Off Pavement?

[Lakesidemn]

I have a RoadTrek, but I saw one of these recently and was impressed - by the looks anyway. I've never driven one. They don't give them away, but if they certainly appear built for off road.

https://www.winnebagorevelmotorhome.com/

[dhectorg]

Originally Posted by Lakesidemn

I have a RoadTrek, but I saw one of these recently and was impressed - by the looks anyway. I've never driven one. They don't give them away, but if they certainly appear built for off road.

https://www.winnebagorevelmotorhome.com/

I looked at the Winnebago Revel and was not at all impressed considering the price. I'm interested in something like that, but with more interior features. I inquired with Sportsmobile TX and discovered that I could get a custom 144WB Sprinter 4x4 with a lot more features than the Revel for LESS money and wind up with a better quality build to boot. Considering the questionable build quality of many of the OEM conversions I've seen, I think a custom build is the best option. I'm pretty much set on a Sportsmobile at this point, but I'm going to continue investigating until I'm ready to pull the trigger.

[gregmchugh]

Originally Posted by Boxster1971

A low roof Sprinter or Transit with 4WD and Sportsmobile pop-top would be similar to a pickup truck with soft side pop-up truck camper.

P.S. Nice van carlooliver!

A pickup with a soft side pop up does have the advantage that you can get bigger tires, a more capable 4wd system, and more clearance resulting in more capability to travel in areas that would be difficult for a 4wd Sprinter or Transit.

You could also get something like an XP Camper on a flatbed or one of the Gazelle models from EarthCruiser if you wanted with a pickup based camper.

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by gregmchugh

A pickup with a soft side pop up does have the advantage that you can get bigger tires, a more capable 4wd system, and more clearance resulting in more capability to travel in areas that would be difficult for a 4wd Sprinter or Transit.



You could also get something like an XP Camper on a flatbed or one of the Gazelle models from EarthCruiser if you wanted with a pickup based camper.

Agree - if I was in the market for a camping vehicle to do a lot of off road driving it would be a pickup with slid-in camper. The only time I've really taken my van off-road was visiting my brothers cabin/home in northern Minnesota. I was following him in his Jeep, me in my Airstream Interstate. Went from paved road to gravel then to narrow twin-track path. It was at night in the rain with large mud holes. I wasn't really sure I'd make it with trees rubbing the side of van. Thankfully it was fairly flat and I could turn around once I got to his place. When I drove out a few days later in daylight I was shocked how rough the road was. Haven't done anything quite like that since.


- - Mike
2012 Sprinter 3500 Extended converted B-Van by Airstream

[gregmchugh]

Originally Posted by Boxster1971

Agree - if I was in the market for a camping vehicle to do a lot of off road driving it would be a pickup with slid-in camper. The only time I've really taken my van off-road was visiting my brothers cabin/home in northern Minnesota. I was following him in his Jeep, me in my Airstream Interstate. Went from paved road to gravel then to narrow twin-track path. It was at night in the rain with large mud holes. I wasn't really sure I'd make it with trees rubbing the side of van. Thankfully it was fairly flat and I could turn around once I got to his place. When I drove out a few days later in daylight I was shocked how rough the road was. Haven't done anything quite like that since.


- - Mike
2012 Sprinter 3500 Extended converted B-Van by Airstream

When we went to Alaska we stopped overnight at a campground that was down a road that was shared with some logging operations so it was in rough shape from the large trucks. Seemed OK but after an overnight rain it was muddy and slick and lots of pot holes. We made it out after some slipping and sliding up a hill after a good running start. That was one of the instances from that trip that convinced us to switch to something designed for going down anything that looks remotely like a road...

[Cliffhanger]

Boxster1971 and gregmchugh the roads and conditions you are describing are what I expect to routinely drive. In fact, I too have a place in Northern Wisconsin located exactly like your brothers. I driven in all the time with all kinds of vehicles. One has to go slow, and not give a rip, about trees and brush scratching along the sides. Yeah a truck would handle these conditions better. However, I'm anticipating many thousands of highway travel miles over months at a time as well. So, some degree of convenience and comfort is also desired. It's a conundrum. Also I personally cannot tolerate the mpgs I'd get in a truck, especially one loaded with a camper, prob <12. I too thought this would be great until I looked into it. So, I'm leaning toward a lifted 4x4 Sprinter based unit of some kind that will get me most places I want to go. I expect to reinforce everything from the inside out to better withstand the rough roads. Maybe a winch. I expect it'll get banged up but the dings should remind me of the many good stories.

[gregmchugh]

While some people full time in a Sprinter camper van we decided that we wanted something bigger in order to carry all the stuff we wanted to have with us including kayaks and bikes and this and that and everything else. In the end, no matter what size vehicle you travel in, you will likely fill it up to the limit of what it can carry and have to decide what can go with you and what you won’t be able to carry.

It became clear to us over time that we wanted to full time in something that was capable of going down anything that looked like it might be a road and something that was self sufficient for extended periods of time out away from the crowds.

We looked at all the options and decided on an expedition truck that was big enough to carry us and our stuff. It is clearly too big to go many places that are accessible with a smaller vehicle but in the end there are always trade offs to be made and we decided to go bigger anyway.

We looked at options starting at around 20+ ft long (pickup with slide in or flatbed or body mounted camper, van, Fuso based EarthCruiser, etc.) and those closer to 30 ft long (either a larger pickup chassis with a body mounted camper such as the EarthRoamers or expedition trucks on a cab forward truck chassis). You can, of course, go as large as you want beyond that. Of course, there are people who very happily travel the world full time in much smaller vehicles. Different strokes for different folks. We ended up at about 30 ft with two bikes mounted on the rear hitch. At 8 ft wide and 12.5 ft tall that puts it in the same size as smaller Class A motorhomes but with more options for travel off of regular roads.

[Cliffhanger]

So gregmchugh, what vehicle and capabilities did you finally settle on?

[gregmchugh]

Originally Posted by Cliffhanger

So gregmchugh, what vehicle and capabilities did you finally settle on?

A custom GXV Patagonia on a Kenworth K370 truck chassis. Here are the photos from the manufacturers website.

Patagonia on Kenworth 2017-2 | Global Expedition Vehicles

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by Cliffhanger

Boxster1971 and gregmchugh the roads and conditions you are describing are what I expect to routinely drive. In fact, I too have a place in Northern Wisconsin located exactly like your brothers. I driven in all the time with all kinds of vehicles. One has to go slow, and not give a rip, about trees and brush scratching along the sides. Yeah a truck would handle these conditions better. However, I'm anticipating many thousands of highway travel miles over months at a time as well. So, some degree of convenience and comfort is also desired. It's a conundrum. Also I personally cannot tolerate the mpgs I'd get in a truck, especially one loaded with a camper, prob <12. I too thought this would be great until I looked into it. So, I'm leaning toward a lifted 4x4 Sprinter based unit of some kind that will get me most places I want to go. I expect to reinforce everything from the inside out to better withstand the rough roads. Maybe a winch. I expect it'll get banged up but the dings should remind me of the many good stories.

I hear you! Every ding on my Interstate has a story. It does sound like a van conversion 4x4 would work well for you if you intend to do a lot of road driving. The new pickup trucks can match a Sprinters MPG as the 4x4 is only available with V-6. Don't know if that will change with new generation.

One negative of a pickup truck camper is you have to get out of the vehicle to get into the camper section. Or try to squeeze though the rear cab window opening if connected to camper box.

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by gregmchugh

A custom GXV Patagonia on a Kenworth K370 truck chassis. Here are the photos from the manufacturers website.

Patagonia on Kenworth 2017-2 | Global Expedition Vehicles

Nice rig. I saw several similar rigs when I was last in Alaska. Most were on big MANN trucks from Europe.

[gregmchugh]

Originally Posted by Boxster1971

Nice rig. I saw several similar rigs when I was last in Alaska. Most were on big MANN trucks from Europe.

Yes, we saw lots of them too in Alaska. Most are shipped over to Halifax and they go across Canada to Alaska then down the Pan American highway into South America and then from there to their next continent. It would be nice if you could get the MAN and Mercedes 4wd cab forward trucks over here. This Kenworth had to go to Tulsa Truck Manufacturing to be converted to 4wd. It is actually a European DAF designed truck (PACCAR owns Peterbilt, Kenworth, and DAF) brought over for North America and built at a PACCAR plan in Mexico. 24v cab with the rest of the truck 12v.

[Cliffhanger]

Wow gregmchugh, that's amazing. It does look like it can go anywhere. However, is this one of those vehicles that, if you have to ask what the mpg's are, you can't have one?

[Mfturner]

A friend who grew up four wheeling around Montrose has a 4wd truck with lightweight slide in, takes it into crazy places, and he says after every trip he has to put it back together from shaking it apart. He almost slung the 20lb propane tank out it's side door once, so that's now strapped into place. So there is that issue. But in his opinion it is much nicer than sleeping on the ground in the tent lol.

I am more in line with the "off pavement" photos, washboardy rutted approaches to camping and trailheads. Slow driving and careful steering has gotten me where I've wanted to go so far, but I'd like to do better than my 170 wb 2wd Sprinter, even two inches of lift would be nice.

[BBQ]

Originally Posted by gregmchugh

A custom GXV Patagonia on a Kenworth K370 truck chassis. Here are the photos from the manufacturers website.

Patagonia on Kenworth 2017-2 | Global Expedition Vehicles

Where do you go?

Strictly boondocking?

No city visits?

[gregmchugh]

Originally Posted by Cliffhanger

Wow gregmchugh, that's amazing. It does look like it can go anywhere. However, is this one of those vehicles that, if you have to ask what the mpg's are, you can't have one?

LOL, that is not the usual question phrased like that...

Has about 18,000 miles on it now and have been getting around 8-8.5 mpg when driving at 65 mph. This is a 28,000 lb vehicle with a Cummins 6.7 liter and a 6 speed Allison transmission. Not really out of line with what you would expect for this size vehicle. MPG may go up a little with time but I am not expecting much...

[gregmchugh]

Originally Posted by BBQ

Where do you go?

Strictly boondocking?

No city visits?

Only city visits are to see relatives or friends. Not bad to drive in the city anyplace a delivery box truck can go. Parking can be a challenge...

We do stay in an RV park when visiting our daughter in Sarasota, FL.

We are heading to the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Alaska in a couple weeks and returning in November. Mostly boondocking but some campgrounds too. We will spend most of our time in the west, Canada, and Alaska when we are not visiting our daughter in Florida. Our other daughter lives near Nelson, BC so we will be seeing her regularly too.

Made a trip around Lake Superior last fall after all the campgrounds on the Canada side had closed but found plenty of spots to stay overnight.

We do expect to mostly be boondocking but will use campgrounds when it is convenient. We have two weeks reserved at the Denali NP campground that is further inside the park in September. This is our only reservation for the Alaska trip except for a campground at a music festival in August.

[Cliffhanger]

Thanks, gregmchugh. You have an amazing vehicle but one that's beyond my reach. I'd bet you could earn gas money charging for tours of it. I tend to try to maintain a fairly low profile so it would not quite be the right fit for me. I'd rather no-one even know I'm there. But, your travel agenda is enviable. Shipping a vehicle can't be inexpensive. I did a good chunk of Africa in a commercial truck\bus vehicle last year and I'm hoping to get up into Alaska soon in my own.

[gregmchugh]

Originally Posted by Cliffhanger

Thanks, gregmchugh. You have an amazing vehicle but one that's beyond my reach. I'd bet you could earn gas money charging for tours of it. I tend to try to maintain a fairly low profile so it would not quite be the right fit for me. I'd rather no-one even know I'm there. But, your travel agenda is enviable. Shipping a vehicle can't be inexpensive. I did a good chunk of Africa in a commercial truck\bus vehicle last year and I'm hoping to get up into Alaska soon in my own.

We don’t have any plans to ship it overseas but I have heard that the cost might be $4000-$5000 to ship it to Europe on a RORO (roll on roll off) ship.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by gregmchugh

We don’t have any plans to ship it overseas but I have heard that the cost might be $4000-$5000 to ship it to Europe on a RORO (roll on roll off) ship.

Greg, did I NOT see a picture of any bathroom/shower??? Can you post one?