Small, Quick Class A Motorhome--Perhaps "Expeditionable"

mhiscox

Expedition Leader
NEW HOME FOUND FOR IT 3/29/11: Details at the bottom.

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Some people rescue stray dogs. James Lombardo and I have rescued a stray motorhome. :sombrero:

It's a bit of a story, but I temporarily own a unique 1992 AeroCruiser Class A motorhome. Reimburse me the $4,900 I've invested so far in reconditioning it and it'll be yours.

It's listed on Portland Craigslist and it'll probably get sold to someone looking for a cheap motorhome. But given that many of the inmates here at the Portal have outrageous amounts of mechanical and fabrication talent, it seemed like I should at least mention the coach here to see if someone gets inspired.

The big appeal is that AeroCruisers are dimensionally about the smallest Class A motorhome made since the 70s. It’s 23 feet long and only 99 inches tall (in spite of having something like 6’2” headroom), and it weighs a remarkably light 7,900 pounds. It rides on SUV-sized LT235/85R16 tires with single rear wheels. It’s all fiberglass, including a one-piece roof, over a steel cage frame. Just 350 were ever made before the company, Gardner Pacific, which also made the Toyota-based SunRayder camper, went out of business in ‘92; this was one of the very last units built.

This AeroCruiser could be whatever you want. The interior was never built out, and the vehicle was used as a mobile office rather than an RV. There were no cutouts for windows made (nor other holes in the fiberglass exterior), no plumbing, and no interior (aside from an easily removed partitioning wall, and a set of overhead cabinets on either side). This is sort of a blank canvas that might appeal for to a talented builder. Cut off the rear portion, hinge it, and create a mobile toy-hauler or workshop. Turn it into the ultimate support vehicle. Whatev.

A major advantage over other small coaches like the GMC motorhomes is that the driveline and chassis components are from a Dodge D350 one-ton pickup and there are no issues with parts availability or finding competent mechanics. And, more to the point for this group, it seems to me (though I am not an expert) that it's a good candidate for a 4WD conversion using standard components. Maybe take a look at the nifty conversion G35Vortec454 did:

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=966138

and think along those lines.

The 'Cruiser's powered by a strong-running fuel injected Dodge 360 V8 that runs on regular-grade gas from a 40 gallon fuel tank. In getting it reconditioned, I bought brand new Michelin LTX tires, brand new batteries, and James gave it a top-to-bottom comprehensive tuneup. Very clean in and out, passed DEQ first try, and has new license tags. This is a great coach, and a unique opportunity for someone with a bit of creativity. And with only 31k miles on it, it's got a lot of life left.

James1.jpg


James2.jpg


James3.jpg


James4.jpg


James5.jpg


This link has a lot of info on Aero Cruisers:

http://aero-cruiser.fl-ink.com/

Please check it out and see if this coach might work for you. If you are interested, send me a PM and I'll reply with a comprehensive description that provides all the detailed information you'll need to decide if this is anything you want to look into further.

EDIT of 3/23 . . . About 5 dozen more pictures can be had at:

https://picasaweb.google.com/mhiscox01/1992AeroCruiserMotorhome

Mike
 
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SCRover

Adventurer
ugly as a mud fence, but very interesting. you think 10-12mpg? how's the condition of the top? was it stored indoors or covered, do you know?

like the idea of being able to customize to suit specific needs/tastes.
 

mhiscox

Expedition Leader
Ugly as a mud fence, but very interesting.

Hah. If you think this is ugly, you should see the competition. Sadly, this is what passes for sleek in a late-80s-designed Class A.

You think 10-12mpg?
12 mpg or better falling off a cliff; otherwise, I'd guess 8 to 10 mpg. Figure 10 mpg if you're doing 55 or 60 mph; more like 8 mpg if you run her with the the car traffic, which she'll do easily. (BTW, the Land Speed Record for a Class A motorhome appears to be just 102 mph. Hint, hint.)

How's the condition of the top? Was it stored indoors or covered, do you know?
Stored outside in the blazing Oregon rain. And sun; the tires needed replaced from weather-induced sidewall cracking. Some of the rubber molding isn't the best, and there's surface rust on some of the lower-grade hardware. However, the one-piece fiberglass top is a huge feature so there's been no leaking, and the fiberglass sides, though highly oxidized, look like they'll polish up just fine. The striping is tape and you'd want to remove /replace it.
 

flywgn

Explorer
... (BTW, the Land Speed Record for a Class A motorhome appears to be just 102 mph. Hint, hint.) ....

I think it's 106 mph. Set in 2007 at Bonneville. :smiley_drive:My bro-in-law and his bunch of "Grumpy Ol' Men" hold a current speed record, and I think this GMC set this record the same year their car did. Anyway....

more to the point. You mention that this 'shell' of an RV has no plumbing, etc. Is there any indication that the infrastructure is in place, i.e. place for the water, black water, grey, propane, etc? I'm guessing from your description and the looks of it all this substructure would have to be built.

I showed the photographs to Diana who said, "Well, we could just camp in it. At least, there's no tent to erect." Isn't that a great attitude?

Plenty of room for Rooney the gun-dog, too.

Allen R
 

mhiscox

Expedition Leader
You mention that this 'shell' of an RV has no plumbing, etc. Is there any indication that the infrastructure is in place, i.e. place for the water, black water, grey, propane, etc? I'm guessing from your description and the looks of it all this substructure would have to be built.

There's a water fill curbside connected to nothing and, even odder, a dump valve in place, also connected to nothing. There's room under the chassis for flat water and grey tanks (and black if you went that way). However, there is a sizable propane tank connected to a seemingly fully-functional furnace, so the heat's in place. Also, the electrical is well along, with shore power cord, AC plugs and a converter to run DC lighting. And the shore power seems to run the roof air just fine. So there's cooling.

I showed the photographs to Diana who said, "Well, we could just camp in it. At least, there's no tent to erect." Isn't that a great attitude?
Highly practical, too. Use cots, pads, a Porti-Potty, camp stove, chest fridge, and folding chairs and you have a completely weatherproof camping setup. (Also, at 23 feet, it's good to go in most all BLM and NFS campgrounds.)
 

Photomike

White Turtle Adventures & Photography
Wow talk about ugly!! That being said would work great for my business as I could put signs on the thing and no windows to get in the way - can you say full vehicle wrap! Add to that the fact that you could do anything inside and you only have a door to worry about and wow could you make a great inside.

Okay I have to go before I buy it................
 

mhiscox

Expedition Leader
Wow talk about ugly!! That being said would work great for my business as I could put signs on the thing and no windows to get in the way - can you say full vehicle wrap! Add to that the fact that you could do anything inside and you only have a door to worry about and wow could you make a great inside.
Yeah, and it's too bad no one routinely needs a darkroom any more; it's black as pitch in the rear room. :)
 

mhiscox

Expedition Leader
Very tempting. We could put a door on the back and haul many bicycles.
Yes, Thom. Many bicycles. Very many bicycles. More bicycles than even you and Veronica have.

Or it could be the next exercise room. :sombrero:
 

SCRover

Adventurer
I showed the photographs to Diana who said, "Well, we could just camp in it. At least, there's no tent to erect." Isn't that a great attitude?

Allen R

That is an awesome attitude and is exactly what I was thinking. My kids would love to just sleep in their bags on the floor. Nevertheless, I sent the link to my wife and let's just say, "GLWS, Mike!"
 

ThomD

Explorer
The only thing I'm not loving is that rear overhang. My driveway is a bit steep and I'm not sure it would handle the transition.

Interesting to compare this to a Sprinter:

Length
Aero : 279 inches
MWB Sprinter: 273, LWB 289

Wheel base:
Aero:135 inches
MBW Sprinter: 144, LWB 170

Height:
Aero: 99 inches
Sprinter: Standard Roof 95, High Roof 107, Mega roof: 115

The Aero Cruiser web site has a great picture of the frame:
ac-frame.gif
 

flywgn

Explorer
The only thing I'm not loving is that rear overhang....

I thought about that also, but I talked to a local shop who looked at these same diagrams and said, "Shoot. Wouldn't be nuthin' to shorten that thing." For the two of us I thought losing the space would not be an inconvenience.

Anyway, it's moot for me now. Something has come up (unrelated to overlanding) that's going to occupy much of my time and I won't have the time to devote to this decision, so I'll have to exit from this thread for a while.

Ciao,
Allen R.
 

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