TouRig Campers Take Luxury Off Roaders To A Whole New Level

Welcome, Ladies and Gentle-vans (see what I did there…) to another action-packed article on the sights, sounds, and vans here at Overland Expo West. We’ve been here with our sponsors, Four Wheel Campers, checking out all of the amazing campervan conversions, off road trucks and small travel trailers that have turned up to tempt the good people of Arizona and indeed the world! If you’re looking for the definition of an adventure bus, then this expo would be a good place to start, especially if you’re heading in the direction of the TouRig stand. We’ve had a formal sit down with their new build, the Chief Hosa, who has recently been holding court with thousands of eager van life disciples!

This article is sponsored by Four Wheel Campers. They were kind enough to invite us to Overland Expo which gave us the chance to produce this article for the Van Clan community. Check them out if you’re interested in the best pop up truck campers around.

 

 

It’s no secret that we have a little bit of a crush on the Sprinter Camper Van. Mercedes Sprinter Conversions and Van Clan go together like cheese slices and SPAM (that’s a good thing for anyone who isn’t from Yorkshire), which is why the TouRig stand instantly caught our attention. It would be safe to say that it felt as though all of Christmases had come at once when we laid eyes on this camper, and what a beauty it is!

Checking Out The Chief Of All Campers With TouRig!

So far we’ve noticed two channels in the off-grid van world; people either want an action packed adventure camper built for extreme sports while living off grid, or a travelling tiny home that can chew up asphalt while maintaining the stylistic and cool aura of a five-star hotel. There’s also the select few like us who love everything on wheels. TouRig campers feel just at home on the rocky mountain trails as they do in the campsite, and they definitely add a sense of comfort and class to any off grid adventure.

Let’s Take A look At This TouRig Camper!

My thoughts exactly! As this is an Overland Expo, I feel that it’s only right that we start by looking at the modifications that this Sprinter has had to turn it into an off-grid god. For starters, Golden Colorado’s finest have given this camper an upgraded high-performance suspension system to cope with everything from unsightly potholes to scrambling over moon craters. The lift and extra movement that this suspension provides will certainly make a noticeable difference when you’re crashing through the undergrowth or going that little bit further off the beaten track.

TouRig know that any camper worth its salt should have a proper off-grid tyre set up, and Chief Hosa definitely pulled some big favours to make sure that it was equipped with these bad boys! The 33″ custom tyres make the roughest terrain feel as though you’re driving on water (although you need an amphibious camper if you’re going to start trying crazy stuff like that!)

What Else Does This Camper Have Hidden Away?

TouRig make a vast array of custom products for their campers, most of which they design themselves in the secret workshops in their heavily fortified factory (I might be embellishing the story slightly here). On the top of the camper, you will see the highly coveted TouRig flat pack roof rack system, a patented design that TouRig tell us is the lightest and quietest rack on the market. At 75 pounds it certainly takes the title of featherweight champion, but what does it matter if a roof rack is quiet? I’ll explain

Roof racks essentially cancel out the cleverly designed aerodynamic features of your vehicle. Adding a great big metal square onto the smooth and streamline roof of your camper has negative effects on your vehicles fuel consumption and its speed. TouRig have designed a superior aerodynamic roof rack that reduces drag and is light enough to not make a lot of difference to the weight of your vehicle. These features also eradicate any noise that might be created by wind whipping through the structure or from the bumping of bolts as you scramble through thickets and caves to get to your dream van life travel spots.

As well as creating an additional place for outdoor storage, the roof rack also houses a Solar System that feeds directly down into the Victron Energy 400aH lithium battery system. In English, this beast was born to be the chief of off grid living. The upper deck can be reached by aid of a flat-pack modular ladder that can easily be removed if not needed.

What’s Inside This TouRig Camper

I’m glad you asked! Once you step up onto the power-assisted retractable step, you’re instantly met with a classy interior that looks as though it has come straight from Ron Burgundy’ house. With leather-backed chairs instead of leather-bound books, it is a home that any jazz-flute enthusiast would be proud to relax in (see the film Anchorman for details). TouRig have managed to create an off grid van that feels like a hotel room, the only difference being that you can move this tiny house to a new location when you get bored of your surroundings!

We always take note of the little touches that make a camper feel more like home, and the dimmable LED lighting above and underneath all of the cabinets in this build create a cosy feel that also lights the living area remarkably well. While the cupboards might look as though they’re made from seriously chunky wood, a closer inspection reveals that they are actually made from foam-core with a true-look veneer. The hardwood corners give them the stability of a traditional unit, but this lightweight and durable alternative helps to keep the overall weight of the build down and creates less tension on the walls.

That Table Looks A Little Bit Fancy…

It is! Chief Hosa doesn’t have time for a fixed bed, so TouRig have created a system where the spacious dining table lowers down to accommodate the sofa cushions, thus creating a comfortable looking bed. Now I know what you’re thinking; that’s nothing new. Well, you are very mistaken, as this table automatically lowers via electric assist. Just press the secret button underneath the kitchen counter and voilla! This is James Bond style cool!

Speaking of electrics, TouRig have created an ingenious system called Firefly that allows you to control all of your appliances from one place. The bright touchscreen panel holds all of your battery and solar information, as well as providing you with controls for the air conditioning, furnace, hot water and more. When we can we get one of these for the Van Clan fleet (are you reading this, TouRig?)

Is This TouRig Camper Suitable For Long Camping Trips?

The Chief Hosa camper has everything that you need for a comfortable stint of off grid living, including passenger seats with in-built massage, heat, and reclining functions. For once people will be drawing straws to not be in the drivers seat. All four of the included leather chairs provide a comfortable place to sit and read or to play games with friends and family, and the handy bulkhead storage above the cab is a great place to store all of your van life essentials and belongings.

The kitchen in this TouRig build boasts a single burner for easy off grid cooking, an Isotherm 130L drawer fridge for keeping your beverages cool, and one of the deepest sinks that we’ve seen in a camper to date. This 9inch stainless steel sink could act as a small bath for your aching feet, or it could just be a great place to wash your pots and potatoes.

What’s Out The Back?

Anyone who has spent time living the van life or travelling in a van will know that having some kind of camper shower device is essential for keeping clean on the go. TouRig have opted for an outdoor shower located in the rear of the vehicle, which is great for both cleaning your muddy gear and your muddy self. The back doors create an enclosed area to hide your unmentionables from woodland creatures, and the shower head can be used to give the kitchen floor a quick spritz before wiping down.

TouRig have also added some neat storage pouches to the back doors of the camper, providing a home for all of those miscellaneous items that never really have a place. Speaking of everything having a place, there is also a hidden area for a 2.5-gallon cassette toilet just behind the passenger seat. You might not want to use it, but it’s there if nature comes a knocking and you don’t have time to make other arrangements!

Final Thoughts…

I love the fusion of off road goliath meets stylish city apartment. TouRig have nailed this build (they’ve probably used screws, but you know what I mean) and have created a camper that they can truly be proud of. While our favourite feature has to be the onboard computer that gives this van a Night Rider feel, we can’t deny that the rest of the elements in this build are second to none.

This off road Chief could well be yours for $100’000. If you’re in the market for a luxury overlander and like the way a Mercedes drives, then you should definitely drop TouRig a line and take a look at their fantastic range of campers.

Once again, we would like to say a huge thank you to our sponsors, Four Wheel Campers, for bringing us out to Arizona for the Expo of a lifetime. Let us know your thoughts on this TouRig Camper on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

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