Adventurous Jeep Bending with Arctic Trucks

Emil says that in the years 1980-90, there was a major boom in 4x4 modifications in Iceland, which were carried out under the Toyota brand. In 2005, Arctic Trucks was established as an independent company, which opened up the possibility of working with more brands.

The company has gained enormous experience and has, among other things, worked for the Norwegian and Swedish armies, as well as finding a way to use modified 4x4s in Antarctica. This required immense ingenuity to reduce fuel consumption and increase speed, while also ensuring the vehicle could operate in extreme cold.

Today, the company's main focus is on serving 4x4 owners by performing smaller modifications that suit the lifestyle of those who want to use their vehicles for highland trips. Emil says that most modifications are standard, involving fitting 33-37 inch tires to the vehicle, which can be driven on 10-12 pounds of pressure. Such equipment offers great possibilities and makes travelling in the highlands much more comfortable. "The purpose of fitting larger tires is to be able to let air out of them," he says.

But the tires are not the only thing to consider; the center of gravity, wheelbase, and suspension are also very important.

38-inch tires can be driven on glaciers almost all year round, says Emil, but also mentions that the larger the tires, the more specialized the maintenance required.

The interview with Emil is also on our podcast, Augnablik í iðnaði (A Moment in Industry).