√Someone turned a LandCruiser 79 Series into an insane 6×6 motorhome
The EarthCruiser Extreme 6×6 off-road motorhome takes the Toyota LandCruiser ute to a whole new level of capability.
Portal axles, triple diff locks, 35-inch tyres, and a sophisticated bogie six-wheel drive system with air suspension. Everyone claims to have a game-changing 79 Series LandCruiser in Australia these days, but we think we might have just found one.
And we haven’t even started with the house on the back.
This is the Extreme 330 XTR6X6, which comes from the well-regarded off-road Motorhome manufacturer EarthCruiser.
It can seat four and sleep up to three, but we reckon this just might be the ultimate off-road motorhome for an adventurous couple.
EarthCruiser has built a global reputation for off-road motorhomes using light trucks like the Mitsubishi Canter and Iveco Daily for many years, but this time it has turned its attention to the venerable LandCruiser 79 Series.
This particular example has been built for an existing EarthCruiser customer, who wanted something with a little bit of extra ‘mongrel’, according to Managing Director Mark Fawcett.
The vehicle is currently undergoing field testing with the owner, and will be displayed at the Sydney 4WD & Adventure show on 8-10 September.
EarthCruiser is an Australian company, with a manufacturing base in Wollongong, south of Sydney in New South Wales.
Starting with single-cab 79 Series GXL, EarthCruiser left virtually nothing untouched on their way to building an impressive two-berth motorhome with bucketloads of off-road and off-grid capability.
The standard LandCruiser axles and suspension have been binned, and replaced with a completely customised and interesting six-wheel drive setup.
This includes portal axles built especially to EarthCruiser’s specification, and buyers can choose between coil and air suspension. With the latter option, buyers are able to move 250mm between the highest and lowest settings, as well as being able to level to the horizon when they are setting up camp on uneven ground.
The six-wheel drive system comes from another innovative local company, 6X6 Australia. It includes load-sharing rear axles and power-splitting bogie drive setup, which can steer and reduce the vehicle’s turning circle.
The front differential gets an upgraded heavy-duty fabricated housing, while the rear differentials use Ford 9.0-inch and 10.0-inch centres and ultra-heavy duty housings.
For the axle nerds (I know you’re out there), these fabricated rear differentials use seamless axle tubes with a staggering 10-12mm wall thickness.
There are more party tricks. Electrically detachable swaybars allow for increased off-road articulation, and hydraulic rams front and rear remove the need for carrying a vehicle jack.
The LandCruiser’s chassis is extensively modified to suit the six-wheel drive system, with an extended wheelbase and strengthened by EarthCruiser’s work.
With a 4130mm wheelbase and 7000kg GVM, this particular EarthCruiser has a payload of around 2000kg. There is space for 600 litres of water and 275 litres of fuel.
The payload is helped by camper body made with a ‘Vacuum Infusion Process’ that builds a strong and rigid body, but can also decrease weight by as much as 50 per cent.
Federal mud-terrain 35-inch tyres are wrapped around 17-inch forged aluminium EarthCruiser wheels, which includes a Central Tyre Inflation System (CTIS).
This technology, which is generally only seen on some military applications, allows for inflation and deflation of tyre pressures via controls from the driver’s seat.
Tyre pressures can be controlled manually via the control panel, but can also adjust automatically via GPS, increasing pressures as speeds increase, and lowering pressures at lower speeds.
Some staggering numbers continue on the 12V front, with a phenomenal 1100amp hours of lithium capacity on offer. That’s not a typo, with two 550 amp-hour batteries handling both starter and auxiliary requirements.
This gigantic battery array is fed by 810 Watts of roof-mounted solar panels, as well as an upgraded 200-amp alternator, which is fully sealed and water-cooled.
Having this much auxiliary power means the EarthCruiser goes completely without additional fuels (aside from diesel for the engine), with electricity powering your cooking and air conditioning needs, as well as water pumping and heating. This is also plumbed into a system to power things like an electric chainsaw and vacuum cleaner.
Pricing for this LandCruiser 79 Series is a difficult one to nail down, because EarthCruiser builds its vehicles to suit the requirements of each customers. But rest assured, it’s not going to be cheapest option out there.
Those looking to order 6X6 EarthCruiser will be waiting approximately 12 months after their order is placed, but this timeline doesn’t include waiting for a donor vehicle. Waiting times for a LandCruiser 79 Series are still quite long.
This particular EarthCruiser 6×6 retains Toyota’s 4.5-litre turbo diesel V8 and five-speed manual gearbox, but the clutch has been replaced with a stronger unit. Buyers can choose to have a six-speed automatic transmission fitted, as well as have their engine tuned or remapped from elsewhere.
The post Someone turned a LandCruiser 79 Series into an insane 6×6 motorhome appeared first on Drive.
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