Cabover vs. Long-Nose Platform

[ReluctantTraveler]

Like I said, question #1 is whether shipping is even a needed criteria. I built my first adventure van w/ shipping in mind, which turns out to have been a silly daydream, since I had a grade-school aged daughter and was in a growing career, long-term international travel wasn't really in my future. Our new rig is built for North America only. When the kiddo is off to school, I can reevaluate.

RORO as an option comes down to your required shipping route(s) and security needs. If I were doing the Panamerican Highway, I'd certainly keep RORO in mind for the Darien crossing. But if I were doing a big trans-oceanic shipment, the cost structure changes a LOT, plus I'd maybe reconsider my options vis-a-vis worries over having stuff stolen. The upside of a container is that you keep the keys and the box goes into the stack, so everything stays groovy until you meet your rig with the customs agent on the other side.

Really good point around reality vs. aspirations. Thanks!

 

[Ozarker]

Oh, don't mistake inquiry for attitude, there is so much we can't really address to make any definite conclusions. Especially about getting your legs crushed in an accident and which truck was safer.
d
Couple years ago we talked here about your plans, mine being similar at the time and mine went astray. Remember the F 350 ambo thoughts?

North America, stick to usual and customary, easier to find them, find parts, getting towed, blending in, unless you want to be the feature vehicle in the parking lot, and I see as just mentioned, for better security.

Friend is looking for a class A, I mentioned alternatives and his concern being out in the wild, was the ability to get from his bed to the steering wheel without having to face zombies or lions or bears. Now, if a cab over had a doughnut window or door between the cab and the box, this might be satisfied.

 

[ReluctantTraveler]

Oh, don't mistake inquiry for attitude, there is so much we can't really address to make any definite conclusions. Especially about getting your legs crushed in an accident and which truck was safer.
d
Couple years ago we talked here about your plans, mine being similar at the time and mine went astray. Remember the F 350 ambo thoughts?

North America, stick to usual and customary, easier to find them, find parts, getting towed, blending in, unless you want to be the feature vehicle in the parking lot, and I see as just mentioned, for better security.

Friend is looking for a class A, I mentioned alternatives and his concern being out in the wild, was the ability to get from his bed to the steering wheel without having to face zombies or lions or bears. Now, if a cab over had a doughnut window or door between the cab and the box, this might be satisfied.

Well in that case, sorry for misunderstanding!

Last year was supposed to be the year I started my build, but I work in tech, and the industry had an AWFUL year last year after the "free VC money" everyone was used to finally dried up and reality hit.

As a result, I simply haven't had the funds to start this project. Which is another thing I'm weighing, honestly.

A DIY rig is theoretically less expensive (even accounting for mistakes and paying retail prices), but buying a manufactured rig from a vendor means you can often get RV financing and get into something right now.

I couldn't finance a $500k rig, but a used one? That's a possibility if I could find something that ticked off more of the boxes than our existing travel trailer. Unfortunately, most of the rigs I see are oriented towards couples rather than families.

 

[Ozarker]

Well in that case, sorry for misunderstanding!

Last year was supposed to be the year I started my build, but I work in tech, and the industry had an AWFUL year last year after the "free VC money" everyone was used to finally dried up and reality hit.

As a result, I simply haven't had the funds to start this project. Which is another thing I'm weighing, honestly.

A DIY rig is theoretically less expensive (even accounting for mistakes and paying retail prices), but buying a manufactured rig from a vendor means you can often get RV financing and get into something right now.

I couldn't finance a $500k rig, but a used one? That's a possibility if I could find something that ticked off more of the boxes than our existing travel trailer. Unfortunately, most of the rigs I see are oriented towards couples rather than families.

Actually, right now most would be better off with a new purchase, paying thousands more in a sale price and getting lower interest on a loan than taking on a smaller balance at 10/11/12% APR. I was looking at Class A's and called both of my banks, I laughed when they mentioned the interest charged and said forget it, I'll take money out and just buy it.
Go first class now, travel, sell it later and cry over your losses until you retire or die.

Nothing is free, including great memories.

 

[ReluctantTraveler]

Actually, right now most would be better off with a new purchase, paying thousands more in a sale price and getting lower interest on a loan than taking on a smaller balance at 10/11/12% APR. I was looking at Class A's and called both of my banks, I laughed when they mentioned the interest charged and said forget it, I'll take money out and just buy it.
Go first class now, travel, sell it later and cry over your losses until you retire or die.

Nothing is free, including great memories.

The other thing I come back to is that building this stuff takes time when you know what you're doing. And I don't, so I'd be learning as I go.

I was kind of enamored with the "luxury" of an Earthroamer when I first started exploring different options. I'm increasingly of the mind that something with a smaller footprint is generally a better option, even if your goal isn't to go off-roading.

It's simply easier to drive, park, and explore with a more modestly sized rig.

That's one of my big frustrations with towing a trailer at the moment. When we decouple our tow vehicle, we can go places. But stopping at places along the way is always a challenge for a variety of reasons (parking, turning around, and having a place to leave our dog if it's hot and the place doesn't allow pets since there's no 12v AC in our rig).

 

[Ozarker]

Seriously RT, let's consider reality. You're married as a young couple with little ones, you have a dog, your job isn't printing money, you aren't a craftsman with steel, wood or a first class mechanic.

I think there are many of us on this site that spend time day dreaming and planning the build that never happens. It's as much of a past time as rag chewing on Ham radio, going to car shows or shooting pool.

You'd probably be better off renting a class A and pulling a small adventure vehicle that could carry the family and your dog. In the long run, you could go anywhere in CONUS and it would cost less than trying to own a Earth Roamer.

@ReluctantTraveler

 

[ReluctantTraveler]

Seriously RT, let's consider reality. You're married as a young couple with little ones, you have a dog, your job isn't printing money, you aren't a craftsman with steel, wood or a first class mechanic.

I think there are many of us on this site that spend time day dreaming and planning the build that never happens. It's as much of a past time as rag chewing on Ham radio, going to car shows or shooting pool.

You'd probably be better off renting a class A and pulling a small adventure vehicle that could carry the family and your dog. In the long run, you could go anywhere in CONUS and it would cost less than trying to own a Earth Roamer.

@ReluctantTraveler

Honestly, this all started because finding a class C with four proper belted seats in damn near impossible. But yea, I suspect you’re right.

 

[Ozarker]

Honestly, this all started because finding a class C with four proper belted seats in damn near impossible. But yea, I suspect you’re right.

friend has a "sunseeker rv" it has 2 belts up front and 3 more in the back. I was looking at a 24' class A and it had 6, 4 seats and a couch. CL has a class A, Airstream, along with a Wrangler Jeep asking $42K! A loan for half of that might be okay.

 

[ReluctantTraveler]

friend has a "sunseeker rv" it has 2 belts up front and 3 more in the back. I was looking at a 24' class A and it had 6, 4 seats and a couch. CL has a class A, Airstream, along with a Wrangler Jeep asking $42K! A loan for half of that might be okay.

This is what those dinette seats look like in a crash:
I need 4 in-cab belted seats, and sadly, those are nearly non-existent (the last crew-cab truck platform class-Cs I could find stopped being manufactured back in the early 2000s).

Currently looking into flatbed truck camper options to see if one might be big enough (and light enough to run on a smaller platform truck).

 

[Ozarker]

2020 thor majestic 19G for sale - Kansas City, MO - craigslist

Travel without size limitations in this beautifully refurbished COMPACT Class C RV. The Majestic 19G has all of the features of a full-sized Majestic, but in a body small enough to fit inside a...

kansascity.craigslist.org

Seat belts improved I'm sure, besides they can be a simple DIY thing strapping the kids to the frame.

 

[rruff]

I've also seen various people note that a long-nose is safer in a crash because you have the whole nose in front of you to collapse and take the impact before it reaches the cab. Based on how cars and crumble zones work, that makes quite a bit of sense.

This may be related to how the US crash tests are designed rather than reality. One of the main tests is slamming directly into a concrete wall, where there is no consideration for a vehicle you may be running into. In fact where colliding with other vehicles is concerned (and animals, people, many inanimate objects, etc), the height and weight of the vehicles you are considering would put you in the "very safe" category... relatively.

 

[ReluctantTraveler]

2020 thor majestic 19G for sale - Kansas City, MO - craigslist

Travel without size limitations in this beautifully refurbished COMPACT Class C RV. The Majestic 19G has all of the features of a full-sized Majestic, but in a body small enough to fit inside a...

kansascity.craigslist.org

Seat belts improved I'm sure, besides they can be a simple DIY thing strapping the kids to the frame.

Not sure if you watched the video, but in all modern RVs, the belts already are mounted into the frame. The dinette, however, is still just particle board and wood glue. It falls apart on impact, making the belts utterly useless.

 

[NevadaLover]

One consideration in the debate of cabover vs long nose, a repair on the engine in a long nose may very well require the cab to be removed, not likely to be accomplished in any remote setting, whereas a cabover is a much more user friendly for most any repairs to the engine.

 

[vintageracer]

Ambo for the WIN!

 

[IdaSHO]

Surviving a rollover is one thing. Avoiding it is another.

Id say the amount of weight above the belt-line of a typical ambo likely makes it more susceptible to a rollover than a proper lightweight cabin on a 1-ton pickup.