Today, Jay Leno Garage released its first-ever review of a truck camper. Not just any truck camper though, it’s the supercar, the luxury limo of overland rigs, an EarthRoamer. This company makes some of the best and the most expensive heavy-duty pickup conversions with advanced off-the-grid survival technology that can easily exceed $1 million.
Specifically, this model is the EarthRoamer LTi. It was introduced a couple of years ago and is the legacy of founder and CEO Bill Swails, who sadly passed away. They call it the most advanced EarthRoamer XV model ever built, and for good reason, as it’s a ready-to-go, fully contained expedition vehicle with a carbon fiber body.
That’s right; the LTi has a carbon-fiber vacuum-infused camper body, and Jay Leno correctly guesses that this material makes the vehicle lighter than it would be if it were made from aluminum. The Vacuum Infusion Process (VIP) also makes this the strongest camper body you can buy.
The bit that EarthRoamer doesn’t make is obviously the Ford F-550, and they start with a pretty nice version, the Lariat, since it has leather seats. But in this case, the company converted the rear to two captain’s chairs and added a pass-through from the cab straight to the living quarters.
For the powertrain, they opted for the 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 diesel engine. It delivers only 330 hp, but the 750 pound-feet of torque ensures a tow rating of over 10,000 pounds. That’s what you need when the carbon shell is stuffed with as much luxury as a hotel room. The engine is also quite frugal, so with a 95 gallon tank, the EarthRoamer can apparently stay on the road for over 1000 miles.
To help with autonomy, the LTi carries 100 gallons of fresh water and 40 gallons of grey water. It has a 12,000 watt-hour battery and massive solar panels on the roof.
It’s not a cheap camper
Now, normally, an F-550 would have dually tires at the back, like a tow truck. But the company has re-engineered the whole suspension. The LTi has four 40-inch wheels at all four corners, wrapped around 20-inch double Beadlock wheels. It makes the 37s on the new Raptor R look small.
Air suspension is installed at all four corners, and that not only helps with road manners but can also level out the truck if you’re camping on an uneven surface. The air ride can even adjust for cross-wind to keep the vehicle stable while driving on the road. If that sounds expensive, that’s because… it is. With an MSRP of $695,000, the EarthRoamer LTi is one serious Overland vehicle. But as we’ve mentioned, they make some of the most advanced and expensive stuff in the segment.
The kitchen has what?
The first thing that made Leno laugh was a beer opener on the side of the exterior storage units, which house an outdoor kitchen. That’s not really shocking, but an outdoor meat smoker is, and you’re probably craving some pulled pork right or something right now.
The army green exterior doesn’t prepare you for how nice this thing is on the inside: wine cellar, kitchen, 12-volt fridge and freezer, microwave, and even the silverware has been carefully installed. It’s all customizable and can be tailored to your needs as well as your bank account, of course.
