EMERY, SD — What began as a necessity for a blended family wanting to travel together has evolved into the King Series Six-Door Truck Company, a thriving business that creates customized six-door pickup trucks and provides spacious, stylish solutions for families and adventurers across the country.

Chad and Angel Eddy, owners of the King Series six-door truck company, hosted the first King Series Truck Show over the weekend. What was supposed to be a one-day gathering turned into a three-day event. Attendees enjoyed a weekend filled with story-swapping, sharing their unique experiences with King Series trucks, and a shared passion for adventure. The show featured a series of workshops and educational sessions that not only covered truck craft, maintenance tips, and customization options, but also how to be successful as a traveling family.

“When Chad first suggested organizing the show, he envisioned a relaxed gathering where we could just sit in lawn chairs and chat with attendees,” said Kelsey Ziebart, King Series’ office manager and marketing director. “I quickly thought, ‘We can do better than that.’ So we decided to make it a full-fledged three-day event.”

The journey to the King Series began in 2010 when Chad and Angel’s families merged and suddenly became a family of eight. They often had to drive two cars for family trips, which was neither practical nor efficient. Chad, an entrepreneur with a passion for Ford Super Duty trucks and Powerstroke diesel engines, decided to build a six-door pickup truck. His mechanical and welding expertise, combined with determination, resulted in the first custom-built six-door F-250 pickup. The truck was a hit and attracted attention everywhere he went.

“My mom had three girls and Chad had three boys. We were a modern-day Brady crowd,” Ziebart said. “And wherever we went, our new truck attracted attention.”

After receiving numerous inquiries about their unique vehicle in 2017-2018, the Eddys decided to test the market by building and selling some trucks. The response was overwhelmingly positive and business gained momentum, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when families began traveling.

Over the years, the company has grown from a personal project to a thriving business that has produced around 60 trucks since its inception. Today, the company builds between 12 and 16 trucks annually and offers both turnkey builds and conversion services for customer-supplied trucks.

“We are something like a normal dealer who only sells interesting trucks,” said Ziebart.

Much like the trips the Eddy family used to take, the company is a family affair, with various family members contributing to the operation. Ziebart handles marketing, parts ordering and paperwork; another sibling manages the company’s website; one helps with detailing part-time and the others help with welding.

King Series serves a specialized market of customers who need larger vehicles, including extended families, construction workers, rodeo fans and full-time RV travelers. Angel Eddy points out that about 75% of her customers are families who homeschool their children.

“It is our true mission to help other people enjoy their time together as much as we did,” Eddy said.

Adam Thury/Mitchell Republic

King Series works exclusively on Ford Super Duty trucks and creates spacious six-door models with eight to nine seats as well as eight-door models with up to twelve seats.

“We were able to get everyone buckled in, but it was tight. Our oldest had to climb over the middle seat,” said David Ash, a customer from Raymond, Mississippi. “It’s one thing to load everyone into the car twice a week, but we had to do it six times a day.”

These trucks are designed for large families and provide comfort for long journeys. One feature Ash particularly appreciates is the USB port on each column, which keeps all devices charged and accessible on long journeys.

“There was a door for every child to come in through and USB ports on every pillar,” Ash said. “That was a game changer for us.”

Each King Series six-door truck is built with great care and attention. The Eddys work closely with customers before and after the purchase to ensure their needs are met and they are happy with their new truck.

“We strive to provide exceptional service and build lasting relationships with our customers,” said Eddy.

The build time for a truck is typically 14 to 16 weeks, with the Eddys often staying in touch with customers on a daily basis. The Ash family even decided to visit the shop in person to view the progress and select certain features for their truck.

These customized trucks are not only functional, but also highly customizable. Base pricing for a base model with no extras or upgrades starts at $90,000. Customers can upgrade their vehicles with tech features like the WeBoost Drive Reach device for enhanced mobile connectivity, as well as aesthetic upgrades like custom leather upholstery and smoked LED lights, tailoring each vehicle to their specific needs and tastes.

The ability to customize trucks is an important feature for many customers.

“One of the things we liked was the massaging seats in the front. At first I said I wasn’t interested in that, but after driving a truck with massaging seats I thought, ‘Wow, that would be great on a 10-hour travel day,'” Ash said.

At the show, the Eddys introduced their newest model, the 2020 King Series 6 Door Ford F-350 SRW. This new design addresses some of the issues that arose from Ford’s 2017 redesign. Due to changes to the truck’s body and door materials, it was no longer possible to use the rear door as the middle door in the 6-door configurations.

Other manufacturers have risen to the challenge of Ford’s 2017 redesign by modifying doors through cutting, welding and the use of filler. King Series, on the other hand, has opted for a more innovative solution, developing a one-piece center door with seamless body lines that eliminates the need for filler, as well as a one-piece roof for their trucks. The other well-known competitor in the industry is a company in Oklahoma that only builds trucks for customers who already own their own vehicles.

The weekend’s truck show gave visitors the opportunity to exchange stories and share their experiences with King Series trucks.

Ash’s interest in six-door trucks began in 2016 when he first googled how to travel with large families and discovered the concept as a viable solution. That interest grew into an obsession, and Ash discovered King Series online in January 2020 when he was googling again. He sent an inquiry through the company’s website, and within an hour, Eddy responded, beginning a journey that would greatly enrich the Ash family’s travel experiences.

“Our finished truck has transformed our RV lifestyle and eliminated about 50 percent of the challenges that come with traveling full-time with a large family,” Ash said.

The Ash family recently sold their King Series truck and have been living in Mississippi ever since. After realizing that a minivan lifestyle isn’t for them, they are now on the waiting list for a new truck with the latest body style and want to improve their travel experience even further.

Adam Thury/Mitchell Republic

Future first-time customer Omar Lopez took the opportunity to attend the show. He flew in from California with his wife Janet to see the trucks in person as they were considering a purchase. They spotted a used vehicle on King Series’ website and with King Series’ help, they convinced the seller to bring the truck to the show.

“I was able to test drive it, learn more about it and see it in person,” Lopez said. “I realized that this classic look is exactly my thing.”

The Lopez family plans to use their new King Series truck to explore California’s many national parks. Their long-term goal is to buy a small house and tow it with the truck.