RVs In the Spotlight at 2021 SEMA Show
By Bruce Hampson
For anyone with premium fuel running through their veins, the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas is Nirvana — a place where cosmetic components may have taken center stage in recent years but horsepower is still king. SEMA — which started out as the Speed Equipment Manufacturers Association but now stands for Specialty Equipment Market Association — was formed by a number of automotive performance icons in 1963 to showcase the West Coast car culture. The first show, with 98 manufacturers manning booths, was in 1967, held in the basement of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. It now occupies more than one million feet square feet at the Las Vegas Convention Center and is considered one of the largest automotive trade shows on the planet.
And, yes, as a trade show, it’s closed to the public.
That doesn’t mean that you can’t learn — quickly — what happens there. The SEMA Show attracts upwards of 120,000 attendees annually — and about 3,000 of them are media folks reporting on what they saw among the 2,000 or so exhibitors.
Closer to home — and, perhaps, closer to production — was the Lance Camper display of the company’s “Adventure Pass” prototype and Toyota’s “Tacozilla” concept vehicle. And when you want to make an announcement heralding a new boondocking partnership the likes of that between Grand Design RV Co. and Volta Power Systems, you could do worse than make it on the biggest performance stage in North America.
Lance ‘Adventure Pass’ Prototype
Lance Camper perfected the concept of creating big, livable spaces in small environments long before the company entered the travel trailer arena — the Lancaster, Calif., builder initially developed its reputation as a truck camper builder — so it’s not surprising that the company revealed an “adventure trailer” prototype at the 2021 SEMA Show.
What is surprising is that it’s new “Enduro” concept trailer is not already in production.
The Enduro was one half of a complete package Lance exhibited in Las Vegas — the other part of the company’s ‘Adventure Pass’ display was the vehicle it was hitched to, a well-massaged Volkswagen Atlas.
Fully outfitted for off-grid camping, the Lance Enduro boasts a rooftop tent, twin 100-watt solar panels, bike rack and a lot more.
Likewise sporting an off-road-themed wrap, the Lance Enduro concept trailer is an off-grid capable, lightweight overlanding-oriented travel trailer that measures 18 feet in length and weighs just 2,700 pounds — thanks to its 100% composite construction — allowing it to be towed by most crossovers and small SUVs. The Enduro has improved off-road clearance courtesy of Timbren independent suspension and Maxxis RAZR AT Tires mounted to Black Rhino forged aluminum wheels.
Inside, the Enduro trailer features a U-shaped dinette, queen-size bed, twin dropdown bunks and is capable of sleeping up to six people when outfitted with an optional RoofNest rooftop tent. Fully self-sustainable, the Enduro features two 100-watt solar panels, a 100Ah lithium battery unit, 45-gallon freshwater tank, 25-gallon grey water tank, interior shower, cassette-style toilet and an outdoor galley-style kitchen. Additional comfort comes from a 12-volt DC Zero Breeze Mark 2 air-conditioner and Truma Eco Combi+ Air & Water heating system. For added off-grid functionality, the Enduro also features a No Dirty Water MRX water purification system, weBoost cellular signal booster and a 23Zero Peregrine 180 awning.
When will it show up on lancecamper.com — or at your local dealership? Good questions. We can only hope.
Truly longtime RV enthusiasts no doubt can remember — with a bit of prodding — the myriad Toyota-based campers of the 1970s and ’80s. Known as “micro-mini motorhomes” because of their diminutive stature, these affordable little campers were oftentimes surprisingly spacious inside. Unfortunately, they also were oftentimes way overweight — such aspects as gross axle weight ratings (GAWR) weren’t on many campers’ radars 50 years ago — a situation that contributed to their eventual demise.
One of the better “builds” at the time was the Toyota Chinook — and Toyota resurrected that fiberglass-housed look at the 2021 SEMA Show with the introduction of Tacozilla. Only this time, things like GAWR, too-little clearance and not enough horsepower have gone by the wayside.
Designed and built by Marty Schwerter and his team at the Toyota Motorsports Garage, the custom overlander-ready ride is based upon a Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport pickup. “Our goal,” said Schwerter, “was to build a vehicle that is engineered correctly but also made to look really cool.” And it wasn’t easy; according to Toyota sources, the team didn’t want to just attach a flat door to the flowing, tapered lines of the cruiser because the result would not look as integrated. Instead, they spent more than 100 hours designing the rear door alone.
To fully frame the project, the Tacoma’s bed was removed and a house designed that extends below the frame with a taper; a similar narrowing of the top allows for a 6-foot person to stand inside while the overall shape still allows for traversing trails and avoiding branches. They did add 2 inches of clearance to the TRD Sport suspension, along with TRD billet upper control arms.
Inside, Tacozilla features teak flooring, a full bath and fully functional galley. The table, which converts to a backlit piece of wall art when not in use, was 3D-printed. Complete Customs in McKinney, Texas, added the exterior tones, which harken back to Toyota campers of yesteryear. If you want to see more, check it out here: youtube.com/watch?v=lsi4NyszFlI.
Will Tacozilla go into production? It’s hard to say. Right now, it’s what’s known in the automotive arena as a “concept vehicle” — but automakers have been known to respond favorably when the public wants to see such design studies at their neighborhood sales lots.
Like the idea of venturing off-road, but don’t want to forgo the creature comforts of your big fifth wheel? Grand Design RV has tapped Volta Power Systems for its newest offering of off-grid towables — and the first available to mass market RV buyers. Integrated with the Momentum fifth wheel (and others), the systems offer up to 18kWh in energy storage, which can run overnight air-conditioning, entertainment systems and other high-draw appliances.
The Grand Design display also included a TOMCAR electric ATV.
