Earth roamer

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by HABBERDABBER

Image is of the other German rig at Fort Pickens NSP near Pensacola, FL. It didn't appeal to me, but it is impressive. If 'ya gave me one, I sure would find someplace to use it.

That appears to be on a Mercedes AK (AWD LK) 817 or 917 truck from the late 1980's or 1990's. If anyone is curious, here's a similar unit with specifications.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

I can't remember what was under the cover on the rear lift.

Looks like it could be a quad/ATV?

[vintageracer]

Originally Posted by WillyB

The Earth Roamers are for the folks that have way too much money. A new Earth Roamer XD “starts” at $1,700,000 USD.

That’s ONE POINT SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS so some rich golden throne prima donna who made his money off the back of the poor can go on a personal adventure.

Ain't No Step for Stepper!!!

[Chotch]

Originally Posted by sherminator

I'm surprised that he could get that rig imported into the US, with our safety and emissions standards being so different than the EU's. Quite a conversation starter, if nothing else.

It is a Mercedes and they sell plenty of vehicles worldwide. Don’t think they would have a big problem making whatever retrofit necessary to accommodate our DOT.

[Chotch]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

I've met a few Europeans driving Unimog type RVs that they brought into the US for a year or two of travel. Seriously Big! The biggest thing I'd miss (other than an empty wallet from paying for fuel) is windows.

🤔If you can afford one of these and to import it to US for a couple years travel my guess is fuel costs are not high on your list of things to worry about.

[Chotch]

Originally Posted by BigSwede

One of the guys in our overlanding club has one of those 5-tons... showed up at a rally with his Jeep in the bed of it.

Now that’s a truck!

[LJ5]

That, and a moving foxhole attracts the eye

[mizterwizard]

Okay, admit it. You are all just as jealous as I am of anyone who can afford a $1 million+ device to go camping in. Then there will be those who would think such a thing was economizing, though not anybody on this forum.

There is a solution for every desire and budget, and a desire and budget for nearly solution. What works for these people doesn't work for us but it is fun to see what that sort does.

[ericbirk]

Originally Posted by HABBERDABBER

Meet 2 rigs from da fatherland at Fort Pickens, Pensacola FL area. Pic is of 1 of the rigs. I can't find the pic of the even larger rig. They shipped them from Hamburg to Newfoundland and took off for a year or more from there. Mexico, USA, Canada, coast-to-coast. Envious of them.

70 series Cruiser. The single greatest vehicle ever made!

[rotateclockwise]

Camped across the street from this one last year in Savannah, GA. Impressive setup, but I bet those tires are loud rolling down the road.

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by Chotch

It is a Mercedes and they sell plenty of vehicles worldwide. Don’t think they would have a big problem making whatever retrofit necessary to accommodate our DOT.

That's what I thought when I discovered that the Unimogs I saw in Germany in the '80s weren't imported into the U.S. due to emissions regs. Mercedes must have had another reason-- stiff price competition from U.S. makers or something else.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Chotch

It is a Mercedes and they sell plenty of vehicles worldwide. Don’t think they would have a big problem making whatever retrofit necessary to accommodate our DOT.

Anything over 25 years old can be imported to the U.S. without issues with regulatory approval... and that Unimog may be that old (the cab appears to be one one used on many models from 1974 until the mid-1990s, but was used on some heavy models until at least 2013). For Canada, the exemption age is only 15 years.

A newer vehicle is a problem, for any size of company; regulatory approval (especially for emissions in this case) is expensive and difficult and almost no one is doing it for a single vehicle. This is one reason that Mercedes has not sold the Unimog in North America for many years. They were sold here by Case tractor dealers in the late 1970's, but then disappeared, other than some entering U.S. army service as Small Emplacement Excavators. They tried again from 2002-2007, sold only 184 U500 Unimogs in that time, and gave up, citing non-compliance with EPA07 emission requirements as the main reason for ceasing North American Sales. A big expedition camper can cost over a million dollars, but no one is willing to pay millions of dollars just to clear regulatory requirements for one.

All of this is irrelevant to these European tourists, who bring the vehicle over for their trip then take it back home, never having to meet the requirement for a vehicle sold or registered in the U.S. or Canada.

[ericbirk]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

Anything over 25 years old can be imported to the U.S. without issues with regulatory approval... and that Unimog may be that old (the cab appears to be one one used on many models from 1974 until the mid-1990s, but was used on some heavy models until at least 2013). For Canada, the exemption age is only 15 years.

A newer vehicle is a problem, for any size of company; regulatory approval (especially for emissions in this case) is expensive and difficult and almost no one is doing it for a single vehicle. This is one reason that Mercedes has not sold the Unimog in North America for many years. They were sold here by Case tractor dealers in the late 1970's, but then disappeared, other than some entering U.S. army service as Small Emplacement Excavators. They tried again from 2002-2007, sold only 184 U500 Unimogs in that time, and gave up, citing non-compliance with EPA07 emission requirements as the main reason for ceasing North American Sales. A big expedition camper can cost over a million dollars, but no one is willing to pay millions of dollars just to clear regulatory requirements for one.

All of this is irrelevant to these European tourists, who bring the vehicle over for their trip then take it back home, never having to meet the requirement for a vehicle sold or registered in the U.S. or Canada.

100% bang on.

I would add that it simply isn't worth it for them to jump through the hoops to sell them here. That's been a common complaint here about a good chunk of Toyota overseas vehicles as well.

[ericbirk]

My travel/camping rig when I decide to go a bit further than the 17b will go. I can go until I am tired of living out of it. Off grid for a week until I have to get food, water, or fuel. Its basic, has a set of drawers in the back for storage of camp/cooking gear, dry food, tools, a tie down spot for a Yeti 65qt cooler or ARB fridge, and on board air. Certainly not as setup as some of those other rigs, but it will go more places!

Absolutely love this truck. It will drive for 12hrs down the highway, then climb a mountain, and drive back home without a hiccup. This picture was down in Montana, it took 14hrs to get down there. The sxs guys thought we were nuts taking these trucks in there and driving all the way home hahaha.

That said, I would love to get my hands on a Mog one day!