The latest fashion in adventure travelling overland

[KTMphil]

The latest fashion in adventure travelling overland

I'm hearing from friends in the U.S, if you've got plenty of dead presidents, this is the new new thing in adventure travel the "earthraomer"

EarthRoamer is pleased to announce the EarthRoamer XV-LTS, our newest addition to the EarthRoamer family. The EarthRoamer XV-LTS is a "stretch" version of our F-550 based EarthRoamer XV-LT - the world's best selling self-contained luxury expedition vehicle. For adventurers that require more space or who are traveling with up to 5 or 6 people, the EarthRoamer XV-LTS was built for you.

The EarthRoamer XV-LTS is built on the new 2011 6.7 liter Power Stroke Turbo Diesel (660 lb-ft torque and 300 hp) powered Ford F-550 chassis with an 84 inch cab to axle and GVWR of 19,500 pounds. This chassis is 24 inches longer than our XV-LT model which increases primary camper living space by a whopping 25% and interior storage space by up to 45%. The extra length enables us to offer new interior layout options including booth seating and sleeping for 6, or a dry bath with a separate toilet and shower. Battery capacity can be increased up to 18.3 kilowatt hours and solar capacity can be increased up to 680 watts. If you need more power we can install a compact generator. Fresh water capacity up to 117 gallons is available, and 13 gallons of 100 degree hot water is standard.

The EarthRoamer XV-LTS body features a seamless, one piece molded monocoque design that is strong and lightweight. This is the same construction that is used on many luxury yachts as well as our patented EarthRoamer XV-LT bodies. Yes, it is challenging and expensive to manufacture a one piece molded composite body, but with no seams to leak and no glued together flat panels to come apart, EarthRoamer bodies are designed to last for your lifetime and beyond. In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, the generously radiused corners of EarthRoamer bodies dramatically reduce the impact of heavy cross winds when compared to inexpensive flat panel construction.

EarthRoamer bodies also have excellent acoustic and thermal insulation properties. With no steel or aluminum reinforcement required, EarthRoamer bodies have no thermal conduction paths which enable effective heating and cooling with smaller and more energy efficient heaters and air conditioners. Our customers have used our vehicles in Alaska, British Columbia and Minnesota winters to temperatures lower than -25 degrees Fahrenheit.

The new 2011 EarthRoamer XV-LT and XV-LTS both offer new standard features including 90 gallon fuel capacity, 8.1 cubic foot stainless fridge/freezer, 12,000 btu air conditioner, 3,000 watt inverter, 125 amp charger and King off-road shocks. We are also offering exciting new options on the 2011 models including Bose surround sound, HD Satellite TV and ultrathin 32 inch LED HDTVs.

With over 100 EarthRoamer Xpedition Vehicles on the road, we are confident that we build the highest quality and most refined design of any expedition vehicle manufacturer. With our new "stretched" XV-LT, we can now meet the needs of adventurers needing more space. Whether you are traveling with the whole family or just want more interior space and luxury, EarthRoamer builds an expedition vehicle that is sized to meet your unique requirements.

Not bad to snuggle up in there after a hard days run?

Looks like they're pretty pricey a 2008 is offered for USD$255,000


Perfect for Laos?

 

[johnnysneds]

Very nice, but....how much!!!

 

[KTMphil]

Very nice, but....how much!!!

a 2008 is offered for USD$255,000

 

[Marco]

Well Over priced for normal caravan holders as you can see from here,,,
http://www.earthroamer.com/

and here is Good one with normal human price

http://www.earthroamer.com/galleries/006 XVJP/index.htm

 

[DrGMIA]

The Yanks deserve consideration for the Adv. Rider award for the biggest, most expensive fashion statements I've seen. For instance, the below I found in Alaska. The adventure is of course riding in the bus pictured, it says so on the side

I was told the adventure motorcycles followed the adventure in the bus stored inside a trailer being pulled by a truck. The "adventure" is riding in the bus, or so the printing on the side says.

On assignment I attended the 2011 Overland Expo a couple of weeks ago. 75% were monster and expensive overland trucks and jeeps, some approaching $1,000,000. USD. I was there to report on the motorcycle "adventure riding" section. The full report can be seen at http://bit.ly/mAdcCv and in the photo gallery associated. Below are a couple of pictures of fashionable overland vehicles.

If you asked "How much" for one of these you were at the wrong show. Below is pictured a more serious fashion statement:

And then there were a few ultimate overland road vehicles like the one below which had two plasma TVs inside and reportedly an enclosed trailer for pulling the "adventure toys."

There was room for the more budget concerned Overland set-up, like the truck/trailer set-up pictured below for the adventure rider motorcycle to ride in the trailer until camp was set-up.

I was there to observe the latest fad, the adv. rider camper traveler, like the below pictured tent set-up.

The trailer would be pulled into "camp" behind a truck and then staff would fold out and set-up the tents on top of the trailer, like pictured below. At that height no wild lions or rhinos could attack the sleeping campers well above the ground....in the Arizona desert.

When I first saw this group of hardened camper adv. riders I looked around for the safari porters and waiters dressed in white suits setting up dinner tables under umbrellas in the hot Arizona sun. Instead I found a well appointed All-You-Can-Eat BBQ and sampled some of the camping food, which was excellent. I did notice that the tent trailer was hauled with all the gear while a second truck pulled a trailer with spare motorcycles and staff, pictured below.

In eight years of rolling around Asia I've only seen one "Overlander" vehicle, that being a backpacker tour group. I've never seen any "fashion" statements like this thread started with above. In Africa I saw hundreds of overland vehicles, some with motorcycles, but nothing like those displayed at the USA Overland Expo. I think the USA gets the adv.rider fashion statement for this month. Maybe the Germans or Swiss could out do them, but that is another assignment.

 

[KTMphil]

This one looks very cool

 

[Steve Canyon]

I want one......

 

[Beddhist]

First time I met this guy living and travelling in his truck was in Islamabad in 2007.

We met him again in Timor Leste 2 years later. He managed to get his truck into Vietnam.

 

[LivinLOS]

There was a mini mog with a home built (by a german / well designed) back on it on baht and sold a while back.. We went all over north africa many times when I was a kid in horse boxes, ex K9 military transports, all manner of stuff. In fact my brother had a decent old merc lorry with home in the back for Euro touring round portugal a few years back.

A buddy did UK to Himalaya via India and Pakistan with his wife and kid in the truck attached.. DRZ stapped onto the truck.

More important than the vehicle is simply the will to do it, my aunt with 3 other adults made it from London to Goa in a VW beetle (4 adults and all their stuff !!) right through the Hindu Kush in the 60's in a beetle !!

 

[KTMphil]

Sef- would be great for touring through Laos and Vietnam, with a dirt bike strapped to the back

 

[Beddhist]

In the pic that's a MAN 4x4 ex German Army. There is also a 6x6 version with 2 axles in the front. I hate to think how much diesel that thing guzzles. The French guy in his MAN told me that tyres for his beast are unobtainable in Asia and back home cost about 1000 Euro each and last only 30,000 km on the road.

Strange topic in a bike forum...

 

[DrGMIA]

It seems like a lot of $ to get these big adventure vehicles around the world.

An economist would have to spin the marginal propensity to spend wide and far to make the numbers work. If that economist had invested in Asian gold 3-4 years ago, the below is what could be purchased without touching the principal, seen at the Overland Expo. After the photo the watcher asked that a rideasia.net sticker be stuck on both sides.

Carrying capacity and a myriad of self-constructed panniers/boxes/saddle bags/and bamboo baskets have drawn a photographic attention in Asia for over 10 years. The image below of a set of aluminum panniers, seen at the Overland Expo in the USA, were worthy of a photograph. In all of Asia, to travel with these would be unique.

There is an artist in Chiang Mai, Thailand, who could make perfect copies of these, but I imagine his cranial expression when offered the baht? "These farang must be ba ba bo bo."

In principle, panniers/boxes/saddle bags can be a statement of financial well-being or functionality. These pictured are outside that definition.... but cool.

 

[KTMphil]

That Unicat looks very expensive

 

[Beddhist]

It is. Just because I've got nothing better to do I checked out their web site and the baby model starts @ 150,000 Euro. Check out this pic from their subsidiary in Dubai:

http://www.unicat.net/Middle-East.html

Of course, in the UAE they have even bigger mobile homes. Check them out:

http://sites.google.com/site/beddhist2/uae2

 

[TB-Racing]

Shanghai / China the other day....

















Camper Trailer (Shanghai / China) = 50000 RMB (approx. 7500 US$) was told by the shop manager....