<![CDATA[Jalopnik: Motorhome]]> http://cache.jalopnik.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/jalopnik.com.png <![CDATA[Jalopnik: Motorhome]]> http://jalopnik.com/tag/motorhome http://jalopnik.com/tag/motorhome <![CDATA[Syd Mead's Futuristic Playboy Land Yacht]]> Syd Mead's Land Yacht was commissioned by Playboy Magazine as the ultimate go-anywhere, do-anyone ride in an alternate Blade Runner-meets-Ladies Man future. Despite the 70's look, its predictions of modern driving technology are surprisingly accurate. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5611114&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[World's Largest Work Of Art Created With Motorhome]]> Stretching more than nine miles, this drawing in a Nevada desert is the largest work of art in the world. It was created in May by driving in circles with an RV equipped with GPS and adderall. [JimDenevan.com] More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5428151&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[DOTS-O-Rama Sunday, San Francisco Edition: Vixen 21 TD, Plus Bonus Mopar Deathwagon]]>
This is Down On The Street Bonus Edition, where we check out street-parked vehicles located in places other than the Island That Rust Forgot. We continue the San Francisco fun with this BMW-powered RV. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5153580&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[1970s Apollo Motorhome]]> Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. Since I started doing Down On The Street, I've been hoping to find an old street-parked Airstream for the series. There are a few on the island, but they're stubborn driveway dwellers, never venturing out into fair DOTS territory. However, a Hell Project Apollo motorhome, parked with most of its windows removed in an upscale East End neighborhood full of million-buck Victorians is almost as good!
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]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5073120&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[The GMC Motorhome: A Retrospective]]> It's been 30 years since a GMC Motorhome last rolled off the production line in Pontiac, MI, and the RV geeks at SQUOB have assembled a collection of ads, images and commentary to celebrate. This icon of the 1970s was piloted by everyone from Barbie to Captain America and revolutionized the RV industry with its FWD Toronado-based powertrain. The recession of the late '70s killed the GMC Motorhome off after just six years of production, but collectors and a cult following have ensured that many of the 13,000 units produced are still on the road. We'll take ours in malaise brown and green, please. [SQUOB] More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5054172&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Fleetwood Southwind RV Has Diesel Bus Looks, Gas Appetite]]> Recreational vehicle manufacturer Fleetwood, ignoring bad news about the motorhome industry, released the 2009 Southwind Class A gas RV in Minnesota last week. Apparently designed for folks who really want a Prevost coach but don't quite have the scratch, the Southwind packs the looks and luxury of a bus into a front-engine chassis powered by either a Ford 6.8-liter Triton V10 or an 8.1-liter Vortec from GM. Of course, you're gonna want to have a gas card with a healthy limit. Full release below the jump. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=399617&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[1957 International Metro Motor Home Could Make Anyone Into Hunter S. Thompson]]> After bright red Cadillac El Dorados and desert racers, we can imagine no other vehicle more capable of evoking gonzo journalistic activities than this International Motorhome. Sure it's a little rusty now, and this particular model would require the addition of a very powerful engine and multiple drug cabinets, but it's there, lurking beneath that perfectly patina'd yellow paint — the call of the open road. This gem is practically begging for misadventure and with only a day left it's going for a scant $1,047.22. Someone needs to get this before we do. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=394834&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Live the Life, In a School Bus Camper]]> We've all daydreamed about it at least a little. Thumbing our noses at the man, tossing out all our worldly possessions and hitting the open road for good, throwing caution to the wind. Then by accident you pick up an Auto Trader and flip to see page after page of dirt cheap Blue Bird school buses just waiting to enable that fantasy. Well Jake Von Slatt didn't quite go that far, but he has provided a very helpful step by step on how to convert your own bus into a rolling abode. With some ingenuity and help from a couple of friend, John transformed a decommissioned diesel pusher and built his own home away from home for about $5,200. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=356437&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Project Car Hell: You Could Live In It Edition]]> With yesterday's Choose Your Eternity poll, most of the commenters seemed to prefer the Pinto, yet 55% of voters went with the Vega. What does that mean? It means that you'll need the appropriate mobile domicile to go with your little V8-powered deathtrap, since you'll want to adopt the life of a ramblin' man (or woman). See, when that open road starts to calling you, and there's something o'er that hill that you've got to see, you need to start shopping for motorhomes! And, since this is Hell, you don't get a nice motorhome where everything works- you have a three-figure budget and lots of repairs to make! We can all thank Mad Science for the "You Could Live In It" idea. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=319781&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Maker of Huge-Ass RVs Considers Hybrid, Hydrogen-Assisted Powerplant]]> Whether you're an elderly couple who've cashed in their 401K, sold the house and hit the road, or you're the bass player in an up-and-coming indie-rock band trying to ditch that chick with the braided nether region, you know Kingsley Coach. They're a maker of high-end RVs built on heavy-duty platforms. Now the company says it's considering a hybrid or hydrogen-assisted version of its 465 horsepower K-3 model — built on a Volvo 780 chassis — making it the first hybrid RV model on the market. According to a story on Green Car Congress, Kingsley will pursue a system that's either hybrid-electric or hydrogen injection to improve gas mileage while cutting emissions. And to run internal bass amps, foot massagers and George Foreman grills inside, the company is looking at using solar panels to replace the current LPG-fueled generator. Now grandma and gramps can make it all the way from Sun Valley to Key West without spending down their principle. [Green Car Congress] More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=293865&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Explain Your Nomadism]]> Today's question comes to us courtesy of commenter AdamSonar and it reads like this:
In line with the 'living in a van tips' post you had a while back and today's '$100k NY parking space' post [Ed Note: $250k parking space], I'd like to know:
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]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=279594&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[What's Your Favorite Car Feature?]]> When I was 15 years old I went on what was supposed to be a week-long backpacking trip. We cut it short after four days because of mosquitoes. That meant that we had three extra days to kill in a big ol' motorhome before anyone expected us back home. Even better, the dads were collectively sick of driving/listening to me wine about wanting to drive. Thus, I found that little in life is as exciting as piloting a motorhome on your learner's permit. (I loved it about nine million times more than that backpacking garbage.) True, the motorhome didn't look like any of the posters I had up on my walls at the time. But it did have one feature no Countach, Testarossa or Paulina Porizkova ever did – kick-on brights. Yup, like many pre-1980s American cars, the brights went on and off with your left foot, a feature I think should return as mandatory on every vehicle. My 1985 Pontiac wagon had an altimeter (which I loved), but that may or may not have been a dealer install. What's your favorite car feature? And before anyone else calls it, dibs on the windshield-washer pump on 1953 Corvettes, which was also left-foot activated. – Jonny Lieberman More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=265549&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[World's Largest Corvair]]> The Ultra Van crowns itself as the world's largest production Corvair by way of an aluminum and fiberglass monococque shell wrapped around a Corvair transaxle. As the Ultra Van itself was conceived by aircraft designer David Peterson, the biggest Corvair is more like an aluminum airplane wing in the round than a conventional body-on-frame RV. Only about 370 Ultra Vans were ever produced. 250 of them still roam the roads. The Ultra Van is affectionately known among club members as the whale. This nickname sprang from truckers overheard on a CB radio referring to a caravan of the World's Largest Corvairs as funny little white whales on wheels. Ultra Van, ahoy! Fudgie the whale is still hanging out at your participating Carvel ice cream store. – Mike Bumbeck More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=262891&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[The Definitive Lodi Vehicular Mishap]]> Back when I had a girlfriend who hailed from the bustling metropolis of Galt, I spent a lot more time than I felt necessary in nearby Lodi. Yes, Lodi, of "Oh lord, stuck in..." fame. During that era, I developed a real appreciation for the concentrated essence-o-Central-Valley surrealism that is life in the self-proclaimed Zinfandel Capitol of the World. Now the folks at the Lodi News have brought us this story that captures that essence in just a few short paragraphs... well, words fail me. Let's just say it features the following crucial elements: Burning motorhome, roller-skating stripper, Coors-Light-can dashboard icon. Read on. – Murilee Martin More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=240527&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Angry RV Pitchman of the Day: What Did He Say?]]> RV salesmen have a code they live by. Always be ****ing. (NSFW: Language) More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=225381&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Volkswagen Bug Camper: Please Don't Blame it on the Drugs, Epilogue]]> Our story continues in the late fall of 2006 in upstate New York. Gary, now 68, puts the Volkswagen Bug camper he inherited from the estate of his lady, Janet, who was killed in a grinding scrapbooking accident, up for sale. "It's all I have left," he says, "If you don't count my collection of jaundice photos and this duffel bag full of obscure tools I won in an impromptu Chinese checkers tournament." The asking price is $20,000. Just enough, Gary says, to pay his debts and fulfill a lifelong dream of opening his very own root cellar. Godspeed, Gary. [Thanks to Matt for the tip.] – Mike Spinelli More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=222900&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Motorhome, Now With a One (Small) Car Garage]]> Tell grandpa his days of pulling his Merc SLK behind the Bluebird are over. The Volkner Mobil mobile home comes with a particularly oddball convenience: an on-board parking space. A hatch below deck of the tour-bus-sized roller is large enough to squeeze in a small vehicle, a few motorcycles or an itinerant poker game. It's currently on display at the Caravan Fair in Dusseldorf, Germany. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=197303&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Some Mod Cons: The Innovan]]> Australians, who've got about six square feet of usable land out of 10 blazillion square miles of real estate, are extremely attuned to the use of space. (Yep, made that one right up.) Nonetheless, the Innovan camper is clearly all about efficency. The unit fits in the back of a full-sized pickup, and blossoms outward — bursting forth in a resplendant array of campsite furnishings in about 30 seconds. Innovan is seeking international distributors and licensees for the design. The company, which is looking for distributors, says it'll cost between $19,000 US and $27,000 US, depending on spec. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=196027&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Perfect for Pedro: The GMC MotorHome]]> As we were walking back from supper at Louie's Chinese Restaurant #2, we spied a white GMC MotorHome that looked like it'd been painted with a brush. Pedro, with its salt air, light breeze, Southern California sun and "Trespassers Will Be Eaten" signs, is the perfect place for such a vehicle. In fact, it would be the perfect Jalopnik Mobile Command Post, suitable for car shows, races, and anywhere a 455-powered front-drive vehicle that isn't a Toronado may be required. The GMC MotorHome may have slipped down PCH from Malibu Barbie to Pedro Davey, but damn if we're not in lust all over again. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=177539&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[What Th'?: BMW Motorhome Edition]]> Despite that telltale rondel slapped on its rear section, this odd duck is not, say, some prototype 11-Series sedan. It's actually a Vixen 21 RV of late-1980s vintage. A sharp-eyed reader with a cameraphone snapped a roadway shot of one of the rare models, which left the factory powered by a 2.4-liter BMW-sourced turbodiesel producing 115 hp (and — uh oh — a Renault-sourced five-speed manual). That's all it needed, considering it's one of the smallest RVs ever built (it was designed to be "garagable"). The Vixen was the brainchild of ex-executives from GM and DeLorian, William T. Collins and Robert M. Dewey, which of course had nothing to do with the company going bankrupt three years after its first RVs were built in 1986. Vixens sold for between $40,000 and $54,000 during those years, but collectors now routinely pay up to half that for one in good condition. [Thanks to Zack for the shot.] More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=164615&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Break Like The Wind: Terra Wind]]> Man, this site rules so much that it's hard to really know where to start with it. Ever since we saw a parade of Amphicars tool down the Sacramento River, we've been smitten with the idea of amphibious vehicles. John and Julie Giljam founded Cool Amphibious Manufacturers International out of a frustration that they couldn't find non-military-surplus amphibious vehicles for their tour company. Now they've got an amphibious RV, a Ford Excursion-based yacht tender, and an LS2-powered amphibious sports car in their lineup, as well as their original design, the Hydra Terra. We've seen the Terra Wind on TV, and the thing is simply mind-boggling. More »
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