ULTIMATE BEHEMOTH

[2 DA WDS]

OK gang, we were at the factory on 10/13 and saw the brand new 43 foot triple axle 2 bedroom Mobile Suites with the frameless windows(personally think the windows are FUGLY). Waiting to be shipped to Europe. I posted pictures in the general section of the Suitesowners forum.

[ponch]

Tom

I saw them back when I was there a month or so ago. THey will only be sold in Europe.

[Motor31]

Interesting, as the european market deals with smaller rigs due to the size restrictions of the roadway there. I know that there are several RV's in the US that are over 40' in use here.

[ponch]

Mike

When I was in Goshun earlier I saw 5 toy haulers that were 53ft long!
Sorry I cannot tell you who is making them as we went by to fast. Amazing!

[bstark]

I heard when Travel Supreme folded their tents that DRV managed to pick up their European dealer network that routinely serviced the movie industry so maybe the thing is going to sit "on location" somewhere having been pulled there by a short W/B cabover.

[2 DA WDS]

Interesting, as the european market deals with smaller rigs due to the size restrictions of the roadway there. I know that there are several RV's in the US that are over 40' in use here.

That was my thought too. Dont they have little bitty roads over there?

[Motor31]

Ponch,

I know that Space Craft makes an RV up to 53' or more. They will build one on a semi trailer frame and add as much storage as you could possibly want. They just want tons of $ to do it however. When we looked at them in 04 they were getting $95k for a bare, no slide 40' rig built on the semi trailer. Too rich for our blood. All very custom though.

[ponch]

Mike
That may be the outfit that's doing it.
The place was located between Goshun and Howe out in the country.

To rich and way to big for this kid. lol

[Carny Bill]

Anyone know if the frameless window is theropane or only the regular glass? I am just courious, I am not sure if I like them or not.

[ponch]

Thermopane

[jbeletti]

There's a place between Middlebury and Shipshewana called Forks RV. They make the Venetian Suites 5th wheel.

We were on our way to The Blue Gate for dinner one night, a couple months back and I could not believe what I was seeing when I passed this place on route 20 and saw this huge 5er.

On the way back home, I stopped and snapped some pictures. I paced it off at 56 feet in length. Triple axles, 6 slide-outs. On each side of the 5th Airborne hitch, it had a connector that looked like an air-brake connector.

The front jacks were hand-crank style like on semi-tractors.

Anything like this or any RV over 400 square feet won't ever be shown at most RV shows as they ar typically RVIA sanctioned and the max RV square footage is 400.

Here's a link to my blog post on that rig: http://www.beletti.com/?p=259

Jim


http://www.beletti.com/wp-photos/20080817-061511-3.jpg

[Motor31]

Ponch,

Spacecraft is out in Concordia Missouri and they sell from the factory. Interesting place to visist but way too rich for us.

http://www.spacecraftmfg.com/

[ponch]

Jim

That's the one I was talking about.
Thanks.

[BobW]

Any floor plans out there?

[2blackdogs]

I looked at Jims blog with the picture and the one photo in the blog shows the GVWR as 21,000#, thats only 1000 more than my ES.
I would think that with the extra footage and all the slides that they would have zero cargo capacity.
Bob

[bstark]

Does anyone else notice the depth of the cargo doors and that little side compartment door visible further back? That indicates to me that they've used either a commercial narrow frame platform or have used a drop frame of smaller tubing in that area with the large framing in the goose neck area above the cargo area. JMHO, but the fact they've stayed away from the hydraulic and electric legs altogether but have stayed with a much heavier landing gear indicates to me that this is perhaps meant to be set up for months at a time in one location. How many RV'ers would want to perform that hand crank at every stop. The reduction gear box for the legs would usually be mounted to the side of the frame rail so I'm going to "assume" that if you open that cargo door you'd be looking at a stepped up cargo floor about a foot inside that door.

Altogether a very beautiful unit, and carrying capacity aside, at 56 feet and 21,000lbs, needing an MDT or better yet a full HDT to tow it with. The answer would then follow that you would carry your heavier stuff on the truck rather than the trailer. That would also make you very near the 75' max towing length in some areas. My truck at 25' (same length as a Volvo 610 singled) would actually have me very close depending on how much of the bedroom overhang is over the back of the truck. You sure wouldn't want anything hanging off the rear of it to raise a trooper's eyebrows.