I spent a night in an EarthCruiser overlanding RV and saw why people are shelling out $350,000 for the luxurious home on wheels

Inside the EarthCruiser Terranova — Brittany Chang/Insider

I spent a night in EarthCruiser's popular $350,000 Terranova overlanding RV.
The Oregon vehicle maker continues to see "significant demand" for this model.
The large bed, kitchen, and secret bathroom made the Terranova the most luxurious vehicles I've been in.

I spent a night in overlanding vehicle maker EarthCruiser's luxurious $350,000 Terranova.

The EC Terranova — Brittany Chang/Insider

It was my first time doing an overnight in a RV or overlander.

And somehow, it ended up being one of the most luxurious travel accommodations I've ever stayed in.

Overlanders aren't your typical recreational vehicle.

Instead, these beefed up RVs are designed to take a heavy beating.

Additions like upgraded suspension systems, tow bars, and weatherproofed interiors make these tiny homes on wheels the perfect vessel for remote off-grid and off-road life.

So if you think RV resorts and campgrounds are now too packed …

RVs at Camp Margaritaville Pigeon Forge — Brittany Chang/Insider

… you might be better off overlanding to destinations a normal vehicle can't travel to.

Throughout the years, Bend, Oregon-based EarthCruiser has attracted travelers looking for luxurious yet durable vehicles that can sustain life in the middle of nowhere.

I've always been a big fan of traditional camping and "glamping," but I've never had a reason to try out the overlanding lifestyle until EarthCruiser invited me to visit its headquarters to test its popular Terranova model.

RV companies like EarthCruiser saw skyrocketing interest during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

And it seems like this interest has yet to fizzle out for EarthCruiser.

The company has continued to see "significant demand" for the Terranova since it first introduced the large overlander to market in 2021.

Source: Insider

And after spending a night in the bulky home on wheels, I see why overlanders have flocked to the build.

Unfortunately for me, starting out with an EarthCruiser might not have been the best decision.

The Terranova has raised my standards: The vehicle was shockingly comfortable and surpassed all of my expectations.

And I'm not sure many future RVs and overlanding vehicles will be able to compare to the spacious home on wheels.

Before this, the closest I ever got to spending a night in a RV was staying at two AutoCamps, a wildly popular luxury campground using static Airstream trailers as hotel rooms.

Autocamp Yosemite's Airstream suites under shade and trees — Autocamp Yosemite's Airstream suites.
Brittany Chang/Insider

Source: Insider

But that experience doesn't compare to true RVing.

A bedroom inside Autocamp Joshua Tree's Airsteram trailer with white accents, a bed with pillows, curtains over windows. — Brittany Chang/Insider

My Airstream hotel room had a large water heater, separate bathroom with a tiled shower, and a kitchen large enough for two home cooks.

Autocamp Joshua Tree's Airsteram trailer with a kitchen near the bedroom and windows. — Brittany Chang/Insider

AutoCamp's Airstreams were more akin to a traditional hotel room or "glamping" site than a true RV.

A row of Airstream trailers at Autocamp's Joshua Tree location. — Brittany Chang/Insider

And shockingly, that's how I felt when I spent a night in the EarthCruiser Terranova as well.

I've been writing about EarthCruiser's undeniably expensive overlanders since 2020.

EarthCruiser EXP 2020 49 — EarthCruiser EXP 2020.
EarthCruiser

Source: Insider

As an overlanding newcomer who did extensive research on EarthCruiser, I thought I knew what to expect before I stepped foot into the 24-foot-long Terranova.

But all my years of writing about the Oregon company did not prepare me for the surprise I felt when I first looked around the large vehicle.

A 6.75-foot-wide home may not seem spacious.

But somehow, the Terranova and its tall ceilings — when the pop-top roof was engaged — felt surprisingly spacious for what it was: a home perched atop a Ford F350.

I had the whole Terranova to myself but the vehicle could've comfortably accommodated another adult.

There were two separate beds to sleep four people …

… but a family of four might've been a tight squeeze.

Source: Insider

The layout made the vehicle feel like a multi-space studio apartment.

The narrower kitchen and bathroom separated the larger lofted "bedroom" and living room.

And as I moved around, I never found myself short on space.

The horseshoe-shaped dinette had leather cushioned seats that made it the perfect multi-purpose living room.

If I was working on the road, these comfortable seats and the adjustable table would've made for an ideal remote office.

My only slight complaint was that the cushions weren't strapped into the seats.

During my one-hour drive to the remote campsite, several of the cushions were thrown out of place — luckily, it was nothing too inconvenient to put back into place.

This dinette could've also converted into a second bed, but I never needed to test this feature.

I already had my own bed towards the front of the overlander.

The bed was pretty high up. To make accessing it less of a hassle, the Terranova had built-in retractable steps.

But I'm agile. So out of sheer ironic laziness, I opted to climb my way up.

Being this high up meant great views out the windows — including a skylight — and of the rest of the overlander.

Up here, the ceiling wasn't tall enough for me to stand up straight. But I still had more than enough room to sit up without worrying about the overhead clearance.

This lofted bed also conveniently had bedside lights and outlets, which meant there was no need to climb in and out of bed just to check my phone.

While the mattress doesn’t compare to my plush bed with six pillows at home, it was still surprisingly comfortable for a bed on the road.

And unlike the alternative (a sleeping bag on the dirt ground), I didn't wake up with an aching back.

Despite a prior tour from Clive Watson, EarthCruiser's affable customer experience and training manager, I somehow couldn't get the heater to turn on properly.

And I committed a classic rookie mistake: I didn't fully zip up the insect and privacy screens on the windows before I went to sleep.

To my dismay, I didn't realize this until I woke up with cold feet (literally) in the middle of the cold Oregon night, although the vehicle's foam insulation definitely helped keep me from feeling unbearably cold.

And yet, sleeping in the Terranova was still exponentially more comfortable than my prior camping experiences.

For the first time in months, I was able to drift off in a soundless night devoid of sirens and people shouting by my window.

The kitchen separating this bed from the convertible dinette was large enough for two adults to prepare a meal.

Size-wise, it was nearly comparable to the Airstream trailer I had at AutoCamp.

And unlike that trailer, I had an electric cooktop inside the Terranova.

The deep sink was my perfect makeshift bathroom as I brushed my teeth and washed my face before bed …

… and became a catch-all place for all loose items that had to be secured before hitting the road.

And the addition of a drinking water faucet was also a convenient and well-thought-out detail that I imagine only longtime overlanders would've thought of.

I didn't have to cook dinner during my little EarthCruiser sleepover.

But the surprisingly long L-shaped fiberglass counter …

… slide out-refrigerator and freezer …

… and deep sink would've made preparing a meal in the middle of nowhere an unexpectedly easy task.

There were several drawers in the kitchen unit to store cookware, utensils, and dry goods.

But if that's not enough, the countertop by the base of the bed also had several built-in drawers.

Looking for storage felt like playing a game of "I spy."

There were drawers and cabinets scattered all throughout the Terranova, including some hidden in the floor …

… the trash can tucked into the kitchen …

… and more storage under the dinette's seat cushions.

But nothing was more hidden than the Terranova's makeshift bathroom.

Up until now, you probably haven't seen the bathroom in any of these photos.

That's because its toilet and shower were hidden in the large storage unit behind the kitchen and in front of the entryway door.

To an untrained eye, the bathroom might have been impossible to find: Its only giveaway was the plastic toilet paper roll cover and slatted floor.

The "room" in bathroom was just this wood flooring.

The toilet pulled out over this floor.

And if I wanted to take a shower, I could've either done it outside or extended the shower curtain around the wood panels to create a makeshift shower stall using the plug-in shower head, shown below.

The toilet on my Terranova wasn't working during my overnight stay, but I can only assume it was more comfortable than my alternative for the night.

Besides the hidden bathroom and four wheels, the Terranova functioned almost identically to a tiny studio.

The biggest difference was its control panel.

Conserving resources like water and power is important when you're in the middle of nowhere.

So features like the heater, air conditioner, water, and lights needed to be turned off when not in use.

Luckily, the easy-to-use touchscreen control panel kept all of these on and off buttons in one location.

And it was definitely more convenient than hunting for separate manual switches.

Small touches of luxurious and thoughtful design elements like this were integrated throughout the Terranova …

… like the staircase that automatically lowered when the front door was opened …

… and the pop-top roof that was easily raised and lowered by pressing a button on the key fob.

After spending a night in the EarthCruiser, it's easy to see the appeal of overlanding vehicles.

A workhorse like Terranova allows travelers to vacation and adventure where most RVers can't go, creating a feeling of both privacy and exclusivity.

And it's so refreshing to wake up to fresh air and views of nature instead of the sight of other RVs at an RV resort.

Despite being off-grid, the Terranova had every amenity a person could want for a comfortable life on the road.

And I'll admit its luxury — specifically the addition of a kitchen, bathroom, climate control, and comfortable bed — made me prefer it over a sleeping bag and tent.

The Terranova essentially functions as a traditional studio apartment with less space and four wheels.

It's undoubtedly a high-end way to RV or glamp.

But after less than 24 hours in the Terranova, I now empathize with overlanders who are shelling out hundreds of thousands of dollars for their own EarthCruiser.

If I had an extra $350,000 to spare and a yearning for life on the road, I would consider buying a Terranova for myself as well. But for now, I'll settle on my less expensive and non-moving apartment.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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