EarthRoamer XV-LT.. could you live out of one..

H

haven

Expedition Leader
"the romance of the concept was far stronger than their resolve to the compromises required..."

I think this also applies to people who install an industrial 4 cylinder diesel in
an overland vehicle. Their resolve can't overcome the reality of the noisy,
smelly, underpowered result. So you see lots of vehicles for sale with ads
that read, "Only 1000 miles on diesel engine." But I digress...

Another forum member who is planning to live aboard, this time with the whole family,
is Jay Shapiro. Read about his vehicle preparations here:
http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8936
and here http://www.EcoRoamer.com
 
JRhetts

JRhetts

Adventurer
"One" CERTAINLY CAN live in an EarthRoamer full time. My wife and I have done it for as much a four months at a time -- limited by agricultural requirements at the small ranch we have not yet sold before proceeding on to do this full time.

Not everyone can do it, anymore than everyone can camp in a tent or live on a sailboat. But all the amenities are there and plenty of room and storage for necessities and a reasonable dose of luxuries.

So, the question really is NOT "Can one do it", it's "Can I do it?" Only you can answer that!
 
alosix

alosix

Expedition Leader
JRhetts said:
"One" CERTAINLY CAN live in an EarthRoamer full time. My wife and I have done it for as much a four months at a time -- limited by agricultural requirements at the small ranch we have not yet sold before proceeding on to do this full time.

Not everyone can do it, anymore than everyone can camp in a tent or live on a sailboat. But all the amenities are there and plenty of room and storage for necessities and a reasonable dose of luxuries.

So, the question really is NOT "Can one do it", it's "Can I do it?" Only you can answer that!
Click to expand...

That IS the question isn't it :)

Downside here is, this is probably one of those things that you have to try before you'll know.

My Dad was an OTR trucker for years before he passed. Soon after he passed my mom decided she wanted to do that and went off and started driving (this was about 10 years ago) She's had a few spells being at home since then, but it seems to drive her insane.

The downsizing I did last year has kinda opened my eyes. I lived in the same zip code (4 houses) for 32 years before moving out here. I think we can do it, and its not really a romantic idea. I end up working so much as a code slave the only way I'd get to travel the way I'd like to is to work remotely from a vehicle like that.

There's still nothing stopping us from grabbing an apartment here and there if we feel like we need to stop for a little while.
 
jkam

jkam

nomadic man
I spent 7 years living on a motorcycle traveling the world.

I finally had enough of the minimalist life and now live in a small 24' class C RV. Having amenities available like a roof over my head when it's raining for days on end and not being stuck in a tent has been great.

You can get by with very little if you so choose. Having a partner along can complicate things, depending on how well you get along in a confined space.

The downside is that now I have much more to maintain and the expense of something breaking that I can't repair myself.

Compromise, it's all about compromising and what you are willing to live without.
 
boblynch

boblynch

Adventurer
Funny this thread was the first one that caught my eye after being ExPo-free for the last 30 days. I have the same truck as the ER uses, and a modified truck camper for extended family travels. It's almost the same size (albeit not as well fitted) as the ER. The build thread is here. http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23173

I just spent 30 days on the road with my wife, 2 kids, and a 95lb dog. With a few modifications the family could easily live out of the vehicle for months at a time. If I was working and traveling solo it (or an ER) could easily be my full time office/home for years.

However, I agree with the other posts in that it's a very personal thing and the biggest burden is the mental one. If you need a bunch of stuff, a fixed place to call home, roots in a community, etc. the mental transition could be hard. If you don't, then it could be a great option. Personally, I wouldn't know what to do with that much space for just me. I'd opt for a smaller platform. However, I could and have lived out of a backpack for longer than is considered "normal".

My suggestion would be to borrow or rent something of similar size and live and travel in it for a month or two if possible. You'll learn a lot about your own style and requirements. If the investment and lifestyle of an ER still appeals to you then go for it. Good luck.
 
H

haven

Expedition Leader
"Modified truck camper" doesn't say nearly enough about Bob's project.
He had the inspiration to lengthen the camper by 3 feet to make room
for two bunk beds across the rear of the camper. each bunk gets a window,
too.

attachment.php


The bunk beds provide permanent sleeping facilities for his two kids.
Very clever!

Chip Haven
 
Kodachrome

Kodachrome

Observer
I am in the process of putting a "Bobcat" All Terrain Camper on my 05 Tacoma. I am having some custom work done to it including solar as I am going to live in this combo for a photo driven project for over a year. I have lived in far less and been able to get by, maybe not super comfortable, but not suffering either so I am pretty stoked at the upcoming combo. And to be honest, it is bigger and more resource consuming than I would like, so it is the biggest I could ever go with in terms of my conscience for the environment.

But these Earth Roamer things, I just saw one last week and thought it was WAAAAY too big and bulky, I mean, what's next, Hugh Heffner mounting his pad to a Space Shuttle Crawler as a 4WD R/V?

If they made a unit for a converted Tacoma / Hi-lux that was turbo diesel, I might look at it, but man, the other things are just silly big.

So my short answer is no, I could not live in an Earth Roamer because it is more than I as a human being actually need in real life in which to live.
 
H

henry2

New member
being single is not a problem for me.. for i will be the only one inside the truck camper with a female guest here and there i met on the road when work for most of my time is spent on site and it makes it much easlyer on me to have something that i can walk from the trailer over the truck and spend the night without going back to a hotel room that about 20 to 30 mins away and have to fight the traffic in and back everyday to the job site..

here are some of the question i ask was about when liveing in the truck full time..

getting in and out the sleeping area and climbing up onto the seat then into the bunk

another question was how long does the fuel tank last when at a job site just starting up the truck here and there to go someplace like into to town to food and get fresh water....

cooking inside the camper was one of the things i ask about

how long does the battie power last when just sitting and not moveing

when driveing down the road in bad wet weather conditions how does the truck handle does it get a lose as a goose typle when driveing ..

since i will not be going off road much with it i ask for home in tenn where the cabin is only about 50 ft off the main road there and i have drive a car back there to send the night when i was home ..

how is the sat tv when it work right ..

does the cabin windows up front leak as ******** smith talked about on his blog ..

parking in diff places when driveing for the night ..

just little things that you think about when you see a picture that they take and post on the websites and then you ask your self ok how was the ride here and how was the handleing of the truck there ..
 
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D

Doin_It

Adventurer
Rent a small Class C motor home, or best yet a pickup and camper, and 98% of your answers will be answered by your experiences. Can you live in one, of course you can, that is what it's built for. Can YOU live in one, only you can answer that, so like I said rent a regular camper unit and you'll see if it's for you....cause it ain't for everyone thats for sure.

The rental will be a small price compared to buying one and finding out it isn't your style.
 
DrMoab

DrMoab

Explorer
No offence to the Earth Roamer guys (trust me I think they are one of the coolest inventions ever) but I would take that truck of yours over one any day!

I've always thought you could build a really neat overlander out of one with a modern cummins diesel for a powerplant. Sure it would take tons of money but then again...this IS the Earth Roamer page right? :D
alosix said:
Ya know.. I'm thinking if this requires a month of so 'testing it out'

I keep forgetting I already have something that'll get me 90% of the way there. just needs to be outfitted a bit more

http://picasaweb.google.com/jpower2/M725#

How about a Hemi powered M725? :)
Click to expand...
 
G

GlobalMonkey

Adventurer
?

haven said:
"Modified truck camper" doesn't say nearly enough about Bob's project.
He had the inspiration to lengthen the camper by 3 feet to make room
for two bunk beds across the rear of the camper. each bunk gets a window,
too.

attachment.php


The bunk beds provide permanent sleeping facilities for his two kids.
Very clever!

Chip Haven
Click to expand...

Chip, do you have any more info about the truck in the picture?
Thanx, Tomas
 
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