Unicat-like features discussion.

[Ageless]

Prem -- you had me! I thought I was going to see a pizza oven in your trailer...

Ya mean someone took Prem seriously??????

Set the hook!!!!

[Prem]

Pretty much, Ageless.

[edcasey]

Wow....I was really surprised to see a Unicat posted on this forum especially with the "If it doesn't meet my needs / wants, I'll bash it" mentality that unfortunately now prevails. You might get some layout ideas from Unicat but European campers are built much differently from what we see in the States. Overland vehicles do have some interesting ideas. I visited the Earthroamer factory a few years back and found many unique features.

If you like Expedition campers, than Expediiton portal is the place to go. http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/index.php Maybe you're already a member. There are plenty of homemade off-road campers and trailers there too. Some are very simple while others are homes on wheels. All are accepted and encouraged.

My wife and I bought a 4wheel camper two years ago to use off road and when we haul our ATV's or snowmobiles. We're not into expedition camping but we frequently park off highway to kayak, cross country run, hike and mountain bike. We bought the shell model and built the inside to fit our needs. We had been using a roof top tent but my wife didn't care for it when she was pregnant.

[Prem]

edcasey,

Ah come on. You don't really want us all to like a rig one has to use stairs to get into, or that has so many bells and whistles that the hall is so narrow that we have to inhale to walk down it now do you?

I'd rather wonder about what's inside *this* rig:

http://www.rvsteve.com/graphics/Camp_Trailer_640.jpg

Prem

[Ageless]

To everything; there is a time and a season

[digimark]

Thanks Ed. And further thanks for the ExpeditionPortal link. That stuff fascinates me. Maybe in another life...

That Camp Trailer in the picture is a Camp Technologies RTV, but apparently the company that makes it has stopped selling it "for retooling".

CampRTV

[Prem]

Gary,

Thanks for the link, but this vid on their site really destroyed my fantasy that the trailer was IRONMAN's sarcophagus, his mobile recharge facility.

http://www.reevesicp.com/Media/Videos/ReevesICPSetup.aspx

All that sleek design for a climate-controlled, pop-up tent that requires two guys to set up. Sheesh...

I'd rather have a Unimog running on corn oil.

Prem

[edcasey]

Prem you really don't get it. I've seen this same thing happen on other forums. I really, really hate to see it happen here. Campers serve many different purposes. Your simpler is better philosophy works for you. Great!! I'll do everything I can to help you and anyone else on this forum build a camper that works for them no matter what their goals are. But simple doesn't work for many campers. Not everyone is trying to get back to nature or builds a camper to sit around a camp fire. Some build them to go to craft shows, dog shows, horse shows, Civil War reenactments, sporting events, travel, motorcross... I just finished build a 20 foot cargo conversion for a family of parrot heads complete with a Tiki bar inside the rear doors. It works perfectly for them and what they will use it for. A little open mindedness goes a long way.

I would kill to have the money and time to buy an Expedition vehicle like a Unicat, Earthroamer, Unimog or MB conversion and spend a year traveling across Australia in luxury. Ya...they have ladders to get inside. It's necessary for adequate ground clearance. They have to carry spare parts, food, water, clothing, navigation equipment...everything needed to travel for weeks across deserts, remote wilderness ect.... They need a lot of storage out of necessity which does take away from interior space. Although the larger chassis have surprisingly open interiors. We saw several when my wife and I were stationed in Germany. Just a lottery ticket away.

[Prem]

Oh. I see.

Prem

[Ageless]

KISS

[edcasey]

KISS

When I was working for Raytheon years ago, my boss told me the story of the KISS principle (many, many times). It was actually developed by Kelly Johnson, who was the lead engineer at the Lockheed Skunk Works. They applied it to the develpment of the U-2 and several other aircraft. Kiss meant to avoid unecessary complexity when designing the aircraft. It doesn't mean that design components should be omitted for simplicity.

[Ageless]

I would kill to have the money and time to buy an Expedition vehicle like a Unicat, Earthroamer

''

and that pretty much defines 'attitude'

But define 'content'

[Prem]

edcasey wrote:

I just finished build a 20 foot cargo conversion for a family of parrot heads complete with a Tiki bar inside the rear doors.

[edcasey]

edcasey wrote:

I just finished build a 20 foot cargo conversion for a family of parrot heads complete with a Tiki bar inside the rear doors.

I'll see if I can get the owners to send me some pics and permission to post them. He built the Tiki bar himself. I just did the plumbing, electric and LP systems for him. He even plans to paint a tropical theme on the exterior. Should be a serious tailgater. It's certainly unique.

[edcasey]

I would kill to have the money and time to buy an Expedition vehicle like a Unicat, Earthroamer

''

and that pretty much defines 'attitude'

But define 'content'

If contentment is your goal in life, I sincerely hope you have achieved it or will soon achieve it. I mean that with 100% sincerity.