First Ford Ranger Super Duty motorhome arrives

Queensland's Explorer Motorhomes has ripped the covers off Australia's first turnkey offroad motorhome based on a Ford Ranger Super Duty single-cab ute.

Creating plenty of interest on the first day of the Suncoast Outdoor Adventure Expo in Nambour, where the unique rig is making its public debut, the Explorer Nomad Super Duty motorhome has go-anywhere, 'Big Lap' luxury adventure written all over it, although you'll pay for the privilege with the display vehicle sporting a cool $294,500 sticker price.

That's $15,500 more than Explorer's standard Ranger XL 2.0-litre Nomad motorhome, although the Super Duty version delivers more low-down grunt from its 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-diesel (154kW/600Nm), not to mention other enhancements like a higher 4500kg factory GVM (the Explorer Nomad usually comes with a 4250kg GVM upgrade).

The Super Duty also comes from the factory with front and rear diff lockers, air snorkel and 130L long range fuel tank, while Explorer has fitted bigger 35in wheels with chunky Maxxis Razor rubber, an ARB bull bar and spotlights, UHF aerial, 360 degree camera, and Clearview extension mirrors (when available).

The Nomad Super Duty also gets a heavy-duty Carbon front winch and factory front and rear recovery points.

The rugged motorhome also comes with a tow bar and should be able to tow up to 2500kg (4500kg from the factory), making a decent sized trailer boat or camper trailer for the grand-kids a realistic possibility.

Inside, the latest MY26 Nomad fit-out includes some fresh colours and custom drawers to further set the Super Duty version apart.

Otherwise, you get the usual cosy and user-friendly couple's layout, including 'club lounge' corner dinette with adjustable table, and a 2.5m long benchspace with stainless sink and filtered water, induction cooktop, microwave and a 200L Isotherm side-by-side fridge/freezer.

There's cubby hole access from the driver's cabin to the rear living area, with the fixed north-south queen bed located in the over-cab section, plus a separate shower and toilet, dual slide-out pantries and 'panoramic' windows among other interior highlights.

The gasless off-grid set-up includes a 500Ah lithium battery system with an Enerdrive 2600W inverter and 520W rooftop solar, along with 234 litre freshwater capacity and a 55L grey water tank, with the option for an external gas bbq.

Explorer Motorhomes' COO Luke Judd said the upmarket off-road motorhome specialist wanted to be the first in the country to release an RV on the Super Duty Ranger platform, due to all the hype around the new vehicle and its suitability for long-range touring.

Explorer just pipped cross-state rival Suncamper, which will be unveiling a new Conqueror 3.0 off-grid motorhome based on the Ranger Super Duty at the Sydney Caravan Supershow later this month.

Explorer's Nomad model was first released on the Ranger platform in 2024, and is now Explorer's most popular model, comprising around 80 of the 120-125 motorhome units produced by the Queensland builder each year. There's a 12-month build time if you put an order in for one today.

"We've been getting plenty of interest so far, everyone has been waiting for the six-cylinder engine, and obviously the Super Duty has a lot of hype in the car world," Judd said.

"We released it yesterday and we've already done 24 quote requests and four deals."

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