NPS 300 4x4 SWA Crew cab in South Africa

[C p weinberger]

Jim,
I’m sorry I was not clear. I completely understand your desire to transport and have five local people with you while you are working in Africa. I used to hire a guy to travel with me and his sole job was to sit next to my tools the whole day while I worked on the construction projects. There is something to say in Africa that everything is born with a set of feet.
I was only suggesting that maybe two vehicles is more practical but I understand your concerns about additional cost.
Good luck
Chris

 

[Jim Beam]

No problem Chris. I was just explaining it in a bit more detail. Thing is, in Africa, nothing but nothing is easy.

 

[Family Friendly 4x4]

This is what we are currently driving (towing a caravan) on our trip around oz

Lovely looking NPS there Cuddy. How does it fair towing a caravan up the mountain passes out of interest? Just wondering what the more powerful motor on the NPS gives. I fall down to 40-50kmph without towing anything at times. Don't think the Fuso would handle a caravan as well.

 

[Cuddy]

Lovely looking NPS there Cuddy. How does it fair towing a caravan up the mountain passes out of interest? Just wondering what the more powerful motor on the NPS gives. I fall down to 40-50kmph without towing anything at times. Don't think the Fuso would handle a caravan as well.

Yes it definitely slows up considerably on long drawn out hills, to be expected I suppose. Most of the time it will comfortably sit on 90-100km whilst towing. It improved with the chip fitted.

 

[Family Friendly 4x4]

Yes it definitely slows up considerably on long drawn out hills, to be expected I suppose. Most of the time it will comfortably sit on 90-100km whilst towing. It improved with the chip fitted.

What is your fully loaded weight on the NPS itself when towing?

And the weight of the caravan?

Sorry for all the questions but I have often been in the middle of these FG and NPS power debates. I am 6,400kg fully loaded and the only time the Fuso sees 90kmph is on a downhill with the wind from behind LOL.

 

[Cuddy]

What is your fully loaded weight on the NPS itself when towing?

And the weight of the caravan?

Sorry for all the questions but I have often been in the middle of these FG and NPS power debates. I am 6,400kg fully loaded and the only time the Fuso sees 90kmph is on a downhill with the wind from behind LOL.

I actually went over the weigh bridge today as we have upgraded the van that we bought new to an older Bushtracker(respected full off-road caravan). 10t gcm right on the dot!- caravan is bang on 3.5t with a ball weight on the truck of 280kg, so without the caravan truck is 6.220t. This is at full fuel, 200l of water, dog and 2 adults and 2 small kids on board.- I did have to take my quad out and leave it at home...?. Can sit easily on 100km/hr or more but really start using a lot more fuel. Fuel average 25l/100km when towing,18-20l/100km not towing but still loaded. Pretty happy with the trucks performance. I can’t offer any comparisons to the mitsi, all of my trucks have been Isuzu or hino.
Cheers

 

[Family Friendly 4x4]

I actually went over the weigh bridge today as we have upgraded the van that we bought new to an older Bushtracker(respected full off-road caravan). 10t gcm right on the dot!- caravan is bang on 3.5t with a ball weight on the truck of 280kg, so without the caravan truck is 6.220t. This is at full fuel, 200l of water, dog and 2 adults and 2 small kids on board.- I did have to take my quad out and leave it at home...?. Can sit easily on 100km/hr or more but really start using a lot more fuel. Fuel average 25l/100km when towing,18-20l/100km not towing but still loaded. Pretty happy with the trucks performance. I can’t offer any comparisons to the mitsi, all of my trucks have been Isuzu or hino.
Cheers

Damn that is good. All hands down to the NPS. You have the winner.

Also interstingly registered as a motorhome here in sunny South Africa I only have an allowable GCM of 7 ton on the Fuso... which basically means I can tow a light trailer with a motorcycle on it and that is about it.

The FG would never maintain any kind of decent speed towing a 3.5 ton caravan!

New respect for the NPS.

 

[Amesz00]

The FG would never maintain any kind of decent speed towing a 3.5 ton caravan!

Go a remap and it will ?

 

[Family Friendly 4x4]

Go a remap and it will ?

I have tried. To my knowledge there is not anyone on this African continent that can do it sadly.

 

[Family Friendly 4x4]

This is more for Jim Beam, but also the interest of others.

I went to Johannesburg this past weekend to visit the man who build these!! And it was good.

So Jim Beam, if you run out of ideas up there in Zambia then this man can build your NPS anyway you want my man.

 

[Jim Beam]

WOW ! Thanks FF4x4.

I have taken a bit of time away from all this to reflect. Trying to decide how far I want to go in terms of size/weight/expenditure. I see now the sky is the limit here.

Any chance you can shoot me over the contact details of this company? I am almost scared to ask how much........ but the the comforting thing is it CAN be built in SA. Better then importing.

As much as possible I am trying to stay with the NPS. Looks like the wife is staying at home ;-)

 

[Family Friendly 4x4]

Any chance you can shoot me over the contact details of this company? I am almost scared to ask how much........ but the the comforting thing is it CAN be built in SA. Better then importing.

The company is called Custom Campers in JHB. Look him up on the net, the owner's name is Fred.

He currently has these 2x 15 ton Iveco's in build stage in his workshop (where I took these photos). The other photos were taken off his picture wall of previous builds he has done.

A complete kitted and fitted body to the 15 ton starts at R1mil excluding the cost of your truck. That is Aus$95,000 at current exchage rate, not bloody bad at all!

He also has two 5.5 ton Iveco chassis, a Sprinter 4x4, a Sprinter 519 and his first own brand caravan in building stage on premises.

This heavily specced custom Sprinter 519 motorhome pictured below has a build cost of R750,000 (that is Aus$72,000).

 

[Jim Beam]

Hi FF 4x4,

Thanks for the info.

When its all said and done I am still leaning towards a Bigfoot or Northern Lites camper. Approx $44 K USD. Another $12K to get it here (but can get lots of other stuff in that 40ft HC container as well). Call it 60K USD.

As far as I can tell by looking at the various photos scattered across this site, there is not a whole lot of difference in a custom built back Vs a production line built camper back. The Bigfoot looks pretty nice and comfortable inside with a high quality fit out. The custom built backs dont look like they give a whole lot more room or anything when its all said and done.

The Bigfoot and Northern Lites are made from fiberglass molds in 2 pieces - so better built then the usual camper backs in Nth America (some use wood framing). For this reason I am betting that both of these manufactures campers will go the distance and not have leak and dust intrusion issues on the road.

The only thing I can come up with as to the price differential between the 2 methods is that the camper backs built on a production line have economy of scale working FOR them and the custom backs have the one off time intensive build methods working AGAINST them.

Pros for the camper back approach;

More cost effective
Nice fit and finish
can take the camper off the truck - so have a truck when I need one for usual truck type things that come up from time to time ( would have to setup for this though to make it quick and easy - safe as well)
Can make custom tool boxes to fill in the empty spaces around the camper (so camper and tool boxes built on a frame that lifts off as one unit)
Can sell the camper easier as a separate unit when that time comes (as it will eventually) so I am left with a truck (always useful)

Pros for the custom back approach;

Tight custom fit to the truck chassis.
Custom layout according to my specs

I would love to have my reasoning ripped to shreds here with the wisdom of the forum members who have already gone down one path or the other.

These camper backs look to be about the right length to go on the chassis (about 3.3m for the floor length) with the bed section as cab over (so total length about - 5.5m) .... so in a crew cab where the cab does not tilt this works out well.

Total wieght does not look to bad on these camper backs - about 1500 KG real weight (dry)

Some links to the production campers that are fiberglass 2 piece designs (which I prefer in camper backs)

https://www.bigfootrv.com/bigfoot_rv_truck_campers_2500_series.html
https://www.bigfootrv.com/images/2500_truck_campers/04_25C10.6E.jpg
https://www.bigfootrv.com/images/2500_truck_campers/gallery/16.jpg
https://www.bigfootrv.com/images/2500_truck_campers/gallery/11.jpg

https://www.northern-lite.com/truck-campers.php
https://www.northern-lite.com/truck_camper_special_102.php

 

[Jim Beam]

much inspiration from this exact truck..... https://www.expeditionportal.com/fo...examples.9299/page-39#lg=post-2275854&slide=0

 

[Jim Beam]

OR.....maybe a purpose built, custom fitted to the truck, back IS the way to go.....idk.

More reading, more contemplating.......