Well it didn't take much research to narrow the list of possibilities.
I'm dealing with a guy who owns the company that will actually build the living space. He's been really helpful, and gets back to me quickly. He has a great reputation with previous customers, and I'm learning why. It's odd that he doesn't have much of an online presence, but I think it's because the company is fairly small and he doesn't need more business!
Long story short, two of the chassis we were looking at are out of the running. The Hyundai Solati 4x2 is no longer available in Chile, and the Ford Transit has a dodgy history with some mechanical issues regarding fuel injection and turbo systems. The Ford is also not available the way I want it without special ordering and dealing with possible delays that way.
That essentially leaves the Fuso Canter truck chassis. It ticks a lot of boxes, although the downside is that it's a truck... not a van. So it drives more like a heavy duty truck. But there are many positives.
This is what we would be buying.
The cost including tax for the cab and chassis alone would be about 53,000,000 CLP ($80,000 CAD, $57,000 USD).
To build the living space on the back would be about another 25,000,000 CLP ($37,000 CAD, $27,000 USD). But there are a lot of variables to this part and could be more or less.
And this is something like what the finished product might look like.
Although ours would be a little less tall.
The finished product would be about 6.5 meters (21') long x 3.0 meters (10') high. And the total cost would be about 78,000,000 CLP ($117,000 CAD, $84,000 USD).
So, the downside is that the vehicle would drive like a truck.
The upside? It will go anywhere. It has heavy duty components. It's literally built for rough roads. It has a high payload capacity. The engine is reliable and as a strong history. And the service network is all over South America.
I'm pretty sure we've made our decision...
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I really like the looks of this and you will be able to go about anywhere with 4x4 and dual rear wheels. Looking forward to seeing this built. Some serious adventures with the vehicle.
ReplyDeleteSue
We still think that it is bigger than what we wanted to get but the other options weren't going to work out for one reason or another so it looks like this is what we will go with unless something pops up on the sites Kevin is looking at for used RV units. We do like the fact though that it is 4x4 and will take us just about everywhere that we want to go. It will be fun designing the built. We have been looking at a lot of other people's videos to see what their units are like and then try to pick out the best features and layouts and making a list of what we like most.
DeleteWould you keep it or sell it once you finish SA?
ReplyDeleteThe current plan says we sell when we finish South America. But plans can change...
DeleteWhat I don’t like about truck campers is you can’t access the camper from the cab. When I had one this really bothered me.
ReplyDeleteI agree. That's why this unit that we will have built will definitely have access from the cab.
DeleteDo you have to get a special driver's license to drive this vehicle? I think at least in the US a CDL is required for trucks (but not for Class A motorhomes). Of course I could be wrong, and South America could have completely different rules. I'd be way too nervous to drive it, but I bet the living space will be great! I'm super excited to see how it all turns out.
ReplyDeleteKevin doesn't think so but it all depends on the gross vechile weight, if it exceeds 3,500 kilograms (3.5 tons) then yes, he will need a Class A4 license. This is something that he will have to do more research on.
DeleteKevin has driven many vehicles through the years, even the big cabs of semis but that was years ago and only for a short distance when he used to be in the autobody business so this truck wouldn't bother him. He would just need drive it a few times to get the feel for it but there is no way I would be driving it! Yes, the living space would be lovely with ample space.
It isn't set in stone yet, things can change between now and when we actually have to purchase/order it. We are also still keeping our eyes open for something used that might come up for sale and fit our needs.
One thing I was told several times and also read when we were RVing in our Class A is that I should be able to drive it in an emergency, if Barry were unable to drive. I know they were right, but I was too scared to even try. If we'd had that kind of emergency, I would have had to rely on help from others, or Uber, a taxi, or an ambulance. I was not getting behind that wheel! I could just barely reach the pedals anyway.
DeleteI've been told that before as well but with most of the units we have had if there was a real emergency I could have driven them, although I am not sure that would have been the case with Sherman but the others I probably could have in a pinch. If we get this one and there was an emergency then Iike you,, I would have to find some other option because I just can't see myself driving that thing! As I get older I have less ambition to drive and maybe that it because I haven't had to drive on a regular basis since the last summer we worked at Cabri in 2017.
DeleteStill mourning the loss of your Max and his floor plan! Dee Tillotson
ReplyDeleteYes, we really liked Max's floor plan and it is possible that we might we able to design something similar with this one, iIt would depend on whether that can get the parts/mechanisms for the drop down bed. We both really liked that feature. Definitely lots of things to think about.
DeleteIt looks like it would be really spacious inside!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a lot more spacious than Igor and maybe a little more than Max but Sherman would have had more room overall just because he was longer than what this one will be. A lot of the spaciousness in this unit will come down to the interior layout that we end up choosing.
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