Mall Crawlers and Brodozers

What’s a Brodozer and a Mall Crawler?

• Definition of Brodozer: These are trucks, typically diesels that spout more black smoke than a steam engine, lifted halfway to heaven with colossal tires, meant to destroy any manner of terrain, in theory.

  
  

• Definition of Mall Crawler: A term used for trucks primarily driven on city roads but modified to look ready for extreme off-roading, even though they probably will never see mud or dirt.

In essence, Mall Crawlers and Brodozers are hooked-up 4x4s with expensive suspension upgrades, aftermarket wheels, tires, exhaust, aux lighting, and more, yet they never roll a tire off the paved roads. The key difference between off-road trucks and these pampered big boys is the intent of the build. Proper off-roaders are built to be as effective as possible in navigating off-road obstacles, whereas Mall Crawlers and Brodozers are simply an aesthetic choice—automotive fashion. 

To be clear, calling a truck a “Mall Crawler” or “Brodozer” is a bit of a derogatory name. Despite the judgment some people get for building off-road trucks and not using them, the look is a widespread aesthetic that many drivers like—sometimes, it feels like there are more fans of the look than fans of the function.

Favorite Trucks to Brodozer

Where did it all start? Diesel engines have been around since Rudolf Diesel made the prototype in 1897. Diesels are synonymous with work. These heavy brutes were designed to pull heavy loads long distances. Driving one around town isn’t all that practical, not dissimilar to wearing high heels to do yard work; you can, it’s just not really what they were made for. That said, starting in the early 2000s, the love of the casual diesel spread.

Of all the diesel trucks to choose from, a small handful stand out as the Brodozer’s preferred starting point: Ford Super Duty, RAM 2500, and the GMC Sierra sit in a place of honor within the Brodozer pantheon.

How to Build a Brodozer?

Brodozers are not a factory-build option. These Smoke Monsters are born out of the sacrifice of a factory diesel truck. Here’s where the “why” of Brodozing makes the genre, at least, relatable to other car people; these are projects that people spend oceans of time and money to “perfect.” While bros building the dozers are all free to craft their diesel demons with impunity, they tend to stick to a few must-haves in the mod department:

Brodozer Mods

• Lift Kits: For maximum size not necessarily ground clearance.

• Big Tires: The bigger, the better, period.

• Heavy-Duty Bumpers: For protection from obstacles like shopping carts and Toyota Prii.

• LED Lights Everywhere: To make clear the priority of other drivers seeing the truck-strocity even if that means not being able to see anything else on the road, often including the road itself.

Brodozer Power Upgrades

• Upgraded Turbos: Yes, these giant screaming turbos produce more power, but it’s rare to actually get anywhere faster. Instead, it’s almost like having a nuke; sure, it’s powerful, but it’s mostly just for having.

• Exhaust: I mean, do you even have a kick-ass diesel if it isn’t louder than all hell? 

• Diesel Tuning: There are an endless number of specific diesel CPU tunes available for how you want to configure your personal Brodozer, but most tend to prioritize the loudest noises, most torque, and getting as close as possible to blotting out the sun when rolling coal. 

• Aesthetic Mods: Aggressive styling, custom grilles, chrome, matte paint jobs, and all the things that scream, “How sure are you that I won’t monster truck your car at a red light?”

What is a Mall Crawler?

What makes a Mall Crawler different from a true off-road vehicle, or from a Brodozer, for that matter? A major difference between Brodozers and Mall Crawlers is the platform. Mall Crawlers typically manifest as SUVs. This automotive fashion trend is all about dressing a very capable 4x4 SUV for off-roading without ever actually doing it. Like Brodozers, Mall Crawlers are built by folks who like the look of off-roaders but don’t seem to have much desire to get out there. Mall Crawlers can be tricky to spot. They often wear proper off-road parts, making telling them apart difficult unless you know the signs to look for.

Favorite SUVs to Turn into a Mall Crawler

Again, like Brodozers, Mall Crawlers tend to be one of a small number of proper 4x4s: Jeep Wranglers, Toyota 4Runners, Ford Broncos, and the like. Mall Crawlers aren’t as limited to certain models as the Brodozers. 

The proliferation of the Mall Crawler comes from the general rising popularity of SUVs. Proper 4x4s like Wranglers and 4Runners were never very family-friendly vehicles because they were purpose-built to be tough, rigid, and capable. None of those are things that lead to comfort, safety, or day-to-day functionality. For all these reasons, proper 4x4 SUVs were typically owned by folks who lived a particularly adventurous lifestyle, and everyone else not looking to get deep out there drove sedans, pickup trucks, and minivans. This all changed when OEMs began making large SUVs feel closer to minivans to appeal to families. Then came the crossovers to make sedan drives sit up a little higher. 

Eventually, Jeep Wranglers, Toyota 4Runners, and most recently, Ford Broncos became larger, softer and more friendly, too. It was then that the Mall Crawler really came into its own. Folks could now drive proper 4x4s without sacrificing things like doors, real roofs, and climate control that was worth a damn.

How to Build a Mall Crawler?

These days, you don’t have to hit the parts catalog nearly as hard if you are interested in crawling the mall. These days, OEMs are hip to what the people want and sell them beefy off-road outfitted SUVs straight from the factory. Still, any Mall Crawlers worth their road salt are built with some custom bits and bobs.

Mall Crawler Mods

• Lift Kits: Again, for maximum size not necessarily ground clearance. 

• Big Tires: Yep, you guessed it, size matters.

• Heavy-Duty Bumpers: In this case, the bumpers need to be big and come with as many additional bits as possible: a winch, lights, tow hooks, straps, and, if you’re serious about looking like you’re off-road, you must have the off-road jack mounted for all to see.

• LED Lights Everywhere: Similarly to Brodozers, Mall Crawler lights are also less for seeing and more being seen, but there is a key difference: Mall Crawlers rarely turn theirs on. This is a kindness all drivers appreciate and why these trucks get a touch more grace from other car subcultures. 

Mall Crawler Power Upgrades

Power mods are less common on this side of the local ball field parking lot. Power is valued less here. However, the two camps do overlap in at least one performance part. 

• Exhaust: Mall Crawlers are loud, and there’s not much else to say about that.

• Snorkels: Mall Crawlers love to have a prominent snorkel to ensure the engine can still breathe when they hit the puddle that always fills up in the dip on the western side of the parking lot. 

• Aesthetic Mods: Aggressive styling, custom, angry-looking grilles, body armor, matte paint jobs, and any number of assorted tools mounted around the bodywork look more like a pioneer’s wagon than what you drive to the Buffalo Wild Wings.

Let Them Live

At the end of the day, Brodozers and Mall Crawlers both stand as symbols of car cultures where looks take priority over function. Sure, it’s fun to poke fun at these beasts, but it’s easy to see they serve as a canvas for personal expression and niche automotive subcultures. For some, these trucks and SUVs are a playful nod to a rugged lifestyle they admire. For others, they’re evidence of the inauthenticity of the true off-road spirit.

Whether you love or hate the doom-powered diesel Brodozer or curb-cruising Mall Crawlers, one thing is certain: these vehicles are beloved by many, and they’re here to stay—and, hell, life’s too short to worry about what other people like. Chill out, and build the truck you like.