The
latest in the 29-year dynasty of Turtle Expedition research
trucks, the all new Turtle V and its Tortuga Expedition
Camper may take us another step toward the elusive goal of ěthe
ultimate backroad travel/adventure vehicle, but it is an experiment.
It isn't often that The Turtle Expedition builds a new travel/research
vehicle, but when we do, our goals are unwavering: safety, comfort,
functional performance, and above all, reliability.
Ford's
Super Duty F-550 4X4, powered by the reliable International Power
Stroke Intercooled Turbo Diesel, puts this truck in a class by itself,
while still maintaining the comfort and maneuverability of the American
pick-up. The cab is the same as an F-250, but a closer look reveals
a massive Dana 135 differential in the rear, with a frame and suspension
designed to carry a GVWR of 17,500 pounds!! We are talking Heavy-Duty.
Kind of like an F-350 on steroids! The Dana 60 differential up front
has served us well over the years, but we are working to resolve problems
with the sealed bearing assembly which cannot be serviced on the road.
A
custom, European-style, expedition camper has been designed and mounted
to the chassis of the F-550 using a three-point suspension system.
In 2001-2002, The Turtle Expedition will start some serious
testing. Build-up articles have appeared in Four Wheeler Magazine,
and will continue to be published in Power Stroke Registry
and Trailer Life as we explore some backroads in Mexico, Mississippi,
Florida, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Michigan. By the end of 2002,
we will have made a decision whether or not to build a limited number
of refined Tortuga Expedition Campers for sale, and we will
begin final preparation for our next big adventure. Destinations under
consideration are Mongolia, Africa, and the Northern Silk Road through
Kazakhstan and across the Taklamakan Desert in Northwestern China.
In Chinese, Taklamakan means, "If you go in, you won't come out"!
Specifications
in a Nut Shell
Base Vehicle: 1999 Ford F-550
Design and Assembly: The Turtle Expedition, Unlimited
Engine:International 7.3 L Power Stroke Turbo Intercooled Diesel V8
equipped with a 4" Magnaflow Performance Exhaust system and a K&N High
Flow air filter
Torque: 520 ft. lbs. @ 1600 rpm
Horsepower: 235 @ 2,700 rpm
Transmission: Factory six-speed
Transfer Case: Factory two-speed
Locking Hubs: Manual
Suspension: National Spring packs with dual Rancho 9000 adjustable
shocks
Rear Differential: Dana 135 with Detroit Locker
Front Differential: Dana 60 with ARB Air Locker
Tires: Michelin 335/80R20 XZL MPT
Wheels: Stockton Wheel steel (custom)
Weight: To be determined
Fuel Capacity: 80 Gallons Camper Tortuga Expedition Camper
Details
GENERAL
HISTORY 1999 to 2001:
Most
of the modifications we have made to our previous Fords to increase
their reliability were already stock on the F-550 Super Duty with the
Power Stroke V8 Turbo Intercooled Diesel. For its intended use, the
dual rear wheels had to go, yet we wanted to keep the weight capacity
up around 17,000 lbs. Adapting 20" or 22.5" custom wheels,
finding tires that could carry the weight and offer traction without
excess noise or a harsh ride, and determining the correct offset for
the wheels to allow the tires to track in line has been an ongoing dilemma.
With
the foundation more or less ready, we contracted Safari Vehicles in
Canada to build the camper. However, their work was so sloppy and
so poorly engineered, we were forced to move the project back to California.
Since then we have spent more time redoing the mistakes of Safari
Vehicles than it would have taken to start from scratch.
The underlying
obstacle has been that the concept of a true long-distance overland
four-wheel drive camper has never been developed in the United States.
The meticulous engineering we observed during our visits to European
companies like Alustar, UNICAT and Langer & Bock simply does not
exist in the North American RV market, unless you go to a 60-foot
Blue Bird or Marathon motorcoach-----but then of course, you've defeated
the purpose. They're too big to go anywhere!
Still
being weight conscious, but wanting to build a full hard-side stand-up
camper, we turned to Nida Core, an extruded polypropylene honeycomb
material similar to what airplanes are made of. Nida-Core is lighter
than balsa wood, but when sheathed with a thin layer of fiberglass,
it becomes extremely rigid, with excellent insulation properties and
extraordinary impact strength.
A box
is a box, but an expedition camper is the sum of its components. Outfitting
the inside of the Tortuga Expedition Camper became the next challenge
in this experiment. We had seen ideas in European expedition campers
that demanded our attention and envy. Could these ideas be adapted
to an American pick-up to make life on the backroads of the world
a little more comfortable.
For example,
a shower/toilet bathroom, even if it's combined, consumes a huge volume
of dead air space in a small camper. The simple solution is to put the
shower stall in the doorway. A Thetford Porta Potti slides out from
a side compartment into the same space,----which is a doorway 99% of
the time. We have poked fun at the "shit-shower-shave-cook-breakfast-at-the-same-time-please-don't-get-the
toilet paper-wet" RV designs for years, since we never had the
luxury of an inside toilet or shower. Frankly, we still fail to see
the value of having two sinks you can reach out and touch at the same
time. It's OK to brush your teeth in the kitchen. But an inside toilet
and a shower? Maybe there was a way.
Building
a custom expedition camper from the ground up for the first time,
without the use of a CAD (computer assisted design) program, has been
frustrating, to say the least. Finding craftsmen who could grasp the
concept has been difficult. You cannot ask a home kitchen cabinet
maker to build the interior of a yacht or an expedition camper, where
every
square
inch must be taken advantage of and every ounce counts. It's like
asking your local butcher to do eye surgery. Despite our ability to
assemble the most functional, reliable and highest quality components
available from RV and marine sources, it has been like gathering a
group of the best musicians in the World and asking them to play a
concert perfectly the first time. They may each be the best in their
own right, but they have never seen each other. Some don't even speak
the same language! Quality and performance is their bond, but some
practice is in order. Suspension, electrical, plumbing, and cabinetry
problems continue to delay our completion date. And then there is
$100,000.00 question:
While
every effort was made to design The Turtle V as small and compact
as possible, will it be too big to go where we want to go? It's still
a pick-up up front, and we can still pull into a single parking space
at Burger King, but its 10 foot height, 8 foot width, and 23 foot
length (bumper to spare) drives bigger and feels bigger. Some backroad
testing will give us the answer. In any case, after a year and a half
of design, planning and costly mistakes, we can fully understand now
why a similarly sized UNICAT expedition camper built in Germany on
a Mercedes Unimog or M.A.N. chassis costs from $250,000 to over $500,000,-----
and maybe they're too big too. The Turtle V and its Tortuga Expedition
Camper are still an experiment.
ENGINE:
International Power Stroke 7.3 Liter Intercooled Turbo V8. producing
520 lbs. of torque and 235 hp. Cruise control will hold at 65-70 mph
on most hills. Economy has averaged around 14.5 mpg. The Turtle Expedition
had the honor of receiving the One Millionth Power Stroke Diesel Engine.
FUEL:
Factory
fuel system has been modified by adding a Racor auxiliary fuel filter/water
separator/fuel heater. A Transfer Flow auxiliary tank was added to
boost the capacity to about 80 gallons if you top it up. The Power
Stroke is equipped with its own fuel filter/water separator and fuel
heater. An electric fuel transfer pump has replaced the mechanical
pumps of previous International diesels.
EXHAUST:
Magnaflow
Performance 4" Stainless exhaust system, custom installed by
Magnaflow.
COOLING:
Factory
towing/ambulance package includes heavy duty radiator transmission
cooler, power steering cooler and engine oil cooler.
Fleetguard ES Lifetime Coolant
ELECTRICAL:
Two Optima
Red Top starting batteries are kept fully charged by a dedicated alternator.
The engine is equipped with the dual alternator system, part of the
ambulance package.
TRANSMISSION
& TRANSFER CASE:
ZF six-speed
manual transmission and two-speed transfer case, with PTO option.
Remote breathers are attached to K&N filters.
DIFFERENTIALS:
The front
Dana 60 is equipped with an ARB Air Locking Differential system. The
rear Dana 135 holds a Detroit Locker. Remote breathers are attached
to K&N filters.
DRIVE
LINES:
Drive
lines are regularly overhauled and balanced by Central Drive Line
Service in Sacramento, CA.
BRAKES:
Both
front and rear brakes use quality Raybestos components.
WHEELS
AND TIRES:
First
set: Stockton Wheel custom 20" steel.
Tires are Michelin 335/80R20 XZL MPT
Second set: Rickson Truck Accessories custom 22.5 steel
Michelin 275/80R22.5 XDE M/S
SUSPENSION:
All spring
packs are custom made and installed by National Spring. The front
uses a SuperLift duel shock kit with Rancho 9000 adjustable shocks
set on their light setting. The rear uses single Rancho 9000's.
STEERING:
Factory
steering includes a heavy duty power steering cooler. A Rancho heavy
duty steering stabilizer is fitted. The truck is equipped with a hand-stitched
Ford leather steering wheel which incorporates the electronics for
the Ford cruise control system.
BUMPERS:
A Reunel
Extreme Duty bumper wraps around and under the Super Duty F-Series grill
to hold a 12,000-lb Warn Industrial winch with a 10-inch roller-fairlead
and 125 feet of 3/8" cable. PIAA 910's were recessed into the bumper,
and a pair of PIAA 120-watt 80 Pro-XT's were mounted on the grill guard.
A rear bumper is still under design. It will include a fold-
down
guard with a trailer hitch and a rack for bikes or other equipment.
Bumpers are powder coated by Prismatic Powders.
SEATS:
Recaro
orthopedic seats with adjustable side bolsters and head rests. Passenger
and driver's side are fitted with adjustable lumbar supports. Both
seats are full electric, with heaters and power vents. Schroth three-point
safety harnesses replace factory belts.
CENTER
CONSOLE:
A solid
walnut center console was custom made to our specifications. It holds
a Terratrip rallye trip-meter on an adjustable bracket from The Clip
Company. Two closed compartments hold a variety of travel items. A
hidden compartment is large enough for money, keys and security items.
OVERHEAD CONSOLE:
A
custom walnut overhead console contains a Cobra Night Watch Sound Tracker
CB, two Liteco halogen map lights, four JRV LED switches which control
our PIAA driving and back-up lights, the SmarTire LED interactive display
module, and the front sensor for our Passport SR1 radar & laser
detector. The Sound Tracker includes a PA and seven weather channels.
A Cobra Dynamic External Speaker increases the CB's clarity which is
fed by a Wilson Trucker 5000 antenna.
OTHER FEATURES:
•
Two Kidde Safety halon fire extinguishers are mounted in the cab.
• Full Auto Meter Comp Series mechanical gauges including Oil
Press., Water Temp., Volts, Exhaust Temp., and Boost. Stainless braided
hose was used where needed.
• Auto Meter Pro Lite oil pressure warning light
• Lowrance Globalmap 1600 dash-mounted GPS with remote antenna
• Custom space blanket windshield and side covers
• Seats are equipped with Cascade Design's Platypus Water Chest
3s which hold 3 liters of water with convenient bite tubes next to driver
and passenger.
• Kraco All-Weather floor mats
• Lund rock and bug deflector
• Lund Winter and Summer grill covers
• Covercraft custom cab cover
• Cab floor is coated with Rhino Lining
•
Dynamat soundproofing in doors and back wall
• Factory air, tilt steering and cruise control
• AM/FM/Cassette/CD stereo with premium speaker system
• Sony 10-disc CD changer
• Auxiliary keyed-alike security American locks on all doors
and exterior compartments and accessories
• Kryptonite Steering Lock
• Two sets of Pewag cross-link mud and snow chains
• Full winch kit with straps, gloves, snatch blocks, tow chain,
etc.
• Custom one-of-a-kind graphics depict drifting sand dunes and
the famous Turtle crawling over the World
• Plasticolor heavy duty mud guards designed with safety cables
for severe conditions
• Bushwacker custom fender flares painted to match truck
Camper Specifications
The Tortuga
Expedition Camper is patterned after the expedition campers we have
studied in Europe. Its walls are constructed of 1 1/2" thick
panels of Nida Core, an extruded polypropylene honeycomb material
similar to what airplanes are made of. Nida-Core is lighter than balsa
wood, but when sheathed with a thin layer of fiberglass, it becomes
extremely rigid, with excellent insulation properties and extraordinary
impact strength. The panels of Nida Core are attached to an exoskeleton
of aluminum using Sikaflex 292 marine adhesive.
GENERAL
CONSTRUCTION
•
1 1/2 inch Nida Core construction with 1/8" -3/16" fiberglass
skin on both sides set into aluminum exoskeleton
• Seitz dual-pane windows with built-in mosquito and privacy
screens.
• EuroLine triple-seal door with marine hatch cover / screened
window in entry
• Interior walls lined with 1/2" foam board and Formica
GENERAL INTERIOR
•
Liteco fluorescent lights
• Hella fluorescent lights and spot halogen reading lamps
• Twin Fantastic roof vents
• Twin Hella Turbo Fans
• Hella waterproof entry lights
• Waterproof switches inside entry for step, entry and porch
lights
WATER
SYSTEM / HEATING / SANITARY
•
40-gallon (151 liters) main fresh water tank
• Heavy duty Shurflo water pump with SHURflo accumulator tank
• Everpure two-stage water filter using EPA approved superchlorination
purification system
• Seaward 6-gallon (22.7 liters) marine water heater (heat exchange
from engine or 120-AC) (can also be heated by ESPAR Hydronic D5 Coolant
Heater)
• Two showers, one inside and one outside, both using Watts Thermostatic
Mixing Valve
• Espar D3LC 11,000 BTU diesel powered compact air heater
• Espar Hydronic D5 17,000 BTU diesel powered compact coolant
heater capable of heating hot water tank, camper, engine, cab, or
any combination with seven-day automatic timer.
• Hunter HW6 Thermistor Controlled Heater variable 6,000 to 20,000
BTU plumbed to the engine's coolant system and the Hydronic D5
• Thetford Porta Potti
• Inside shower and kitchen sink have separate grey water holding
tanks
INTERIOR
FURNISHING and COMPONENTS
•
Norcold 120 AC/12 DC compressor refrigerator (Does not need to be
level.)
• Dometic RV compact microwave oven
• Maytag Tru-Seal 3-burner range with RV Superburner and Piezo
ignition
• Slide-out bed converts to a nap-couch during the day
• McNichols Flex Matt venting under mattress
• Twin stainless steel sinks
• Full-size American Standard sink fixture with sprayer and soap
dispenser
• Separate faucet for fine-filtered and purified dechlorinated
drinking water
• Corian counter tops
• Grain-matched cherry cabinets with full-extension drawer glides,
high-end articulating hinges and marine latches.
• Articulating table can accommodate four with auxiliary pedestal
seat
• Reinforced table brace
• High quality fabric and high density foam used in seats and
bed
• Sony AM/FM/CD/Cassette stereo with remote control
• Sony 10-disc CD changer with remote control
• Sony and Western Marine speaker system
• JRV clock with alarm
• Floor covering is high-traffic slate-colored tile
ELECTRIC
•
Statpower PROsine 2.0 2000 watt inverter--(12 volt DC to 110 volt
AC), and 100 amp converter (110 volt AC shore power to 12 volt DC
with automatic battery charger)
• Two roof-mounted BP85 Laser Grooved Solar Modules
• RV Power Products Solar Boost 2000E regulates and maximizes
the output from the BP Solar Modules.
• Four Optima Yellow Top deep cycle batteries
• A dedicated Prestolite/Leece-Neville alternator keeps camper
battery bank fully charged on the road
• A Balmar Marine Regulator monitors temperature and charge rate
of both the Prestolite/Leece-Neville alternator and the battery bank
• Heart Interface Link 10 battery bank monitor
• JRV 12-volt outlets where needed inside and in external compartments
• 110-volt outlets where needed inside and in external compartments
• 1,000 amp transformer (240-volts AC to 120-volts AC)
• Warn quick plug-in battery cables allows truck or other vehicles
to be jump-started from camper battery bank
• Blue Sea 110-volt AC and 12-volt DC marine electrical distribution
panels using back-lit Carlingswitch breakers control all electrical
power in the camper.
• Therm-O-Link wire is used throughout camper. Therm-O-Link has
an outer sheath that does not melt even if a short occurs
• All 12-volt DC and 110-volt AC connections where made with
Quick-Cable Guardian Heat-Shrink Soderless Terminals, and protected
by Quick-Cable Nylon Loom.
EXTERIOR
•
Kwikee two-stage electric step
• Full length A&E Horizon awning
• Four PIAA flood/back-up lights wired to the truck transmission
with manual override
• Custom aluminum cab-over roof rack with mounting pad for GPS
antenna, powder coated to match camper
• Two PIAA flood lights on roof rack sides
• Perko marine waterproof porch light
• Insulated Highway Products external compartment doors
• Hella courtesy lights in external storage compartments
• Twin Manchester 20# LP tanks with automatic switchover valve
and level gauges
• Heavy Duty rear spare tire rack with Maasdam Pow'r-Pull lowering
system
• Twin jerry can racks lock extra Wedco European style fuel and
water cans in place and incorporate a skid-proof standing platform
• Overland Hardware brackets lock two Dærr sand ladders in
place
• All turn and stop lamps are sealed Grote SuperNova LEDs
•
All running lights are sealed Grote LEDs protected by Grote Thin Line
LED Lamp Guards
• Powder coated Billet Specialties lighted frame holds our personalized
license plate,
TURTLE V
• Folding steps and stainless steel hand-holds facilitate climbing
on the roof
• All external compartments and wheel wells are protected by NIC's
Grip-Tite polymer coating
SPECIAL
EQUIPMENT AND FEATURES
•
Two folding chairs
• Outside table
• Compact folding ladder
• Cordless Black & Decker vacuum
• MagCharger onboard rechargeable flashlight
• Halon fire extinguishers
• American security locks on all external doors keyed alike
• 30-quart engine oil reservoir in wheel well
• Full Yakima sports roof rack
• Yakima Packasport storage pod
• Twin Fiamm stainless air horns can be sounded from inside camper
• Emergency crawl-through into cab
•
Coleman gas bar-B-Q with quick disconnect
• Quick disconnect propane outlet on awning side
• Two 5,000 lb Lincoln hydraulic jacks
• 6,000 lb Hi-Lift jack with sand plate
• MAX Multi-Purpose ax/shovel/pick Forest Tool
• Plasticolor heavy duty mud guards designed with safety cables
for severe conditions.
• Dærr sand ladders
• Ready Welder II portable MIG welder
• GAST 110-volt/170-psi compressor
• Pre-Pro Assembly 500 cu in reserve air tank
