matthewp
Combat Truck Monkey
Me Likey! :drool:
EarthCruiser Overland Vehicles
- Thread starter haven
- Start date
Me Likey! :drool:
EarthCruiser
Adventurer
Got around to adding a few happy snaps
http://www.earthcruiser.com.au/gallery/photo
http://www.earthcruiser.com.au/gallery/photo
Order In - Why We Chose EarthCruiser
I apologize for the dense text below - I can't seem to get blank lines between the paragraphs.
So, it's official. Our deposit check reached Bend, OR; copies of signed contracts are all the places they should be, we close on financing tomorrow, the build of our EarthCruiser should start this year and we ought to take delivery next spring. "We're excited" is an understatement.
It's taken us three years to decide on which vehicle was the best fit for us to replace our 2004 double cab 4x4 Tacoma. We've researched and/or looked at a plethora of great expedition platforms: Provan Tigers; Sportsmobile 4x4 Fords; All Terrain Warrior / Sportsmobile Global Warriors; XP Campers; Global Expedition Vehicles Fuso-based Pangeas; Earth Roamers; GoWesty Syncros; All Terrain, Four Wheel, and Phoenix Campers; all of these provide vehicle-based units that work well for a lot of different folks. We also considered many possible trailers - Teardrops by Adventure Trailers, South California Teardrops, Moby 1, Little Guy, and AspenX; pop ups, fold outs, and more conventional trailers by VMI Offroad, Livin Lite, Casita, and others. All of these platforms are the perfect solution for someone - they all have loyal followers and happy owners. We were pretty sure that any of them would have made us grin a lot. So we needed to settle on a platform that would make us grin the most!
While our decision followed a convoluted path, here's a basic summary of the final points. These justify our decision for us, but I wouldn't expect them to change anyone else's thoughts about what would be their perfect vehicle (in other words I'm not looking for an internet argument about what's best for someone else...).
1. We realized that we didn't want to build, or refit our own. We've done that - two years refitting, modifying and restoring an Olson 40 that we then sailed to Ecuador and used as a research sailboat in the Galapagos for 10 years was a great experience that we'd repeat - if we were 40 again! A year or two tweaking, modifying, and perfecting (at least to our thinking) our Tacoma has resulted in thousands of miles of trips in the western US that yielded wonderful experiences - but we've both realized we'd rather travel and climb than wrench and fabricate. So this time we wanted to pay some else to do better work than we would or could.
2. We wanted a vehicle-based platform rather than a trailer. We've used and enjoyed trailers (an M416, a Fleetwood Neon, and a couple of Alumas), but we like the agility of a single vehicle. Ironically the most frustrated we've been with trailers hasn't been in the back country on small tight two-tracks - it's been in cities in crowded strip mall parking lots (looking for that Expresso shop so we could keep driving and get to the east side of the Sierra Nevada, or the north rim of the Grand Canyon) and gas stops where somebody always cuts off that perfect escape route we'd planned through the narrow lanes, handicapped parking spots etc.
3. We wanted warmth in the winter. I love snow camping, snowshoeing, cooking in a tent vestibule, getting up in the middle of the night to unload the snowfall from the tent - Heidi not so much!
4. We wanted the space and efficiency that a chassis mounted "house" provides over a slide-in camper design.
5. We prefer a cabover configuration for the base vehicle. We like the short cab / tremendous windshield with vast views that it offers. We like being able to see the track immediately in front of the vehicle as we drive in poor terrain, and we like the increased leg room and space that the Fuso cabover provides compared to American vans. Diesel 4x4 trucks by the Big Three aren't what we're after. If they were still the relatively svelte and high clearance trucks of the 90's and early 2000's we might feel differently, but the current designs provide too much hood between the cab and the trail for us.
6. We wanted a factory 4x4 system for the base truck rather than a conversion. Again - that's just us!
7. Efficiency and agility are more important to us than power. So a 3 liter turbo charged diesel mated to a 6 speed automatic clutch transmission is attractive. We've had a WRX that could tow it's Aluma trailer up any interstate grade at 80 - 90 mph. That's out of our systems now and the peaceful trundling of our old 2 liter Westfalia camper van brings back just as pleasant memories as passing everything in sight in the WRX. Again - that's just us. So now we're down to four possibilities (that I know of) available in the US which are based on the Fuso Canter 4x4.
8. We wanted to be able to use the cab of the truck as part of the living space of the house. Thus we wanted a large opening connecting the house and the cab. Passing between the cab and the house isn't a serious requirement for us, but if Heidi's relaxing in the cab while she edits photos and I'm doing GIS work in the house and she wants a cup of hot chocolate it makes my job easier if I don't have to go outside to fulfill my role as a waiter.
9. We wanted a pop up house. We like remote areas with little travelled roads and a house that extends beyond the top and/or sides of the cab just requires too much trimming of branches, worrying about the overhangs on the uphill side of shelf roads, etc. for us. We like the idea that the vehicle might fit into a container so that we could travel to some exotic place. I doubt that we'll do that, but if it can fit in a container it can fit down an overgrown track better as well.
10. There's only two of us and a dog. We don't need space for more folks. In fact we don't want space for more folks thank you very much.....
11. We wanted a well constructed, cored composite house, built as a complete single unit. Our Olson 40 kept the ocean away from us through storms, waves bigger than I like to remember, and gentle encounters with the seafloor with 1/2" of end-cut balsa sandwiched between an inner and an outer layer of 1/8" fiberglass - a total hull thickness of 3/4". We know how light and strong well-done cored composites can be.
12. While we wanted a pop up house, we wanted one that could be comfortably used with the top down. We wanted windows that we could look out from the main berth with the top down or up. It's a little thing, but we're getting to the point that we can actually calculate how many more sunrises we might see in the backcountry and we don't want to miss any of them!
13. We prefer a rectangular profile. This is definitely a personal thing and a lot of folks will be happier with a partial trapezoid or other shape and that's great for them!
14. We like a design where the lowest portions of the house (usually storage lockers alongside the truck frame) are independently removable / repairable from the main composite body. Those areas seem vulnerable to us and keeping them independent of the fiberglass portions is an attractive feature.
In addition to those more-or-less objective criteria there's the subjective stuff. We visited the EarthCruiser USA outfit in Bend. We immediately enjoyed working with Lance and Michelle while we explored an EarthCruiser and talked about design ideas and the myriad of trade-offs involved in making a compact unit efficient and adaptable. After we left we began several months of email correspondence to fine tune the truck to our needs. The whole process has been pleasant and enjoyable.
I'm sure someone will ask "What's it going to cost?" I honestly can't answer that as there are still a lot of final components and ideas that we haven't priced and everyone's design would be different. I will say that on a dollar per pound basis our EarthCruiser will be vastly cheaper than my Cervelo P3 time trial bike that wouldn't go over 34 miles an hour unless there was a tailwind or a downhill! On the same dollar per pound basis the EC will be in the same ball park as the Olson 40 which certainly seems fair to me. Seriously - if you're curious about the prices of any of the great expedition rigs now available in the US - contact the folks that build them and get accurate current figures.
We can't wait!
Howard Snell
I apologize for the dense text below - I can't seem to get blank lines between the paragraphs.
So, it's official. Our deposit check reached Bend, OR; copies of signed contracts are all the places they should be, we close on financing tomorrow, the build of our EarthCruiser should start this year and we ought to take delivery next spring. "We're excited" is an understatement.
It's taken us three years to decide on which vehicle was the best fit for us to replace our 2004 double cab 4x4 Tacoma. We've researched and/or looked at a plethora of great expedition platforms: Provan Tigers; Sportsmobile 4x4 Fords; All Terrain Warrior / Sportsmobile Global Warriors; XP Campers; Global Expedition Vehicles Fuso-based Pangeas; Earth Roamers; GoWesty Syncros; All Terrain, Four Wheel, and Phoenix Campers; all of these provide vehicle-based units that work well for a lot of different folks. We also considered many possible trailers - Teardrops by Adventure Trailers, South California Teardrops, Moby 1, Little Guy, and AspenX; pop ups, fold outs, and more conventional trailers by VMI Offroad, Livin Lite, Casita, and others. All of these platforms are the perfect solution for someone - they all have loyal followers and happy owners. We were pretty sure that any of them would have made us grin a lot. So we needed to settle on a platform that would make us grin the most!
While our decision followed a convoluted path, here's a basic summary of the final points. These justify our decision for us, but I wouldn't expect them to change anyone else's thoughts about what would be their perfect vehicle (in other words I'm not looking for an internet argument about what's best for someone else...).
1. We realized that we didn't want to build, or refit our own. We've done that - two years refitting, modifying and restoring an Olson 40 that we then sailed to Ecuador and used as a research sailboat in the Galapagos for 10 years was a great experience that we'd repeat - if we were 40 again! A year or two tweaking, modifying, and perfecting (at least to our thinking) our Tacoma has resulted in thousands of miles of trips in the western US that yielded wonderful experiences - but we've both realized we'd rather travel and climb than wrench and fabricate. So this time we wanted to pay some else to do better work than we would or could.
2. We wanted a vehicle-based platform rather than a trailer. We've used and enjoyed trailers (an M416, a Fleetwood Neon, and a couple of Alumas), but we like the agility of a single vehicle. Ironically the most frustrated we've been with trailers hasn't been in the back country on small tight two-tracks - it's been in cities in crowded strip mall parking lots (looking for that Expresso shop so we could keep driving and get to the east side of the Sierra Nevada, or the north rim of the Grand Canyon) and gas stops where somebody always cuts off that perfect escape route we'd planned through the narrow lanes, handicapped parking spots etc.
3. We wanted warmth in the winter. I love snow camping, snowshoeing, cooking in a tent vestibule, getting up in the middle of the night to unload the snowfall from the tent - Heidi not so much!
4. We wanted the space and efficiency that a chassis mounted "house" provides over a slide-in camper design.
5. We prefer a cabover configuration for the base vehicle. We like the short cab / tremendous windshield with vast views that it offers. We like being able to see the track immediately in front of the vehicle as we drive in poor terrain, and we like the increased leg room and space that the Fuso cabover provides compared to American vans. Diesel 4x4 trucks by the Big Three aren't what we're after. If they were still the relatively svelte and high clearance trucks of the 90's and early 2000's we might feel differently, but the current designs provide too much hood between the cab and the trail for us.
6. We wanted a factory 4x4 system for the base truck rather than a conversion. Again - that's just us!
7. Efficiency and agility are more important to us than power. So a 3 liter turbo charged diesel mated to a 6 speed automatic clutch transmission is attractive. We've had a WRX that could tow it's Aluma trailer up any interstate grade at 80 - 90 mph. That's out of our systems now and the peaceful trundling of our old 2 liter Westfalia camper van brings back just as pleasant memories as passing everything in sight in the WRX. Again - that's just us. So now we're down to four possibilities (that I know of) available in the US which are based on the Fuso Canter 4x4.
8. We wanted to be able to use the cab of the truck as part of the living space of the house. Thus we wanted a large opening connecting the house and the cab. Passing between the cab and the house isn't a serious requirement for us, but if Heidi's relaxing in the cab while she edits photos and I'm doing GIS work in the house and she wants a cup of hot chocolate it makes my job easier if I don't have to go outside to fulfill my role as a waiter.
9. We wanted a pop up house. We like remote areas with little travelled roads and a house that extends beyond the top and/or sides of the cab just requires too much trimming of branches, worrying about the overhangs on the uphill side of shelf roads, etc. for us. We like the idea that the vehicle might fit into a container so that we could travel to some exotic place. I doubt that we'll do that, but if it can fit in a container it can fit down an overgrown track better as well.
10. There's only two of us and a dog. We don't need space for more folks. In fact we don't want space for more folks thank you very much.....
11. We wanted a well constructed, cored composite house, built as a complete single unit. Our Olson 40 kept the ocean away from us through storms, waves bigger than I like to remember, and gentle encounters with the seafloor with 1/2" of end-cut balsa sandwiched between an inner and an outer layer of 1/8" fiberglass - a total hull thickness of 3/4". We know how light and strong well-done cored composites can be.
12. While we wanted a pop up house, we wanted one that could be comfortably used with the top down. We wanted windows that we could look out from the main berth with the top down or up. It's a little thing, but we're getting to the point that we can actually calculate how many more sunrises we might see in the backcountry and we don't want to miss any of them!
13. We prefer a rectangular profile. This is definitely a personal thing and a lot of folks will be happier with a partial trapezoid or other shape and that's great for them!
14. We like a design where the lowest portions of the house (usually storage lockers alongside the truck frame) are independently removable / repairable from the main composite body. Those areas seem vulnerable to us and keeping them independent of the fiberglass portions is an attractive feature.
In addition to those more-or-less objective criteria there's the subjective stuff. We visited the EarthCruiser USA outfit in Bend. We immediately enjoyed working with Lance and Michelle while we explored an EarthCruiser and talked about design ideas and the myriad of trade-offs involved in making a compact unit efficient and adaptable. After we left we began several months of email correspondence to fine tune the truck to our needs. The whole process has been pleasant and enjoyable.
I'm sure someone will ask "What's it going to cost?" I honestly can't answer that as there are still a lot of final components and ideas that we haven't priced and everyone's design would be different. I will say that on a dollar per pound basis our EarthCruiser will be vastly cheaper than my Cervelo P3 time trial bike that wouldn't go over 34 miles an hour unless there was a tailwind or a downhill! On the same dollar per pound basis the EC will be in the same ball park as the Olson 40 which certainly seems fair to me. Seriously - if you're curious about the prices of any of the great expedition rigs now available in the US - contact the folks that build them and get accurate current figures.
We can't wait!
Howard Snell
Last edited:
Bandicoot
Adventurer
Feedback after 4 years owning an EarthCruiser
Howard
It’s great to see your “thought process” as to why you have ended up buying an EarthCruiser. We own “EC4” and have had ours for almost four years now. It’s had a thorough workout in its first three years and this year we’ve been “full-time” in it, and plan to be doing so for the next 8 to 10 years as we travel around the world.
I’ve loved the outdoors ever since I was a kid, and like yourselves, we have also owned a full range of “camper” options over the years but without doubt, our EC is the best option for us now that the kids are grown up and doing their own thing.
After four years of experience with our EC, the things that we have found are best about it would be:
• Small size. One of the best bits of advice I have ever received regarding expedition vehicles is to “buy the smallest you can get away with, not the largest you can afford”. We see endless people in Oz with huge motorhomes, 5th wheelers and trailers. They are stuck with travelling on sealed roads and (often) staying at expensive and depressing “RV parks” (usually called caravan parks here). Our EC (a SWB) is 110 inch wheelbase, not much wider than a Landcruiser wagon, and no higher than a Landcruiser “troopy” with an aluminium boat (“tinny”) on top of it. Therefore we have yet to find any tracks that are too small for us and we can find a camp almost anywhere. I do carry a 1.8 kW electric chainsaw which we occasionally use (works well on the 1.8 kW AC inverter standard in the EC) but that has been to clear trees that would have stopped any other vehicles as well. When asked how we manage to live and work out of something this size, I do tell friends that it’s like regressing to childhood—and living in a “cubby house” on wheels. But we are managing very successfully now!
• The small size also means we can park in a standard car park which is VERY convenient and its excellent turning circle provides great agility both in cities and off-road.
• 4WD platform. I agree with others that 4WD is not really essential for an overlanding expedition vehicle. However, a 4WD truck is designed for rough off-road work (construction, mining, forestry...), and so it handles badly potholed roads, washouts, bad corrugations ("washboard") and the “unexpected” much better than a 2WD chassis. And the Fuso FG has terrific approach, departure and underbody clearance. Plus a 4WD truck has bigger wheels than an equivalent 2WD. This also means the vehicle’s windows are higher than on a 2WD which reduces the ability of anyone to see inside. We are currently running Goodyear Wrangler MT/R 37x12.5R17 tyres, with the Kevlar sidewalls, which are working very well. Our previous set were Hankook's of the same size and these were also very good tyres.
• In addition, and perhaps unlike other expeditioners, we regularly go across deserts, deep water crossings, push through close scrub and other types of terrain that simply would be impassable in a 2WD. As someone who has done the Simpson Desert in Australia 5 times, and most of the other deserts here multiple times, as well as our sand islands such as Fraser Island, I have found the EC is almost unstoppable in sand. Lower the tyre pressures, put it in gear and it will waddle up almost anything!
• Single rear wheels. Duallies on the back are a terrible liability and PITA off road.
• Pop-top. This keeps the vehicle very compact, with a low centre of gravity, excellent ventilation for summer, and great “visual experience” in that with all the vinyl windows “down”, it really brings the outdoors inside: sights, sounds and smells!
• We have also been in some really vicious storms and gale-force winds and can comfortably sleep with the roof down (and have done so on a number of occasions). Also being able to sleep with the roof down would be an asset if you really were concerned about security. We have also slept with the roof down on the odd occasion where we are camped somewhere very noisy; it’s so much quieter with the roof down!
• Low tech. Our FG (the 4.9 litre) has a tremendously high torque engine and doesn’t need ultra low sulphur diesel fuel. The “part-time” 4WD is old-fashioned but very simple as are the leaf springs. I would like disk brakes but have got used to compensating for the drums all round (although the great OEM exhaust brake combined with the engine braking of a high torque diesel engine is a big offset).
• Corrosion-proof. The camper being made of fibreglass and with all stainless steel fittings (sail-boat quality) shows no signs of corrosion, which you definitely don’t want when buying a lifetime purchase such as this.
• Permanent bed. Say no more.
• All-diesel. Our EC has diesel cooktop, diesel HWS and diesel heating. No propane (LPG in Australia) with its safety issues and problems of changing fittings between countries etc.
• The hot shower and toilet. We’ve operated for years without them but my wife (and me too now) would be in revolt on extended travel without these now!
• The heater is just a godsend on cold nights and even more so on cold days, especially if it’s also windy and/or wet. This is particularly the case if you are somewhere where there is no firewood and/or a fire ban. In cold weather, we often turn on the heater 30 minutes before we “retire” for the evening, have a shower and go to bed. This makes the shower and getting ready for bed a pleasure, and the bed and bed covers are all warm. Often we then turn off the heater for the rest of the night.
• The electric roof, awning and steps. Almost unbelievably, our electric awning (which gets used every day, often going in and out a few times a day if we are travelling), roof lifters and steps have never failed! And we have done some serious scrub-bashing, water crossings, mud and dust. The other thing about these being electric is that if I am away, my wife can easily operate the entire house herself; there’s nothing manual about it.
• Power options. We still run a business (from our EC) and the combination of the roof having the Unisolar panels, alternator charging (when travelling) and a backup generator (which we use occasionally in extended wet weather) means we always have power. Most of the world has mobile (cell) phone and data, and for the areas that it doesn’t, we use our BGAN system.
• Water steriliser. The EC comes with a genuine water sterilisation unit. We have picked up water from a wide range of sources, and have not got one water-borne disease yet.
• Totally independent and self-contained. I just love (and still do) that sense of being completely self-contained. If we didn’t listen to the radio or check the news out on our mobile (cell) phone “app” from time to time, WW3 could have broken out and we would be none the wiser!!
• I have posted a number of (amateur) videos on Youtube for our EC. Search for “Bushbandicoot” (which is me!)
Rick
Howard
It’s great to see your “thought process” as to why you have ended up buying an EarthCruiser. We own “EC4” and have had ours for almost four years now. It’s had a thorough workout in its first three years and this year we’ve been “full-time” in it, and plan to be doing so for the next 8 to 10 years as we travel around the world.
I’ve loved the outdoors ever since I was a kid, and like yourselves, we have also owned a full range of “camper” options over the years but without doubt, our EC is the best option for us now that the kids are grown up and doing their own thing.
After four years of experience with our EC, the things that we have found are best about it would be:
• Small size. One of the best bits of advice I have ever received regarding expedition vehicles is to “buy the smallest you can get away with, not the largest you can afford”. We see endless people in Oz with huge motorhomes, 5th wheelers and trailers. They are stuck with travelling on sealed roads and (often) staying at expensive and depressing “RV parks” (usually called caravan parks here). Our EC (a SWB) is 110 inch wheelbase, not much wider than a Landcruiser wagon, and no higher than a Landcruiser “troopy” with an aluminium boat (“tinny”) on top of it. Therefore we have yet to find any tracks that are too small for us and we can find a camp almost anywhere. I do carry a 1.8 kW electric chainsaw which we occasionally use (works well on the 1.8 kW AC inverter standard in the EC) but that has been to clear trees that would have stopped any other vehicles as well. When asked how we manage to live and work out of something this size, I do tell friends that it’s like regressing to childhood—and living in a “cubby house” on wheels. But we are managing very successfully now!
• The small size also means we can park in a standard car park which is VERY convenient and its excellent turning circle provides great agility both in cities and off-road.
• 4WD platform. I agree with others that 4WD is not really essential for an overlanding expedition vehicle. However, a 4WD truck is designed for rough off-road work (construction, mining, forestry...), and so it handles badly potholed roads, washouts, bad corrugations ("washboard") and the “unexpected” much better than a 2WD chassis. And the Fuso FG has terrific approach, departure and underbody clearance. Plus a 4WD truck has bigger wheels than an equivalent 2WD. This also means the vehicle’s windows are higher than on a 2WD which reduces the ability of anyone to see inside. We are currently running Goodyear Wrangler MT/R 37x12.5R17 tyres, with the Kevlar sidewalls, which are working very well. Our previous set were Hankook's of the same size and these were also very good tyres.
• In addition, and perhaps unlike other expeditioners, we regularly go across deserts, deep water crossings, push through close scrub and other types of terrain that simply would be impassable in a 2WD. As someone who has done the Simpson Desert in Australia 5 times, and most of the other deserts here multiple times, as well as our sand islands such as Fraser Island, I have found the EC is almost unstoppable in sand. Lower the tyre pressures, put it in gear and it will waddle up almost anything!
• Single rear wheels. Duallies on the back are a terrible liability and PITA off road.
• Pop-top. This keeps the vehicle very compact, with a low centre of gravity, excellent ventilation for summer, and great “visual experience” in that with all the vinyl windows “down”, it really brings the outdoors inside: sights, sounds and smells!
• We have also been in some really vicious storms and gale-force winds and can comfortably sleep with the roof down (and have done so on a number of occasions). Also being able to sleep with the roof down would be an asset if you really were concerned about security. We have also slept with the roof down on the odd occasion where we are camped somewhere very noisy; it’s so much quieter with the roof down!
• Low tech. Our FG (the 4.9 litre) has a tremendously high torque engine and doesn’t need ultra low sulphur diesel fuel. The “part-time” 4WD is old-fashioned but very simple as are the leaf springs. I would like disk brakes but have got used to compensating for the drums all round (although the great OEM exhaust brake combined with the engine braking of a high torque diesel engine is a big offset).
• Corrosion-proof. The camper being made of fibreglass and with all stainless steel fittings (sail-boat quality) shows no signs of corrosion, which you definitely don’t want when buying a lifetime purchase such as this.
• Permanent bed. Say no more.
• All-diesel. Our EC has diesel cooktop, diesel HWS and diesel heating. No propane (LPG in Australia) with its safety issues and problems of changing fittings between countries etc.
• The hot shower and toilet. We’ve operated for years without them but my wife (and me too now) would be in revolt on extended travel without these now!
• The heater is just a godsend on cold nights and even more so on cold days, especially if it’s also windy and/or wet. This is particularly the case if you are somewhere where there is no firewood and/or a fire ban. In cold weather, we often turn on the heater 30 minutes before we “retire” for the evening, have a shower and go to bed. This makes the shower and getting ready for bed a pleasure, and the bed and bed covers are all warm. Often we then turn off the heater for the rest of the night.
• The electric roof, awning and steps. Almost unbelievably, our electric awning (which gets used every day, often going in and out a few times a day if we are travelling), roof lifters and steps have never failed! And we have done some serious scrub-bashing, water crossings, mud and dust. The other thing about these being electric is that if I am away, my wife can easily operate the entire house herself; there’s nothing manual about it.
• Power options. We still run a business (from our EC) and the combination of the roof having the Unisolar panels, alternator charging (when travelling) and a backup generator (which we use occasionally in extended wet weather) means we always have power. Most of the world has mobile (cell) phone and data, and for the areas that it doesn’t, we use our BGAN system.
• Water steriliser. The EC comes with a genuine water sterilisation unit. We have picked up water from a wide range of sources, and have not got one water-borne disease yet.
• Totally independent and self-contained. I just love (and still do) that sense of being completely self-contained. If we didn’t listen to the radio or check the news out on our mobile (cell) phone “app” from time to time, WW3 could have broken out and we would be none the wiser!!
• I have posted a number of (amateur) videos on Youtube for our EC. Search for “Bushbandicoot” (which is me!)
Rick
mhiscox
Expedition Leader
Thanks, both Rick and Howard, for taking the time to write out these detailed and informative posts. For anyone considering an upscale integrated camper, these reports on the experience and thinking of experienced and future owners are extremely valuable. Much appreciated.
UncleBilly
Observer
Thanks too both of you for your insight! I may never do something like this, only dream about it, but with your help and others, at least I'll be informed! Great info!
Thanks
Haven, UncleB, & Mhiscox:
Thanks for the support. Ending up with an expedition rig is complex isn't it? Trying to balance what one actually needs with what one wants and what is available or affordable is the trick. Research can help with the "what one wants" and "what is available or affordable" but I think it takes a lot of experience to establish what one really needs - and shrinking the needs expands the "what is available or affordable." Reminds me of venn diagrams and set theory....
Howard
Haven, UncleB, & Mhiscox:
Thanks for the support. Ending up with an expedition rig is complex isn't it? Trying to balance what one actually needs with what one wants and what is available or affordable is the trick. Research can help with the "what one wants" and "what is available or affordable" but I think it takes a lot of experience to establish what one really needs - and shrinking the needs expands the "what is available or affordable." Reminds me of venn diagrams and set theory....
Howard
EarthCruiser
Adventurer
G`day All
Looking forward to SEMA - a EarthCruiser will be a WARN feature vehicle.
No idea where it will be yet.
Looking forward to SEMA - a EarthCruiser will be a WARN feature vehicle.
No idea where it will be yet.
SkiFreak
Crazy Person
They already do... you just have to live in the right country. :wings:
I look forward to seeing it next week! i hope it's got bling wheels on it:smiley_drive:
EarthCruiser
Adventurer
Like wise and it does !
