Nissan Armada Mountain Patrol Is One Big Overlanding Sport-Ute

Need a big SUV? They don’t come much bigger than Nissan’s. That’s why it’s called the Armada. Now the Japanese automaker has converted it for camping way off the beaten path.

Presented at the Overland Expo West in Flagstaff, Arizona, the Nissan Armada Mountain Patrol is a show truck designed for the great outdoors. It boasts a heavy-duty coil-over suspension with extended A-arms for added ground clearance and 17-inch Icon Rebound wheels with Nitto Ridge Grapplers rubber.

While the 5.6-liter V8 remains untouched, it is fitted with a Magnaflow cat-back exhaust to breath the mountain air easier. There’s a 12,000-pound Warn winch on the front, more heavy-duty bumpers, a swing-arm spare tire carrier, brush guards, and loads of auxiliary lighting. There’s a four-person tent on the roof, and a host of added equipment inside the cabin – from rugged communication radios to an on-board fridge and freezer.

“For those family adventure fans who aren’t familiar with the term ‘overlanding’, all they need to do is look at the Armada Mountain Patrol to understand that this is not glamping, not a day trip to the local forest – it’s adventure taken to new heights,” said Nissan’s Brandon White. “The Nissan Armada, with its rugged platform, best-in-class 390-horsepower 5.6-liter V8 engine, 8,500-lb. towing capacity and massive interior and cargo space1 is an ideal starting place to build an authentic overlanding vehicle.”

The Mountain Patrol concept follows the similar Titan Project Basecamp revealed at the same gathering last year. And once this year’s show is done, the modified Armada will hit the old dusty trail, visiting other media and outdoor events through the year.