Michelle@EarthCruiser
Supporting Sponsor
Pinstripes on an EarthCruiser
Mostly we have bush pin striping but here's one nicely done....
Mostly we have bush pin striping but here's one nicely done....
EarthCruiser Overland Vehicles
- Thread starter haven
- Start date
Michelle@EarthCruiser
Supporting Sponsor
We had a customer go down that path but in the end it was a little too much so they had the wrap removed. Fortunately/unfortunately plain white makes people in an EarthCruiser nearly incognito.
david506th
Adventurer
Great to meet you at the event and see the new shocks in person, I will be giving you a call soon to talk about them more.
EarthCruiser
Adventurer
All action at ECHQ .....
coastsider
Adventurer
Seems this link is just to an advertisers site, is this correct? Doesn't seem to be a proper website.
EarthCruiser
Adventurer
G`day Coastsider
When Kym and I started EarthCruiser way back it seemed like a good idea to have the company a different name from the product. If was not long before EarthCruiser become the company name as well. The official web site http://earthcruiser.com
When Kym and I started EarthCruiser way back it seemed like a good idea to have the company a different name from the product. If was not long before EarthCruiser become the company name as well. The official web site http://earthcruiser.com
coastsider
Adventurer
Thanks for the clarification! Love your vehicles BTW.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
pugslyyy
Expedition Vehicle Engineer Guy
We went back and forth on that with our company. Our brand was our name, but then another company that produced 4x4 vehicles in the UK had an issue with it...
Michelle@EarthCruiser
Supporting Sponsor
On our way back from Expo East Lance and I stopped in at Fuso HQ in NJ. In the new year we'll be sending a couple of our crew to go through the Fuso technician's training course. This will give us the opportunity to better diagnose and address issues as they come up.
45lpv
Observer
**EarthCruiser FX first impressions**
My wife and I pulled the trigger and purchased an FX from Lance and Michelle last month. I thought it useful to return some of the data gathered from the delivery and trip across country.
My co-driver and I arrived in Bend to find that the crew was still putting the finishing touches on our rig, so Lance offered us their shop "Ute" for some off-road driver training in the BLM lands outside town. We spent two days exploring trails and visiting many of the lava tube systems in the area. The UTE was a blast to drive, and the time behind the wheel well spent.
When complete, they ask you to spend a day or two camping in the local area before returning for a final checkout and Q&A session. We all had plans on making the Overland Expo East, so we were limited to one night out before our departure. Lance presented us with a roll of yellow painters tape and asked us to mark anything that we had issue with or questions on, similar to a punch list. We decided to wander out to the east side of Mount Bachelor and look for a river or lakeside campsite for the night. We ended up at a great site along Little Lava Lake.
After final inspection and retraining the following day, we departed for the 2500 mile trip to Asheville and the Overland Expo East. We made the trip in 3 days, averaging 11 mpg and consuming a gallon of DEF every 500 miles. Interstate driving was 70-75 mph, with the steepest hills slowing to 50 on the speedometer (54-55 on GPS). When I shared that data with Lance at the expo, he asked if I had used the ECO mode button on the dash? (note to self.... check on this ECO Mode thing) Lance felt that the ECO button and another 2500 miles on the new driveline would improve the mileage to the expected 15-17 mpg. Probably a more reasonable average speed would help too.
I was able to try the ECO mode button a few weeks later on a local camping trip. I am happy to report that the mileage jumped by 1.5 mpg, and an additional benefit was that the truck starts out in second gear when this switch is engaged for smoother highway starts. (The ECU is reflashed by the folks at EC to start the trucks out in first gear)
Driving comfort and road manners exceeded all expectations. Neither of us felt any of the usual driver fatigue after long hours in the EC seats. Tire noise and road wandering was absent, and suspension comfortable for the long haul.
My wife and I pulled the trigger and purchased an FX from Lance and Michelle last month. I thought it useful to return some of the data gathered from the delivery and trip across country.
My co-driver and I arrived in Bend to find that the crew was still putting the finishing touches on our rig, so Lance offered us their shop "Ute" for some off-road driver training in the BLM lands outside town. We spent two days exploring trails and visiting many of the lava tube systems in the area. The UTE was a blast to drive, and the time behind the wheel well spent.
When complete, they ask you to spend a day or two camping in the local area before returning for a final checkout and Q&A session. We all had plans on making the Overland Expo East, so we were limited to one night out before our departure. Lance presented us with a roll of yellow painters tape and asked us to mark anything that we had issue with or questions on, similar to a punch list. We decided to wander out to the east side of Mount Bachelor and look for a river or lakeside campsite for the night. We ended up at a great site along Little Lava Lake.
After final inspection and retraining the following day, we departed for the 2500 mile trip to Asheville and the Overland Expo East. We made the trip in 3 days, averaging 11 mpg and consuming a gallon of DEF every 500 miles. Interstate driving was 70-75 mph, with the steepest hills slowing to 50 on the speedometer (54-55 on GPS). When I shared that data with Lance at the expo, he asked if I had used the ECO mode button on the dash? (note to self.... check on this ECO Mode thing) Lance felt that the ECO button and another 2500 miles on the new driveline would improve the mileage to the expected 15-17 mpg. Probably a more reasonable average speed would help too.
I was able to try the ECO mode button a few weeks later on a local camping trip. I am happy to report that the mileage jumped by 1.5 mpg, and an additional benefit was that the truck starts out in second gear when this switch is engaged for smoother highway starts. (The ECU is reflashed by the folks at EC to start the trucks out in first gear)
Driving comfort and road manners exceeded all expectations. Neither of us felt any of the usual driver fatigue after long hours in the EC seats. Tire noise and road wandering was absent, and suspension comfortable for the long haul.
SkiFreak
Crazy Person
That sounds like an excellent idea, and I am sure it will be a bonus to your business having people with Fuso training.
While there, maybe your guys (or girls) could inquire if there is any other diagnostic tool (other than the genuine MUT-III reader) that can read the data that comes out of the ECU. There are many on this forum that would like to have access to a simple, and relatively inexpensive, way of reading and clearing fault codes on there Fusos.
If you are out in the middle of woop woop and the truck stops working, without the ability to access the fault code/s in the ECU it can be a near impossible task identifying the problem, which could be as simple as a connection on a sensor.
While there, maybe your guys (or girls) could inquire if there is any other diagnostic tool (other than the genuine MUT-III reader) that can read the data that comes out of the ECU. There are many on this forum that would like to have access to a simple, and relatively inexpensive, way of reading and clearing fault codes on there Fusos.
If you are out in the middle of woop woop and the truck stops working, without the ability to access the fault code/s in the ECU it can be a near impossible task identifying the problem, which could be as simple as a connection on a sensor.
Jim,
Are EC customers seeing 15-17 MPG in mixed driving after a break in period? I get about 15 in my FE driving 65 mph and I am not nearly as heavy as you. I have no DEF (non emissions, early 07 truck) I had a few questions for you after returning from the expo, but they currenly escape me. Hope things are well in NC.
Jon
Are EC customers seeing 15-17 MPG in mixed driving after a break in period? I get about 15 in my FE driving 65 mph and I am not nearly as heavy as you. I have no DEF (non emissions, early 07 truck) I had a few questions for you after returning from the expo, but they currenly escape me. Hope things are well in NC.
Jon
Are you pulling the MPG numbers off the dash display or are these calculated based on miles traveled and gallons of fuel consumed?
You can recalibrate the dash display to match the MPG value you calculate if they don't match. Driving with the exhaust brake on will reduce your gas mileage as well. It's all in the owners manual.
Your DEF mileage seems high, 300 miles per gallon or 3% of the number of gallons of fuel consumed seems to be the norm on these trucks. DEF can be sourced at any Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes and Menards in 2 1/2 gallon containers. You can certainly source DEF at bulk dispensers at truck stops on the road, but the pumps tend to be on the wrong side of the island. If you do use them, keep in mind that the pump nozzle just fits inside the filler opening on the trucks DEF tank, which doesn't leave much space for air to escape as the tank fills quickly and I do mean quickly.
ATW USA relocated the DEF tank between the truck's frame rails to fit the camper steps. The unit I toured, you had to access the filler though a port in the camper's floor. Did EC relocate the DEF tank on their camper design?
The ECO mode works to make the DUONIC transmission up-shifts earlier. It also makes the transmission less likely to shift down when the accelerator pedal is depressed. Its recommended that it is only used on relatively level roads.
Hit the road and have a good time, you should start a new tread on the truck and all your travels.
You can recalibrate the dash display to match the MPG value you calculate if they don't match. Driving with the exhaust brake on will reduce your gas mileage as well. It's all in the owners manual.
Your DEF mileage seems high, 300 miles per gallon or 3% of the number of gallons of fuel consumed seems to be the norm on these trucks. DEF can be sourced at any Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes and Menards in 2 1/2 gallon containers. You can certainly source DEF at bulk dispensers at truck stops on the road, but the pumps tend to be on the wrong side of the island. If you do use them, keep in mind that the pump nozzle just fits inside the filler opening on the trucks DEF tank, which doesn't leave much space for air to escape as the tank fills quickly and I do mean quickly.
ATW USA relocated the DEF tank between the truck's frame rails to fit the camper steps. The unit I toured, you had to access the filler though a port in the camper's floor. Did EC relocate the DEF tank on their camper design?
The ECO mode works to make the DUONIC transmission up-shifts earlier. It also makes the transmission less likely to shift down when the accelerator pedal is depressed. Its recommended that it is only used on relatively level roads.
Hit the road and have a good time, you should start a new tread on the truck and all your travels.
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