As most of you know, The Betty (II) is no more. The damage sustained from a tough six months on the road has done her in. The final blow was a broken gray water line that subsequently rotted the entire floor. The camper was totaled out by the insurance company and sent to auction. At the end of the day it worked out for the best, receiving a pay out for more than the original purchase price.
Over the course of the summer I had plenty of windshield time to think about plans for the future. Most importantly, how I can keep this lifestyle alive. I've enjoyed writing this blog and sharing photos and experiences. Many full time RV'ers use writing and photography to fund there road life, but this has never been a big motiviation for me. My background has been construction, from Lincoln Logs as a kid, to carpentry through high school and college, and most recently in the power industry. Adding that to a borderline obsession with cars and trucks creates an interesting dynamic. There are still countless hot wheels and models packed away at my parents house in Minnesota. Since the age of 16 I've been through more vehicles than most people go through in there lives, heck, even my first word was "car".
Over the course of the summer I had plenty of windshield time to think about plans for the future. Most importantly, how I can keep this lifestyle alive. I've enjoyed writing this blog and sharing photos and experiences. Many full time RV'ers use writing and photography to fund there road life, but this has never been a big motiviation for me. My background has been construction, from Lincoln Logs as a kid, to carpentry through high school and college, and most recently in the power industry. Adding that to a borderline obsession with cars and trucks creates an interesting dynamic. There are still countless hot wheels and models packed away at my parents house in Minnesota. Since the age of 16 I've been through more vehicles than most people go through in there lives, heck, even my first word was "car".
My first adventure mobile. Back from a trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Northern Minnesota, 2003. There'll always be a soft spot in my heart for 4Runners.
As the road trip continued the pieces of the puzzle started coming together. With my drive for exploration and outdoor experiences I finally had a direction to take. That direction was to create an outdoor expedition and overland business. Combining my love for trucks, building, and the outdoors and share them with people who have similar interests.
The idea evolved over the summer. It all started to click during the latter part of the trip. The original idea was to convert a couple of sprinter vans(small delivery vans) into adventure oriented RVs and rent them to fellow adventurers. My key demographic would be people who don't have the time or finances to build their own adventure mobile. After spending all summer meeting people daily who are living in some type of vehicle or want to join in on the road life, I felt there was a strong market for this type of company.
As my journey continued, so did the brainstorming. The Betty and I continued to push the capabilities of the truck/camper setup. Going farther into the backcountry. As the need for 4 wheel drive and ground clearance became more of a necessity than a luxury, the sprinter van quickly went out the window. I was going to need something rougher and tougher.
I began scouring the internet for a vehicle that would meet those standards and also be affordable. The obvious choice would be a Sportsmobile or Earthroamer. Both are built for hardcore, offroad exploration. But with price tags way out of reach, I needed to be more creative. It was a friend who showed me a picture of Mitsubishi Fuso with a camper bolted to the back. Never heard of a Fuso right? Me neither. They gave me the owners contact info and we had a long Fuso chat. Randall has been living in his year round in Silverton, CO with a wood stove to boot! A camper that could negotiate the San Juan Mountains and livable in a cold Silverton winter, I was sold. The truck was also available with 4x4 from the factory. This was the rig I needed.
The idea evolved over the summer. It all started to click during the latter part of the trip. The original idea was to convert a couple of sprinter vans(small delivery vans) into adventure oriented RVs and rent them to fellow adventurers. My key demographic would be people who don't have the time or finances to build their own adventure mobile. After spending all summer meeting people daily who are living in some type of vehicle or want to join in on the road life, I felt there was a strong market for this type of company.
As my journey continued, so did the brainstorming. The Betty and I continued to push the capabilities of the truck/camper setup. Going farther into the backcountry. As the need for 4 wheel drive and ground clearance became more of a necessity than a luxury, the sprinter van quickly went out the window. I was going to need something rougher and tougher.
I began scouring the internet for a vehicle that would meet those standards and also be affordable. The obvious choice would be a Sportsmobile or Earthroamer. Both are built for hardcore, offroad exploration. But with price tags way out of reach, I needed to be more creative. It was a friend who showed me a picture of Mitsubishi Fuso with a camper bolted to the back. Never heard of a Fuso right? Me neither. They gave me the owners contact info and we had a long Fuso chat. Randall has been living in his year round in Silverton, CO with a wood stove to boot! A camper that could negotiate the San Juan Mountains and livable in a cold Silverton winter, I was sold. The truck was also available with 4x4 from the factory. This was the rig I needed.
Randall and crew with his beast of a Fuso
I started the hunt for a 4x4 fuso right away. Turns out there are only a handful of the 4x4 models imported each year to the US. Also it is the only 4x4 cab-over-engine available in North America. The Fuso is the number one selling commercial truck sold worldwide. They are known for their reliability and ruggedness. In Austrailia they are used as tanker trucks in the outback, so they gotta be tough.
Test drive day
I could only find 3 for sale in the US, but one just happened to be in Colorado Springs! I hit the road from Durango to test drive this "unicorn" of a vehicle. The Fuso was suprisinly easy to drive and felt like you were siting in front of a picture window doing 65 down the highway. The next week and half was spent lining up financing for the newest project and the flag ship of my future company. The rarity of this vehicle was evident during the purchasing process. A gentleman had flown in from San Fransico and was camped out in Colorado Springs waiting for my finaning to fall through. Luckily it didn't, and I'm now the proud owner of a 2005 Mitsubishi Fuso FG140!
I had the dealer remove the cargo box. It was too bulky and wanted a clean slate.
Since the purchase I have been researching the type of build for the Fuso. I have looked at everything from a custom box from the ground up, to small trailers, and truck campers. Most recently I have been working with some off road companies in Denver that will help me with fabrications and also networking within the local overlanding world.
The Cab-Over-Engine design gives you the most bed space to work with. When complete, it will be shorter than my F250 and truck camper combo.
Another major focus is getting the actual company off the ground. I will operate under the name "Into The Wild Expedition Rentals" and will be based out of Denver, Colorado. The website is nearing completion where build updates will be posted, vehicle availability, and other expedition related items.
As a new company, Into The Wild Expedition Rentals is looking for partners, investors, and brand sponsorship. Below I have attached a draft of my proposal/business letter. Please feel free to contact me with any inquires.
Link to Contact Info
Link to Contact Info
It appears that the proposal letter is not working on mobile devices. I have added a downloadable version below.
| Into The Wild Expedition Rentals |
The official Into The Wild Expedition Rentals website will be up and live shortly. I will post up a blog announcing its launch.
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