A couple EarthCruiser EXP/FX questions

[driveby]

1) Food storage - lots of videos saying “lots of storage” but what about fresh/frozen capacity?
2) PakaYak/SUP storage - anyone have dimensions of that back garage with a freezer/fridge in there? Looks like a decent amount of room???
3) Gas vs Diesel - if my plans are North America/Iceland/UK/EU and no real plans for Asia/Africa/SA how big a deal is gas?

My concern on #3 is that over time EV will start to phase out gas vehicles but big trucks, off highway, boats etc will still need diesel to be produced. Gas less and less so over time.

Anyone in the Vancouver BC area that has one? Videos are great but I just spent 9 nights in a 144’ sprinter rental (Winnebago Revel) and we realized that floorplan doesn’t have the bathroom or food storage we think we need. Or anyone know of a EC for rental? Trying before buying seems to make so much real sense to me.

 

[mexjtc]

You could just contact Earthcruiser directly. They have the answers to all these questions and more. They are located in Bend, Oregon. I toured their facility and a vehicle about 5 years ago and they were great.

Also, I’ve seen them at the overland expo shows in the US.

We chose a larger platform for our build specifically because we could not find a way to carry our surf and sup boards except for the roof, covering the solar panels.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[BillFitz]

1) The EC comed with a typical Isotherm refrigerator with small freezer compartment. Many people add a separate portable refrig/freezer that lives in the rear storage area. But in our experience we eat way less when we're camping than we do at home. We do simplified meals on the road, plus there are tons of grocery store and tiendas/mercados/farmer's markets out there. We typically only carry a week's worth of food and never any frozen food. But that's just us.

2) There's not a lot of long room room for sups, etc in any truck. I have seen people carry two Hobie inflatable kayak/SUPs on the cab roof of an EC, however.. You can't put anything on the house roof because of the solar panels. I'd rather have power than a sup anyway. And how much junk you carry is an important subject. The more weight you carry, the more a beating your truck takes. Take what you need and not everything you want.

3) Gas versus diesel. It really sucks but diesel is slowly on it's way out in the US. Fuso has already abandoned the US market. Gas is the future, with that being said, I wouldn't trade in my diesel powered truck for a million dollars. I have a diesel cooktop, a diesel air/water heater, and a diesel engine. It's all very very handy.

Hope this helps.

 

[lucilius]

That Pakayak looks interesting. FWIW if you are looking for something else that is fun and packable, I would take a look at Long Haul kayaks (Colorado) and/or Klepper (European mfr who've had some ownership/manufacturing transitions over the past few years). They are proven over many decades in extreme conditions and have multiple packing configurations. A little pricey vs plastic boats but safe, stable, reliable, easy to set up and very easy to paddle. Most Long Haul/Klepper boats can be set up with a sail. If you're used to a fast narrow boat, e.g. racing kayak/surfski, the folding boats are going seem like driving a big SUV vs a sports car. The seating is comfortable and the sides are a bit high so your paddle strokes will be different and maybe less efficient than a narrow hard boat and you won't be showing off your abs nearly as well as in a SUP. Not as fast as a hard boat but can carry a lot of weight and can't be beat for portability. My Klepper tandem is ~20 yrs old and looks/performs like new. Set up/take down is easy after the first time and ~20min. Only thing I've done to maintain is dry it out after trips, revarnish some wood frame components and added adhesive keelstrip reinforcement because my kids always beach it like they're coming ashore at Normandy. Great option if you want to travel with a boat that isn't on the roof. Check ebay as well. These things are easy to repair/maintain and last decades if taken care of properly.

 

[lanceatm]

This might help -