What will my "camper" be?
First let me say what it will not be. It will not be the Starship Enterprise on a five year mission to boldly go where no man has gone before. Nor will it be an Earthroamer with "unmatched luxury and convenience without sacrificing any of the comforts of home". I do agree with Bill Swales founder of Earthroamer that I want "to travel and camp in comfort far away from cluttered RV parks and campgrounds."
Every vehicle is a compromise, but designed to best perform its intended task. I cannot see my camper as an "expedition" vehicle, or an "overlanding" vehicle, or even as an "adventure" vehicle. It will be, well, a boondocking camper designed to allow my to "wander the west." I will have accommodation to lounge, cook, and sleep inside. After 40 years of camping, I no longer desire to put away wet gear only to get to the next night and set up wet gear or to weather an afternoon thunder storm huddled under a tarp.
I want my camper to be lightweight. (It is much easier to recover a 4,300 pound vehicle that a 15,000 pound one.) Simple (Less to go wrong.) And reliable. I think I can use the 80/20 rule and achieve 80% capabilities of an Earthroamer ($425,170 base) at 20% of the cost (Maybe 2%!)
So after studying what is available at what price, I found what I wanted in the Thaler ActionCamper, but I cannot afford either the base vehicle ($30,000+) nor the price of the camper ($36,000) so after careful measurements I will be making my own version of the ActionCamper by mounting a modified 1981 FWC Grandby on a modified 1991 Jeep Wrangler YJ.
Let the build begin.
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Edited by Boonie, 04 December 2016 - 04:08 AM.
