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EarthCruiser adds a bigger camper option to its heavy duty pickup line

EarthCruiser is a camper and expedition vehicle company based out of Oregon that we've previously covered for its huge commercial truck-based machines. But they offer more than that, from drop-in campers for smaller pickups to heavy duty pickup conversions. The company's latest product is one of the latter, offering a larger camping area than the current EXD model. This new camper conversion is called the Terranova. The big differentiator between it and the EXD is the camper section, which extends over the truck cab on the Terranova. This means that bed space can be moved to above the truck cab, instead of having to use a convertible dinette. So less reconfiguring, and generally more usable space. One other major difference is that the EXD is only available for the Ram 3500 and Ford F-350. The Terranova is being designed for both of those trucks as well as the Chevy Silverado 3500. The EarthCruiser Terranova is otherwise very similar to other EarthCruiser models. The camper section is made of fiberglass and plastic, and the pop-up roof is insulated with foam. The curtains are triple-layered. The company says it can house four people. It comes with a freshwater tank and pump to help supply the kitchen sink, drinking water tap, bathroom sink and indoor and outdoor showers. There's also a cassette toilet. The kitchen features an induction stove top and small refrigerator and freezer. A fan system is standard, and air conditioning is optional. Power comes from a 400-aH lithium-ion battery. The Terranova isn't yet available. EarthCruiser is finishing up design and engineering, and it plans to have finished examples early next year. The company is taking reservations now, though. Pricing hasn't been announced, but an EXD runs between $220,000 and $265,000, and we would expect the Terranova to cost even more. Related Video: Featured Gallery EarthCruiser Terranova Expedition Camper renderings Chevrolet Ford RAM Truck Off-Road Vehicles Special and Limited Editions RVs/Campers

Man spent $75 on a truck that lasted 38 years

Absurd as it is, some buyers today are worried about getting their car to last throughout the term of their seven-year car loan. Minnesota resident Bob Sportel has the opposite issue: his Chevrolet truck seemingly won't die. Sportel needed a cheap ride to get to work when he took a job at a farmer's co-op 38 years ago, so he bought a rusty 1957 Chevy pickup for $75 from a farmer; at the time, the 20-year-old truck was almost as old as Bob was. After nearly four decades of daily driving and an estimated 300,000 miles, Sportel is still driving the truck today. Bolts secure a fender, Bondo secures the lights, what looks like a whole roll of duct tape keeps him sitting on the bench seat instead of in it. For a 58-year-old pickup that's never seen a garage or a new coat of paint – but did get its oil changed four times a year – that's not bad; Sportel thinks his repair bill hasn't got above $1,000 for the entire time he's owned the truck. He still has no plans to get rid of it, saying, "It just becomes a part of you." You can watch his story in the video above. News Source: KARE11.com Chevrolet Truck Classics Videos

National Corvette Museum to recreate sinkhole experience for patrons [UPDATE]

UPDATE: The Thunderdome at the National Corvette Museum is not a ride; instead it's an experience that mixes digital graphics and thundering sound. For a brief period, it looked like the National Corvette Museum was going to preserve that sinkhole that ate eight important 'Vettes last year. After all, tourism boomed there afterwards. However, keeping the crater would have been more expensive than just doing the repairs. The museum isn't ready to let people completely forget, though, and now intends to make a major attraction out of a recreated version of the calamity. The museum's plan turns the sinkhole disaster into an amusement park ride called the Thunderdome, according to GM Authority. In a smaller recreation of the Skydome, 15 people at a time would get to watch an imitation of the sinkhole devouring the eight Corvettes. To make the experience even more immersive, visitors would get to view this all from an artificial, underground cave. If you missed seeing the actual pit, this would certainly be a bizarre way to experience it. According to GM Authority, the exhibit would also include an explanation of how sinkholes occur. The Corvette museum reportedly wants the attraction open by this fall.