Global Expedition Vehicles

Exploring the Earth, Roads are Optional
Article Date: March, 2015

Article and Photography by Mark Quasius

Your typical RV is taken for weekend regional trips as well as longer vacations, traveling between RV parks and campgrounds. Dry camping is possible to some extent but the energy and water demands of the typical RV have their limitations. That's fine for most RV owners, who consider themselves "travelers". But what about those who would like to get off the beaten path and see and experience areas not attainable by the typical RV. These people are true "explorers" and they need a vehicle capable of transporting them to these areas and providing suitable living accommodations. This opens up a whole new class of RV, called Expedition Vehicles.

Expedition Vehicles are a major departure from your basic RV. They are designed to be able to traverse terrain that is inaccessible for most RVs and need to be durable enough to hold up under the stress of driving over terrain not suitable for most vehicles. Expedition vehicles generally don't utilize campgrounds either so they need to be self-sufficient to a greater degree than other RVs. These requirement dictate a whole new way of thinking when designing and building expedition vehicles.

The leader in this field is Global Expedition Vehicles. GXV produces a wide range of vehicles that can be customized for your specific travel style. Units range from a heavy duty four wheel drive pickup truck chassis, to the Mercedes Unimog chassis, to larger units based on Navistar or Freightliner chassis. If you want to go extreme, GXV can build you a unit based on BAE 6x6 or even Mercedes 8x8 chassis if you so desire.

Think Green

GXV vehicles are extremely environmentally friendly. Compared to the typical RV, GXV vehicles use less fuel based on equal hours of usage. Every GXV body is highly insulated and features energy efficient windows. Solar panels provide power to Lithium-Ion battery banks, which can also be recharged via wind powered generators. The water heater, cooktop and furnace are all powered by diesel fuel, which is a more efficient source of fuel than propane and readily available worldwide. Bio-diesel can also be used. Wastewater is minimized by the use of composting toilets or cassette toilets. GXV also uses cork flooring, bamboo interiors and other renewable materials whenever possible.

Vehicle selection depends on where you want to do your exploring. If your overland travel is basically limited to North America, a domestic chassis would be the best choice. Smaller units built on a Ford F-250/550 or Dodge 4500/5500 chassis will let you get into tight areas with ease. If you want more room, the Patagonia can be built on a heavy duty Freightliner or Navistar chassis. These can be 4x4 or 6x6 and configured with single, extended or crew cab configurations. The Pangea takes it a step further and offers a lifting roof that can be raised to expose a huge loft sleeping area while still allowing use of the main living area. If you plan on traveling abroad or doing an around-the-world expedition, a chassis such as DAF, MAN or Mercedes would be a good choice due to better service access when traveling abroad. Chassis like the Mercedes Unimog offer the ability to burn high-sulphur diesel fuel as well, which can be a boon when traveling in less developed nations. Basically, GXV will build your unit on whichever chassis is best suited for your travel plans.

Safari Extreme

The vehicle we spent the most time with was the Safari Extreme, which is built on a Mercedes Unimog chassis. This chassis is nothing short of amazing. Three locking differentials allow you to lock either axle from left to right as well as a center differential to lock both axles together. The electronic shift transmission lets you select the desired gear and range. When you stab the clutch the transmission automatically shifts to that gear. The forward control cab has a deep windshield that lets you see the area immediately in front of the vehicle. When driving a Unimog chassis I was surprised to find how it handled. It stuck to the road on curves like a sports car, yet when it came time to go off road it escalated to simply amazing. As a passenger, climbing a steep bank all I saw was sky. Cresting the bank was effortless and going down the other side I was so close to vertical that all I saw was the ground ahead of me and had to place my hands on the windshield to keep from leaving nose prints on the glass. The vehicle was truly unstoppable.

The Unimog chassis is designed for universal travel. Simply release a few locking levers and the entire instrument panel, steering wheel and foot pedals can be slid from side to side to accommodate left hand drive or right hand drive. The chassis has numerous power take-off options. A front mechanical PTO can be used as a drive source while a number of hydraulic connections allow use of hydraulic accessories. Winches and auxiliary lighting are all standard on GXV vehicles. Spare tires can be mounted on the front bumper or on the rear of the vehicle with a lowering mechanism. A cargo carrier is mounted to the roof of the cab for carrying bulky cargo, water cans, food storage, etc.

Vehicles can be custom ordered and equipped to meet each customer's needs. This particular unit was destined for an African safari company and included a mast that telescopes to 27' which includes a high end camera that displays images inside the vehicle on a 46" TV. The window over the dinette is mounted in a large flip-out wall section that can be opened up to afford a greater viewing area

Durability

Now that we've established that GXV vehicles can get to out of the way places, the next issue is durability. The stress of overland travel creates unique requirements on this type of vehicle. GXV begins by mounting their coach to the frame with a proprietary Kinetic Mounting System that prevents the coach from flexing by allowing the frame and suspension to articulate and twist but isolates those dynamic forces from the expedition body. This system also helps to isolate the coach from road vibration and noise when driving. Every GXV design is rigorously tested for articulation and stress with a cross test.

The sidewalls are constructed with a structural composite sandwich panel. This eliminates thermal conduction paths by eliminating any aluminum tubing required in normal stick framed construction. The fiberglass reinforced polyester outer plies are vacuum bonded to the inner foam and finished with a gel coat. Typical wall thickness is 60mm (2.36") and provides superior strength to handle the flexing, wind and extreme temperatures of overland travel. The 110mm floor structure is similar but also includes an integrated welded frame structure.

GXV utilizes efficient marine grade wiring and electrical components to maximize available power and minimize electrical consumption. Typical flooded batteries can only be used to around 50% of their rated capacity without damage to the battery and also need to be located in a vented exterior compartment due to the hydrogen outgassing during charging. AGM batteries remove the outgassing element and offer a bit more useable amp-hrs before battery damage but still aren't perfect. GXV utilizes Lithium-Ion batteries, which are the ultimate, although quite expensive. With Lithium-Ion batteries there is no outgassing and the full rated amount of the battery capacity can be used. GXV places Lithium-Ion batteries in a storage area inside the body and gives a GXV vehicle the maximum possible battery power.

Plumbing needs are met by a 125 gallon fresh water tank and 25 gallon gray water tank. A cassette toilet is provided for convenient waste disposal when traveling overland. All plumbing is installed inside the vehicle to prevent any possibility of freezing when camping in cold weather. A water filtration system is provided and filling the fresh water tank from a stream is possible via a water pump and the microbiological drinking filter installed at the kitchen sink. HVAC systems consist of a 15,000 BTU air conditioner with heat pump and a Webasto hydronic heating system that also serves as an engine block preheater. Domestic hot water needs are met by an Isotherm hot water heater, which is heated by the Webasto boiler.

Interior and Amenities

The interior of our particular Safari Extreme was finished with quarter sawn teak cabinetry with four coats of hand rubbed varnish. The flooring was oiled teak but a wide selection of woods and other materials can be chosen, such as bamboo, cork or any other hardwood. The dinette window was installed in a Natural Opening Wall. This panel can be opened to give you a much larger opening so that you can take in a larger view or bring more of the outside ambience into your RV. This is a real plus when viewing wildlife or just taking in an awesome sunset and is a photographer's dream come true.

The galley is furnished with marine grade components. A stainless steel sink is recessed into the Granite counter top while a microwave/convection oven is located in the cabinetry over the two drawer stainless steel refrigerator/freezer unit. The drawers latch into place for travel and, unlike traditional hinged doors, prevents any food containers from falling out when the fridge is opened after travel. Interior cabinets are also made with locking latches. A simple push of the button locks the cabinet or drawer and prevents it from opening during travel.

If you're the kind of traveler who wants to truly explore, overland travel is a great way to see the world. Overland travel is gaining in popularity and the annual Overland Expo is a great place to introduce yourself to this kind of travel and meet with other overlanders. Global Expedition Vehicles is an excellent choice to custom build an expedition vehicle tailored to your needs. GXV's owners are seasoned overland travelers and fully understand what works and what doesn't and can use that experience to help design the perfect vehicle for any prospective buyer. The UXV on a Ford F-550 or Dodge 5500 series domestic pickup truck chassis of your choice is perfect for domestic travel or for getting into small rural towns when traveling abroad. The Safari Extreme and Global Traveler series on Mercedes chassis are perfect for international travel while the Patagonia and Pangea are designed where a larger vehicle is desired and can be offered on any choice of domestic or imported heavy duty chassis, including eight wheel drive if you want to go whole hog. Extraordinary travel requires extraordinary vehicles and Global Expedition Vehicles can certainly meet those needs.

Source

Global Expedition Vehicles
(417) 582-5050
www.globalxvehicles.com

Overland Expo
(520) 591-1410
www.overlandexpo.com

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