Dog eat dog

[hippinikster]

yes I figured i wouldn't make that great of company to my new found friends if i smelt like i just got off the trail..... trying to keep it simple however some folks turned me onto all these great search engines and now the list has grown. Perhaps a little OCD in my quest now.

[bajadulce]

Do chinooks have a shower? I hope not, cause they're pretty cramped on livable space as it is, espc with the canvas pop up taking away the possibility of overhead cabinetry. Cheap solution: Solar shower bag and/or carry a 5 gallon bucket and heat up some water on the stove. You'd be surprised at how little you need to add to a full bucket of water to make it almost unbearably hot (about a small sauce pan). I don't think any camper less than 20ish feet needs a full bathroom. It definitely shouldn't take up an entire closet.

XP camper has a great bathroom design in a popup. Here the shower is actually a counter top when not in use.

http://www.xpcamper.com/interior.html

(tho I disagree with a compact "Kevlar composite, monocoque (frameless) bear-proof, military rugged expedition" vehicle needing a shower? wth? Expedition vehicles are supposed to be cruising vast wildernesses far from human contact not suburbia. Mother nature doesn't care if you take a shower outside.) Regardless, this is without doubt the most innovative shower/bathroom design I've yet to see in a mini camper. Very well thought out.

Hate to sound so incredibly blunt and rude, but you're not going to find a shower/bathroom in a chinook without some serious modifications at the cost of valuable living area. There's an 18' sunrader posted in the shoutbox for $1800 bucks. Something like that will have a shower/bathroom, but is cutting it kinda close for comfort at that.

And those are really nice search tips/links. Good info there.

[Derek up North]

Those XPs look great. Sort of a 'what might have been' if the Chinook and (especially) Bandit had continued their development. I'm still crawling through the site (dial-up, remember) but I don't see any mention of holding tanks (yet).

EDIT: Found it. 25 gallon grey water and 40 (or 80) gallon fresh water. Not sire where they're mounted, but the 'control panels' they use look like quality items.

EDIT 2: Just got to the 'bottom line' on the Price List. ~$60k for an 'All Dressed' version! And you sure wouldn't put that on a $1000 beater, so add another $30k-$40k for a new truck. Guess it'll be staying on my 'Wish List' until my Lottery numbers come up!

[TacomaSue]

WOW. That XPCamper is amazing--great layout and price tag! Now my '78 Bandit has something to aspire to. However, I like that the Bandit has far fewer controls and things that can go wrong. Baja: Your remodels are impressive. Sue

[bajadulce]

The XP camper is a great looking vehicle and I'm sure it's worth every penny. I hope the guy sells a ton of them as he deserves to be compensated for his unique design and hard work. My only complaint is that it seems a bit too "yuppified" for my tastes, and needs to be toned down. But then again he's hoping to sell a few units to a select group of users. Similar to the Earthroamer, I don't see why something similar couldn't be mass produced at 1/4 of the costs. A good solid camper doesn't have to use the "BEST" of everything you can get your hands on. But then what do I know about selling or marketing an RV.

From XP Camper:

My associates and I decided to borrow, in part, from the advanced technology of the marine products world to produce a camper designed with the many advantages found in boats. Seamless, single-unit construction and lightweight materials, minus wood, staples and lamination, contribute to an unusually durable, low maintenance product that greatly reduces the chances of rotting. There is also no caulking to deal with.

That alone is worth the 30K barebones shell.

The XP camper is great, but the guys at tourfactory.de simply are the best 4x4 mini camper I've seen in my wanderings without a doubt

amazing .pdf file here Unlike the XP camper, these have that real outback style to them less all the "showroom" glitz. Don't get me wrong, they're still high tech and a bit over the top, but seem more grounded in their design in terms of REAL exploring as well as the aesthetics. My own camper probably resembles more the lines of these more than anything else. Only wish I had found this resource earlier. Lots of great ideas to be found exploring just the pictures in that .pdf file alone. Very nice rigs. I usually don't succumb to things like "If I won the lottery..." etc. cause personally I wouldn't own something like an XP camper or Earthroamer if they paid me to drive it around. Now this camper pictured above, is a whole new story. Wonder how much something like that actually costs?

[Maineah]

100K? ouch. I knew they were prob expensive, but had no idea. My neighbor who is an electrician has a sprinter van (has a mercedes emblem on the front btw? thought it was a dodge?). I don't think he paid more than 30k for it, but it isn't a camper. Man, with all the baby boomers hittin retirement age, I'd think that compact RV's would be making a killing. Baby boomers seem more apt to want freedom vs. comfort, at least that's my impression of that generation. Mini motorhomes would probably be a damn good business to get into.

Ah thnx for link to that bandit. Nice one too. The bandits I've seen must have been 4x4 conversions. Ya nice! Tho the 18' sunrader is pretty compact as well. They don't seem to utilize the interior space very effectively, and seem a bit poorly laid out, but are pretty nice Rv's. Now and then I'll check Craig's list for fun, but most of the raders that pop up are usually 21 footers? The 18' seems definitely harder to find.

MB Sprinter was rebadged as Dodge and Freightliner they have been used in Europe for years the early Sprinters (5 cylinder diesel) would get an honest 20+ MPG not bad for a big box. Here is the baby boomers express http://www.winnebagoind.com/products/winnebago/2010/via/