Earthroamer/GXV vs. Sportsmobile?

[NothingClever]

Why?

All that body sway happening way up high would make me uncomfortable.

For contrast, check out this video, particularly at 00:33, 00:50 and 01:04. Lotta articulation with little movement above translates to driver, and perhaps more importantly, co-pilot comfort.

http://youtu.be/m-ldtI6Wpsg

And in this video, at 00:19, 00:34 and 00:50, I think the EarthCruiser negotiates the obstacles much better than the ER would.

http://youtu.be/FQcLQyvUDLo

These are simply my opinions based on my 4WD experience in Colorado and looking at the ER and EarthCruiser product. Methinks the EarthCruiser is to EarthRoamer what KTM is to BMW or LandCruiser is to a Rover.

[trailsurfer]

All that body sway happening way up high would make me uncomfortable.

For contrast, check out this video, particularly at 00:33, 00:50 and 01:04. Lotta articulation with little movement above translates to driver, and perhaps more importantly, co-pilot comfort.

http://youtu.be/m-ldtI6Wpsg

And in this video, at 00:19, 00:34 and 00:50, I think the EarthCruiser negotiates the obstacles much better than the ER would.

http://youtu.be/FQcLQyvUDLo

These are simply my opinions based on my 4WD experience in Colorado and looking at the ER and EarthCruiser product. Methinks the EarthCruiser is to EarthRoamer what KTM is to BMW or LandCruiser is to a Rover.

When I first saw the body swaying, which it is designed to do, it really, for lack of a better word, freaked me out. But, when driving the LT off road, you can't feel that sway at all in the back, because all of the weight is down low in the vehicle and the camper body is made of fiberglass, and is "relatively" light.

I was on a shelf road that had a switch back that was off camber in Baja following another LT. And when that LT made the tight switch back turn, the "camper" of the ER was hanging over the edge pretty significantly, I jumped on my radio to tell the driver to beware, and he couldn't understand what I was talking about, because he couldn't feel or sense it at all. I then followed cautiously and couldn't feel the sway in back at all.

It really is an amazing vehicle, but the EC is fantastic as well. I would highly recommend driving both off road before making a decision. And this is advice coming from a guy that currently owns a KTM, a BMW GS, and a Landcruiser. Good luck, and have a great time making your decision!

[NothingClever]

To be fair to the company and owners, there's no doubt the EarthRoamer team produces a pinnacle product with superior componentry.

And your advice to test drive both is sound advice/wisdom. No amount of my 'YouTube test driving' amounts to anything other than inch deep research and gut feel .

Thanks for the polite exchange....seems some posts rapidly devolve into "un-huh - nu-uh" and never get anywhere.

For the OP, sorry to cloud your thread. And I agree, the SMB is a great product, too. It pops up in our decision charts frequently as perceived wants/needs ebb and flow.

Best of luck with your research and purchase!

[LukeH]

as perceived wants/needs ebb and flow.

This has to be one of the greatest reasons the decision making process takes so long.
Oh and that little question of money of course.

[howell_jd]

My daughter loves the ride "upstairs" during off-road travel...of course we buckle her in for the more breath-taking trails (with cliffs)!

She is 9-years old today! Happy Birthday Naomi!

Jonathan

[TomH]

Again, having had both, and used both. They can go just about anywhere, unless they are limited by height and width. Checkout the Earthroamer site. They have done trips to Moab and Canyonlands with Bill Burke. I will try and get some pictures and videos up. I have crawled around in both the SMB and ER in Moab, Baja, Canyonlands, Alaska, and all over many Colorado passes.

In fact, in many of those pictures, Bill Burke is spotting the SMB's and he has taken ER's to many of those same locals.

I am not doubting what you have seen, it's just that I'd like to see it too. I have looked at every picture on every page of the ER site, including all the galleries that cannot be linked to by any route from the main page. Those galleries can be accessed at

http://earthroamer.com/galleries/

There are several thousand pictures there and not a single one of them shows an ER doing the kind of rock climbing seen in these two SMB pages:

http://sportsmobile.com/4_4x4sports.html

http://sportsmobile.com/ultimate.html

Some of those SMBs have all four wheels on articulating independent axles and they are doing some serious crawling. Now I realize not all SMBs are modified to that extent. I have never seen an ER with those kind of mods, and of every picture I have seen (including everything on the regular ER site, the hidden ER galleries, and Google Advanced Image Search) there is not a single one of an ER doing that kind of crawling.

Again, I don't doubt you, I'd just love to see those pics and be inspired by the accomplishment. If you have pics like that, please share!

[LukeH]

As 4x4 motorhome porn I too would love to see some pictures of an ER in compromising positions. I have no doubt that if the base vehicle can get there the fully fledged ER can too.
And I would love to see the pics.

BUT

When it's YOUR home for the near future you will have sufficient self preservation instinct NOT to want to put your SMB or ER or Syncro, unicat or whatever through twisters and down great big drops. When it's yours, you know that at the end of the day who is going to pay for the spare parts that have worn quicker, or the paint work IF you topple it.
And you discover the challenge of finding a way around. As well as the pleasure of walking, daydreaming about the rock crawler you wish you had brought along on a trailer.

Those SMB rock porn picks are lovely, but I'll bet the vehicle was a demo unit, and I'll bet it wasn't being used by the family for a week's break at the time.

So let's see the ER works demo LT out on the rocks for the sake of truck porn; but there's very very little chance of a real world owner wanting or needing to put their personal rig through that kind of torture.

Not least because there's someone in the passenger seat who would be destroying my eardrums if I were to embark on such a fun adventure....

[TomH]

Luke, those are all valid points that made me think. I would not take my vehicle in terrain like that unless my life depended on it. That being said, knowing what the vehicle is and isn't capable of (by seeing the pics) can be helpful in deciding what to attempt (or not) in the first place. Still, love the eye candy.

[davidv]

I'm surprised that GXVs Turtle has not come up in these discussion.

From my experience with Jeeps, Sportsmobiles, and now a Popup truck camper the limitations of an offload vehicle is no more complicated then size, articulation and traction (yea I know there's others but these are what really count). Articulation and traction can be increased in any of the vehicles discussed with suspension and axle modification but size is effected primarily by a reduction in comfort.

The Turtle is shorter then an Earthroamer limiting the size penalty (a little) but compared to my previous vehicle experiences has a bathroom, single fuel systems, fixed configuration, and cab to cabin pass through. These in my opinion make the difference between a camper and an expedition vehicle that one can go explore a country with vs. go camping with. Plus you have Monica and Gary doing the testing for you.

[trailsurfer]

Working on getting some Moab pics and Videos up.