EarthCruiser USA LLC, manufacturing leader of overland expedition vehicles designed for world travel, showcased a prototype of its new modular pop-up truck camper at the recently completed 2018 Overland Expo. Called the MOD, the sleek and modern-looking truck camper garnered a lot of interest and enthusiasm at the annual overlanding show in Flagstaff, Arizona.
On the outside, the MOD closely resembles EarthCruiser’s GZL, the company’s popular, lightweight truck camper. Unlike the GZL, however, the MOD features not only custom exterior colors to match many of today’s pickup trucks, but also custom interiors that can be built out in any way that the customer desires. What makes the MOD truly unique is that it features modular, pre-built kits that are used to outfit the interior of the camper. These kits can be assembled easily by any person handy with hand-tools and are designed in such a way that they quickly plug and play into existing mounting points already built into the shell of the camper.
“We’re super excited about the response we got at the Expo,” explained EarthCruiser’s director of marketing, Brent Baker. “The GZL is the creme-de-la-creme of truck campers and is outfitted with all of our premier options, but with the MOD you’re getting more of a utilitarian version of the GZL, a version that weighs only 800 pounds, costs less, and provides a number of build out options for the customer. We’re pretty excited about it.”
The interior of the MOD provides unlimited versatility and options to the owner. Depending on how customers choose to travel, kits can quickly be added for a kitchen sink, a shower, refrigeration, a toilet, a cook top, and additional storage. These kits can be purchased at any time, and are easy to install and take-out, allowing for continuous flexibility for any adventure. Do-it-yourself customers can even use the mounting system for custom-made kits constructed at home.
Sporting the ultra-durable, one-piece composite shell first introduced with the GZL in 2017, the MOD features a base floorplan that includes a cabover bed, dinette seating with a table that converts into a small bed, a corner storage unit, and a 12 volt electrical system used to power two ceiling lights and 12 volt accessories. Customers can equip the MOD with either a large fresh water holding tank or use standard 7 gallon Jerry cans for storing fresh water instead. According to EarthCruiser, the holding tank or Jerry cans can be mounted/stored in the large pass-through storage bay found in the front of the camper. In fact, the storage bay is so large it can easily hold seven Jerry cans, double that if you stack them one on top of the other. In addition, the MOD can be ordered with or without the Seitz acrylic dual thermopane windows and a Zamp 200 watt solar power system.
The MOD specifications for a full-size, half-ton truck include:
- Overall length: 139.41 inches
- Overall Width: 75.88 inches
- Overall Height: 57.46 inches
- Base Weight: 800 pounds
- Electrical: 12 volt (one group-27 battery)
“This show confirmed the concept that people want the ability to change out their interiors, not just when they buy the camper for the first time,” explained Baker. “With the MOD they can get into a base unit and can buy different kits and outfit it with all the pack kits that we’re going to be creating. Customers really love the idea that they can build their own interior. It’s not set in the way they get it outfitted the first time. They can take it home and reconfigure the interior to better fit the trip they’re going on, or the people that they’re taking, or just because of the way they outfitted it the first time and they want the ability to move things around. So this show just reconfirmed that we’re on right track with a really great idea.”
The starting price for the Toyota Tacoma MOD starts at a very affordable $22,000. The starting price for a slightly larger MOD for a full-size truck like the Ford F-150 or Toyota Tundra is only $23,500. EarthCruiser plans to make it available for purchase later this year.
Mike, hoped to catch you at the expo. I talked to Mr. Baker as well. I think it’s a very neat concept but for now I’ll stick with my HS6601.