Expedition Infrastructure · At 8,150 ft Reliability Isn't Optional · Elev8150 · Anaconda, Montana
U.S. military truck operating at Elev8150 — Elev8150 off-grid homestead, Anaconda Montana, 8150 feet, Flint Creek Range backcountry
REPURPOSED
Elev8150 · Anaconda, Montana · 8,150 ft

At 8,150 feet,
reliability isn't optional.

Ten miles from the nearest road. No utility hookups. Winters that close the mountain for months. The equipment behind Elev8150 wasn't chosen for style — it was chosen because failure in these conditions has consequences. Every vehicle on this page earned its place.

1993 BMY M923A2 · 5-Ton 6×6 1995 BMY M931A2 · Tractor HDT AirBeam · U.S. Army M989A1 · MLRS Trailer Holden MT020 · 20,000 lb M1101/M1102 · HMMWV BBC · New Lives in the Wild Victron Energy Partner
Scroll
Expedition Infrastructure

The equipment that
makes the mountain
possible.

Brandon Bellrose driving his self-built guide Hummer on Hells Revenge trail, Moab Utah — Hummer Extreme Adventures
Brandon Bellrose Self-built guide Hummer · Hells Revenge · Moab, Utah · Hummer Extreme Adventures

There is no road into Elev8150. There is no utility connection, no hardware store around the corner, no commercial delivery that reaches this elevation. What gets to the mountain gets there because we put it there — in vehicles engineered to go where nothing else can.

This didn't start at 8,150 feet. In the 90's, Hummer Extreme Adventures ran entirely on U.S. military vehicle technology reimagined for civilian terrain. Brandon built and guided with these machines on some of the most demanding trails in the American West. That foundation — thirty years of understanding what military engineering actually means in the field — is what made Elev8150's backcountry build possible.

As Seen on BBC · New Lives in the Wild · Ben Fogle · Season 21

Ben Fogle opened Season 21 of New Lives in the Wild riding ten miles into the backcountry in our military truck to reach the homestead. That ride wasn't staged. It's the only way in. The BBC came because what we're doing here is real — and the equipment that makes it real came home the same way.

"The mountain doesn't care how long you've been working. It doesn't reward effort. It just keeps being the mountain. We kept building anyway." — Brandon Bellrose · Elev8150 · Anaconda, Montana
Mountain Operations · The Fleet

The infrastructure
behind the build.

Each vehicle below has a reason for being here that goes beyond capability on paper. These machines have service records. They have histories. At Elev8150 they have a second mission — keeping a family alive, building, and operational ten miles into the Montana backcountry in conditions that don't forgive mistakes.

1993 BMY M923A2 5-ton 6x6 military cargo truck at Elev8150 Montana 01 · 1993 BMY M923A2 · 5-Ton Cargo
VEHICLE 01 U.S. Military · 5-Ton · 6×6 Cargo

BMY M923A2

1993 · Heavy Cargo Truck

Ben Fogle's BBC crew rode in this truck to reach us. Ten miles of backcountry, no road, Season 21 of New Lives in the Wild opening on the windshield view from the cab. That wasn't a production choice — it's the only way in. The M923A2 is Elev8150's primary hauler: building materials, firewood, equipment, everything the mountain needs to keep the build moving.

Drive6×6 All-Terrain
Payload10,000 lbs on / off-road
Role at Elev8150Primary cargo & build hauler
1995 BMY M931A2 5-ton military truck tractor 6x6 02 · 1995 BMY M931A2 · Tractor
VEHICLE 02 U.S. Military · 5-Ton Tractor · 6×6

BMY M931A2

1995 · Truck Tractor

This is the truck that carried the family across America. In 2017 the Bellroses drove the M931A2 for 134 days and 6,124 miles — hauling a converted M109A3 shop van as a full living space. Everything they learned about living and operating in a military truck on the road became the blueprint for living and operating at 8,150 feet on a mountain. At Elev8150 it now pulls the heavy trailer fleet, moving loads that no commercial truck could touch at this elevation.

Drive6×6 All-Terrain
Payload10,000+ lbs
Role at Elev8150Heavy haul · Trailer tow
HDT AirBeam military tactical shelter — Elev8150, Anaconda Montana 03 · HDT AirBeam · U.S. Army Shelter
EQUIPMENT 03 U.S. Army · Force Provider · Expeditionary

HDT AirBeam Shelter

Advanced Tactical Field Shelter

The U.S. Army chose this shelter for its 150-troop Expeditionary Base Camp program — not because it looked good, but because it could be deployed fast, struck fast, and survive conditions that conventional structures couldn't. At 8,150 feet in the Flint Creek Range, those are exactly the criteria that matter. When the mountain throws a storm, you don't want a tent. You want what the Army chose.

PlatformU.S. Army Force Provider
Standard150-Troop Expeditionary Base Camp
Role at Elev8150Field staging & base operations
2009 M989A1 HEMAT military trailer Montana backcountry 04 · M989A1 HEMAT · 2009
TRAILER 04 U.S. Army · Iraq & Afghanistan Veteran

M989A1 HEMAT Trailer

2009 · Heavy Expanded Mobility

This trailer has a service record. It moved MLRS missile pods and munitions in Iraq and Afghanistan — terrain and conditions that would destroy conventional logistics equipment. At Elev8150 its mission is fuel, palletized materials, and heavy cargo ten miles into the Flint Creek Range. The mountain is the most demanding operating environment it's seen since coming home. It hasn't complained once.

Service RecordIraq · Afghanistan
Original RoleMLRS munitions transport
Role at Elev8150Fuel & heavy cargo carrier
2006 Holden MT020 military equipment trailer MTVR compatible 05 · Holden MT020 · 2006
TRAILER 05 Mil-Spec · 20,000 lb · MTVR Compatible

Holden MT020 Equipment Trailer

2006 · All-Terrain Equipment Trailer

Built to move equipment behind the U.S. military's heaviest prime movers across any terrain without preparation. The MT020 doesn't need weather kits, doesn't need road conditions, and doesn't need ideal temperatures — it operates from −32°C to +52°C straight off the trailer. At Elev8150, that means it works in January at 8,150 feet as reliably as it works in August. That's not a nice-to-have. That's the whole point.

Payload20,000 lbs cross-country
Operation−32°C to +52°C · No kits required
Role at Elev8150Heavy equipment transport
Silver Eagle M1101 M1102 HMMWV cargo trailer Military trailer at Elev8150 Montana backcountry Military equipment operation at Elev8150 — Anaconda Montana backcountry
06 · M1101 / M1102 · Silver Eagle
TRAILER 06 U.S. Military · HMMWV-Compatible · Daily Ops

M1101 & M1102 Cargo Trailers

Silver Eagle Manufacturing · HMMWV Series

Wherever the truck goes, these go. The Silver Eagle M1101 and M1102 are engineered to match the HMMWV exactly — same width, same ground clearance, same wheel track — so they never become the reason you can't make it through. At Elev8150 they are the daily logistics chain: supplies in, materials out, every day the mountain is accessible. Simple. Reliable. Essential.

PlatformHMMWV width & clearance matched
BuilderSilver Eagle Manufacturing
Role at Elev8150Daily supply & logistics
Before the Mountain

Tiny House on a
Steel Soldier.

Before Elev8150 existed, this family proved the concept. In 2017 the Bellroses completed a 19-day build-out and drove away in a M931A2 5-ton 6×6 — hauling a converted M109A3 shop van as a full living space, pulling the M1101 trailer — on a cross-country overland expedition that covered 6,124 miles over 134 days. The same trucks. The same family. The same refusal to do things the conventional way.

134 Days on the road
6,124 Miles covered
19 Day build-out
5 Family members + the dog
The Rig
Tow Vehicle M931A2 5-Ton 6×6 Truck tractor · Cummins turbo diesel · Allison auto
Living Quarters M109A3 Shop Van Custom interior · Queen bed · Kitchen · Full bath build-out
Cargo M1101 HMMWV Trailer Silver Eagle · All-terrain logistics tail

"Finally it felt that we were experiencing why we built the Tiny House on a Steel Soldier — with words like 'Overlander' and 'Expedition Vehicle' having true meaning."

— Brandon Bellrose · Expedition Notes · Expedition Portal
Read the Full Expedition Notes → Expedition Portal · Community Build Thread
Follow Along

Tiny House on
a Steel Soldier

The Instagram feed for the build, the expedition, and everything that came after. Follow the trucks, the trail, and the family that drove it all the way to Montana.

Follow on Instagram →
"At 8,150 feet, reliability isn't a feature. It's the only thing that matters."
Brandon Bellrose  ·  Elev8150  ·  Anaconda, Montana
Be Part of the Build

The mountain is real.
The ask is real.

Six years. No investors. One family at 8,150 feet building something worth coming to. If you understand why military-spec equipment matters in the backcountry — this is how you show it.

Direct Backer

Fuel the Build

$50 – $100

Your money goes directly into the work — materials, fuel, equipment — and your name goes into the founding record.

  • Direct build updates
  • Named in the founding record
  • Victron off-grid case study
Fuel the Build
Founding Guest

Reserve Your Place

$250 – $500

Put real money behind a future stay before anyone else has the chance. First in when the doors open.

  • Future stay credit
  • First access to booking
  • Named as founding guest
Reserve Your Place
Culinary Founding Patron

Own the Table

$1,000+

A seat at Bistro 8150 before it's ever offered to the public. Chef Alayah trained at Forbes Five-Star kitchens.

  • Future stay credit
  • Private dining experience
  • Bistro 8150 priority
Own the Table
Legacy Patron

Leave Your Mark

$5,000+

A small number of people will be woven into the foundation of this place permanently — told to every guest who ever asks how it got built.

  • Private chef experience
  • Priority event access
  • Permanent recognition
Leave Your Mark
"I was Elev8150's first supporter — I've been with this family since the very beginning. The Bellroses are extraordinarily dedicated. They claw their way through every struggle and every difficulty this mountain throws at them. What I love most is their absolute refusal to give up."
Connie Brashear  ·  Founding Backer  ·  First Supporter
Repurposed
Before the doors open

Start with $1.
It still matters.

The founding reservation isn't charity. It's a signal. Two hundred people with intent — not likes, not follows. Real people who showed up before anyone told them to.

47 of 200 spots claimed · The list closes at 200

Why it matters →

Reserve My Spot — $1

Your name on the founding list. Priority access. Fully refundable. As featured on BBC Channel 5 & UK Mirror.

Reserve Now →

Buy Us a Beer · Feed the Dogs

The simplest form of support. The dogs work this mountain daily. A beer covers the grind of staying at 8,150 feet.

🍺 Beer 🐶 Dog Food

Live. Build. Endure.

A very limited number of people are invited to come to the mountain and help build it. Application-based. Real conditions.

Apply Now →

☕ Alayah's Store

Every purchase funds the culinary program that will anchor Elev8150. Chef trained at Forbes Five-Star resort kitchens.

Shop the Store →