Camouflaged Military Tribute on Wheels

By George L. Nitti When Zach Carp of TW Towing & Recovery in Stigler, Oklahoma, set out to build his own tow truck, he wanted something different. The result is a 2015 Ford F-550 Power Stroke 4x4 outfitted with a Century 614 14-ton bed — a rig that’s both a tribute to the military and a workhorse for rural recoveries.  

“It’s probably a little heavier than the truck, but I double-framed the frame and everything to make it work,” Carp said. 

The camouflage wrap mixed with a host of stars on the hood was designed by Kryptonite Customs in Tulsa. “I wanted to pay tribute to the military,” Carp explained. “I told Kryptonite what I wanted and they knocked it out of the park and hit it the first time.”  It’s eye-catching logo and company name, TW, stands out in black and is highlighted by a complimentary orange shadow. TW serves as a family symbol, named after Carp’s two sons, Tanner and Wade. “I figured they’ll take it over one day,” he said. 

The truck is as functional as it is eye-catching. “We do a lot of off-road recovery — trash trucks, dump trucks. We’re in a very rural area, it’s all two-lane highways around here and county roads,” Carp said. “Ninety percent off-road recovery.” 

One of the truck’s standout features is its outriggers. “Those are key in what we do,” he said. “A lot of the medium duties don’t have outriggers, but this one did, and that’s why I went with it.” 

The unit also rolls on 41-inch military tires. “It’s got a big contact patch to the ground where it floats on top of the mud better,” Carp said. “That’s where I notice the biggest difference, especially in bad weather and soft ground.” 

Carp picked up the base truck for just $4,900 at an online auction. “It was a box truck,” he said. 

For now, Carp is proud to put his truck — and his work — on display. From pulling dump trucks out of the mud to recovering mobile home movers stuck in the Oklahoma backroads, the F-550 has proven itself time and again. “It’s already paid for itself a few times over,” he said. “This truck is built to work, and that’s exactly what it does.”