StoryTeller Overland GXV Hilt

[Michelle@EarthCruiser]

A bit late to this party but EarthCruiser makes our Terranova (TN) on a Ford F350 or the Dodge Ram 3500. It uses much of the same technology as our bigger EXP/FX models built on the Isuzu chassis. TN's start at $350,000 which is very reasonably priced and they are truly 4 season vehicles. Our TN like the rest of our vehicles is designed to stay out longer and go further which although may sound trite is true if you listen to what our customers say and see what they do and where they go. No, we don't offer 3 tvs, but we have a long history in this market and we have many original customers (10yrs here and 15 in Aus) who are still out there enjoying themselves. If you are indeed looking for the next thing, you'd do yourself a disservice by not coming to Bend to see us and test drive one.

There will always be someone with something newer and shinier but there aren't many companies who have been around as long as we have and have the vehicles still out there proving their value.

 

[martinf]

There is always a compromise between space and maneuverability. A Hilt or Earthroamer are much roomier than a TN but won't go through the same tight spots or rough terrain.

Same way my van is a bit tight on rainy days compared to a motorhome but it has allowed me to go to places I wouldn't have gone otherwise.

It's all about priorities. But yeah I would take a TN over a Hilt for its nimbleness.

 

[Bob W]

Because yuppies and boomers wanna feel overlandy. Hence the reason you see folks buy the $500k rig, travel around to a few parks, then reality hits and they sell it soon after. These big dollar rigs are more about fulfillment of an Instagram fantasy than anything else.

You are so far off the mark. We have a GXV Turtle and yes it goes places most people would not expect. you just have to take your time and have the necessary skills.

 

[ReluctantTraveler]

Storyteller Overland, based in Alabama and producers of some right wing podcasts as well as now a new Adventure truck, has always kind of rubbed me in the wrong way. The low introductory price is sure to up the competition with all the other many new players in the market.

Crap, they produce right wing podcasts?

 

[waveslider]

 

[waveslider]

And in my experience, the mechanical skills of the owners tend to decline the higher the price of the rig

I have also found this to be the case very consistently

Well, on that basis my truck should have been a $1 million or more. Damn I missed out!

 

[Risar]

Crap, they produce right wing podcasts?

Evidence says no. Liberal without evidence screams "reeee"

Guy is on a forum about traveling and seems to have some of the most ignorant views ever. Probably spends most of his time on reddit bitching about Trump

 

[ReluctantTraveler]

Evidence says no. Liberal without evidence screams "reeee"

Guy is on a forum about traveling and seems to have some of the most ignorant views ever. Probably spends most of his time on reddit bitching about Trump

🙄 ok guy

 

[ReluctantTraveler]

😂😂😂 I haven't seen a good Southpark gif in a while. Thanks for the legit LOL

 

[gdaut]

I "think" I saw one of these today. In Colorado on 285 going east between Buena Vista and Fairplay. It was a big camper on a big pickup type truck; said "Storyteller" across the front of the camper nose. It did not seem to be the same as the pics on the website, but i was going west so did not get a good look.

 

[gregmchugh]

I "think" I saw one of these today. In Colorado on 285 going east between Buena Vista and Fairplay. It was a big camper on a big pickup type truck; said "Storyteller" across the front of the camper nose. It did not seem to be the same as the pics on the website, but i was going west so did not get a good look.

Could very well be a production rig, only one I have seen pictures of is the prototype which has lights on the nose but nothing else.

 

[kmacafee]

TN's start at $350,000 which is very reasonably priced

And that, right there, illustrates the absurdity of of what "overlanding" is becoming.

 

[gregmchugh]

And that, right there, illustrates the absurdity of of what "overlanding" is becoming.

No one is being forced to buy an expensive rig. There are lower cost alternatives that meet the vast majority of buyers needs. The expensive rigs are a very small percentage of overlanding rigs and are getting more and more expensive so even less will be purchased.

EarthCruiser has found this out the hard way…

 

[rruff]

And that, right there, illustrates the absurdity of of what "overlanding" is becoming.

Us cheapskates who can't fathom a camper rig costing as much as a house... can DIY I guess, or cobble together something.

The incredibly crappy (but cheap!) mainstream campers make it difficult for the average Joe to see the value in a rig that is built better, but costs say 50% more. So there is no mass production. Tiger is one example of a more affordable overlanding rig that has been around a long time, but they are more expensive than just throwing a camper in the back of your pickup. And though they have stayed in business, it's not high volume.

Based on my experience camping in the AZ desert last winter (SW of Bouse), most are parking their land yachts by the highway where the internet is good and doing their "overlanding" on SxSs. Even people with rigs that are offroad capable park by the highway. I saw zero people parked more than 1/2 mile from the road, and I explored the whole area by bicycle.

EarthCruiser has found this out the hard way…

I suspect that is less by need than desire. The bust after the boom is a good exit point...

 

[waveslider]

The whole expense-related argument is confusing to me because how much you paid for a rig really has no bearing on your overlanding/outdoors/camping experience.

This assumption that anyone who has a spendy rig is a rich newbie gets tired. I get it all the time and I would LOVE for someone to put my outdoors bona fides up to the test. I promise, mine will stand up to 99.99% of the population so the fact I have nice base camp now doesn't eliminate that.

We have all certainly seen the instance where a wealthy individual buys an expensive rig because they thought it looked cool and has little to no experience in the outdoors/overlanding and I shake my head with disdain for them the same way I do for the people driving around in their regular pickup like they are in a truck commercial leaving toilet paper behind everywhere they go.

The price of your rig isn't an indicator of your experience or your outdoor ethic - because there's far more people riding around in low priced "overlanding" setups that I would prefer to see them go back to the city (and take their toilet paper and instagram with them) than there are overpriced rigs.