The show follows the exploits of four Allied soldiers – three Americans and one British – who are part of a long-range desert patrol group in the North African campaign during World War II.

The show was inspired by and loosely modeled on David Stirling's British Special Air Service (SAS), which used modified Jeeps armed with machine guns as their transport through the treacherous desert terrain, and Popski's Private Army.

At the time of the original telecast, many British, Australian, and New Zealand viewers took offense at the majority of American characters on the program, resulting in the show's being pulled from the BBC after six episodes.

In addition, the opening episode presented the trio of American actors outnumbering the token British member, Sergeant Jack Moffitt.

The 30-minute time constraint limited the show's storyline to a formulaic plot: a regular contest between the characters Troy, the American, and Dietrich, the German, mirroring "cowboys" and "Indians".

During the 1967–68 season, it faced competition in Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and The Man from U.N.C.L.E, which were shown in the same time slot, bookended by The Monkees and The Danny Thomas Show.

The four members of the Allied patrol were: Notable enemies included: Gudegast later became famous as a soap opera star under the pseudonym Eric Braeden.

A total of fifty-eight 30-minute episodes were produced by Mirisch-Rich Television Productions (when Lee Rich left the partnership during the second season, the company name changed to Mirisch T.V.

The German armoured vehicles were actually American Patton tanks, M7 Priest self-propelled guns, and M3 Half-tracks painted in desert sand colors.

When the show aired in Australia, veterans of both World Wars there were critical of an American actor wearing such an important symbol of Australian courage and sacrifice.

George, a U.S. Marine Korean War veteran, and of Greek extraction, said he insisted his character wear the slouch hat to honor the Australians who fought in Greece.

Marx Toys produced a Rat Patrol set consisting of a Jeep with Troy and Moffitt action figures that resembled George and Raymond.

The 2012 novel by Elizabeth Bevarly, The House on Butterfly Way, includes a vignette about the metal lunchbox produced by Aladdin during the show's original run.

A version of The Clash album Combat Rock, mixed by guitarist Mick Jones, was released under the title Rat Patrol from Fort Bragg.