Any project truck is best done within a theme, a direction, a cohesive style and collection of upgrades, accessories, and exterior treatment that weaves it all together. If a project truck build is thrown together haphazardly, the result is often distracting and unattractive. That’s why Trent Van Arsdalen was chosen to build a 2015 Ford F-150 project truck for A.R.E. Accessories. Trent’s sense of style and his vision of what the end product should be, combined with his skills as a builder and designer have made him very good at what he does.

The concept for the 2015 Ford F-150 project truck, built by A.R.E and Trent’s Trick Upholstery, was designed to showcase the extreme sports lifestyle–one that A.R.E. promotes through its imaginative and capable product like. The Ford F-150 truck, front to back, inside and out, was equipped with the right stuff for any adventure, no matter how extreme.

On the outside, sporty, eye-catching exterior customizations such as the A.R.E. ToolMaster HD fiberglass truck cap, Rigid Industries light bars, and a gloss-matte paint treatment done by Lynch Concepts Custom Paint using Axalta Automotive Paint products were applied. Bumpers front and rear from Fab Four provide an aggressive, yet integrated look for the Ford F-150.

A Skyjacker suspension lift coupled with Hellwig load and sway control systems and Air Lift LoadLifter 5000 air springs augment the already beefy chassis, and allow big meats from Toyo Tires wrapped around DUB wheels to fill the wheel wells nicely. Bushwacker fender flares shade the Toyos just enough to keep them legal, and keep road and trail debris off of the truck’s beautiful paint. Although the engine powerplant has remained almost completely stock for now, a Corsa exhaust system was added to give the Ford a better note and boost power levels a bit.

The truck bed and cap are outfitted to securely store valuable gear, with a Surco roof rack to store cargo upstairs and a PickupVault to secure valuables in the bed floor. Keeping food and beverages chilled is easily handled by the K2 Extreme Coolers and ARB 12V electric fridge. An ARB air compressor is also onboard for making sure the pressure levels in the Air Lift air springs is just right to handle any load, and a Reikken Performance battery provides power for all the auxiliary electrical accessories.

Plush and handsome interior appointments were handled by Trent’s Trick Upholstery, owned and operated by Trent and Tricia Van Arsdalen, and an awesome sound system featuring Kicker speakers provide clear and clean road trip tunes. In addition, GoPro cameras integrated into the truck’s build are ready to capture and share any adventures this ready for action 2015 Ford F-150 takes on.

The A.R.E. Accessories’ 2015 Ford F-150 Extreme Sports Project Truck not only attracted the attention of thousands of fans during its debut at the 2014 SEMA Show, held in Las Vegas, Nevada, but it also has received the attention of the judges and was selected for the Top 10 Mothers Choice Award during the premier automotive aftermarket equipment and accessory trade show.

Begun in 2001 to honor excellence in vehicle design, the awards are presented to the most outstanding SEMA vehicles chosen by a panel of industry judges. According to Jim Holloway, vice president of Mothers, “This truck is a prime example of engineering execution, it’s obvious that a lot of thought went into it, and while there are a lot of lifted trucks here, this F-150 has unique styling cues throughout that really got our attention and deserve recognition.”

Trent Van Arsdalen told us that “Receiving this award is a great finishing touch for this collaborative effort, and we are proud to have created a special truck that stood out from the dozens of other great project vehicles at SEMA.” Since 2009, Trent and Tricia VanArsdalen have been creating one-of-a-kind custom vehicles at their state-of-the-art shop in Baltimore, Ohio. They have garnered many awards for their treatments of street rods, muscle cars, and pickup trucks, including a 2009 SEMA award for their 2010 Chevy Camaro SS show car.

The A.R.E. Extreme Sports Project Truck will hit the road next, embarking on a tour, including stops at the Great American Outdoors Show in February 2015, the X Games, auto shows, and outdoor expos. If you want to see this truly extraordinary vehicle in real life, check the A.R.E. Accessories website for a complete display schedule.