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The EarthCruiser

Brent Conklin
Brent Conklin
The EarthCruiser
The EarthCruiser EXP 2014
Table of Contents
Table of Contents

The Addiction Starts

My Overlanding hobby/addiction started a long time ago when my grandma and grandpa took me camping as a young child.  I loved the adventure of finding new places and enjoying the outdoors.  I was hooked and have been enjoying going camping and adventuring ever since.

In 2018, on our way back from a trip to Moab and the Grand Canyon we stopped in Bend Oregon to see what these EarthCruiser vehicles were all about.  It was love at first sight and I wanted one.  But a new one was way out of our price range, so we told EarthCruiser headquarters that if they ever got a used one, we might be interested.  2 months later we got a call and after several months of discussions, we had ourselves a used EarthCruiser.

Our EarthCruiser EXP is a 2014 model and was the 3rd one built in the United States.  The previous owners took great care of it and sold it to us to purchase a newer model.  Below is a video filmed before we started doing the upgrades

EarthCruiser walk thru before the wrap

Upgrades

We have done many upgrades to the interior and exterior of the truck. These include adding a storage box to the rear. Installing a Ham Radio in the cab and a Scorpion Antenna on the new utility box at the rear. Changing the rear seating area so it is easier for the dogs to come up front. Installing our Overland Bound emblem on the front bumper and bottle opener (first modification done!!!). Relocating the stock FM/AM antenna.  Installing a new radio with Navigation and GPS. Adding a dash-cam to front window and relocating stock back up camera monitor.

Walk around the EarthCruiser showing the recent upgrades

The video above details the upgrades done to our EarthCruiser and we film a little walk around the truck.  We have had some awesome adventures in the EarthCruiser and have been very happy with it. We are at 250 plus nights of camping in it so far and hope to increase it in the future.


The New Wrap

The newest upgrade and one that we get the most compliments about is the wrap with the trees, mountains and tire tracks.  It was a fun project that both Cheryl and I worked on, and she made the final decision on graphics and colors.  We get a lot of honks and people subscribing to our YouTube channel from seeing us go down the road.

New wrap for EarthCruiser

The video above was filmed the first day we brought the EarthCruiser home from installing the wrap.  The wrap has held up pretty well with the rough terrain we go thru, and we are very happy with it.


Fun Facts

A few fun facts about the truck
Mileage is about 10-14 miles to the gallon depending on terrain
There is no propane or generator on board, cooking and heat are diesel
There is no wood, 100% molded fiberglass
The EXP model actuates the roof up and the FX has fixed walls
The cab and chassis is a Fuso FG 4x4 that has been modified
There is on-board air and it has quick disconnect at every corner
Our model is first DEF model year
Cassette toilet that is easy to dump and maintain
Shower in entry area where you enter
Fridge, freezer (small), cooktop, sink with filtered water
Can pump water from a stream or lake (yes, we have done it)
480 watts of solar built into roof
540 Ah battery bank
2000 watt inverter with ability to also charge batteries from alternator


Is it Capable?

We have stayed in 4-degree weather and have spent multiple nights in 100+ degree weather with no problems.  We have visited 10 states so far and been 700 miles down the coast of Baja Mexico.  It has not been without breakdowns, but nothing that we haven't been able to field repair or limp back to civilization to repair.

Woke up to 4 degrees, but warm in EC
Woke up to 4 degrees, but warm in the EC

We have driven some very narrow dirt roads.  We like to explore with it and sometimes find ourselves in precarious situations.  The EarthCruiser has always carried us thru.  I did not get a video or pictures but once we stacked rocks about 2 feet to get down a ledge of washed out creek drainage.  Cheryl was not happy with me on that one!

As always, thanks for supporting our new website.  If you know of a great camping place that we need to go check out, please let us know.

Brent Conklin

Whiskey 7 Backroads



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