Overland Dreaming: Diesel 4×4 EarthCruiser for Sale on ‘Bring a Trailer’
It’s going to have to be a big trailer, too. Because the EarthCruiser FX is a whole lot bigger than any pickup or SUV-based overland rig. This one starts with a Mitsubishi Fuso Canter FG chassis, the kind of beefy truck you’d normally spot delivering produce or hauling furniture around town.
The auction listing says it’s a 2017 version of the Canter chassis — a bonus because that’s the last year the model came with a diesel engine. It’s a 3.0L inline-four diesel from Fuso that makes just 161 horsepower but backs it up with 295 pound-feet of torque. Even better, that peak torque hits from an absolutely crawling 1,300 rpm.
The chassis switched over to a 6.0L gas V8 sourced from GM the following year.
A 2017 model also means it’s a 4×4. Mitsubishi Fuso dropped that option in 2019. The chassis comes with big, beefy solid axles designed to spend all day hauling cargo in stop-and-go traffic.
The chassis has a six-speed automatic transmission and a low-range transfer case. It even has manually locking front hubs so you can feel extra cool when it’s time to get dirty and leave the pavement.
EarthCruiser FX Camper
Instead of the usual cargo box, EarthCruiser put its fiberglass camper body on the back of the Mitsubishi Fuso running gear. The Bend, Oregon-based vehicle outfitters install their own camper that is designed and built specifically for overlanders and explorers.
The house is equipped with a kitchenette that includes an Isotherm fridge/freezer, a double-basin sink, and a Webasto induction cooktop. There are 120-volt power outlets, and even enough inverter capacity for the microwave oven mounted to the ceiling.
Hinged windows with screens let you keep out the mosquitos and open up to let in the fresh air and outdoor smells. When the weather gets too hot, an Arctic Breeze AC cools the house down. There’s also a heater and ceiling-mounted fans to help the cabin circulate air.
A cassette toilet in the entryway takes care of numbers one and two. The rig has solar panels on the roof to harvest charge. The power is then sent to multiple lithium-ion batteries to make sure you have enough power to make it through extended adventures off grid.
Trail-Ready Upgrades
The seller of this rig is the one who commissioned it, and they went heavy on the options list. This EarthCruiser FX is fitted with a Torsen limited-slip front differential as well as a 16,500-pound capacity Warn winch. It is also wearing 315/75R16 Toyo Open Country off-road tires. There’s a bash bar on the front, plenty of off-road lights, and traction boards on the rear.
Though the chassis is from model year 2017, the rig was ordered in the first part of 2020. Construction finished in 2021, according to the listing. The seller says it only has 7,000 miles on the odometer. It got its 5,000-mile service in July 2022.
Based on the photos, the owner has either found the best car wash in the world, or this rig has spent far less time in the dirt than it deserves. Either way, that’s something that needs to be corrected in a hurry. Get it dirty!
BaT EarthCruiser Listing
There are 7 days left on the auction (ending February 7) as of this writing. Bidding so far is up to just $150,000. That’s a pretty big bargain compared with the “adventure-ready at $595,000” pricing of a new one. This unit has $300k in options, too, so expect the bids to climb in a hurry.
Want the coolest rig in your deep country campsite without worrying about a light-duty engine and suspension parts? This EarthCruiser FX is a pretty neat way to go about it.
