At first glance, today’s classified appears to be an EarthRoamer, but it’s a one-off custom build. The Nitro camper began as a 2004 Xplorer Xcursion RV on an F-450 4WD chassis and has been completely reimagined and heavily modified to create a go-anywhere expedition vehicle.
Look familiar? Chris Cordes featured the build on Expedition Portal in 2018; it has also been published on nitrogearaxle.com and treadmagazine.com. Make no mistake, this vehicle is more than just a big set of wheels, tires, and a lift kit—it’s a carefully engineered off-grid rolling home. While the Nitro Gear camper may not have all of the premium features included in a used EarthRoamer, it’s less than half the price, though certainly not half the vehicle.
From the Seller:
“I have owned this camper for almost 10 years and have used it for events and camping all over the West Coast. It is very capable and only limited by its size. A lot of my camping has been during the wintertime for ski season, and this rig has allowed me to be self-contained and comfortable off-grid (it required a lot of time and dollars to winterize everything).
It’s easy to drive, effortless on the highway, tows comfortably, handles well, and has a tighter turning circle than a stock F-250. It’s also easy to park and can fit in a single space if backed in over the curb. Thanks to the slide-out rear bedroom and cabover bed, it easily sleeps a family of four or more. The truck itself has done just 85,000 miles, and the Cummins motor (swapped at 40,000 miles) has done a similar mileage.”
Specifications
17,000 pounds (wet and loaded)
Super Dana 60 front and Dana S110 rear axles
Nitro Gear 5.38 ring and pinions
Nitro Xtreme differential cover
Eaton E-locker front and Truetrac rear (rear hubs swapped to ten lug to match front)
Warn manual locking front hubs
2005 F-350 steering box with F550 pitman arm and PSC 10-inch hydraulic assist ram
Five Buckstop 20 x 11-inch heavy-duty single wheels
Goodyear G275 MSA 335/80R20 (41-inch) military tires
2005 coil-sprung F-550 frontend “Fatboy”
Stock coil springs with 2-inch leveling spacer and airbags
12,000-pound rear OE leaf packs with assist airbags (custom solid 1-inch block bolted into leaf pack)
Radflo 2.5-inch custom valved shocks (recently rebuilt)
Icon armored truck spec panhard bar
Dual commercial deep-cycle batteries
Two solar panels
Norcold 12-volt fridge
LPG propane tank, 22-gallon
LPG water heater with hydronic heat exchanger to heat while driving
LPG furnace with ducting throughout
LPG Onan 5k generator
New low-profile air conditioning unit with ducting throughout
Shower and toilet
Two sinks
Queen bed over cab and in rear
Slide-out dinette that can be converted to additional bed
Sleeps six comfortably
Freshwater tank that’s insulated and heated by furnace duct, 100-gallon
Nature’s Head composting toilet
Greywater tank with 12-volt heater pad
Vinyl wrap featuring several Washington State mountains (completed by CW Wraps just over a year ago). Bedliner was applied along the bottom for enhanced protection
LCD TV/DVD
Bluetooth stereo in camper
Three 20-gallon fuel tanks for a 600-mile-plus range
500-mile-plus range at 13.8 mpg (average is 11-12 mpg and towing 9-10 mpg)
Scheel-Mann Vario leather heated seats with armrests and custom sliding brackets
Sony head unit, aftermarket speakers, amp, subwoofer
Amp Research power steps
Bushwacker cut-out fender flares
Asfir modular bumper
Milemarker 15,000-pound winch and Masterpull synthetic line
Factor 55 ProLink shackle mount
2007 Grille
Headlight update
Hazzard Fabworks custom rear bumper and body chop
Camper update: new cooktop, cabinet hardware, LVP flooring, real slate veneer tiles, LED lighting, Sunbrella outdoor-rated upholstery, Corian countertop, Goose Gear table, deep stainless-steel sink and faucet
Engine
Original 6.0-liter Powerstroke replaced with a 2008 Cummins 6.7-liter Dynomite Diesel compound Twin Turbo conversion. The $30,000 swap was completed by Diesel Conversion Specialists in Kalispell, Montana. Work included Headstuds, banks intercooler, Mishimoto aluminum radiator, edge gauges, SCT, and EFI live programming (45,000-miles on conversion, and at the time the engine had done around the same). New Dynomite Diesel 50-horsepower injectors were fitted at a cost of $4,000 just 3,000 miles ago.
This Nitro Gear Ford Superduty 4×4 RV is listed for $125,000 and is currently located in Wenatchee, Washington. Check the full vehicle specifications via the original Expedition Portal forum post here.
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