Can anyone compare GXV and Earthcruiser?

Recently on ebay was a few year old GXV fuso (pangea hard sided lifting roof) that went unsold at $170k.

Other than the obvious layout differences (GXV has a much bigger, separate wet bathroom), it's kinda hard to tell from afar how to compare the two. I'm considering an EC FX (as well as kind of considering an XP Camper), so this vehicle is in the same price neighborhood.

How do feel about quality between the two? Practicality? Camper systems, resale, etc? I'm planning on going to Overland Expo West in May to check stuff out in person, but I'm curious if anyone has experience with both vehicles.

Thanks!
 

mallthus

Pretty good at some stuff
I can't say I have meaningful first hand experience, but the Earthroamers are built down the road from me a few miles.

With that said, I've always felt like the Earthroamer is a much more integrated package, which is, to my thinking, good and bad. The good is that everything is integrated and tested to play nice together. The bad is that when the Ford base chassis is dead, the whole thing is dead. Granted, that's likely a long way off, given that I've seen these medium duty Fords reliably get to 300k+ miles, but it's something to keep in mind, especially if you're planning to put some serious distance into this project.

The GXV, on the other hand, will swap onto a new chassis daily easily, so if the Fuso gives up the ghost, your options are open.

I'd also consider what your goals are. The Fuso is a global vehicle and getting service/parts in places like South America, etc, is going to be easier than with the Ford, which is pretty much a Canada/USA/Mexico vehicle. Of course, if you're never going to leave North America, neither the distance limitations or service implications are meaningful.

Just my 2¢ based on what I've gleaned from considerations of both over the years.
 
Thanks! I'm not seriously considering earth*roamer* at the moment. Too pricy and not my style. really big and seemingly inefficient space usage. Plus I'm just not into all the wood. I like the white fiberglass in the more 'boat like' vehicles.

It actually seems like the ford might be a better vehicle for some int'l travel in some ways. it's less clear right now that the Fuso can have the DPF/ULSD restrictions removed whereas that is almost trivial on a big-3 diesel rig.

As much as I love diesel, I think I would get the v8 isuzu cab forward truck if it was available in 4x4 just to keep the engine situation less risky.

For the next few years all my travel will be in North America, so its also a little bit moot. ULSD might become more available by the time I'm ready to travel further afield or the Fusa might have a reliable DPF removal kit by then.
 

dwh

Tail-End Charlie
The primary difference of course is hard side vs. soft side.

There is a discussion thread on the subject which was started as a result of a request by Michael Van Pelt of GXV. This was before they built that Fuso you refer to, and I might be somewhat to blame for that truck being built...

http://forum.expeditionportal.com/t...gn-examples-and-comment?highlight=+screw +GXV

I still think that small lifting roof GXV is a good idea (and I really like the way they did it), but apparently it just didn't catch on, probably, I'm guessing, due to the price point. The one you refer to has been offered up on eBay a few times now, with apparently no success.

Also, it's boxy and understated, not sexy and flashy, so that might have something to do with it as well.

Also, right around the time that truck was built, GXV sort of took it in the neck image-wise, due to quality control issues on a truck they built, and a legal dispute with a potential customer, both of which became hot topics here on ExPo and got seen by thousands of eyeballs.


Another difference is that EarthCruiser has spent a lot time focused on the FG platform, and they have gone so far as to develop a better suspension and super single wheels (and probably more stuff that I'm not familiar with) for the FG.

So even if you bought the GXV on an FG, you'd still probably want some of the EC aftermarket mods.


And then of course, there's the ULSD issue. For global travel, and cost being no issue, I personally would probably opt for the GXV on a Unimog 1300 chassis. But I'm a freak.

Another point is the EC fits in a shipping container. The GXV...dunno.
 

waveslider

Outdoorsman
^^^^^ With all due respect, it could also be due to the fact that its mounted on a Fuso. I know there are several people here that are die-hard Fuso fans, and don't get me wrong they are very capable within a certain set of conditions. But those conditions are pretty limited.

I have been inside numerous rigs built on the Fuso in the last several years and honestly its pretty hard to go wrong with any of these builders. Lance and Michelle are great people and make an awesome box - EC. Michael and Rene are great people too and their craftsmanship is top notch. The ATW box is outstanding as well. The quality and livability of each of them I suspect would be fine and the choice falls to a handful of needs or wants in area of convenience and use cases.

But at the end of the day, you are still putting them on a vehicle that has just barely more horsepower than a production motorcycle and can't hardly make highway speeds in most of the western united states. If you never want to tow anything, ever. And if you don't need to go up any substantial hills without getting out to push, then you're fine. :)

I totally agree that EC has done the most towards making the Fuso a capable system, but you can only polish that turd so much. I wonder what the final weight is on the GVX Fuso build as I suspect it might be a bit.....rotund. If you are into the "boat" feel, then the ATW rig is tailor made for you. No doubt about it.

Admittedly, the absolute same complaints can be said for MOG based platforms and similar rigs around highway speeds and such so I'm not trying to pick on the Fuso. My comments are mainly a cautionary tale that if you, like us, are used to hooking up a drift boat or atvs or a jet boat and heading out for the weekend covering the distance at reasonable speeds and going up substantial hills, then you probably need to adjust your expectations and plan on never towing anything or rarely making it to highway speeds. I'm certain that is perfectly fine for some people, otherwise EC, and ATW wouldn't be successful. We just couldn't get there.
 
Well, my current camper is a 1989 VW Westy, so I'm used to ~70mph cruising speeds, but point taken. There are no 4x4 cab forward platforms that go 85, so then you're looking at an F350, which is nice, but tough to keep the overall length short.
 

waveslider

Outdoorsman
Agreed. If you are coming from a VW then it will feel like a race horse. We are coming from a diesel SMB so our expectations are different. You either have to go behemoth International BLM 4WD, or deal with the OAL issues of the F3/4/550 class. Sucks actually
 

foxhunter

Adventurer
So GXV has lots of options on the chassis. Besides Ford, Dodge, Freightliner, there is the Fuso, U500, and the Stewart and Stevenson military1078 4x4 or 1083 6x6. Using a government surplus 1078 or 1083 will save many thousands of dollars. GXV can alter these to get your speed to 70 mph, but you are still stuck with tires rated for 55 mph, and there are numerous opinions about the safety of running 65mph on Michelin 395 85R20 tires.
Another consideration if you are looking at a lifting roof(my impression is that this can add 100k to the price) is the weight. I try to keep the loaded weight at no more than 75% of the GVWR, and the weight of the lifting roof can put you at the limit of your vehicle's weight rating.
I know very little about earthroamer, but I have been happy with my 2012 GXV, as well as the service the company gives. I think GXV gives you much more flexibility on options than earthroamer, and their build quality is very good.
 

pugslyyy

Expedition Vehicle Engineer Guy
Recently on ebay was a few year old GXV fuso (pangea hard sided lifting roof) that went unsold at $170k.

Other than the obvious layout differences (GXV has a much bigger, separate wet bathroom), it's kinda hard to tell from afar how to compare the two. I'm considering an EC FX (as well as kind of considering an XP Camper), so this vehicle is in the same price neighborhood.

How do feel about quality between the two? Practicality? Camper systems, resale, etc? I'm planning on going to Overland Expo West in May to check stuff out in person, but I'm curious if anyone has experience with both vehicles.

Thanks!

I don't think that the Fuso platform is really in GXV's sweet spot in terms of size/finish/cost/etc. They built it on spec, probably as a way of testing the waters of the market. Most of what they do is bigger/pricier.

EC only does the Fuso-based, and IMHO do a really nice job with it. They make a lot of them, and with that comes consistency and efficiency. EC (and ATW) place the toilet/shower in the entry - something that people either love or hate. I think it is a good concept and way to make use of that space, but others aren't big fans of having to step through the shower every time - or having a toilet in their front entry hall. :)

Of course, best thing to do is come to Overland Expo in Flagstaff in a few months where you'll be able to check all of the options out first hand.
 

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