NeverEnough
Adventurer
It suppose it was inevitable, but I've started thinking about another custom setup. I love my big rig and it's an awesome platform for our "local" adventures, but I'm hoping the future allows more opportunity to explore the globe, not just the US. This time I'd like to try something much smaller and more nimble, hopefully with international suitability. I've spent a good deal of time over the past few years reading up on the different approaches, but before I get too far down the road, I'd love to have the Expo family weigh in on an idea.
Long before the Kiravan went public, I'd been doing sketches of an off-road "5th wheel" configuration with drive wheels on the trailer. I've always liked the versatility of having a capable truck being separate from the camper. And I'm extremely curious about how well trailer drive wheels would perform in extreme conditions, creating a 6x6 of sorts. The idea has been around for a long time, but never been very popular outside of agricultural applications.
So for those of you who have truly done the "overlanding" thing, is a truck/trailer combo an absolute "No"? The configuration I'm thinking of would be an extremely capable 4x4 (highly modified Ford e450 or even a Unimog U1700) with a short flatbed, articulating gooseneck coupler, and a hard-sided pop-up trailer around 17' long, keeping the total rig length under 30'. The trailer would have hydrostatic drive wheels (Poclain or similar) for difficult traction scenarios, but free-wheel most the time. I'd keep the rig dimensions small enough to fit into a high-cube container, and the total weight below 16,000lbs (difficult if I use a mog, however).
My personal experience with trailers has been mostly favorable. The added length is mitigated by the pivot point, and IF the drive wheels actually worked, it could open the door for some interesting terrain capabilities. And I've always loved being able to ditch the trailer, even though I know that may not be a good idea in certain circumstances.
Gas vs. diesel is always a good question these days, of course.
Thoughts?
Long before the Kiravan went public, I'd been doing sketches of an off-road "5th wheel" configuration with drive wheels on the trailer. I've always liked the versatility of having a capable truck being separate from the camper. And I'm extremely curious about how well trailer drive wheels would perform in extreme conditions, creating a 6x6 of sorts. The idea has been around for a long time, but never been very popular outside of agricultural applications.
So for those of you who have truly done the "overlanding" thing, is a truck/trailer combo an absolute "No"? The configuration I'm thinking of would be an extremely capable 4x4 (highly modified Ford e450 or even a Unimog U1700) with a short flatbed, articulating gooseneck coupler, and a hard-sided pop-up trailer around 17' long, keeping the total rig length under 30'. The trailer would have hydrostatic drive wheels (Poclain or similar) for difficult traction scenarios, but free-wheel most the time. I'd keep the rig dimensions small enough to fit into a high-cube container, and the total weight below 16,000lbs (difficult if I use a mog, however).
My personal experience with trailers has been mostly favorable. The added length is mitigated by the pivot point, and IF the drive wheels actually worked, it could open the door for some interesting terrain capabilities. And I've always loved being able to ditch the trailer, even though I know that may not be a good idea in certain circumstances.
Gas vs. diesel is always a good question these days, of course.
Thoughts?