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Well if you have the money they will build it

RobertRyan
Explorer
Explorer
SLR Expedition Vehicles built this Custom Motorhome for a client who wanted to take his 6 Childern Off Road in a lot of comfort
Jaw-dropping two-storey, MAN 8x8 off-road motorhome built in Queensland, breaks cover
Queensland expedition vehicle specialist SLRV has ripped the wraps off Australia's most expensive and outrageous RV, displaying its unique SLRV Commander 8x8 motorhome at this month's Outdoor X show at Sanctuary Cove on the Gold Coast, before handing the keys to its lucky new owners.

SLRV took six months to design and around seven months to build one of the worldโ€™s most self-sufficient and technologically advanced off-road motorhomes, based on a German-built, military-spec MAN 8x8 truck chassis that by itself costs around $500,000.
SLRVโ€™s Warwick Boswerger told caravancampingsales that the well-heeled and discerning buyer wanted to accommodate his family including six children in complete comfort for months at a time, while accessing some of the more remote deserts and regions of Australia.

Boswerger said just about everything was custom built on the mega motorhome to meet the design brief, from the actuators lifting the โ€˜second storeyโ€™, hard-wall roof section to the $35,000 marine-style ducted air-con system and cutting-edge Mastervolt power system utilizing 8km of wiringThe owner) is pretty much some-one who wants a self-sufficient house on wheels,โ€ he explained.

โ€œThe truck itself runs 12V, 24V, 48V, 240V, and three phaseโ€ฆ the power system has never been done like this before (on an RV), in order to power all the things the customer wants in .



24 REPLIES 24

RobertRyan
Explorer
Explorer
pnichols wrote:
RobertRyan wrote:
pnichols wrote:
klutchdust wrote:
The Aussies know how to do it right.


Well - so do some Yankees ... but it may take the Yanks $1.5 million US to do it ๐Ÿ™‚ :
https://earthroamer.com/hd/

Very bad choice. Original company went into liquidation. Dick Smith who tried to drive an Earth Roamer on a F550 Chassis had massive problems with tbe F550 and the EarthRoamer. He eventually broke down in Mongolia. Projects was backed by Ford and Earth Roamer, but whole project was a major disaster


FWIW, the Earthroamer in my earlier link is their HD model - not the model that broke down. The HD model is based on the Ford F-750 chassis ... which is a whole different level of toughness than the F-550 chassis. ๐Ÿ™‚

Again the F550 that was used was officially backed by the Ford Company and EarthRoamer and both had severe problems. Getting parts in that part of Asia was a major problem

pnichols
Explorer II
Explorer II
RobertRyan wrote:
pnichols wrote:
klutchdust wrote:
The Aussies know how to do it right.


Well - so do some Yankees ... but it may take the Yanks $1.5 million US to do it ๐Ÿ™‚ :
https://earthroamer.com/hd/

Very bad choice. Original company went into liquidation. Dick Smith who tried to drive an Earth Roamer on a F550 Chassis had massive problems with tbe F550 and the EarthRoamer. He eventually broke down in Mongolia. Projects was backed by Ford and Earth Roamer, but whole project was a major disaster


FWIW, the Earthroamer in my earlier link is their HD model - not the model that broke down. The HD model is based on the Ford F-750 chassis ... which is a whole different level of toughness than the F-550 chassis. ๐Ÿ™‚
2005 E450 Itasca 24V Class C

RobertRyan
Explorer
Explorer
wolfe10 wrote:
RobertRyan wrote:
wolfe10 wrote:
On our recent two month/7,500 KM driving trip around the east part of Australia (Cape Tribulation to Adelaide) we did see a number of what I would refer to as "great off road RV's" like the MAN-based one here. Many based on Japanese medium duty all wheel drive trucks. I suspect excellent choices for the outback.

BUT (yes, large but) in visiting with several of the owners, they were less than happy with the ride on highways, speed and handling on highways and fuel consumption.

Probably a matter of matching the machine to the desired area of operation.

I did enjoy seeing the occasional (very occasional) Class A diesel pusher with a roo guard in front. A very good idea given the number of kangaroos we saw-- kind of like armadillos and deer on the Texas highways.

Something you need to understand before you get one, you Defintely have to match the machine to the operation you want


YUP. And the worst I have seen is the Germans who come over here with Unimog-based RV's which they then drive mostly on the highway in the U.S. and Mexico. NOT a good match of machine for intended use since 99% of the time we were driving a 36' DP over the same exact roads!

I would say they are driving to the condition very different in parts of Latin Anerica

RobertRyan
Explorer
Explorer
wolfe10 wrote:
RobertRyan wrote:
wolfe10 wrote:
On our recent two month/7,500 KM driving trip around the east part of Australia (Cape Tribulation to Adelaide) we did see a number of what I would refer to as "great off road RV's" like the MAN-based one here. Many based on Japanese medium duty all wheel drive trucks. I suspect excellent choices for the outback.

BUT (yes, large but) in visiting with several of the owners, they were less than happy with the ride on highways, speed and handling on highways and fuel consumption.

Probably a matter of matching the machine to the desired area of operation.

I did enjoy seeing the occasional (very occasional) Class A diesel pusher with a roo guard in front. A very good idea given the number of kangaroos we saw-- kind of like armadillos and deer on the Texas highways.

Something you need to understand before you get one, you Defintely have to match the machine to the operation you want


YUP. And the worst I have seen is the Germans who come over here with Unimog-based RV's which they then drive mostly on the highway in the U.S. and Mexico. NOT a good match of machine for intended use since 99% of the time we were driving a 36' DP over the same exact roads!

I would say they are driving to the condition very different in parts of Latin Anerica

wolfe10
Explorer
Explorer
RobertRyan wrote:
wolfe10 wrote:
On our recent two month/7,500 KM driving trip around the east part of Australia (Cape Tribulation to Adelaide) we did see a number of what I would refer to as "great off road RV's" like the MAN-based one here. Many based on Japanese medium duty all wheel drive trucks. I suspect excellent choices for the outback.

BUT (yes, large but) in visiting with several of the owners, they were less than happy with the ride on highways, speed and handling on highways and fuel consumption.

Probably a matter of matching the machine to the desired area of operation.

I did enjoy seeing the occasional (very occasional) Class A diesel pusher with a roo guard in front. A very good idea given the number of kangaroos we saw-- kind of like armadillos and deer on the Texas highways.

Something you need to understand before you get one, you Defintely have to match the machine to the operation you want


YUP. And the worst I have seen is the Germans who come over here with Unimog-based RV's which they then drive mostly on the highway in the U.S. and Mexico. NOT a good match of machine for intended use since 99% of the time we were driving a 36' DP over the same exact roads!
Brett Wolfe
Ex: 2003 Alpine 38'FDDS
Ex: 1997 Safari 35'
Ex: 1993 Foretravel U240

Diesel RV Club:http://www.dieselrvclub.org/

RobertRyan
Explorer
Explorer
noteven wrote:
I think the MAN truck was AUS $500,000 by itself, not including the body and equipment.

That is correct, custom Motorhome a lot more

RobertRyan
Explorer
Explorer
wolfe10 wrote:
On our recent two month/7,500 KM driving trip around the east part of Australia (Cape Tribulation to Adelaide) we did see a number of what I would refer to as "great off road RV's" like the MAN-based one here. Many based on Japanese medium duty all wheel drive trucks. I suspect excellent choices for the outback.

BUT (yes, large but) in visiting with several of the owners, they were less than happy with the ride on highways, speed and handling on highways and fuel consumption.

Probably a matter of matching the machine to the desired area of operation.

I did enjoy seeing the occasional (very occasional) Class A diesel pusher with a roo guard in front. A very good idea given the number of kangaroos we saw-- kind of like armadillos and deer on the Texas highways.

Something you need to understand before you get one, you Defintely have to match the machine to the operation you want

wolfe10
Explorer
Explorer
On our recent two month/7,500 KM driving trip around the east part of Australia (Cape Tribulation to Adelaide) we did see a number of what I would refer to as "great off road RV's" like the MAN-based one here. Many based on Japanese medium duty all wheel drive trucks. I suspect excellent choices for the outback.

BUT (yes, large but) in visiting with several of the owners, they were less than happy with the ride on highways, speed and handling on highways and fuel consumption.

Probably a matter of matching the machine to the desired area of operation.

I did enjoy seeing the occasional (very occasional) Class A diesel pusher with a roo guard in front. A very good idea given the number of kangaroos we saw-- kind of like armadillos and deer on the Texas highways.
Brett Wolfe
Ex: 2003 Alpine 38'FDDS
Ex: 1997 Safari 35'
Ex: 1993 Foretravel U240

Diesel RV Club:http://www.dieselrvclub.org/

noteven
Explorer III
Explorer III
I think the MAN truck was AUS $500,000 by itself, not including the body and equipment.

RobertRyan
Explorer
Explorer
magnusfide wrote:
I like that MAN 8x8. It looks like it will last for a long time and make a great full time home.

Very tough chassis, with extremely tractable diesel MAN are involved with many Miltary pfojects

RobertRyan
Explorer
Explorer
pnichols wrote:
klutchdust wrote:
The Aussies know how to do it right.


Well - so do some Yankees ... but it may take the Yanks $1.5 million US to do it ๐Ÿ™‚ :
https://earthroamer.com/hd/

Very bad choice. Original company went into liquidation. Dick Smith who tried to drive an Earth Roamer on a F550 Chassis had massive problems with tbe F550 and the EarthRoamer. He eventually broke down in Mongolia. Projects was backed by Ford and Earth Roamer, but whole project was a major disaster

RobertRyan
Explorer
Explorer
klutchdust wrote:
time2roll wrote:
Not bad for half million. Seen too many glitzy vegas party buses over a million that I would not be caught dead with.
Would the MAN be considered a C+ or an A?


I see no reason to have marble and fake gold fixtures in a MH either. I prefer function and durability. I drove a 500K MH from Topeka to Ca and was surprised at how many items needed attention, the unit had less than 25K miles.

The Aussies know how to do it right.

Thank you Sir Agree Bling does not make the Motorhome better

magnusfide
Explorer II
Explorer II
I like that MAN 8x8. It looks like it will last for a long time and make a great full time home.
"The only time you should fear cast iron is if your wife is fixin' to hit you with it."-Kent Rollins
First law of science: don't spit into the wind.

Magnus

pnichols
Explorer II
Explorer II
klutchdust wrote:
The Aussies know how to do it right.


Well - so do some Yankees ... but it may take the Yanks $1.5 million US to do it ๐Ÿ™‚ :
https://earthroamer.com/hd/
2005 E450 Itasca 24V Class C