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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

Why the Corvette is Chevrolet's billion-dollar baby

Edmunds has worked up a piece that tries to figure out just how much the global Chevrolet Corvette economy is worth, a spitballed guesstimate putting the number at more than $2.5 billion with the proviso that the number is probably low. It starts by taking Corvette's new car sales of 14,132 units last year, which would equate to $714,725,900 (including destination) assuming ever car sold was a base coupe with no options. In the final tally, a little extra padding gets that number up to $750,000,000.
But that's not all. Consider this: Many of the almost 1.4 million Corvettes produced over the model's history are still on the road. There are new parts being produced and aftermarket companies like Mid-America Motorworks deaing business, that single Illinois company doing more than $40 million a year in sales. There are the Corvette events large and small, restorers who do nothing but Corvettes, salvage yards that deal only in used Corvette parts and the Corvette magazines where owners find all this stuff.
And then there are the Corvette-themed tchotchkes, every single one of which provides a tiny contribution to the huge licensing royalties that General Motors collects every year. The article admits there's no way to come to an accurate number, but it just goes to show how valuable one specific model can be to a company.

GM recalls 330,000 fullsize trucks for airbag replacement

General Motors has announced a recall of 330,198 fullsize pickups in the US in the aftermath of the announcement made on May 19 that doubled the number of vehicles being called in to replace Takata's defective airbag inflators. That announcement expanded the nationwide recall to an estimated 33.8 million vehicles in the US. Heavy Duty versions of the 2007 and 2008 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra are included in GM's move, for the purpose of replacing the passenger airbag inflators. The announcement made by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association cited long-term exposure to moisture as a possible cause of the inflator issues. GM says it isn't aware of any problems with the recalled pickups due to moisture, nor has it had any reports of crashes, injuries, or fatalities, and has not received any complaints. GM will notify owners, who can then take their trucks to the dealers to have them repaired free of charge. You'll find a statement from GM and the recall notice from NHTSA below. Related Video: General Motors Statement General Motors is recalling 330,198 2007 and 2008 model year full-size Chevrolet Silverado heavy duty and GMC Sierra heavy duty pickup trucks in the U.S. to replace the passenger air bag inflators manufactured by TK Holdings Inc. (Takata). This recall implements Takata's air bag inflator equipment recall announced on May 19, 2015 (NHTSA recall number 15E-041). GM is not aware of any humidity-related ruptures in Takata air bag inflators in any GM-badged vehicles in the field and knows of no crashes, injuries, fatalities or complaints regarding air bag performance in these vehicles. Including Canada and exports, the total number of vehicles being recalled is 374,715. Population breakdown: United States 330,198 Canada 39,630 Exports 4,887 Total 374,715NHTSA RECALL NOTICE: Report Receipt Date: MAY 28, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V324000 Component(s): AIR BAGS Potential Number of Units Affected: 330,198 Manufacturer: General Motors LLCSUMMARY: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD and 3500HD trucks manufactured November 28, 2006, to August 29, 2008, and 2007-2008 GMC Sierra 2500HD and 3500HD trucks manufactured November 27, 2006, to August 29, 2008.