$2million Aussie mega-motorhome hits the road

Queensland expedition vehicle specialist SLRV has ripped the wraps off Australia's most expensive and outrageous RV, displaying its unique SLRV Commander 8x8 motorhome at this month's Outdoor X show at Sanctuary Cove on the Gold Coast, before handing the keys to its lucky new owners.

SLRV took six months to design and around seven months to build one of the world’s most self-sufficient and technologically advanced off-road motorhomes, based on a German-built, military-spec MAN 8x8 truck chassis that by itself costs around $500,000.

SLRV’s Warwick Boswerger told caravancampingsales that the well-heeled and discerning buyer wanted to accommodate his family including six children in complete comfort for months at a time, while accessing some of the more remote deserts and regions of Australia.

Boswerger said just about everything was custom built on the mega motorhome to meet the design brief, from the actuators lifting the ‘second storey’, hard-wall roof section to the $35,000 marine-style ducted air-con system and cutting-edge Mastervolt power system utilizing 8km of wiring.

“(The owner) is pretty much some-one who wants a self-sufficient house on wheels,” he explained.

“The truck itself runs 12V, 24V, 48V, 240V, and three phase… the power system has never been done like this before (on an RV), in order to power all the things the customer wants in it.”

“We're using a new 48V alternator that comes off the truck, and it's the first RV in the world to use this alternator to charge at 8kVa -- that’s equivalent to a big, big generator while it’s driving…

“It also carries a 9kVa (petrol) generator, and a massive household style, solar set-up that covers the roof, along with six 360Ah lithium batteries.”

When set up, a stairwell provides access to the two levels within the 8.5m long fibreglass composite body, with the upstairs ‘kids retreat’ featuring six beds and a pop-up TV.

The lower level incorporates a master bedroom and ensuite, along with a kitchen galley and lounge/dinette, big enough to fit the family of eight. A king bed drops down over the lounge to sleep another two guests.

“The customer wanted it like a house (so) just about everything inside to suit the family is doubled up, including double convection oven, double cooktops, double fridges,” he said.

At around 10m long and over 4m high when travelling, Boswerger said the motorhome weighs around 20 tonnes unloaded – well shy of the MAN's 42 tonne GVM.

The motorhome is powered by a 353kW/2300Nm 12.5 litre, six-cylinder turbo-diesel engine running through a 12-speed transmission, and is fitted with a spare wheel lifter at the rear, that doubles as a platform to carry dirt bikes or other motorised toys

While similar-style motorhomes have been built in Europe, the SLRV Commander 8x8 is believed to be the first one down under based on MAN’s most extreme off-road truck platform, which is more commonly used for mining or military applications.

“(The customer) has done his research and checked out what’s available overseas, but obviously for Australians a local build is important, to be close by and able to pop into the factory and follow the build progress,” he said.

For an online walk-through tour of the SLRV Commander 8x8's interior, click here.