WTB: Diesel quad cab capable motorhome/expedition setup, haven't found it yet

[Addict]

Hi folks. Long-time reader, first time poster. I seem to be looking for something relatively hard to find. We've had a travel trailer for years and we're looking to upgrade to a vehicle my wife can jump in and go with. I'm in no rush and am OK being patient.

For whatever reason, finding what I'm looking for has been quite difficult. I'm hoping I can get some ideas on how to find this rig or make it happen! Really appreciate any guidance and thoughts...

• Basic wants
  • A reliable diesel engine. I'll be pulling a Jeep, a Jeep on a trailer, or a boat, or who knows what else. I'll be going up and down hills and a little bit of terrain. I don't want to deal w/ poor torque.
  • Quad cab for the family to have comfortable seats, safe seat belts, etc.
  • 4x4, decent ground clearance. I won't be going crazy, just don't want to get hung up on something stupid getting somewhere nice.
  • 28' - 32' length.
  • Queen bed with bunks.
  • Big slide outs for more space.
  • Good outside bin storage.
  • Great tank capacity.
  • Good propane capacity.
  • High quality generator.
  • A good kitchen with enough interior storage and burners. Oven is a bonus, convection is fine. Microwave, all the normal stuff.
  • Good AC unit(s) for the desert / lake trips.
  • Heavy duty towing capacity.
  • Comfortable chairs for dining, etc.
  • I'd love to keep it below $100k, but could spend more if it's really the right rig.
• Bonus stuff
  • Improved off grid capabilities (solar, bigger tanks,etc)
  • Levelers.
  • Outdoor kitchen / shower.
• Things I'm not too interested in
  • Cab-overs are a bit too small for us and you lose a lot of storage. Not seen one with dedicated bunk + queen either. I also don't need/want a separate truck.
  • A crazy expensive rig.
• Other thoughts
  • Despite my cab-over comment, I would definitely consider a flatbed conversion of some kind if it met a lot of the criteria.
  • Some of the ~2008 Host models were interesting. Saw a few that were heavily modified and lifted, bed/bunk configurations were pretty good. Main problem was the Power Stroke engine those years is a mess. So, lost interest.
  • I do not have time for major projects. I'd like something ready to go, or at least really close.

Really appreciate any thoughts y'all might have, or any rigs you might see that I may have missed.

Cheers,
Al

 

[AbleGuy]

A couple of things immediately come to mind after reading your detailed post.

First, we could spend a lot of time trying to find something appropriate for you but ultimately not wind up being of any help without knowing better what your budget is. Your desire to avoid “A crazy expensive rig” isn’t really clear guidance since for some that could mean sticking to a budget of about $40k, while for others it could mean searching for nothing higher priced than a $150k rig...or higher.

Secondly, you mentioned having experience with a trailer, and then also not wanting anything with a cabover. I’m guessing you have had no actual experience camping in a big cabover rig, because that cabover doesn’t waste space but actually adds extra space (getting your dedicated big bed up off the floor and freeing that space for other things, and also using that cabover area for storage while you’re in route is great...we keep our double folding kayak and the gear bag and paddles for it while driving). So you might want to give that exclusion some extra thought.

 

[Brodyp4]

I’ve got something if you’re interested
Diesel, queen bed & bunk beds, solar

most of what you listed

 

[Addict]

@AbleGuy - apologies.
I totally meant to put a price range in there. I'd love to keep it below $100k, but could spend more if it's really the right rig.
I have friends with the 2nd biggest Lance cab-over and the space I'm referring to is length, but also they lose a lot of space around the truck bed for storage if that makes sense. All that said, I'm not opposed to them as I may just not have found the right setup. I do like the idea of a flatbed a cabover that maybe leverages some of the lower storage opportunities like a lot of more custom rigs I've seen do. That kind of setup may very well be my best option.

@Brodyp4 - I was checking your rig out last night. I like an awful lot about it, it checks a lot of boxes. We would struggle without a table / workspace / dining room. We use our table for all kinds of stuff like that. Generally speaking, the extra axle and all that is probably overkill for us. But, I spent many years building rockcrawler Jeeps, so I certainly appreciate it. Also, doesn't appear you can tow with it?

 

[IdaSHO]

Just some thoughts... specifically addressing your comment about having a "jump in and go" rig...

A flatbed conversion is a considerably waste of weight and a compromise in many ways.
If you require a vehicle with great utility, then it may be right up your alley.

I have run a flatbed conversion in one way or another for 15+ years, but I need and enjoy the utility of the flatbed pickup itself.

So if you actually want a travel vehicle that is ready to go 100% of the time, Id look towards something like a class B motorhome and build to suit.
They are a dime a dozen these days, and do cater much more to interior space and function than most pickup campers.

If you are concerned about reliability, serviceability & parts, and modifications like suspension and drivetrain, I would point towards a vehicle built on a Ford chassis.

 

[Addict]

Hey guys, Class B's are far too small for us. As is the photo of the one above.

I think if I were to relate it to motorhome speak, it would be a diesel quad-cab Class C that's got slideout(s) and queen + bunk + dinette. I could likely lift it to give it a little more clearance and be more aggressive. Shocking to me how hard it is to find a quad-cab Class C. Like I mentioned, Host in 2008 seemed to make one of the few but the engine wasn't reliable.

Which has led me more towards some of the rigs I've seen here. Flatbeds with larger campers (28' - 32') that have the layout we'd like. Just hard to find.

Really appreciate y'all digging in with me though!

 

[IdaSHO]

You are getting awfully specific (which is fine) but as you have found that also narrows your options considerably.
Do you have a budget in mind? Anything even close will likely be in the $100k+ range.
If you really do "need" a crew cab, Class-C size, diesel, and decent clearance.

And personally, no offence intended to Brodyp4, the LAST vehicle I would ever consider would be such a highly modified anything.
In most cases, all you are doing is buying someone else's problems.

If you really do need Class-C size, I think you legitimately need to decide just how much clearance and off road capability you require.
That alone will help guide you towards what platform to start with.

Unless you need to it to be turn key, then I would advise looking the direction of a crew cab GXV on an International chassis.
Its the only one that would check all the boxes, and be turn key. But that does require considerably more budget.

 

[Addict]

I'd love to keep it below $100k, but could spend more if it's really the right rig.
GXV, Earthroamer, all that stuff is amazing but way out of budget.

 

[Chuckles!]

I'd revisit the Host idea. Lots of companies offering repower options to put a 6.7 Cummins under the hood.

https://www.rvtrader.com/listing/2008-Host-330-5015471344

Comprehensive Package: Ford 2008-2010, 6.4L, 5R110, 2003-2009 Common Rail, 5.9L & 6.7L.

Additional Notes: ** If you have a 2003-2004 Common Rail engine from an automatic transmission application, please call before ordering ** • 2004.5 and newer engines require additional items for proper transmission function. • 2005 engines require

www.dieselconversion.com

 

[AbleGuy]

Which has led me more towards some of the rigs I've seen here. Flatbeds with larger campers (28' - 32') that have the layout we'd like. Just hard to find.

Maybe you’ll wind up doing your own custom thing, something like ? ?

 

[Addict]

I'd revisit the Host idea. Lots of companies offering repower options to put a 6.7 Cummins under the hood.

https://www.rvtrader.com/listing/2008-Host-330-5015471344

Comprehensive Package: Ford 2008-2010, 6.4L, 5R110, 2003-2009 Common Rail, 5.9L & 6.7L.

Additional Notes: ** If you have a 2003-2004 Common Rail engine from an automatic transmission application, please call before ordering ** • 2004.5 and newer engines require additional items for proper transmission function. • 2005 engines require

www.dieselconversion.com

Thanks @Chuckles! Appreciate the idea and links. I dug into this a little bit a few months back, and a lot of the diesel shops locally shied away from the idea. I think mainly because this version of the PowerStroke requires removal from underneath. Just another challenge to deal with being attached to a motorhome, and a project I'm not sure I'm interested in diving into. Feels like it could get out of hand with a shop pretty quickly if not careful. Maybe I just didn't find the right shops. <shrug> Will check out DCS.

I like the rear toy hauler section in this Host BTW...

 

[Chuckles!]

Maybe try to call around and find shops that work on ambulances. They can't remove their cabs, so work progresses from the front inward. Here's a step-by-step from an ambo company:

https://www.aev.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/BodyOn64EngineMtnc.pdf