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| Mark Schoening |
PROVING that not all Yanks demand bigger, more luxurious and of
course thirstier vehicles, Base4x4 creator Mark Schoening is building a Base 4x4
Expedition Vehicle on the chassis of a Fuso.
Schoening explains the mission of his Base4x4 expedition vehicles
is to be minimal. This encourages users to finish their camper trucks to their
own taste and ensure affordability.
But being American, basic does not mean roughing it in a roof top
tent. Electric motors expand the fibreglass pop-top to raise Cordura canvas
walls around a two-person sleeping area, with an optional side tent if more
sleeping space is required.
Even without the side tent, the Base4x4 sleeps up to five people,
ideally mom and dad with three children.
Standard equipment includes 80-litre tanks for fresh and grey
water, a chemical toilet and outdoor shower, and an electrical system with
battery and 2 000 W inverter and a sink.
Schoening showed the Fuso truck he equipped at the Overland Expo in
Flagstaff, Arizona, in May and was surprised by the interest shown in his van,
which is positively spartan when compared to the average American recreational
vehicle.
He said the most interesting take-away from the show was how people
did not see his Base4x4 as a competitor to vehicles competing in price or size,
but “more as a mini/practical alternative to the giant Sahara-roaming
monsters”.
Schoening said prices for the van must still be confirmed, but
hopes to keep the base price around $95 000, or around R1,4 million.
