|
|
Off Road RVs
Off road recreational vehicles are only made by a few manufacturers.
Several of those described below are quite interesting and would be neat to
have, except for being a bit too cramped and/or somewhat out of range of our
income.
  Chinook
Baja
According to an article in the New York Times, Yakima, Washington's
Chinook RVs recently suspended production of it's Baja model, produced
with duel rear wheels and available with after-market 4 wheel drive.
With a luxurious fully equipped interior—though cramped for our
tastes—the Baja is listed at $120,000 - $150,000 on the manufacturer's
website.
EarthRoamer
 An
RV that doesn't need electrical hookups, EarthRoamer is equipped with
"super-sized" solar panel and "massive" marine batteries, supplemented
by dual 130 amp alternators when the engine is running. Heating
and cooking is accomplished with high-efficiency diesel appliances.
A ceramic cook-top stove only uses .05 gallons of diesel an hour on the
highest setting
 and
only draws .15 volts at 12 volts DC. The diesel furnace easily
maintains 70° inside with -10° outside, only using about 2 gallons of
fuel a week. There is much more interesting and interesting information
at the manufacturers
website, including
granite countertops, maple cabinetry and
options for satellite TV and radio. According to
AutoWeek (August 15, 2005), a
Ford F-450 or F-550-based EarthRoamer costs
between $185,000 and $200,000. Provan Industries Tiger CX
The Tiger CX, available only on the Chevrolet
¾ ton chassis, offers extensive RV amenities. With dimensions
of 19' in length, a width of 87" and a total height of 107", it is
available with a full range four wheel drive option. It is designed
with a low center of gravity for stability and a 23° rear clearance angle
and ground clearance to match. For more information, check out the
manufacturer's website.
Revcon Trailblazer 4x4
(2004)
 (Production
suspended, according to the New York Times.) With it's outer skin
constructed of aircraft aluminum, it is 32' in length, 96 inches wide, and
10 ½' tall. It boasts a full size bed in one floor plan. A 4kw
"silent" generator is standard. Options included an upgrade to a 6kw
generator, a 9,000 or 12,000 lb. front bumper mounted winch, a water
purifying system and much, much more. With pricing starting at
$134,000, with options, the price could exceed $150,000. The pages for
the 2004 model are still online at the manufacturer's
website. Revcon
Trailmaster 4x4
(2003)
  An
upper end motor coach on steroids, all features for the Revcon Trailmaster
are listed as standard, with a price on the manufacturer's
website of
$780,000. Features include a combination washer dryer, a Jacuzzi tub
and shower combination, two Italian leather captain chairs in the "crew
cab," remote control satellite dish, two 7 kw generators and a 12,000 lb
winch. XPlorer
 Xplorer's
molds, Xplorer and Xcursion trademarks, patents and miscellaneous
manufacturing equipment were sold at an April 23, 2005 auction by Bob
Helvie, a 65 year-old manufacturer. Xplorer makes a one-piece
fiberglass "chassis mount" Class C motorhome on Dodge and
 Ford
cutaway pickups which will continue to be made, with each unit's
initial production beginning in Elkhart, Indiana, then shipped to
Brown City, Michigan, where the fiberglass will be installed.
 Future
Xplorer minimotorhome development will be focused on the four-wheel drive
market. The new Xplorer's engine, cooktop, water heater and furnace are
powered by diesel fuel, eliminating the need for propane. Helvie says that
the EarthRoamer in Broomfield, Colorado will be his main competitor. The
Xplorer will be priced similar to the EarthRoamer. (Manufacturer's
website) |
|
