SLRV rolls out latest 8x8 bunker on wheels

There are expedition vehicles that are designed to cosset their occupants in luxury in the harshest terrain, and then there are those that are designed to be be at ‘home’ in unfriendly international environments for extended periods.

The Tatra Phoenix 8x8 truck-based motorhome that Queensland's SLRV has just built for a demanding client is one of the latter.

The Czech Republic built Tatra truck with its eight driven wheels and air suspension is designed to cruise at 100km/h over most terrain, with relative comfort, with SLRV – now re-named ‘Expedition HQ’ – using its extensive experience building off-road caravans before specialising in hard-core truck-based motorhomes, adding the human elements.

SLRV's second eight-metre body Tatra 8x8 motorhome is destined to spend time initially touring Australia before exploring the world’s harshest terrain.

Imported and distributed by WA-based Offroad Trucks Australia, the Tatra Commander 8x8 truck chassis boasts a powerful Paccar diesel engine developing 540hp, mated to an Allison AT545 automatic transmission, along with a comfortable and modern DAF truck cabin.

According to SLRV, the driving force behind the Tatra 8×8 is the use of central load-carrying tubes and axles with independently airbag-suspended swinging half axles bolted together into a single unit. These half axles move freely, which enables the rest of the truck to remain stable, and take on the toughest terrain without losing traction, while still maintaining a constant speed and maintaining maximum cabin comfort with minimal movement.

The motorhome conversion took many months and included installation of Swedish-made 60mm thick composite body panels in SLRV’s body shop, before the fit-out of its luxury caravan-style interior including installation of all internal electrical and plumbing, cabinetry, appliances and furnishings.

As the new Tatra’s North Queensland owners are an adventurous couple, maximum attention has been given to the front bedroom, located directly behind the truck's cabin. Here, space has been maximised by allowing the full king-size bed to rise to the roof on four electric rams at the push of a rocker switch, exposing a generously-proportioned leather-clad U-shaped 10-seater lounge/dining room below.

Moving rearwards you pass the twin drawer-type 210 litre Vitrofrigo fridge/freezers beneath a large serving bench, before moving into the rear bedroom, where twin vertically-stacked bunks fill the offside wall for use by children or overnight guests.

On the other side, past a huge slide-out pantry is the Tatra’s generous-sized ensuite that includes a composting toilet and a large shower, and an environmentally-friendly 9kg Miele washing machine that only utilises six litres of water for a full load.

A separate 75 litre Vitrofrigo drawer fridge that can operate solely as a deep freezer is also fitted in the galley area, while top-notch finishes throughout include high-gloss sand metallic colourboard, white Corian benchtops and vinyl timber flooring.

With safe, long-term off-grid living a priority, the SLRV Tatra Phoenix is fully gas-free, with diesel fuel drawn from the truck’s 545-litre tank to power cooking via its twin induction cooktops and heating, while the generous 1000-litre water tank can be filled from a river or dam if needed, and there are ‘panic’ lights that operate along the front, rear and sides from a single switch to alert occupants of potential intruders or animals.

Security is obviously an issue for those travelling on long trips through wild and uncharted territory and in addition to central locking to protect those inside, there is also provision for someone to access the cab from inside the motorhome.

There are also more than 2000W of solar panels on the roof to feed a big on-board lithium battery system, and a separate diesel generator is also fitted to run a secondary aftermarket charging system.

Entertainment and household-level communications are delivered by a Starlink satellite system that also allows video conferencing wherever you travel.

Clever details abound in the SLRV Tatra, like the KCT double-glazed windows (SLRV is the distributor) which insulate the vehicle's living quarters from ambient temperatures.

The Tare weight of the finished truck is 20 tonnes and its ATM is a whopping 40 tonnes. Total cost? SLRV hasn't disclosed the final figure, but somewhere in seven figure territory between the recent US-built Freightliner and sky-high MAN 8x8 motorhome SLRV built a few years ago, would be a safe bet.

SRLV now plans to build Tatra motorhomes at the rate of one per month at its Molendinar, Gold Coast factory, and is also in the process of building a tough off-road adventure track around the building’s perimeter. It's also keeping busy delivering new Ineos Grenadier 4x4 wagons to local customers as one of the Australian distributors.