Founder Bill Swails Discusses The Inception & Execution Of Building An RV To Battle The Elements
A love for nature and solace found outside of the conventional regimen are often common denominators driving those captivated by the outdoors lifestyle. Some travelers appreciate the comforts of traditional RV camping along with lovely day hikes on well-kept trails not venturing too far away from modern consolations. On the other hand, some adventurers are motivated to voyage off the beaten path, deep into raw untouched nature leaving behind modern comforts. The team at a Colorado-based company called EarthRoamer caters to the unique intermediate market between these two extremes for customers that have heavy-duty needs with refined tastes. They have even coined the term “Xpedition Vehicle” or XV to differentiate their units from traditional recreational vehicles (RVs).
Before starting the company, EarthRoamer founder Bill Swails, told the Buzz that he frequently trekked into the backcountry of Colorado hiking and capturing images of unspoiled nature in a popup camper he put on the back of his pickup truck. “I was really disappointed in the quality and the functionality of [the camper], and thought that I could do better,” recalls Swails.
When Swails initially started EarthRoamer, it was simply a website devoted to travel writing and nature photography, a few of his life passions. On the side, Swails would also write for outdoor publications and often share the progression of his own RVing experience as well as modifications made to his personal RV. “As I started customizing my camper more and more, I found out there was a lot of interest in the vehicle I was building,” explains Swails. “So that was kind of the initial foundation for getting it all started.” Soon after Swails announced he was going into the manufacturing business, two of Swails’s readers placed orders for their own EarthRoamer XV unit.
Looking back, Swails says he had been “engineering [EarthRoamer XV] in [his] head for many, many years” so when the time came to manufacture his first unit the “conceptual design was already well done.” To fulfill its off-roading nature, Swails recognized the vehicles had to have a large fuel capacity, a large water supply and include “everything [needed] to live comfortably for long periods of time off-grid.”
As part of this vision, each EarthRoamer is made to order and starts with a four-wheel drive Ford F-550 cabin chassis truck with a V8 diesel engine directly from the manufacturer and adds 26-ply military grade tires, a 90-gallon fuel tank, and 90-gallons of fresh water capacity to the unit. Depending on the users objective, the Ford cab sizing options range from Regular Cab, Super Cab and Crew Cab with two different camper body lengths that range from 25 to 28 feet. It has a gross vehicle weight rating of 19,500 pounds, can tow up to 10,000 pounds and accommodate 2-8 people depending on the size of cab and camper body chosen.
The vehicle’s original factory suspension is modified with aftermarket air springs, which allows users to level the XV unit while off-road and in camp. EarthRoamer also adds a large steel bumper with mounting points for winching operations and additional LED off-road lights. Other aftermarket accommodations that make EarthRoamer appealing to its niche outdoor audience are continuous hot water, an induction cook top, a bathroom with shower and washer/dryer set.
EarthRoamer’s seamless camper body design is attached as an extension to the truck and a unique aftermarket modification to the vehicle, elevating the quality over traditionally designed recreational vehicles. “Our camper body is a one-piece, molded composite body, whereas most RVs are made from wood or aluminum…a lot of small pieces fastened together,” Swails compared of the design approaches. “By doing the one-piece structure, we end up with really good insulation, [a] really strong structure, and no seams for leaks.”
Conductive to off-grid independence, EarthRoamer has an engine driven charging system and a substantial 2.4-kilowatt roof solar panel array combined with a 25-kilowatt hour battery bank to power the vehicle and store electricity. Of course, there is also a 30 amp plug-in option, but no propane or generator is required to power the unit. Collectively, these three charging options can supply power to the vehicle for extended periods of time due to the large battery bank and purposefully chosen low-draw appliances and LED lighting.
“You have to handpick your components so everything is efficient with a cohesive design,” added EarthRoamer President and COO Tyler Tatro regarding the intentional engineering process behind each model. “You can’t just add solar to something and expect for it to work well.”
While testing limits of EarthRoamer on a trip in Mexico, Tatro told The Buzz he “was able to watch a movie at night, run a fan all night, make coffee in the morning, run the microwave at will, [and] run the refrigerator indefinitely” using a unit that’s solar power output was 50% of what the company currently offers on their XV models. “You can do [those things] for as long as you want just off solar power.”
With vast amounts remote campsites throughout the countryside yet to be explored, EarthRoamer is “a vehicle in both a literal sense and a physical sense, to get people off the beaten path [and] out of their daily grind,” summed up Tatro. Our customers want “to fulfill a dream that people have always had of traveling the States or [exploring] Alaska and we sell a product that enables [them] to live [that] certain lifestyle.”
Jannie Schaffer
A graduate of the Fashion Institute Of Technology in New York City with a degree in Interactive Marketing, Jannie has worked both in media and the mobile electronics industry. She enjoys traveling and spending time in nature.
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Earth Roamer, whose owners rely on their vehicles in harsh environments so they build them to last. Earth Roamer uses the highest quality materials, hardware and components available to create the best-selling Xpedition Vehicle model in the world.