The most LA thing happened yesterday while I off-roaded my newly-acquired 1991 Jeep Wrangler: I spotted, stranded on that off-road trail, the enormous $1 million Ford F-550-based camper called the 27North Ascender 30A. It was just sitting there like a beached whale, immobile, with a winch rope slung over its driver’s side mirror. It took my friend Chris and me a few minutes to figure out what went wrong, but a quick peek underneath made it all clear: This thing had failed quickly and catastrophically.
I’m currently in the process of writing up how my bone-stock 1991 Jeep Wrangler did at Rowher Flats, a great off-road trail not far outside of LA. My friend Chris Rosales from The Drive had asked if I wanted to off-road with him and his Ford Bronco Sport press vehicle, so I slapped some new tires onto my YJ and headed out to the hills to find that, to be honest, the Bronco Sport and a bone-stock YJ are quite evenly matched on that kind of terrain.
While climbing one of the most challenging trails at the off-road park, Chris and I happened upon this:
Holy crap, it’s the ~$1 million 27North camper we saw (and wrote about) at the LA Auto Show! Look, my colleague Mercedes even took a photo of me in front of what looks like this very truck!:
This camper, by the way, is bonkers, as I’m sure you surmised by the seven-figure asking price. Just look at the interior!:
What was going on? Why was the machine just sitting there on the trail with the engine off and the winch line out? I yelled to see if someone was inside. Nope. The thing had been abandoned. What the hell had happened? Chris, a rather technically-savvy car journo, and I decided to assess the situation a bit.
First off, the truck appeared to be in a tight spot. The right rear tire was in a moderately-sized rut, and the front axle was articulating, with one tire up high and one down low:
You can see that the truck is so twisted up that the camper appears to be offset from the cab:
Is it possible that the driver had to apply some extra gas to get out of this precarious position, and this caused a failure? Or was the truck actually towed to this spot (as it was off to the side, allowing for others to easily drive past). It wasn’t clear if this was a factor.
We wondered if the driver had popped a tire, as the front right one looked fairly flat. But I think it had just been aired down; it looked flat because it was propped up on a bump. Hmm.
The front tires were pointing in approximately the same direction, so it hadn’t been a tie rod failure (a fairly common issue with larger vehicles), and there was no oil or coolant on the trail, so the engine hadn’t blown a rod through the oil pan and it probably wasn’t an overheating issue. I hopped down into the dirt to look underneath, and then things became clearer.
Aha! The rear driveshaft had come apart at its pillow block, and was being held up off the trail via ratchet straps. “Ah, they must have flexed out the suspension, and the driveshaft fell out. I’ve had that happen on my lifted Jeep XJ once before,” I thought to myself. But then I looked towards the front of the Ford F-550-based camper:
Holy crap!
Let’s zoom in on that a bit closer:
The driveshaft had come apart not due to the axle moving down and away from the transfer case during articulation; it had gotten shorter by twisting up like a wet towel ready to be snapped in a high school boys locker room.
Slight aside: That driveshaft, like most rear driveshafts for heavy trucks, is hollow, gaining its torsional stiffness via its second polar moment of area, which increases with diameter to the fourth power, so you can get a really stiff shaft — even if it’s hollow — by having a large outer diameter. This lets you keep the shaft light (imagine how heavy a driveshaft would have to be if it were solid!).
Yikes! So this thing really was stranded; I suppose it could try to drive out using only its front wheels, though I regret not having peeked at the state of the front drivetrain, as the added load on it was probably significant. I reached out to 27North’s CEO Paul Bosovik to get the lowdown on what happened here, and he was actually quite nice about answering my questions.
View this post on Instagram
“It was our prototype truck,” he said. “We had given it to [a media outlet] to do extreme off-road tests.” Apparently the vehicle was being put head-to-head with a Toyota 4Runner, so these trails were more inline with the 4Runner’s capabilities, the CEO implied. I would agree; both Chris and I were surprised to see this truck on this trail in the first place
As for what happened, Paul told me this: “Bearing seized up. That pressure damaged the driveshaft and twisted it. Now Ford is getting it towed back… to their facilities to rebuild the rear axle.”
Paul claims that a failed rear wheel bearing — a part that Ford has allegedly recalled (I haven’t been able to find the recall notice) — caused additional strain on the drivetrain, leading to the factory driveshaft twisting up like a pretzel. “It all came back to defective bearing and Ford’s been covering everything under warranty,” Bosovik told me over the phone.
I’m a bit skeptical about this for a number of reasons. First off, who off-roads a truck with a failed wheel bearing? Bosovik claims his team “hired one of the best drivers [they] could find,” so that seems a bit odd. Or did the wheel bearing catastrophically fail off-road? That seems unlikely to me.
Also, take a look at the photo above that Mercedes took at the LA Auto Show back in November. You’ll see that 27North converts dual rear-wheel (dually) F-550s into single rear-wheel trucks. This, you would think, would increase the moment arm on the wheel bearings, reducing their lifespan. How could that not be a factor in wheel bearing longevity? Bosovik told me his team hired an engineering company to assess their design, and that rear wheel bearing failure is actually due to Ford’s rear wheel bearing defect — an issue that has allegedly be plaguing other 4×4 camper companies like Earthroamer (I’ve reached out to Earthroamer to confirm). Bosovik says his company has now “transitioned to the new year model,” so these issues should be a thing of the past.
Anyway, it’s a 16,500 pound truck dry, and 18,500 pounds when filled up with fluids, per Bosovik. So go figure off-roading the crap out of it would strain the stock driveshaft.
We’ll find out from the media outlet that took this thing off-road how a wheel bearing seizure factored into this whole thing, why they took the truck off-road in the first place with a bad wheel bearing, or if this was just a case of too much weight plus too much pedal equals too much torsional strain on a stock driveshaft.
All I know is, this is yet another reminder that, no matter how badass and unstoppable a big truck might look, the reality is that size is a bad thing off-road. Not just because it makes maneuvering more difficult, but because that added weight puts lots of strain on components, and once you’re stranded in an 18,000 pound truck, getting it off the trail isn’t easy. The media outlet driving the 27North had to abandon it.
Update (June 5, 2023 2 PM E.T.): EarthRoamer’s CEO Scot Allen responded to my inquiry about wheel bearing failure, saying:
Ford did have an issue with F-550 rear wheel bearings during 2017-2019 due to non-Timken bearings being installed. This impacted approximately 15 of our vehicles in that timeframe. There was never an official recall, but Ford did require that replacement bearings be Timkin’s. EarthRoamer has since delivered over 100 F-550 based vehicles on 2020 and newer chassis with zero wheel bearing issues.In our opinion, to have a wheel bearing failure on a 2022 chassis would be due to a gross exceedance of the rear axle rating of 14,706lbs. We have seen the pictures of the 30A Ascender pulling a large ski boat and would never recommend that to our customers. We have never been able to see actual weights of the 30A Ascender, but would not be surprised if it exceeds GVWR when fully outfitted with water and gear.
Update (June 5, 2023 3 PM E.T.): Here’s a link to an EarthRoamer owner claiming a wheel bearing issue:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CsKXXWXvXkt/
Updated (June 5, 2023 4:22 P.M. ET): Here’s how Scot Allen, CEO of EarthRoamer, responded to the Instagram image above, which was sent to The Autopian from Bosovik:
Greatly appreciate you updating your recent article with our comments.
Just FYI and to add context to the IG post that was added. ER93 did suffer a rear wheel bearing failure at over 70,000 miles and is a 2008 F-550. Not sure it’s great to compare a 15 year old vehicle to a brand new one when it comes to failures.
Beyond the axle and bearing red flags, I’m still kinda stumped why anyone would pay a million bucks go camping/off-roading in something that reminds me of leftover prop vehicles from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome…
“why anyone would pay a million bucks go camping/off-roading in something that reminds me of leftover prop vehicles from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome”
Who runs Bartertown?
With this thing YOU run Bartertown!
(until it breaks)
Wide track 450 and 550 chassis did have some issues with clearance. there was a recall for some of that a few years back. I suppose if the whole thing articulated too much and the wheel caught up in the body work something would have had to give. looks like maybe the extended driveshaft was it.
I call B.S. on that Ford is going to warranty the bearing when the inner wheels have been removed adding all of the extra weight and torsional forces which are now borne by 2 wheels ( and also axle bearings that are now overloaded) when the axle was engineered , it was for a rear four wheel system.
Poor “engineering” by the RV manufacture. IMHO. ۹( ÒہÓ )۶
I read your post and thought “no way that is stupid” then I looked at the pictures and agree 100% with you. For $1M I want a non-OEM Ford rear axel thank you very much.
I bet dealer has someone with scales show up to see if its overloaded on that axle
Ha! I called it: https://www.theautopian.com/this-company-wants-to-sell-you-a-million-dollar-luxury-mobile-command-center-rv/#comment-81835
They can say all they want about this being Ford’s problem, but they clearly did a stupid thing with the axle and it very predictably bit them in the ass.
Post-facto like rendered unto thee……
You sure did! David had concerns about that axle setup but 27North claimed that it’s all perfectly good.
By my research, an unmodified F-550 has a GVWR of 19,500 pounds when equipped with the extra payload package or 18,000 pounds without. That, of course, assumes DRW…
Oh, the update from EarthRoamer just makes this even juicier. Either they’re lying through their teeth, or they’re using a 3+ year old chassis with
an open recallEDIT: a known bearing issue as the basis for their million dollar RV. This company is so shady!Well, this one is theirs, the ones they’re selling to people (supposedly) don’t have the bearing issue (and may well be newer chassis). Though using it as a media vehicle doesn’t seem prudent.
I don’t care how much the RV costs, they all end up smelling the same inside pretty quickly.
So what do you use to tow 18,000 pound of dead weight out of a fairly steep canyon? Tie it up to an MRAP? Make a Santa’s Sleigh of F-350s? Just bury it and tell everyone you towed it out? They will probably just say screw it and rent it out as an AirBNB right where it sits.
Call in an off road recovery tow truck. Definitely not cheap for us normies. For the person with the scratch to buy this and off-road it, it’s probably pocket change.
Can’t wait for the Matt’s Off Road Recovery video
finding an off-road recovery rig that can pull 18k of rolling condo up a hill might be easier said that done. Matt’s going to need a bigger Corvair.
We’ve had them pull dozers and flip rock trucks back over at my work. Honestly the price is pretty reasonable for the work involved.
Time for a Mostvair
Did you notice they used “Matt’s Straps” to tie up the driveline!? Pretty sure they have his number but it’d be too far away… Also I think the “world’s largest offroad wrecker” would be able to save it. “EmotionalSupportBMW” is apparently unaware he has more than just the “Moorvair” now.
For the record, I frickin called it
Wait, that’s (counting on fingers…) 2,000 pounds of fluids? A literal ton? Does it carry 300 gallons of gas?
130 gallons of fuel, 150 gallons of fresh water, and 55 gallons of the gray stuff.
Got ’em!
dag, that’s a lot of liquids.
Literally “Found On Road Dead”. The headline writes itself. 🙂
Should have been COTD!
Just a toy for people with more money than sense.
More dollars than cents.
Imagine spending that much money to look like a dork
I buy the story, it seems like that makes sense. It’s a bummer this happened but it sounds like it was, at least partly, out of their hands. That being said, the rule of thumb that I’ve learned is more weight = more failure. If you want to beat something up off-road on trails (not just dirt roads) then lighter is better than heavy. 17,000 lbs? Yikes. I feel like a lard when I’m at GVW in the 6500 lbs range.
Maybe I should add that the bearing played a role here for certain, but how big I can’t say.
Not just More weight = More failure but also More Weight = Lower likelihood of trail repairs, getting towed out, pushing the automobile, etc.
I’ve said it many times here, that if you need a winch to change a tire, your vehicle is not suitable for remote travel.
Reminds me of the British rally videos that plague my YouTube feed. All these Caterhams, Healeys and other roadsters getting chucked aroune muddy hills by middle-aged men literally rocking the car to get some traction by throwing themselves around on it. Now THAT looks like my idea of fun. If I ever do get an off-roader with more than 2 wheels, it’ll be something like a beetle or a Niva on knobby pizza cutters
There is a happy medium with off-road traveling. I would say that you want to keep the weight within 80% of the GVWR and less than 7000 total pounds. After that you start getting into sizes and weights that trails can’t really support. Even 7000 lbs is pushing it, but if your trails aren’t too demanding and you have a GVWR margin, you should be fine.
LOL someone’s been watching the Trials! Those are excellent fun to watch. I think they’re not allowed to make off-road specific modifications? The cars are meant to be as stock as possible.
British Trials cars rock!
yeah, these things I sort of don’t get–you want to be out in rugged country, but you want lux living. Honestly, you could set up a yurt and be in luxury digs. Why you would want to be on a trail whose purpose is about driving it, not camping on it, is not very clear to me, unless you just decided that a $1M vehicle should be able to do it–but then, if it’s not yours, I guess it’s a-ok to do whatever you want with it. How does one not roll the thing?
Keep in mind, though, that the owner wasn’t the one taking it on that trail. It was some off-road journos, who could be counted on to beat the crap out of it in search of a better story. Repairs not on their dime.
Loudly blames Ford, quietly starts putting beefier drive shafts into these overlanding trucks that have 10,000 extra pounds sitting on their chassis.
which will only move on to the next failure point
Million bucks and you get ugly speaker grilled aimed at your head while “dining”? This sums up the RV market right there. Features over build quality. The outer polygon mess right down to the fender flares. Such ugliness should not be reinforced with orders.
yeah, my first thought–all that money and you get a giant pill bug on wheels
Don’t forget the dropped Pick-Up Sticks decor in all the glass inside.
Built Ford tough (cough, cough)
on one hand, not a good look for Ford to be sure, on the other, put 10-12k pounds on a pickup and take it to extreme offroad conditions seems like a fools errand in anything short of a military vehicle.
Isn’t the primary use case for this camper to have a nice place to live while you wait for the tow truck?
I’m pretty sure the two Corvairs that traversed the Darien Gap could’ve scampered up that molehill without as much as a hiccup. Obviously, this glam wagon is all crib and no corn.
I smiled-then gave you one: I’m from corn country and never heard that one. Thanks!
I’m pretty sure I heard that from one of my wife’s “South of 80” relatives.
Should’ve called Matt: he’d’ve got ‘em out!
Rich morons spending all that money for something that is way too overburdened to actually work, all because they can’t deal with just sleeping in a tent
Does it help to differentiate between rich jack-a$$es, who will only take these to Walmart parking lots, a dirt turn-out, trainhead parking, or camping site (and not have significant spontaneous mechanical failures), and rich morons who try to actually off-road the thing?
I’m surprised that nonsense can get up a 3% grade, let alone off-road. They dolled it up just so it can break a little more inconveniently far from tow-truck access. To both the builders and the drivers: You can’t fix stupid.
Yup. I did some modest ‘off roading’ in 2WD F-550 chip/dump trucks while doing winter hazardous tree removal for the city of Toronto. The trees were always down gravel or grass double track in ravines, golf courses and city parks.
All it takes is one little puddle, a slick grade or soft grass to take a truck like this from ‘unstoppable’ to ‘stranded’. You get a loaded 15000lb truck stuck, and you’re fricken trapped. The only thing getting a vehicle like this free is something of equal or larger size.
We cursed our corporate bosses for not ordering 4x4s or even a rear locker… But to be honest that probably would have just gotten us into more serious trouble, way beyond the help of any reasonable coworker/rescuer.
A fool and their money are soon parted on a desert trail.
rich people ☕
Insert Nelson_laughing.gif “HA-HA”
Who in their right mind would have thought this was a good idea? Who in their right mind would have loaned out a million dollar rig to do this?
Error 404- Common sense not found.
the Faraday Future of RVs lol
Vinfast*
I think you are correct about the driveshaft just giving way. Unless there was a rear locker in use, wouldn’t the other wheel just get the torque? I think there may be a little PR at play. 🙂
What’s the low range on that truck and does it have any lockers?
Interestingly, these trucks do not have lockers from the factory…PR is certainly at play. Good eye.
The Update furthers my suspicion. On a slope all that weight goes right through that driveshaft and it must have just given up.
Let’s not forget that yuuuuge monster truck tires increase driveshaft torque, even with low range.
A two speed rear end used as a doubler would solve several problems at once.
I just can’t get over a million dollar RV using the cheap headlights from an F-250 XL/XLT rather than the LEDs from the higher trims.
I can’t get over someone paying a million dollars for this thing.
But did they? This is a prototype, so no one has bought it. Do they have any actual sales?
Exactly. An asking price is an exercise in free speech, not a promise anybody will pay it.
Also: I can’t help but think that, after looking at this rig, you could have a function equivalent built for perhaps $300K. That assumes that the truck itself costs roughly $100K, leaving you $100K to spend on components and camper, and $100K for labor, or any reasonable mix of the 3 elements.
Looks to be aftermarket Morimoto units. F-550 probably couldn’t be optioned with the LEDs from factory if I had to guess?? I see with the new refreshed one you can.