EarthCruiser is closing!?!?!

[utherjorge]

Maybe the owners of an EC should start their own thread, seems the only ones that care are owners, all the best guys but really, it's a dead horse, not interested in their misfortune.

Last thing I'd want as a manufacture is having a consumer group who post comments about my units produced, while there are always satisfied folks there will be 10 to 1 who are dissatisfied and those folks are always more motivated to cry and talk about their misery than those who may have praise for a product. Knowing that people check out such forums before they buy, it's a stupid idea to allow the pot to be stirred.

kn

I don't remember who the upfitter is, but there was the recent story about the one that had a product that grenaded its rear axle and got stuck and caused a really difficult recovery which can be found on Youtube.

I mention this because I don't remember hearing a whole lot of major problems with EC stuff. I'm sure I'm at least a little wrong, but for whatever it's worth, EC products appear to be quite robust. One would imagine that the people that paid such money for these beasts would have hoped to get quality for their money. That EC failures don't seem very common, would likely mean they indeed did get that quality...and might be perfectly happy to fly under the radar, as much as you can when you drive such a rig.

I don't think you need to spend that much money to get such positive rep: doesn't a Westfalia rig have similar cred, even if people throw a boxer engine in them? Aren't they well-engineered and more exclusive than a lot of these vehicles?

As soon as someone rolls in with a similar product once more, you'll see it again. Perhaps EC's bones will resurface with a new name...as happened before, the last time this happened.

As the owner of a Lexus GX, I myself have gotten hosed twice on products that were promised but then the shop folded. Luckily, credit card companies made me whole. Even when products exist and the companies don't fold, quality sucks. Two larger purchases I made in the last 12 months have completely useless powdercoating that will require attention this summer. The point is...if ECs quality is truly as good as it seems, people will keep throwing money at them even if there's the risk that they will vanish.

 

[Steadfast Rocky]

I'll agree that there's a point being missed. I'll disagree about who's missing it.

But, that's OK as we're all different folks with various expectations, etc. One good thing is we all share a common Interest in getting out and about in the backcountry.

I'm happy to attempt answering specific questions about EarthCruiser vehicles (not the company, not people, but vehicles). I know little about Terra Novas and the Izuz based trucks, slightly more about Fuso based trucks and am most comfortable answering queries about 2018 and earlier EXP and FX models. Full disclosure - I actually like the Duonic transmission (that should taint my opinions!) and I have no business or financial interests in the company but I do like the folks involved.

Howard Snell

Howard do you recall the Contract Manufacurer who did their Tent bodies?

 

[Todd n Natalie]

The recent angle, what support might one expect as a future owner, is interesting. Safest bet, prob, "you're on your tod".

What do I have to do with this? lol

 

[Howard70]

Howard do you recall the Contract Manufacurer who did their Tent bodies?

Early on I recall that the tents came from Australia, but I don’t know if they switched to a USA based provider. At the moment a friend who owns an earlier EarthCruiser EXP and is staying at our place says he has had repair work on his clear vinyl windows done by a shop in Albuquerque. He was happy with their work (House of Covers). Both of us recall hearing of someone In the owner’s community who had more extensive repairs done, but we don’t remember details. If we can come up with more information we’ll report back!

Howard Snell

 

[Photomike]

Early on I recall that the tents came from Australia, but I don’t know if they switched to a USA based provider. At the moment a friend who owns an earlier EarthCruiser EXP and is staying at our place says he has had repair work on his clear vinyl windows done by a shop in Albuquerque. He was happy with their work (House of Covers). Both of us recall hearing of someone In the owner’s community who had more extensive repairs done, but we don’t remember details. If we can come up with more information we’ll report back!

Howard Snell

I had some work done on a tent trailer at a canvas shop. A good one will have the ability to do anything you could want done to it.

 

[Ozarker]

Early on I recall that the tents came from Australia, but I don’t know if they switched to a USA based provider. At the moment a friend who owns an earlier EarthCruiser EXP and is staying at our place says he has had repair work on his clear vinyl windows done by a shop in Albuquerque. He was happy with their work (House of Covers). Both of us recall hearing of someone In the owner’s community who had more extensive repairs done, but we don’t remember details. If we can come up with more information we’ll report back!

Howard Snell

Any canvas shop that provides covers and camper enclosures for boats can probably knock that out pretty easy.

 

[ReluctantTraveler]

Their website is officially offline now. That was fast.

 

[Wakeup2river]

We were hours away from buying one of their certified preowned a few weeks back. Thank God we passed in literally the final minutes while standing in the shop going over the truck.

There were way too many alarm bells going off while we were there and a lot of things we were told that did not tie. Ha, Ill leave it at that. I feel bad for the staff, well some of them at least.

No more Fuso no more EC with a platform that is unique and needy makes it a challenging own.

 

[ReluctantTraveler]

We were hours away from buying one of their certified preowned a few weeks back. Thank God we passed in literally final minutes standing in the shop.

There were way too many alarm bells going off while we were there and a lot of things we were told that did not tie. Ha, Ill leave it at that. I feel bad for the staff, some of them at least.

I'm curious what the alarm bells were (totally get if you don't want to share). Maybe I'm just a sucker for good marketing. They seemed like the best of the best on the market.

 

[calameda]

I haven’t seen an announcement here, but apparently Nimbl is no longer building the Evolution camper, though they will still service them. Seems to be a bad time for high end rigs.

 

[rruff]

I haven’t seen an announcement here, but apparently Nimbl is no longer building the Evolution camper, though they will still service them. Seems to be a bad time for high end rigs.

Taking a vacation, more like....?

 

[calameda]

Taking a vacation, more like....?

I sent them email asking for clarification, they replied they will no longer make new campers, citing weak sales and sourcing problems.

 

[rruff]

But surely their sales were not weak during covid?

 

[calameda]

But surely their sales were not weak during covid?

Those days are long past. Just looking at the buyers remorse glut of used sprinters, the overlanding boom aint so much anymore. I welcome this return to sanity, especially when I venture out. but i hate losing a longtime vendor with a unique product. I see a number of new wannabe Earthroamers (and good luck to them) but is anyone else offering a (semi) hardside popup?

 

[martinf]

We were hours away from buying one of their certified preowned a few weeks back. Thank God we passed in literally the final minutes while standing in the shop going over the truck.

There were way too many alarm bells going off while we were there and a lot of things we were told that did not tie. Ha, Ill leave it at that. I feel bad for the staff, well some of them at least.

No more Fuso no more EC with a platform that is unique and needy makes it a challenging own.

I called them a few times to inquire about a consigned unit a couple of weeks before the announcement and got into a voice mail each time and never called back. When I emailed them instead I got an all-cap one liner email in response.