rblackwell
Adventurer
Tiger, ER etc
I hope I can make a contribution to this debate.
Last year my wife and I completed a 19 month 60,000 mile trip that went from Seattle,
to Prudhoe Bay and Tuktoyatuk on the ice road, thence to the bottom of South America (Ushaia) and back. We did this is a 2008 Chevy/Provan Tiger. For details see www.whiteacorn.com.
We have recently sold the Tiger and purchased a second hand Earthroamer - number 75.
We consider the ER to be a BIG expedition vehicle. The ER weighs 17,000 lbs.
The rear axle carries 10,600 - that is the total weight of the Tiger.
The Tiger was a great vehicle for our Americas trip. Enough space and amenities
for extended travel, small enough to get in and around those old Peruvian towns,
enough 4x4 capability and ground clearance for the roads we encountered. And relatively good fuel consumption 13.5mpg (at least compared to trucks like an ER)
The ER is new to us and we are getting to know it. Some time in the near future I
will publish on my website a more detailed impression of the ER relative to our Tiger experience.
But for the moment just let me say:
- the ER has a lot more creature comfort than the Tiger
- is somewhat more capable as a 4x4 due to better ground clearance
- is definitely bigger and definitely uses a lot more fuel (think 8 mpg versus 13.5)
In terms of bigger we have already had situations where the ER wont go places the Tiger would have, simply because of size. On the other hand we have already taken the ER over terrain that would have stopped the lower slung Tiger.
I simply cannot imagine trying to get around the forest and 4x4 trails of Utah and Colorado in a Unicat of a GXV Pangea, let alone trying to navigate one through Cusco,
or some of the mountain roads or Peru or Bolivia.
But at the end of the day every vehicle is a compromise so if we had our ER in Cusco we
would simply park it and catch taxis or walk.
A few comments about ERs:
- I have already bogged my ER is mild mud. Winching it out was no big deal - since we
were lucky enough to have a convenient tree.
- removing the those alcoa wheels - they are "hub centric" and can be very difficult to get off. That was also true of our first RV a class C. A number of ER owners actually have mechanical pullers to remove them.
Finally - I believe the biggest issue with the ER is tires and wheels. The weight of the
ER demands real truck tires such a 11R22.5, 12R22.5, 295/80R22.5 or the like. Tires
with load ratings of 6600 lbs per tire or more.
Trouble is these tires are 42-44 inches in diameter with around 480-490 revs per mile.
The stock suspension and arguably the stock gearing is not compatible with such a large tire.
That is why ERs come stock with Michelin 295/60R22.5. These are(at least as far as I can tell) only available from Michelin and they are road tires with different tread pattern front and rear.
Even the upgrade to 335/80R20 MPTs requires a suspension lift - that is why the
air suspension upgrade is a prerequisite.
With this in mind one is certainly sympathetic to Mike VanPelts view that the
Mercedes 1017 is "the right world vehicle". It takes real truck tires without
modification and has lockers front and rear stock (at least if its a factory 4x4).
At the other end of the spectrum many people travel the world in a Defender 110.
I would not do this - I subscribe to the principle expressed best by http://www.nessiesadventures.com/ - "in many parts of the world you want a vehicle you can sleep inside of".
Rob Blackwell
www.whiteacorn.com
I hope I can make a contribution to this debate.
Last year my wife and I completed a 19 month 60,000 mile trip that went from Seattle,
to Prudhoe Bay and Tuktoyatuk on the ice road, thence to the bottom of South America (Ushaia) and back. We did this is a 2008 Chevy/Provan Tiger. For details see www.whiteacorn.com.
We have recently sold the Tiger and purchased a second hand Earthroamer - number 75.
We consider the ER to be a BIG expedition vehicle. The ER weighs 17,000 lbs.
The rear axle carries 10,600 - that is the total weight of the Tiger.
The Tiger was a great vehicle for our Americas trip. Enough space and amenities
for extended travel, small enough to get in and around those old Peruvian towns,
enough 4x4 capability and ground clearance for the roads we encountered. And relatively good fuel consumption 13.5mpg (at least compared to trucks like an ER)
The ER is new to us and we are getting to know it. Some time in the near future I
will publish on my website a more detailed impression of the ER relative to our Tiger experience.
But for the moment just let me say:
- the ER has a lot more creature comfort than the Tiger
- is somewhat more capable as a 4x4 due to better ground clearance
- is definitely bigger and definitely uses a lot more fuel (think 8 mpg versus 13.5)
In terms of bigger we have already had situations where the ER wont go places the Tiger would have, simply because of size. On the other hand we have already taken the ER over terrain that would have stopped the lower slung Tiger.
I simply cannot imagine trying to get around the forest and 4x4 trails of Utah and Colorado in a Unicat of a GXV Pangea, let alone trying to navigate one through Cusco,
or some of the mountain roads or Peru or Bolivia.
But at the end of the day every vehicle is a compromise so if we had our ER in Cusco we
would simply park it and catch taxis or walk.
A few comments about ERs:
- I have already bogged my ER is mild mud. Winching it out was no big deal - since we
were lucky enough to have a convenient tree.
- removing the those alcoa wheels - they are "hub centric" and can be very difficult to get off. That was also true of our first RV a class C. A number of ER owners actually have mechanical pullers to remove them.
Finally - I believe the biggest issue with the ER is tires and wheels. The weight of the
ER demands real truck tires such a 11R22.5, 12R22.5, 295/80R22.5 or the like. Tires
with load ratings of 6600 lbs per tire or more.
Trouble is these tires are 42-44 inches in diameter with around 480-490 revs per mile.
The stock suspension and arguably the stock gearing is not compatible with such a large tire.
That is why ERs come stock with Michelin 295/60R22.5. These are(at least as far as I can tell) only available from Michelin and they are road tires with different tread pattern front and rear.
Even the upgrade to 335/80R20 MPTs requires a suspension lift - that is why the
air suspension upgrade is a prerequisite.
With this in mind one is certainly sympathetic to Mike VanPelts view that the
Mercedes 1017 is "the right world vehicle". It takes real truck tires without
modification and has lockers front and rear stock (at least if its a factory 4x4).
At the other end of the spectrum many people travel the world in a Defender 110.
I would not do this - I subscribe to the principle expressed best by http://www.nessiesadventures.com/ - "in many parts of the world you want a vehicle you can sleep inside of".
Rob Blackwell
www.whiteacorn.com
