gregmchugh
Observer
Comes with the gas engine and Allison transmission (no diesel Fusos for North America now) and they do all the rest.
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2020 EarthCruiser?
- Thread starter Semiquixotic
- Start date
Comes with the gas engine and Allison transmission (no diesel Fusos for North America now) and they do all the rest.
Semiquixotic
Member
Which Fuso do they start with? 140, 160, or 180? And what are the advantages of one over the others in the EC configuration? Just curious...
gregmchugh
Observer
I believe they are using the 160 since it is available in both standard and crew cab. I don’t think there is an advantage with the higher GVWR 180 standard cab since the whole suspension and braking system is being replaced anyway but I could be off base on that.
gregmchugh
Observer
Agree with the issue of a lack of 4wd cab forward trucks in North America but in the end there is really not a big market for them over here. I would guess that a Fuso gasoline OEM 4wd would not have enough sales to justify the investment and production costs but the upside is that the EarthCruiser 4wd conversion will without a doubt be a much better solution for real off road travel than Fuso would have produced. At a higher price point, no doubt, but probably worth the cost.
I wonder if it would be possible to have a company do a 4x4 conversion like Earthcruiser that could result in a less expensive solution? For instance, $30K (ouch) to modify a Fuso to 4x4 and then add an Alaskan flatbed camper (or build a composite camper box)... still a lot less expensive than an Earthcruiser.
That has been done, but the results don't look nearly as nice as a finished EarthCruiser.
I believe those are all on stock 4x4 Fuso's. I was wondering if it is possible to do a 4x4 conversion on a new Fuso and how much that would cost. Adding a camper is the easier of the two I think. I just think $300K is a lot... I would be really happy with a composite body or an Alaskan if I could do the whole thing for max $150K (still a lot).
gregmchugh
Observer
We are getting a little off track since this thread is a discussion of the 2020 EarthCruiser but I will say that a less expensive 4wd conversion for the gasoline Fuso is surely possible since EarthCruiser is using top of the line components, is replacing the rear driveline instead of just replacing the dual rear wheels with a single wheel, is customizing the transmission calibration, and other design choices to optimize the 4wd for off road and on highway use. And mounting a Alaskan/Bigfoot camper or a composite box will be less expensive than the EarthCruiser camper, especially if you do the work of finishing the interior of the composite box. In the end you will have a nice rig but not really at the level of the EarthCruiser, in my opinion. And I expect you could hit your $150K target also.
Semiquixotic
Member
Okay...cool exterior tour. Nice details.
pugslyyy
Expedition Vehicle Engineer Guy
I think you would be hard pressed to find a company to do a conversion for you. I actually looked around several years ago when I was toying with the idea of converting a crew cab to 4 wheel drive. Nobody wanted to touch it.
If you have the shop, equipment, and expertise you could do it yourself, but given that converting an E-350 to 4WD will run you $20k+ (UJOR kit), I don't think you will be able to come close for your $30k budget even if you DIY it and don't count your time. I figured that the labor for the UJOR conversion (not counting the fuel tank and drive shafts) would be about $4k, and that's with all the jigs, instructions, support and videos available.
Michelle@EarthCruiser
Supporting Sponsor
The first V8 FX is underway now and will be completed by early January. Next after that is a dual cab FX.
Head room in the EXP has always been about 6'7". It is our 'cathedral ceiling' version. The FX is slightly less but not substantially.
Head room in the EXP has always been about 6'7". It is our 'cathedral ceiling' version. The FX is slightly less but not substantially.