More often than not, large off-grid adventure rigs are rugged hunks of utilitarian heavy machinery outside, luxurious glamping retreats inside. Loki Basecamp flips that formula on its head with its latest creation, taking a high-priced, 45-foot luxury motor coach and outfitting it into something of an adventure hostel on wheels. The first launch of its new Loki Coach brand, the XL Coach motorhome uses its massive size to house a powerful off-grid residence ready to support its owner and seven others as they explore distant stretches of the globe in search of new experiences and discoveries.
More than just a truck camper builder, Loki is a mastermind of tiny living and space optimization. Before its camper business, the company was wholly focused on building mobile work and event spaces out of shipping containers. In that light, the new Loki Coach division comes as no surprise, a natural extension of the Quebecois brand's prowess in transforming mobile spaces for camping, travel, show and more.
What does come as a surprise is Loki Coach's debut vehicle. Instead of installing the type of luxurious interior for which the Prevost X3-45 VIP base coach is known, Loki put its Basecamp truck camper and Coach teams in the same workshop to collaborate on a self-sufficient global explorer and adventure support vessel. That's what the client asked for, and that's what Loki delivered. The interior is more humble and functional than one would expect after looking over the Prevost exterior, but the aim of the vehicle is more to see and experience the outside world, not while away days inside a pampered bubble.
Loki's first step was installing the electrical capacity, water and other equipment needed to cut ties with outside infrastructure and give the XL Coach full autonomy. That work starts with the 1,800-Ah self-heating lithium battery bank and 15,000-W inverter/charger and rises up to the extensive 2,000-W solar panel array on the rooftop. Other key installations include a 50,000-BTU electric/diesel-hybrid air/floor/water heating system, a multi-air conditioner system, a 511-L fresh water supply and a UV water purifier. An R16 insulation package maintains a comfortable interior climate in literal Arctic and Saharan conditions alike.
Those amenities would come in handy on any motorhome, but this particular project is meant to be more of an outdoorsy adventurer than the average Class A. Toward that end, Loki did some work outside the box, adding in the type of slide-out kitchen common on adventure vans and off-road camping trailers. In place of the usual stove, this particular slide-out has a portable grill and griddle, along with a drawer-style 12V fridge. Cooks will have to go inside if they need a faucet, but not to watch TV, since the tailgater-style outdoor layout includes its own swivel-mounted flat screen.
Other outdoor rec-oriented upgrades include a triple (e)bike carrier built into one of the lower storage bays that would usually be dedicated to swallowing up designer luggage, a long-running passenger-side awning, a custom roof rack, a 76,000-lumen LED roof lighting rig that could all but land an aircraft, and even a rooftop tent.
The interior certainly isn't austere, but it feels designed and appointed more like a Mercedes Sprinter camper van than a stretched luxury motorhome, trading the high-dollar yacht-inspired panache of something like a Dembell or Volkner for a floor plan that exemplifies form following function. Instead of exotic woods, marbles and leathers, the XL Coach has much more basic furnishings and fabrics ... something occupants will be glad about when they traipse through after a muddy hike or dusty bike ride.
The Loki XL Coach kitchen is well-equipped with an induction cooktop, full-size refrigerator, dishwasher and microwave oven. The main kitchen block isn't any fancier than what you'd find standing inside the sliding door of a camper van; it's just surrounded by more cabinetry and a much larger fridge.
Instead of the dedicated dining area such a large floor plan could afford, Loki installs a multi-adjustable table in front of the long, L-shaped couch, keeping things simple. open and multifunctional. The couch, of course, converts over into a sleeping area, but because it's so large, it leaves a smaller corner dinette intact. The main sleeping quarters are down the long hallway, where passengers will find the rear master bedroom with queen bed and flat-panel TV, a bunk bed area and the washer/dryer. The XL Coach sleeps up to eight adults in all.
The dry bathroom is a touch chicer than the rest of the floor plan thanks to a vessel sink, glass shower divider, and rainfall shower augmented by a handheld sprayer. Loki also puts a little something extra into the entertainment system, which includes three flat-panel TVs spread indoors to out and a Paradigm sound system with subwoofer. A domotics system with multi-panel command center ties the various appliances and hardware together.
While "off-grid" and "off-road" capabilities often intertwine, the Loki XL Coach demonstrates why they're not at all synonyms. The massive 45-foot (13.7-m) motorhome may be capable of decoupling from civilization and powering itself out in the countryside, but it certainly isn't configured to tackle any real off-roading. Just imagine the atrocious breakover angle that comes with the Prevost-proclaimed "longest wheelbase in the industry."
Unsurprisingly, Loki doesn't so much as hint at the price paid for this rig, and since it's a highly particular project custom-built to the buyer's specs, there's no real value in trying to chase it down. Plus, between the seven-figure prices of typical Prevost X3-45 VIP-based motorhomes and the exorbitant six-figure price of Loki's flagship truck camper, we don't even want to know what type of money changed hands over top the sketches of this super-sized rig. Those not put off by that type of pricing who might be interested in a project of their own can contact Loki Coach through its website.
Source: Loki Basecamp