Mark Megahan
The Toyota Land Cruiser was a game changer and so is the EarthCruiser. One of these will take you anywhere and do it with a fair amount of comfort, as well. It’s about time for an extreme motorhome which comes standard with “massive off-grid tires, commercial-grade winches, generous payload capability, and fuel tank capacities in the range of hundreds of liters.”
EarthCruiser goes to extremes
EarthCruiser Australia’s latest creation is described as a “go-anywhere vehicle.” When it comes to “expedition-ready motorhomes,” there is really only one choice.
They started with the time tested 79-series platform built by Toyota Land Cruiser. What they ended up with is a “new overlanding rig.”
The EarthCruiser Extreme 330 XTR6x6 is a “purpose-built, six-wheel drive beast capable of tackling some of the world’s toughest terrains ‘safely, reliably, and comfortably.‘” They didn’t come up with the concept all on their own.
One of the company’s repeat customers who “already has several rigs” wanted this design built just for him. Once they got it completed they took a whole bunch of of orders from “loyal clients who expressed interest in reserving their own.”
The extreme off road 6×6 is sure to “become a regular lineup member,” the company notes. It took them over a year to get the EarthCruiser Extreme 330 XTR6x6 off the drawing board and into production.
Thanks to their “collaboration with renowned New South Wales-based outfit 6×6 Australia Pty Ltd.,” their design was “honed and field-tested in Australia to ensure it allows customers to go anywhere and spend longer off the beaten track.”
Land Cruiser tough
EarthCruiser is quick to credit Toyota for making their Land Cruiser 79 series such a “rugged and reliable vehicle to use on rough terrain.” In one of those you can cross a continent whether there are roads along the way or not.
The only problem is you’re roughing it. What they did to it in Australia is add “quite a few upgrades that make it even more dependable.”
Getting into the nuts and bolts, “at the core of the vehicle’s impressive go-anywhere abilities is 6×6 Australia’s locomotive-inspired ‘bogie drive system.‘” That uniqe and funky engineering provides this EarthCruiser with “differential locks for all three axles, with full load-sharing capabilities between them.”
The designers note that the “rearmost axle remains undriven during regular driving conditions, and it locks automatically on more difficult terrain when traction starts to break, to split power to all wheels.” The middle axle “also boasts a steering function for improved handling and maneuverability.”
While they were at it, they used portal axles for an extra 5 inches of ground clearance and added beefier brakes. Another nifty feature is the “Central Tire Inflation System” which allows the driver to “inflate and deflate the tires on the move via an in-cabin Garmin digital touchscreen.”
If you happen to be busy negotiating a 70 degree slope of boulders, “the system can also automatically adjust air pressure based on road speed.” The luxury is provided by the EarthCruiser Extreme’s “vacuum infusion molded carbon-composite body that houses a comfortable and luxurious home away from home.“
