Four for the Road

[haven]

Here I highlight four vehicles that impress me with the capability, convenience, comfort and security overland travelers need for an extended journey, be it across the continent or around the world. These are turnkey products, great for a traveler who isn't interested in building the vehicle from components.

Note: It's possible to pay more for an overland vehicle, and it's possible to pay less. No derogatory comments about price will be permitted in this thread.

Chip Haven

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XPCamper
http://www.xpcamper.com/pages/about.html

XPCamper is a new company with an innovative pop-up camper design. The camper is easily removed from the flatbed, and the truck can be reconfigured for other uses. The camper will fit on a standard cab or crew cab chassis.

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Sportsmobile
http://www.sportsmobile.com/ultimate.html

Sportsmobile has offered 4x4 vans for more than 15 years. The current model is the most capable off-road that Sportsmobile has offered. Sportsmobile allows the buyer to design a custom interior layout, or choose from several proven designs. Fortunately, the graphics are optional.

A Sportsmobile was driven by Overland Journal staff for a trip to Mexico. Here's their report.
http://www.sportsmobile.com/4_overlandj.html

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All Terrain Motorhomes EarthCruiser
http://www.allterrainmotorhomes.com/news.php

The EarthCruiser is version 2 of a vehicle that successfully traveled across Asia, Europe and North Africa. All Terrain Motorhomes is an Australian company. The camper, torque-free mount, and suspension upgrade is available for export and installation on a USA-legal Fuso FG.

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Earthroamer XV-JP
http://www.earthroamer.com/tab_xpedition_vehicles/xvjp1_overview.html

The XV-JP is the most capable of these four in an offroad environment, having traversed the Rubicon Trail in 2008. The XV-JP proved to be comfortable and practical on several drives from USA to Panama.

 

[kcowyo]

Pretty high praise for the XPCamper, which I understand was incredibly detailed and thought out, but as of yet, still mostly unproven over the long haul. I'm like others though, I have high hopes for the concept. Extra, extra points for originality and the dedication to seeing the build through to completion.

I thought it was interesting that all 4 models presented have pop-up roofs of some kind.

The Earthcruiser may be my favorite concept of these four and I'm not generally a big fan of the larger truck builds. Any interior pics Chip? I have yet to see any...

I can appreciate the originality & capability of the XV-JP, but if I were shopping for an Earthroamer product, I would have to go with the XV-LT over the XV-JP. While the XV-JP may be more maneuverable, I think the XV-LT would be the way to go for the long run. It's hard to find fault with the XV-LT...


Nice reviews and certainly the cream of the crop here. For what its worth, I asked several people who attended the Overland Expo, which vehicles they really liked. Almost every one of them included in their list, the Honda ECamper. Several stated how they loved the idea and simplicity. And they all mentioned how much they enjoyed meeting the owner of the company, John. I was kind of surprised how many mentioned the ECamper, but not real surprised.

.

 

[spencyg]

I definately expected to see the XV-LT in here...any reason it didn't make the cut?

Spence

 

[goodtimes]

I'm curious, Chip, what base set of assumptions did you build that list from? For example, what length of trip, to what region, during what season, income base, etc?

We can all say *this* or *that* is the coolest/best/whatever, but that vehicle choice is going to change depending on where each of us stands in life, and what sort of trip we are looking at. For example, the XV-JP is a cool rig...but not my choice for Siberia in the winter...a unicat is cool too, but not my choice for exploring the jungle. Different tools for different jobs...

 

[haven]

As far as assumptions, these are vehicles I like, and suited to my particular needs.
Other people's needs will be different. Two of the four don't work if you need to transport
more than two people, for example.

I like the pop-up approach because it reduces exposure to overhead obstacles.
A full-height camper will have more storage space, weighs about the same,
and will be cheaper to build. I'll have to check the specs to see if these
four will fit into a shipping container for that round-the-world drive.

KC, you can see interior shots of the EarthCruiser here
http://www.allterrainmotorhomes.com/images/ATM 0905 May Internal Preview.doc

 

[1speed]

I have not seen an All Terrain Motorhome in person so I cannot comment. I did spend a lot of time at the Expo looking at the other three. None of the three meet my needs perfectly, but the XP camper would be the closest. I think it is a well thought out design and obviously a lot of work went into making it an efficient unit. My only concern would be the fit and finish on the XP. While I understand it was basically a hand-built prototype I would have to see a production finish camper before I would commit to writing the check. I hope the finished product equals the standards of the Earthroamer and Sportsmobile, if so I think it will be a winning product.