AAV 4x4 Global Xplorer 2020 Review

If your idea of comfortable, extended remote are living includes a washing machine, TV and air conditioning, Australian Adventure Vehicles’ Global Xplorer may not be for you.

It’s not that the AAV 4x4 Global Xplorer is uncomfortable or lacking in any essentials for sustainable off-grid travel – far from it – but many things that you’ll find in luxury off-road caravans are foreign to the core concept of the Brisbane-built motorhome.

Extensive expedition travel experience

The AAV Global Xplorer is the distillation of everything learned by serial remote area adventurer Kym Bolton during more than 350,000km of expedition travel over the past 13 years.

These travels, which have zig-zagged across every continent and taken him and his wife Lyn from the southernmost tip of the African continent to the Arctic Circle, often following dotted lines rather than gazetted roads of any sort, have taught them that to experience many places on the planet, less is more.

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This has meant working with, not against, the geography they have encountered, underlining the value of  a smaller, lighter vehicle that could follow local tracks, cost less to ship and ferry, yet had proven strength and reliability.

The search for the optimum truck-based motorhome Bolton envisaged led him to Fuso’s 4X4 Canter. Formerly a Mitsubishi before Daimler Trucks extended its initial 2004 stake to nearly 90 per cent in 2011, Fuso is now Daimler’s most international truck brand, with product support in 170 markets; an important statistic for a global traveller.

But the FGB71 series Fuso Canter 4X4 had other, more important product features in its favour, principal amongst them a relatively narrow width, with a track of 1950mm and a body just 50mm wider than a Land-Cruiser 200 series 4WD.

This allows the Global Xplorer with its 37-inch Supersingle tyres to follow most existing local wheel tracks, while Fuso’s flexible, stepped ladder chassis, the huge articulation of its modified leaf-sprung suspension, its relatively short 2815mm wheelbase, massive ground clearance  and its nimble 11.3m turning circle, give it greater off-road agility than most dedicated smaller 4WD vehicles.

Gutsy diesel powertrain

The AAV Global Explorer also doesn't lack much when it comes to its drive system, which sends all power from its 3.0-litre four-cylinder Turbo-diesel engine through the rear axle until you manually lock in the front hubs.

A separate low ratio transfer case, mated to its five speed manual gearbox, combined with a rear limited slip differential makes the Fuso virtually unstoppable, particularly when you add the optional extended gearbox and differential breather pipes to its lofty engine snorkel to enable deep river crossings.

AAV also equips its motorhome earmarked Fuso chassis with an ECB winch-compatible alloy bull bar, front wheel flares and extended front mud flaps.

To this formidable platform, AAV attaches a South African-built full composite closed cell foam, 4200mm x 2070mm x 1900mm motorhome body, which is attached by 10 spring bolts to ensure it can flex with the chassis.

This flexibility is vital, as Bolton knows from experience that any completely rigid chassis or body will crack with fatigue on the sort of terrain that the Global Xplorer is designed to traverse.

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The South African connection came by accident, but has proved to be ideal, as the company is one of South Africa's leading caravan makers and is run by a German, with all the attention to engineering detail that this implies.

The completed bodies arrive two to a container, with their wedding to the modified and separately-sourced Fuso chassis occurring at AAV's Brendale, Queensland factory.

A great thing about this arrangement is the AAV Global Xplorer’s price. Thanks to the relatively competitive price of the Fuso 4X4 cab-chassis and the very attractive exchange rate of the South African Rand, the base price of a completed Global Xplorer motorhome is less than $200,000.

Even fully-loaded with available options, you’re unlikely to outlay more than $230,000. That’s less than some (admittedly larger) towed off-road caravans and much less than you’ll pay for most other ‘expedition’ truck-based motorhomes.

Cosy but well equipped living space

Now, we’re not really comparing the caravan module of an AAV Global Xplorer with a dedicated luxury van, as in order to create the shortest practical motorhome body for the Fuso chassis, some compromises have had to be made.

Step up inside via the electrically-deployed double aluminium step and what’s there is something closer to what you might find in an AOR or Rhinomax hybrid caravan. This means full-height standing room, with the rear of the module dominated by a full-width, transverse-mounted double bed, surrounded by German Dometic S4 double-glazed hopper windows equipped with cassette black-out blinds and fly screens.

The high mounting of the bed allows for plenty of storage underneath in a full tunnel boot, while there’s also large internal under-bed storage via a large central hatch.

The other benefit of the bed’s height is that a good-sized table slides out at the ideal dining height for occupants sitting on cloth cushion seats that have zip-off covers for easy cleaning.

The location of these cushions also makes it easy for occupants – particularly the person sleeping on the rearward side – to access the bed.

Opposite the entry door is a large 190-litre Bushman compressor fridge-freezer, with a stainless steel sink with a separate filtered water tap to its left, with a ceramic-topped diesel cooktop alongside.

Opposite, adjacent to the entry, is a surprisingly large combined shower and cassette toilet bathroom with full standing height.

Driver access to living area

The driver’s cab, with its twin seats, can be accessed from within the motorhome by a large crawl-though hatch sealed to the cab with flexible rubber bellows, which allow the different articulation of the two modules to occur without body stress when travelling over undulating ground.

This access is very important for remote area travel, as there's no need to leave the motorhome if, for example, you wake to find yourself surrounded by a pride of hungry lions, or by some menacing-looking locals.

Good motorhome or cross-cab access is made easier by the dash-mounted gear lever and you can also lock off the cab from the motorhome, if needed.

Why not a marine-style macerator toilet? Well, AAV doesn’t like the idea of its owners having to pump out untreated raw sewage into the bush, saying it's more environmentally sound to dig a hole to bury the contents of a cassette that has already been treated with biodegradable chemicals.

Similar experience-based thought has been given to the location of everything in the motorhome module. For example, the fridge, being the heaviest item when fully loaded, is located in the centre. This also stops the unnecessary jiggling of its contents when crossing rough terrain. The main pantry areas, are also central for the same reason.

Everything else heavy is located as low as possible within or in parallel with the chassis without being vulnerable. This includes the Xplorer’s 100-litre diesel main and interconnected separate 100-litre auxiliary diesel fuel tanks, plus its twin 100-litre fresh water tanks, its 45-litre grey water tank, twin 120Ah deep cycle batteries and a 2000W Victron inverter and battery charger. A lithium power system is optional.

Combined with the energy input from the Xplorer’s two standard 160W rooftop solar panels, you're unlikely to run out of off-grid power in your travels.

Exterior access points

The fuel tank filler and batteries, like most major components, are easy to access for service, but hard to remove by unauthorised people, thanks to their location and adequate protection from theft by identically-keyed hatch locks.

The same security applies to the vast external storage lockers that line the lower flanks of the Global Xplorer, with the front tunnel boot large enough to house a pair of folding electric bikes, with other lockers ideal for storing hoses, ground matting and recovery gear, alongside supplies necessary for long term remote travel.

With a total carrying capacity of 1200kg, you're never likely to overload it and with a 3000kg towing limit, you can hang a boat off its tail if you like to fish.

Air conditioning? Well, Kym Bolton says with the combination of the Global Xplorer’s standard 38mm thick full composite wall and roof panels, its two large rooftop extractor fans, seven opening windows and two Sirocco 12-volt fans pointed at the bed, this should never be never essential and would add further weight in the wrong place, plus complication.

Thanks also to its class-leading wall insulation, cold temperatures are easily tamed by a combined water and air diesel heater that quickly raises the temperature in the motorhome’s compact interior.

And a washing machine – why? Buy a nappy bucket with a screw lid and let the vehicle’s movement when travelling do the socks and jocks for you, advises Bolton.

In terms of interior finish, the Xplorer compares well with the best off-road vans, with quality 8mm ply birch predominating and with excellent cabinet fit, with uniform gaps and no sharp edges.

Getting behind the wheel

OK, it’s a great motorhome-based truck, but are you up to long distance travel in a high-riding vehicle with a GVM of six tonnes?

Well, first you’ll need a Light Rigid truck licence, but that’s not hard for most people with a car licence to get in a day with proper planning, according to Bolton. But in truth, it’s more a formality than a necessity in the case of the AAV Global Explorer.

With a road footprint of just a little more than a 200 Series Landcruiser, power steering, a tight 11.3 metre turning circle, a light clutch and gearchange and standard hill-hold control for hill starts in traffic, its size shrinks around you. And with an overall height of 3100mm, it’s not much taller than a large off-road caravan.

Sure, it’s a bit of a climb into the Fuso’s roomy cab, but once there you are truly king of the castle, with the Canter’s deep windscreen, large exterior rear view mirrors and a dashboard rear view camera display providing good all-round vision.

The steering is light, if a little low geared and lacking in feel, but that’s not an issue in a vehicle with a top speed of about 120km/h in which you willlikely spend most of your time cruising on sealed roads at around 90km/h.

The beauty of this speed, claims Bolton, is that it’s quite economical, returning around 12.5-14 litres/100km, while you're still able to access most of the 370Nm of torque which peaks from 1350-2840rpm for overtaking.

Even in rough cross country travel, Bolton says you'd be unlikely to get worse than 20L/100km, which is better than a big 4WD will return hauling a heavy off-road van.

The cab of the Fuso is also a nice, fairly modern place to travel in, with its standard equipment including dual driver and passenger air bags, comfortable seats (with optional spring suspension seats) and a multimedia sat-nav unit with Bluetooth, that can support up to three reversing cameras.

To ensure it leaves the smallest footprint and can access large 4WD tracks, AAV also fits Supersingle 37-inch diameter Hankook tyres on Victorian-made 17 x 9-inch steel rims that are the same front and rear when reverse-fitted, with an optional tyre pressure monitoring system including a dashboard readout.

So, should you buy one?

As an ownership proposition for remote travel, the Fuso-based AAV Global Xplorer makes a compelling ownership case.

Designed from the outset as a strong light truck capable of coping with the differing talents of many drivers, the Fuso Canter has an expected operational life of around 500,000km without a mechanical overhaul and comes with 30,000km service intervals and a 200,000km, five-year manufacturer’s warranty.

Few owners will ever reach these figures in remote area travel.

A basic AAV Global Xplorer motorhome costs around $192,000 on the Fuso cab chassis and if you tick all AAV’s option boxes, as many buyers do, you're still battling to spend more than $230,000 according to Bolton.

Little wonder that AAV has delivered 12 Global Xplorers in almost two years, plus has a further eight in various stage of production.

Each comes with the wealth of Bolton’s world-wide experience, plus a link to a comprehensive travelers’ guide that deals with permits, road conditions and dangers in every country he and his wife have travelled through, so you could argue that the experience alone built into every motorhome is priceless!

While it's a niche vehicle and competing against some impressive, although often much pricier rivals, the AAV Global Xplorer motorhome shows the benefits of extensive manufacturer experience in remote area travel and living.

Well-engineered, well-built and equipped with everything a couple might need for long-term off-grid remote area travel, it lacks only the technical ‘bling’ that most of its owners will never miss on their travels.

How much is the 2020 AAV 4x4 Global Xplorer 

Price: From $192,000; as reviewed $230,000
Base vehicle: FGB71 series Fuso Canter 4X4
Engine: 110kW/370Nm 3.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel tank: 200L
Travel length: 6200mm
Body width: 2150mm
Travel height: 3100mm
Tare weight: 2400kg
GVM: 4500kg
Body: 38mm thick composite closed cell walls and floor
Chassis: Steel ladder chassis
Suspension: Leaf springs all round
Brakes: 12-inch electric drums
Wheels/tyres: 17 x 9in steel/ 37in Hankook Supersingle
Water: 2 x 100L fresh water tank and 45L grey water tank
Battery: 2 x 120Ah AGM with 2000W Victron inverter and battery charger
Solar: 2 x 160W rooftop glass panels
Hot water: Combined diesel water and air heater
Cooking: Ceramic diesel cooktop
Fridge:  Bushman 190L dual compressor
Shower: Combined internal shower/ toilet
Lighting: LED throughout
Supplied by: AAV 4x4, Breendale, Queensland