Affordable?

[davidv]

After purchasing my truck camper a year and a half ago I have gone more places over worse roads for way more nights then I ever thought I would when I was writing what I thought at the time, a pretty large check.

With growing little ones and a growing appetite for overland adventure I have already began to plot my next upgrade. The cost of a large capable ready to drive vehicle is staggering and I have the inconvenience of a career that eliminates the do it yourself option.

Amidst the 3-6 hundred thousand dollar vehicles I founds what in my new skewed view of things seems to be a half price global and off-road capable vehicle that could carry a family of four and an ATV just about anywhere its owner was brave enough to drive it.

http://globalxvehicles.com/global-traveler/

Does anyone have experience/knowledge of thischassis?

 

[howell_jd]

There is no doubt that GXV is a great company. They build phenomenal expedition vehicles that have indeed been tested and reviewed extensively. You would not go wrong with GXV as a selection.

There are alternatives to the Global Traveller as a GXV model too...and buying a used model will substantially reduce the initial sticker price shock. I have an EarthRoamer and a family of four too although it is my mother-in-law and not two kids (just one daughter) that makes us four. We also don't haul an ATV but we certainly have enough towing capacity for a trailer mounted ATV.

If you're looking for a vehicle with an in-the-body storage for an ATV then an ER (and other GXV platforms) won't do it but the Global Traveller would sacrifice off-road manners to accomodate its cargo too I would suspect - it certainly affects the departure angle to some extent.

Like I said earlier...great vehicle the GXV and ER for that matter. There have been used vehicles from both listed on their websites from time-to-time. I didn't see any on the GXV site but there are two on the ER site for well under $300k (one is $185k, the other $204k).

Some might consider me a "HUGE" bit biased. I have an ER and think it is the best truck around. I'm happy to applaud those who build from scratch or start out with a turn-key capable rig. I wouldn't criticize any who uses their vehicle as they desire (within legal, moral, ethical limits of course). I know you'll get superior treatment from either company.

Affordability is more than a measure of money to me. I'm paying for my truck. I can afford it. I get to use it as often as I like (and as often as the Army lets me barring overseas contingencies and such - ha ha).

I encourage you to call up EarthRoamer to find out about their two used vehicles. Maybe GXV has some too. I had a wicked-cool 2-1/2 ton M35A2 that was modified for (then) MG Honore when I was a company commander...but that's a build-story! Hooah!

Good luck in your search for your truck!

Jonathan

 

[alaskaboy]

davidv,

It is an obviously well tested chassis with decades of experience. The guys at Benzworld would probably be the most authoratative source on the real world experience. The om352 is also well known (relatively) domestically and abroad.

I am currently dealing with GXV and have nothing but positive things to say so far.

 

[Victorian]

The Benz is well proven. I wouldn't worry about it as long as all the rubber parts and other "aging" components have been exchanged. Those trucks are well over 20 years old!

As for the living quarters:

It looks very nice and well thought out. There is just one thing I noticed in those pics.... It looks like that the rear storage/garage is not insulated along the top (underside of mattress). It could be fine. But it could also create some cold nights!
At Unicat we used insulated sandwich panels.

 

[haven]

Sticker shock is common when looking at the prices on the EarthRoamer, GXV and Unicat web pages. These are custom vehicles that carry a premium price tag.

There is little in the way of a used market for this sort of vehicle in USA. But there is a market in Europe, where adventurers have been purchasing vehicles like this for many years. For example, see http://www.mobile.de/home/index.html

Closer to home, there are only a few USA medium chassis that offer both 4x4 and a double cab. The GM 4500 and 5500 series is one example that does. GM closed its medium truck business, but you can still find examples of 5500 4x4 double cabs for sale using web sites like http://www.truckpaper.com/ and http://www.commercialtrucktrader.com/

Here's a build thread by forum member "neverenough" using a GMC 5500.
http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=45835

Here's an older thread with information about medium trucks with factory 4x4. http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1019

 

[ersatzknarf]

Hi Chip,

"Camping on Mars!" ? ? ?

Maybe my computer is going whacky.

It's a strange day, today...

Here's an older thread with information about medium trucks with factory 4x4. http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1019

 

[Blackeye]

Here's an older thread with information about medium trucks with factory 4x4. http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1019

Chip,

I'm having trouble with that link, but I think it is this one:

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10193

As you mentioned, it is an older thread. Are you aware of any new information related to medium trucks with factory 4x4 and super single rear wheels?

Thanks in advance.

 

[LukeH]

The Mercedes 1017 or 917 are very, very good.
They just go. A friend has one (are you still out there Q?) and is very happy with it.
The cab comfort is tolerable, but you have to remember its age and intended use when staring at the stark, spartan dashboard.
They're not fast, and you probably have 170 hp in your car, imagine your car hauling 9 tonnes around.
They are also geared low due to the lack of horses and because trucks are limited to 90km/h in Europe.

But you can tweak the engine, I'm told the intercooled version is capable of 250 hp.

I love the way GXV sell the ability to tolerate variable qualities of diesel, it almost reads like they invented the idea when in fact all the EU trucks from that era can.
The departure angle is not as handicapping as car drivers make out; remember that in a car (Toyota, Land Rover etc...) driving down a bump or off an obstacle you have to get the bodywork out of the way because it's so low. That truck will go down a 50 cm step without touching the rear overhang absolutely regardless of departure angle!! The tyres are 110 cm high!
I couldn't start to tell you about the cost of shipping to the US, but in Europe a good 1017 fixed up (like Victorian says, replace all pipes and rubber engine mounts, check brakes, fix small oil leaks, clean it) goes for under 10000EUROS.
I've just looked, Philipp is selling a lovely double cab at the moment: http://www.philipp-trucks.de/images/stammblatt/2010/mercedes_1017af.jpg
Dunno if the GXV box fits behind the cab there though.

Or you can buy a fixer upper for 6 or 7 thousand directly from the german government auctions (www.vebeg.de)

OOh! he's also got two DoKa Iveco Magirus: http://www.philipp-trucks.de/images/stammblatt/2008/iveco_110_17aw_doka.jpg

5m bed behind that cab; very cool truck, I'd take it over a mercedes any day.

Add a couple of thousand for fat tyres and a paint job and you're ready to bolt on the GXV box.

Or you could get one of the many european companies to do the whole thing and then do the import later, I'm thinking particularly of Ormocar, who'll build to whatever stage in the build you'd like, enabling you to carry on and thus control the budget. (search for bigfoot mercedes in the mercedes section, you get a lot of info there)
Just how much hassle is it to import an old truck like this into the US?
G'luck