What Da Hell Ahh You? Meet the Predator 6.6

Meet the Predator 6.6 — an RV That’s Actually Meant to Travel on Something Other Than Paved Roads
Photos by Eddie Sanderson

It’s funny to see the amount of coin some people drop on RVs that are about as robust as Gersh Kuntzman’s rifle skills. If you own a Silver Crown, Prevost, or Goss motorhome, you may think you have the Hearst Castle on wheels, but the joke’s on you. Virtually all modern RVs are two-wheel drive and have the ride height of a lowered Monte Carlo, so where can you go? You’re relegated to RV parks, stacked up alongside a bunch of other glampers in what looks like a cross between a bus yard and a mobile home park.

While that may suit some people’s idea of a sound investment and “getting away from it all” just fine, others prefer enjoying a remote camping or hunting trip on God’s green splendor. If only there were a durable off-road vehicle capable of venturing out to the middle of nowhere.

That was exactly Hunter RMV founder Keith Storey’s impetus for creating the Predator 6.6. You may recognize the foundation for this vehicle if you spent any time as a ground pounder. With a history of refurbishing and selling military equipment, Keith already had exposure to plenty of capable platforms. So the light bulb moment came — why not combine the luxury of a high-end trailer with the resilience of a military chassis? His first experiment along those lines was to use an M939 6×6 as the foundation for his personal rig. Its ability to meet the demands of remote treks and the interest it generated began the domino effect.

When it came to executing the idea as a business venture, Keith’s next task was building an RV on what he considers the Cadillac of military vehicles — a Stewart & Stevenson LMTV chassis. Why? They’re resilient, the taxpayers already picked up the tab, and, like other discarded military vehicles, they’re routinely auctioned off with very low mileage. Another reason is they’re all-wheel drive and powered by Caterpillar engines and Allison transmissions, two names known for longevity and being able to climb like a mountain goat.

Ticking off another important box, the Predator 6.6 is multi-fuel capable, giving it the ability to run on kerosene, Jet A, and various non-domestic diesel types. (Many trucks have emission controls that will not run outside the continental U.S. because the engine is too sensitive to the sulfur levels in the fuels.) To top it off, each vehicle has a central tire inflation system inside the cab, allowing the driver to regulate tire pressure to better handle softer terrain.

Every Predator 6.6 has about 1,000 hours of labor and fabrication invested in it. Once an appropriate chassis is sourced, it goes through a meticulous inspection and replacement of seals, belts, hoses, fluids, and other components prior to starting the build. The 4×4 version is fitted with a 19×8-foot Forest River box, with a slide-out living area, full A/C and heat, and a 5.5kW LP or full diesel generator, just to name a few features. A 6×6 version is also available with a longer box made by Total Composites out of Germany.

When it comes to playing around with options, you have quite a bit of bandwidth to build it the way you want. You can specify the water and fuel tank capacities; add a full solar array; throw in under-floor heating; upgrade with high-speed gearing; choose fixed, bunk, or retractable beds; select a bath or shower stall — the list goes on. You can expect a year’s warranty on the box and 90 days on the vehicle itself. Even if it can’t be fixed locally, Hunter RMV can fly out one of their techs to your location.

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