like satellite phones or two-way radios, are housed within, providing seamless communication with the race vehicle, team, and officials.
Enter the AEV Bison, a modified Chevrolet Colorado, which encapsulates these requirements:
Off-Road Adaptability: The Bison is built for varying terrains. Its enhanced suspension, combined with strategic skid plates, facilitates protection against rough patches. The all-terrain tires maintain grip where regular trucks might falter.
Engine Specs: Equipped with a Duramax turbo-diesel, the Bison delivers a balance of power and fuel efficiency, which is pivotal for the chase, allowing it to keep up without compromising on range. Fully loaded down, the truck was averaging 18.5 mpg.
Payload and Towing: Beyond raw power, its sturdy frame accommodates the necessary weight of tools, parts, and fuel. The towing capability ensures it can pull the race vehicle in emergencies.
Built for The Long Haul: The Bison’s interior, while ergonomic, also houses interfaces for additional equipment—think communication devices and GPS tracking systems. The upgraded interior from AEV provides a comfortable cockpit for those 16-hour days.
Agile: The mid-size truck platform fits the narrow roads and cobblestone streets in remote towns. I had driven full-size trucks, from the Power Wagon to the Raptor, and they just weren’t for me; their footprint was too big.
We started prepping the truck in December 2023 with the help of GTFO in Long Beach, Summit 4×4, Overland Kitted in Prescott, AZ and the whole team at Overland Journal. As with any project, we began where the rubber meets the road, adding Falken Wildpeak AT3W tires with custom Deaver Springs in the rear and Level Up adjustable Eibachs up front, giving the stock Bison a 2-inch lift and the added spring rate to carry the weight of the added payload.
For bed organization, I went with the Decked system, mounted a compressor in one of the cubbies, and put my soft shackles and recovery rope in the other. The drawers hold tools, the rest of the recovery gear, and my small kitchen. It is all right there and easily deployable when needed. Keeping the gear secure while being dust and waterproof is a major key on the peninsula. Even with spilling fuel and fluids on top of it at times and 1,000 miles of dusty roads, everything inside the drawers stayed clean and dry.
I went with Leitner Designs for their perfect blend of aesthetics and functionality. The pods carried first aid kits and quick access supplies like tie-downs, straps, extra layers, a jumpstarter, etc. The water tank offered fresh water for rinses at the pits. It was also the perfect platform for the AluCab rooftop tent. My philosophy with traveling is that I’m either staying in my bedding or a 5-star hotel; there is no in-between. There are not many accommodations between Ensenada and La Paz worth writing about, and the AluCab was super cozy the whole way down.
I had been anti-awning for some time; the weight, size, and hassle weren’t for me. However, I found the Darche Eclipse 180 awning to be perfect. Its intended use is off the back, but it was ideal for my needs right off the side.
Inside, I used the Goose Gear rear seat delete to mount my 13-year-old National Luna refrigerator. The Goose Gear keeps everything in the back organized and gives the ability to keep everything tied down. For refrigeration, I used my 15-year-old National Luna 55lite Weekender.
The AEV Bison comes equipped with well-thought-out recovery points on both the rear and front bumpers. The front bumper comes factory-ready to mount a winch. I dropped a Superwinch 12SR with a synthetic rope and a Factor 55 flat link at the end of it.
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On the first day, the route stayed along the Pacific cliffs south of Ensenada. This was a day to see if all of our preparations worked. Sera Trimble and Dorothy Groza, a stunt driver and attorney, respectively, were tasked with driving on the first day. Within 10 miles of hitting dirt, we were tightening lug nuts and strapping other items down on the vintage Funco racer. We followed the girls the rest of the route at their vintage racer pace to El Rosario and the famous Mama Espinoza’s, a standby for both the Mexican 1000 and The Baja 1000.
The parking lot stayed abuzz late into the night with repairs from the damage done on the first day. It would be a scene repeated every night, all the way down the peninsula. It’s not just the race cars that need love; the chase trucks need to be taken care of as well. Resupplied, bolts retorqued, fuel cans filled. The AEV Bison was feeling strong after the first day, with a few minor bolts here and there needing to be retorqued. However, considering it ran most of the course, it was minor.
Day Two would prove to be a different story: everything took a beating on the route between Mission San Borja and Guerrero Negro—well, everything but the Bug. The first casualty was the 1966 Ford. First, they lost the 2nd gear band adjuster bolt on the transmission, losing second gear. Not the end of the world, but breaking a rocker arm bolt shut them down. After sitting for an hour two and contemplating, they pulled the rockers, pushrods, and spark plug on cylinder four and drove it another 100 miles to Guerrero Negro on seven cylinders. The 66 was out of the race. The Bug suffered a flat tire, was hopelessly buried in a sand wash, and had to be recovered.
As for the chase truck, it was at race pace with the Bug after leaving Mission San Borja; after pulling them out of the wash, it was on standby during the tire change. We were still a ways out from Gurrero Negro, so the driving became a little more spirited. This was putting the AEV Bison to the test, diving in and out of washes and skirting giant Cardon cactus and cirio trees, keeping the Bug in its sights. The upgraded suspension handled everything with ease; the only issue was the weight of the tent. At 240 pounds, it could be felt with every turn. We were only 30 miles north of the finish for the day when we entered a wash heading toward the beach. It was on a hard sweeping left turn in deep sand that I hit a rock with my right front wheel.
The event turned out to be a very big hit and a turning point. I was driving the chase truck like a race truck, and so long as I was smooth, it handled everything with ease. However, with the added weight of the AluCab up top and all the gear and water in the Leitner, the rack had shifted forward and askew. It is not a huge deal and easily fixable, but it is a reinforcement of a lesson long ago learned: lighter is faster. For the rest of the rally, I calculated and schemed how to reduce the weight while still checking off all of my boxes.
In La Paz, I could source new front springs and get an alignment. The truck was driving great. I picked up a spare tire, too, and while it wasn’t the Falken, it was the same size tire and gave me peace of mind in case I blew a tire on my way back home.
The big reconsideration upon my return was weight, most importantly, the weight up high. The easiest thing to replace was the AluCab tent with something 100 pounds lighter. Now, don’t get me wrong; the AluCab tent is amazing and one of the nicest RTTs I’ve ever slept in; the weight just didn’t work for the assignment. I went with the 140-pound Darche Steamliner and lost the Leitner hydropod. When the water was full, there was a savings of 140 pounds.
The truck has been in prime form with the weight greatly reduced up high and most electrical gremlins addressed.
See an expanded gallery of the action from Mexican 1000 below
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Images: Sinuhe Xavier and Dustin Beatty
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