mhiscox
Expedition Leader
It's the Twinkle polishing of Paul's copper countertop that eats up the hours. :sombrero:
EarthRoamer XV-JP "Northwest Edition"
- Thread starter WhereTheHellIsJames?
- Start date
Jeep or Tacoma
Explorer
Great thread but earth roamer quality I am dismayed
I have been through most of this thread but not all. I am incredibly surprised that the original one leaked so badly and that the spaghetti warring was a nightmare to look at. How can this be on vehicle designed to be lived in for an extended amount of time leaks like that you could drown! and at what a cost! I am totally dismayed because it was always onmy "dream list of things to get upon winning the lotto"
so have these issues been fixed by earthroarmer?
what is the story there?
when Camping I like to sleep a little late after allots a vacation.
so can anyone update us on the status of all the things that were deficient with this rig with regards to a new rig?
I have been through most of this thread but not all. I am incredibly surprised that the original one leaked so badly and that the spaghetti warring was a nightmare to look at. How can this be on vehicle designed to be lived in for an extended amount of time leaks like that you could drown! and at what a cost! I am totally dismayed because it was always onmy "dream list of things to get upon winning the lotto"
so have these issues been fixed by earthroarmer?
what is the story there?
when Camping I like to sleep a little late after allots a vacation.
so can anyone update us on the status of all the things that were deficient with this rig with regards to a new rig?
mhiscox
Expedition Leader
Well, the key thing here is EarthRoamer made about a dozen of these, most of them seven or eight years ago, and then, as the recession hit, basically stopped making the model. So there are no new ones to buy and there's no updating going on these days.
As I just wrote on the for-sale thread you posted on, the issues about the leakage and the tent are largely climate related, and EarthRoamer appears to have made a replacement tent for some trucks that should eliminate the leakage. And in spite of the comments (mostly not mine, BTW) about the rat's nest of wiring, it is all solidly connected and has functioned without incident for seven years.
The point being, I wouldn't want you to cross this truck off your list due to the lack of judicious application of cable ties or a leakage problem largely dependent on my location and use.
VanIsle_Greg
I think I need a bigger truck!
Well said.
Still one of my favorite builds on ExPo.
Still one of my favorite builds on ExPo.
mhiscox
Expedition Leader
Thanks for the kind words. I've regretted not having any good build stuff to report lately, but I can't think of anything remotely useful left to do.
mhiscox
Expedition Leader
Yeah, buddy, everything is good. As you may have heard. this was the year with no winter, though; it's been freakishly nice here for months. I got more time in on the motos in the past winter/spring than in any normal five years combined. Nice, though if the normal temperature delta holds, it's gonna be 120F this summer.
Don't forget to come back to visit. There's a tree with your name on it.
mhiscox
Expedition Leader
An Interesting Piece of News . . .
When I went up to the Northwest Overland Rally last weekend, there was a bit of irony that I attended as a passenger and resident of Jeremy's big E-350 U-Joint conversion, VANdiana. The big fellow had gone around SE Utah with my XV-JP last fall:
and I expected our two trucks would convoy up there again. I had, however, arranged to have some significant modifications done on the Jeep, and it went off to get the work started right before the rally.
The tasks to be done amount to a sort of mid-life refresh that will revise the interior to make it better for two people. My wife retired recently and that's prompted the need for a change to the interior so that we'll be more comfortable when trying to both stay in the cabin. Long-time readers of this thread know how Paul Jensen and I designed an upper-level bed that pulled out from the truck "nose cone." It was an acceptable solution, but it was barely practical to use the sink, cooktop, potti, etc. when the bed was pulled out. There was also the competing factor of a whole bunch of great storage to be gained when the bed platform was removed,
which was a wonderful improvement for a single traveler's use, enough so that I got reluctant to put the bed back in.
The net effect of this was that my modified XV-JP was palatial for one person trips of any length, and workable for two for short periods but not for longer trips. So I'm taking a run at having it turned into a true two-person rig.
That objective might have stayed in the "thought process" stage, except that through unexpected circumstances I was placed in contact with Dion Krantz of Fairfield, Iowa. Dion is a very talented craftsman and fabricator and, of particular value, he used to work for EarthRoamer, with part of his time spent on XV-JP construction. As such, he's aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the design, and will be the ideal contractor not only to revise my interior layout, but to correct a few other XV-JP problems, like the poor fit of the rear door and the less-than-ideal wiring runs.
So my truck will be in Iowa for an indefinite amount of time, and Dion will be doing variety of work that we're going to lay out as we go along. I've encouraged Dion to check in here with news and photos as appropriate, so we'll probably have some updates from time to time. And I will, in any event, be posting up myself when there are things worth knowing.
When I went up to the Northwest Overland Rally last weekend, there was a bit of irony that I attended as a passenger and resident of Jeremy's big E-350 U-Joint conversion, VANdiana. The big fellow had gone around SE Utah with my XV-JP last fall:
and I expected our two trucks would convoy up there again. I had, however, arranged to have some significant modifications done on the Jeep, and it went off to get the work started right before the rally.
The tasks to be done amount to a sort of mid-life refresh that will revise the interior to make it better for two people. My wife retired recently and that's prompted the need for a change to the interior so that we'll be more comfortable when trying to both stay in the cabin. Long-time readers of this thread know how Paul Jensen and I designed an upper-level bed that pulled out from the truck "nose cone." It was an acceptable solution, but it was barely practical to use the sink, cooktop, potti, etc. when the bed was pulled out. There was also the competing factor of a whole bunch of great storage to be gained when the bed platform was removed,
which was a wonderful improvement for a single traveler's use, enough so that I got reluctant to put the bed back in.
The net effect of this was that my modified XV-JP was palatial for one person trips of any length, and workable for two for short periods but not for longer trips. So I'm taking a run at having it turned into a true two-person rig.
That objective might have stayed in the "thought process" stage, except that through unexpected circumstances I was placed in contact with Dion Krantz of Fairfield, Iowa. Dion is a very talented craftsman and fabricator and, of particular value, he used to work for EarthRoamer, with part of his time spent on XV-JP construction. As such, he's aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the design, and will be the ideal contractor not only to revise my interior layout, but to correct a few other XV-JP problems, like the poor fit of the rear door and the less-than-ideal wiring runs.
So my truck will be in Iowa for an indefinite amount of time, and Dion will be doing variety of work that we're going to lay out as we go along. I've encouraged Dion to check in here with news and photos as appropriate, so we'll probably have some updates from time to time. And I will, in any event, be posting up myself when there are things worth knowing.
Every Miles A Memory
Expedition Leader
Cant wait to see what Paul does with the Jeep this time
mhiscox
Expedition Leader
Actually, my good friend Paul Jensen won't be involved in this scope of work. Less woodworking and more fabrication than Paul's work for me, so being able to partner with an experienced XV-JP constructor seemed a fortunate development. We'll be changing around roof mechanisms and things like that, so it's more equivalent to the pre-Paul work Upscale Automotive did for me on the first redo.
Hope all is well in Cedar Key.
Every Miles A Memory
Expedition Leader
Oh cool! Either way your build threads are always some of my favorite stuff on EXPO
Have a great 4th!
Cedar Key is fantastic this time of year
Have a great 4th!
Cedar Key is fantastic this time of year
VanIsle_Greg
I think I need a bigger truck!
Its the build that keeps on giving!
I actually looked for either the Sprinter or the Jeep at NWOR this past weekend Mike, was hoping to see either or in person. I believe that you guys were parked a row or two away from us? I remember seeing so many 4x4 Sportsmobile's and BIG Ford van conversions there... popular with the crowd for sure.
Too bad I didn't get to meet in person. Next year.
Greg
I actually looked for either the Sprinter or the Jeep at NWOR this past weekend Mike, was hoping to see either or in person. I believe that you guys were parked a row or two away from us? I remember seeing so many 4x4 Sportsmobile's and BIG Ford van conversions there... popular with the crowd for sure.
Too bad I didn't get to meet in person. Next year.
Greg
mhiscox
Expedition Leader
Wouldn't want the modest fan club to get bored.
Yep. Two rows closer to the entrance, about two thirds of the way toward the drive. You're right about the giant Ford vans; I kept walking into the one that wasn't ours parked in the same row about five trucks toward you. Popular, indeed.
Next year for sure. I'm suspect visiting one's Rally neighbors will go better in future years when the temperatures are less gruesome.
VanIsle_Greg
I think I need a bigger truck!
Yes, the temps curtailed many things I wanted to see/do unfortunately.