Growing up in rural Vermont, I never thought I would see a classier modified truck scene than in my own back yard. Our redneck-led, lift-kitted,

mud-bogging 4x4's are the opposite of shiny, clean, and flashy, but at least they are purposeful. Then I visited Texas with PickupTrucks.com in the mid

2000s. I learned quickly that Texas sure knows how to take anything and make it big. I just returned from Iceland about two weeks ago, and I had a stunning

realization: Texas, you've been bested. I can now honestly say that the best modified truck scene in the world (that I've witnessed in person, at least)

can be found on an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean that's only slightly smaller than the state of Pennsylvania. Simply put, Iceland does trucks

right.

Rugged and fierce, Icelandic trucks are, for lack of a better automotive technical term, badass. In America, rarely are aftermarket modifications applied

to real world needs. In Iceland, in the dead of winter, in daily 90 mph winds, and on some of the worst terrain on earth, everything on a truck must have a

purpose.

PHOTOS: AEV Ram 2500 HD

After spending more than six days with the team from Luxury Adventures I quickly learned what goes into making an Icelandic

truck. You must start with a solid frame, a malleable (read sparse) interior, and make sure there are few to no computers onboard. It's easier to fix a

broken truck in the field if it has barebones electronics.

Trucks must have the following equipment: a GPS tracking unit, CB radio, turbo diesel engine, engine snorkel for fording Iceland's many rivers, 44" studded

tires with beadlocks, onboard air compressor to bring your tires from 1 psi for snow travel and back to 20 psi for tarmac, spot lights, interior tool boxes

filled with tools, at least one shovel, a winch, and at least one to two reserve fuel tanks (one of our trucks had 230 liters of diesel on board, as these

trucks are left running all night).

In Iceland, the preferred trucks are Land Rover Defender 90s, 110s and 130s, Toyota Land Cruiser FJ70s, Nissan Patrols, Isuzu I370's, and even

Mercedes-Benz Sprinters and Ford Club Vans. But don't worry about what the trucks are called, because after you modify them, they will simply be known as

'Super Jeeps'. Coincidentally I did come across a lonely Jeep Grand Cherokee, the only thing around that might have been accurately called a "Jeep,", but

it was sadly lacking in tire height and all around ruggedness. I'm guessing the guys at Luxury Expeditions would laugh it out of the room.

PHOTOS: Chevy Performance Classic Pickup

Iceland is an off-road paradise. It's got volcanic rocks, hot springs, lava fields, craters, wind, snow, glaciers, and ice. Did I mention it has no native

trees, very little wild life, and occasionally the sun never sets? I want to go back and see how much trouble I can get into.

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