7.5 ton (7500kg or 8.27 US Ton), a magical number for many who dream of their own expedition truck. Marketing tries to convince you it is within reach. A recent article in a German offroad magazine even had the bold title “Honest 7.5 Ton”. But here is what the past 4 years – through building an expedition truck and talking to many owners – taught us:
Yes it possible, BUT you might need to leave your love one at home …. and your fuel and/or water! Oh, and be ready to compromise on a lot more too.
The official versus real weight
Here is the thing. In many countries driving a vehicle above 7.5ton requires a different class of drivers license. Therefore, it’s more convenient if you can stick below that number. Like in the regular motorhome business (where the magical number is 3.5ton) manufactures try to get their vehicles registered as a <7.5 ton. We understand that. BUT what they do not tell you, if you don’t explicitly ask, is how they weighed the vehicle and how much extra weight you can still take with you. So be ready to ask questions and do some calculations.
Be aware that in some countries expedition trucks have the option in which class they are registered: as a motorhome/camper or a regular heavy-duty vehicle (semi, lorry, … ). And as a result they weigh the truck differently. So check if the diesel and the water tanks were full when the truck rolled on the scale.
For example, when we put our truck on the scale, all the tanks– 300 l (79 US Gallon) diesel & 430 l (114 US Gallon) water – were filled up, everything was installed, I was still sitting in the truck (we will skip that weight 😉 ), and most of the cabinets were already in use too. Our weight was 9.2 ton.
So is it then all a lie?
There are full size expedition trucks (we’re not talking about vans or lightweight commercial vehicles etc) that stay under 7.5 ton. A few even without lying in their paperwork. But there aren’t many, and they did need to compromise on things you might not want to.
In the choice of our vehicle (one that is build to tackle rough terrain) and the material used inside the camper unit, we chose for durability and reliability over lightweight. And yes, the terrace and bike rack added extra weight. But leaving them off wouldn’t have kept the truck under 7.5 ton and even if they had, they are so worth it!
In addition, we wanted to enjoy the freedom of traveling overland and be as independent as possible. Thus, carrying food and water for more than the average week, making wild camping and remote journeys possible.
Thus, if you want an expedition truck that is truly ready for serious adventures, 7.5 ton is more fiction than fact.
Are you ready for a sensational adventure?
Then this is a ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME opportunity to own our unique and high-end expedition truck. The only thing you need to do is turn the key and go.
More information can be found here:
Happy travels,
Nicole & Elmer
Terratrotter®