Earth roamer

[Mucram]

Saw this today. Looked fiberglass. Went to website & base price $550000!

[padlin]

But what's the mpg?

[John in Santa Cruz]

yeah, one of those EarthRoamer's has been showing up each year at a amateur astronomy campout I attend. looks *WAY* heavy for any sort of offroading.

[75thRanger]

Originally Posted by Mucram

Saw this today. Looked fiberglass. Went to website & base price $550000!

My neighbor to the south has one of these. I'd as soon have a tank. Of course, I'm Infantry so I have no use for armor.

[Nature Nurtures]

We used to admire that one. I have seen one in person and they are impressive. Happy with our Escape 19 and that was money enough.

[Mucram]

Saw one in my hood today on walk. Had never seen anything like it. A 550 Ford what!

[Brian B-P]

Yes, the camper body is moulded composite - presumably fiberglass - but most units like this are cored construction unlike the construction of an Escape.

Earthroamer has a range of sizes, but this F-550 model is their original style (although it used to be shorter and on an F-450). European "overland expedition campers" like this are often even larger. They are not for small forest trails, but typically intended for poor to non-existent roads in less developed countries around the world... they're as out of place on North American and European highways and campgrounds as an Escape would be driving over dunes in the Sahara.

[John in Santa Cruz]

Yeah, one of my geologist son's friends spent a few days parked on our back acre in his mobile home he bought in Germany... He's been all over the world in this...



Says it only goes 50-55 on the highway and it's rather loud inside, he wears hearing protection.

[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.

[Centex]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

Yeah, one of my geologist son's friends spent a few days parked on our back acre in his mobile home he bought in Germany... He's been all over the world in this...

Unlike the "luxury expedition" Earthroamer that looks seriously 'geologist functional'.

(whether or not the son's friend is a geologist, too)

[Ron in BC]

There are even larger units than those, usually Germans on a round the world tour.

One rolled into our campground. Everyone just stopped and stared. Eventually folks found a reason to walk around the loop and pause and stare at the behemoth.

Us too. The owners were very gracious and let visitors come in and have a look. What a shock. The exterior looked like something that could ford the Congo River. The interior looked like a luxury condo.

Not sure about the gas (diesel) mileage. But, as the saying goes, if you have to ask, you probably couldn't afford it.

Ron

[alanmalk]

It was late December, 2018 when one "rolled" into Big Bend NP.

[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.

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by Centex

Unlike the "luxury expedition" Earthroamer that looks seriously 'geologist functional'.

(whether or not the son's friend is a geologist, too)

my son actually met this guy out on Black Rock Playa one spring... my Son was there witha few 100 of his friends having one of his week long rock and roll parties (think, Burning Man Lite), with his 5 ton 6x6, this guy had seen the 6x6 so had dropped by their camp and introduced himself, I think he's some sort of petro engineer by trade, freelance. after leaving later in the day, at twilight, he accidently ventured too close to a muddy part of the playa, and sank up to his axles in the goo, and couldn't get out. spent the night out there, then in the morning hiked the couple miles back to my kid's camp, and the mighty 6x6 towed the Mog out of the mud (helps having a 30 ton winch with a couple 100 feet of cable!). They've been friends ever since, keeping in touch online. Said friend had just gotten back from a 2 year stint in Alaska working oil fields, and asked my kid for a place to stay for a few days in this area, so naturally he volunteered our back acre

[BigSwede]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

Says it only goes 50-55 on the highway and it's rather loud inside, he wears hearing protection.

Man, I'd invest considerable money into soundproofing before I'd agree to wear earplugs to go overlanding.

[John in Santa Cruz]

he wears headphones, like shooting style, rather than ear plugs.

[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.

[John in Santa Cruz]

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.

indeed. If I was into adventure camping, my rig would likely look more like this one:

[Centex]

Originally Posted by alanmalk

It was late December, 2018 when one "rolled" into Big Bend NP.

Nice ground-clearance but oh my that Center-of-Gravity

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

my son actually met this guy out on Black Rock Playa one spring... my Son was there witha few 100 of his friends having one of his week long rock and roll parties (think, Burning Man Lite), with his 5 ton 6x6, this guy had seen the 6x6 so had dropped by their camp and introduced himself, I think he's some sort of petro engineer by trade, freelance. after leaving later in the day, at twilight, he accidently ventured too close to a muddy part of the playa, and sank up to his axles in the goo, and couldn't get out. spent the night out there, then in the morning hiked the couple miles back to my kid's camp, and the mighty 6x6 towed the Mog out of the mud (helps having a 30 ton winch with a couple 100 feet of cable!). They've been friends ever since, keeping in touch online. Said friend had just gotten back from a 2 year stint in Alaska working oil fields, and asked my kid for a place to stay for a few days in this area, so naturally he volunteered our back acre

Great anecdote, thanks for sharing!

[John in Santa Cruz]

p.s. said '6x6'.....




thats a 5 ton M925A1, 14 liter cummins diesel, 10,000 lb payload offroad, 20,000 lb on highway.