Top-10 off-road motorhomes
Rough it in style and luxury with one of these fully-equipped, off-grid expedition vehiclesSLRV Commander 8x8
This unique two-storey, MAN 8x8 off-road motorhome built by Queensland expedition vehicle specialist SLRV is designed to house a family of eight in complete comfort for months at a time, while accessing some of the more remote regions of Australia.
Just about everything was custom built on the $2million 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.
EarthCruiser Extreme XTR 250
This quarter million dollar-plus, go-anywhere compact motorhome from Wollongong, NSW based expedition vehicle specialist EarthCruiser is based on the tough-as-nails Toyota LandCruiser 79 Series cab-chassis ute, complete with 151Kw/430Nm 4.5-litre V8 turbo-diesel and retro-fitted six-speed auto transmission.
As well as a stylish pop-top interior fit-out that includes queen bed, lounge/dinette, ensuite and kitchenette, the LandCruiser base vehicle is beefed up with upgraded shock absorbers, leaf springs, diff, axle and bigger wheels, along with a 65-70mm lift for extra clearance in the rough stuff.
Unicat MD56c 6x6
Equipped for hardcore off-roading and remote travel in extreme conditions, the $2.5million German-built Unicat MD56c motorhome boasts dual-range 4WD, three diff locks and a grunty 397kW turbo-diesel engine mated to a 12-speed gearbox.
The five-berth luxury off-roader should be good for at least two week's comfortable off-grid living, with a 1200Ah lithium battery system, 1850W roof-top solar and two inverters, 600 litre freeze-proof water storage system and a range of approximately 3300km thanks to 1000 litre fuel tanks.
Off-road motorhomes don't get much tougher looking or expensive than this Ford F-750-based EarthRoamer expedition vehicle, that retails in the US for a cool US$1.5million.
For that you get a long list of off-road armour including 46in Michelin XZL tyres, rear air suspension with Fox shocks, hydraulic leveling, and a 30,000 lb. Warn winch, along with a custom, handcrafted interior with everything you expect in a luxury RV including in-floor radiant heating, two TV/surround sound systems and a kitchen with slide-out freezer and ice-maker!
A relative bargain in the world of long-range expedition vehicles, the Fuso 4x4 truck based Global Xplorer from Queensland off-road motorhome specialist AAV packs a lot in for its circa $200K pricetag, including modified leaf spring suspension and 37-inch Supersingle tyres that deliver massive ground clearance.
The crawl-through composite cabin is compact but very liveable with kitchen, dining, sleeping and showering/toilet facilities, plus 200 litre fresh water, a 240Ah AGM battery and solar system and diesel powered heating and cooling to keep you out of town for weeks.
Sydney's Suncamper has taken its popular HiLux based Suncamper Sherwood 4x4 and given it the 'Conqueror' treatment, with off-road extras like a winch-compatible alloy bull bar, mud terrain tyres, snorkel, underbody bash plates, Raptor paint protection, and 140 litre fuel tank, so you can head further out and stay longer in the Outback.
There's also a stylish fit-out of the four-berth layout which includes an above-cab queen bed, kitchenette, combination shower/toilet and U-shape rear club lounge/dinette.
SLRV Eurocargo 4x4
Yet another $500,000-plus expedition vehicle from Queensland's SLRV; this time based on Iveco's big Eurocargo ML 150 4x4 cab chassis.
Building on the factory fitted full-time 4x4 system, hub reduction and front, centre and rear differential locks, SLRV added a custom-designed body including an enclosed rear ‘garage’ able to accommodate a motorbike and two spare tyres – accessed via a slide-out lifting system.
The interior is finished like a “high end studio apartment”, including a galley kitchen with oven/grill cooktop and microwave, four person dinette, queen bed, Fusion entertainment system and LED TV, and separate ensuite.
Unimog Explorer XPR440
This $700,000-plus, all-terrain motorhome from NSW's EarthCruiser is based on the military-spec Mercedes-Benz Unimog U430 which includes extreme off-road features like Variopilot, that permits a 30 second swap-over of steering wheel and pedals, from left to right hand drive or vice versa, as required on inter-continental journeys.
It's powered by a 220kW/1200Nm 7.7-litre turbo-diesel engine and has a fuel range of up to 3500km, so you won't get stuck looking for fuel in the Outback.
As well as luxury living for up to five people, it comes with a state of the art security including telematics with satellite tracking and monitoring, and vision from five externally mounted cameras that provide 45 days recording in real time.
EarthCruiser G-Pro Escape
Based on the compact, military-inspired, Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen Professional 4x4 cab-chassis, the G-Pro Escape camper is a little more affordable than some of Earthcruiser's more extravagant offerings, with a price tag starting around $200,000.
For that you get unrivalled off-road ability for a vehicle this size, along with a luxury fit-out of the pop-top motorhome body that includes air-con, shower/toilet, double bed and a diesel-fuelled cooker.
Aimed at off-road adventurers that also enjoy a bit of driving comfort when not out in the bush, the $200,000-plus Jabiru J2M AWD campervan from Sydney's Trakka is based on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter platform with 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel engine, seven-speed auto transmission, dual range transfer case and raised suspension.
As well as interior sleeping for two, a combination shower/toilet, kitchenette and internal seating, the dirt-road Jabiru comes with off-grid features like a 140 litre fresh water tank and 93 litre fuel tank, Truma diesel hot water and air heater and 200Ah lithium house battery fed by 200W solar panels.
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