Expedition Motorhome Journal - Page 5 of 9 - Covering the world of off road and adventure motorhomes.Expedition Motorhome Journal | Covering the world of off road and adventure motorhomes.

Off-Road Campers for sale at the Unimog Shop

Posted on May 19, 2012 by Michael Wendell

If you’re looking for a Unimog to convert, or want to buy someone else’s conversion, drop a bookmark on the Unimog Shop website. Unimog Shop is a Mogs-only classified site, and it’s full of everything from mid-’60’s 404s to nearly new U500s, in conditions ranging from beaters to drop-dead custom.

Currently there are two expedition campers for sale on the site, a silver 1978 U1300L in San Diego, CA for $55,000, and a white 2000 U1400L in La Doree, France for $49,000 (or 4.9 million dollars, I’m not sure). The silver one in California looks fantastic, but the ad is expired (it was listed in September 2011). There’s no indication if the rig has sold. The white Mog in France, however, was listed at the end of March 2012 and is still current. Let’s take a look at that one first.

It looks great, but it’s really tall. They went with a full standing height box without any pop-up. While the outside of the rig is very finished looking, the interior seems only about three quarters done. I haven’t been able to find any large photos of the interior, but if you click through to the classified ad you can sit through a YouTube video with some shots.

I wish the I had some good interior shots of this one, because the video, which is just a compilation of still images, surely makes the interior looks less than stellar. Beyond that the exterior workmanship, and the condition of the chassis seems fantastic. The box itself, and all of the custom storage looks great. Be sure to check out the listing for all of the details.

Moving on, the silver camper in San Diego makes use of a popup to keep the box height lower. The workmanship looks first class too, and the seller posted pictures of the entire custom build process on his Picasa page. If it’s still available, $55,000 seems like a good deal, especially since it includes a Zodiac inflatable, shown below emerging from its custom storage locker.

Click past the break for a bunch more photos of the silver 1978 U1300L, including some interior and construction shots, as well as all of the source links.

Categories: Custom, Mercedes-Benz | Leave a comment

EarthRoamer XV-JP Reboot

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Michael Wendell

What happens when you buy an expensive off-the-shelf expedition camper and you find out it just doesn’t fit your needs? Well, most people might sell it and find something else, but Mike Hiscox didn’t, he decided he could do something better, and he did.

Although it’s no longer available, EarthRoamer’s XV-JP was a diminutive off-road camper which attempted to fit the utility of a motorhome onto the exceptionally capable Jeep Wrangler Rubicon chassis. After spending a season with his XV-JP, Mike enlisted a small group of craftsmen to literally tear his vehicle down to the bare walls and rebuild it into something stronger, better, and more efficient.

While the truck is upgraded from stem to stern, the biggest issue Mike had with the original design was the large cantilevered rooftop tent, which flipped the roof 180° and was suspended by a complex cable system. In addition to being too transparent to allow for comfortable sleep, it was almost completely permeable to rain (or fog, or dew), took too long to set up, and took up too much space when stored. The team chose to implement a Westfalia-style pop-up with a heavy-duty insulated tent, and lifted by a pair of pneumatic struts.

The wonderful zebrawood, copper, and teak interior of the new ‘Northwest Edition’ as the team called it, was built by Washington-based surfboard-builder, carpenter, and craftsman Paul Jensen. If you like multi-functional vehicle interiors, check out the interior of Paul’s Sprinter, or the incredibly detailed build-log for the one he built for a local couple, links to both of these can be found on his website.

More photos and lots of source links after the break.
Read more »

Categories: Custom, Earthroamer, Jeep | 4 Comments

Toyota Coaster Bus 4×4 Camper Conversion

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Michael Wendell

If you trawl eBay and other for sale sites like I do, you’d think that Australia was crawling with Toyota Coasters that had been converted into motorhomes, but I’ve yet to see one with a 4×4 drivetrain and a lift like this rig in Maryborough, Queensland. It’s a 1992 LWB with a 4.2 liter diesel, a 5 speed, and a hi/lo transfer case. Up front it’s fitted with power steering, disc brakes, and freewheeling hubs and is fully certified and roadworthy. There’s no word on if the seller did the 4×4 conversion himself, or if this was an option available originally. My dad used to have one like this, although he couldn’t kept using it because he got cancer and needed Home Care Assistance.

The interior looks a little rough, a little worn, although it’s hard to tell if that’s actually the case, or if the photos are selling it short (I’m continually amazed by the number of people selling motorhomes on eBay who can’t even take the time to clean up a little or make the bed before taking the photos). The auction ended back in mid-April with only 1 bid, at $20,000 AUD ($19,880 USD) and the reserve hadn’t been met. I don’t know what the final reserve was, but if it’s even in the neighborhood then this seems like a steal for the truck alone, since a nicely kitted out 2WD Coaster motorhome can easily fetch double that amount.

Mechanically, the camper features an onboard, high-capacity air compressor that will run tools in addition to the usual tire duty, a 12,000 pound winch with wireless remote, the requisite Aussie bull bar, dual alternators (12v and 24v), twin deep cycle batteries, air horns, nearly new 8.25 x 16 rubber, a 230 liter diesel tank, and a rear view camera system.

The camper features tons of storage, a 90 liter 3-way fridge, water capacity of 170 liters, toilet, shower, kitchen and sleeps three. The seller points out that the windows open, but doesn’t mention any air conditioning or generator, despite the legendary Australian heat, which just continues to reinforce my belief that Aussies are a tough people…

Head past the break for more photos.

Categories: Class A - Full Size, Custom, Toyota | 3 Comments

May The Fourth Be With You

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Michael Wendell

In honor of Star Wars Day, I thought I’d upload the most kickass expedition vehicle of the entire series. Not very luxurious, but with a little work, some paint and polish… who knows?

Here’s one of the original Ralph McQuarrie sketches. May the fourth be with you!

Categories: Custom, Quick Snaps | Leave a comment

The Wonderfully Quaint Beer Moth

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Michael Wendell

Let me step away for a moment, from the monstrous off-road rigs we usually discuss, to something that, while it may be unsuitable for exploring the Sahara, is completely wonderful in its own right; The Beer Moth. Built as more of an on-site camper, a portable cabin that can be moved around the estate, the aesthetic of the Beer Moth is simply superb. It was created by the proprietor of Inshriach House, which is a country estate located in Cairngorms National Park in Scotland. In addition to the large Edwardian country house on the property, which plays host to weddings and events, visitors can camp on the estate in either a Yurt, or the Beer Moth.

The owner has been vigilant in keeping the Beer Moth, based on a 1956 Commer truck, roadworthy. While it’s not an expedition motorhome in it’s own right, I hope you’ll indulge me in enjoying the craftsmanship, and splendid jauntiness of The Beer Moth. You can read more about the creation of the vehicle on the Inshriach House blog (particularly the purchase, some work, its introduction, and some repairs).