The instant we saw the Torsus Praetorian off-road bus for the first time, we knew: That would make an absolutely killer expedition motorhome. There was a false start or two, but the big, bad beast of a bus has finally completed its destiny. And it's done it with more flair and style than we would have imagined, rivaling a few million-dollar expedition vehicles with an upscale rustic-chic interior living environment that would feel as at home parked outside the bustling marinas of Monaco as it would standing alone in Patagonia or the Gobi Desert.
Torsus emerged in 2018 to meet the brief for a bigger, more rugged form of government-and-industry transporter. What it had in mind was an all-terrain bus that could replace a fleet of Land Cruisers in shuttling miners, emergency services personnel, gas and oil workers, and others to remote job sites via gnarly routes impassable to the average four-wheeled vehicle.
The company starts each build off with a bare MAN TGM 4x4 chassis, to which it adds its own stretched, protective-coated fiberglass body capable of housing up to 35 seats. That composite skin is reinforced below by a full shark cage-like tubular frame.
Powered by a 285-hp six-cylinder diesel firing out a massive 848 lb-ft (1,050 Nm) of torque, the 28.5-foot-long (8.7-m) rig includes a 4WD system with three locking differentials and on/off-road gearing split, rear air suspension, and big, knobbed Michelin XZL 365/80 R20 all-terrain tires. Its lowest axle point rides close to 14 inches (35 cm) over top the ground below, and it's ready to dive into waters almost 2 feet (60 cm) deep and tackle gradients up to 60 degrees.
We're not sure we've seen any other vehicle that looks as downright cool and at the same time ready to tear through rock and sludge like a pack of ravenous African wild dogs through supple impala flesh. In short, it's the "world's toughest heavy-duty off-road bus."
And Torsus has managed to continually make it better throughout the short period it's been in existence.
We did in fact imagine the Praetorian as a rugged expedition camper the very moment we first saw it (and chronicled that impression at the time), and it didn't take all that long for Torsus to start thinking out loud in that direction, too. About a year after it debuted the vessel, it began getting the word out about an overland motorhome spec. Its plan back in 2019 was to supply the Praetorian to third-party conversion partners for custom RV builds, and it even had an Australian partner all lined up to get things rolling.
As we all recall, tumultuous global times took hold shortly thereafter. Then, three, four, five years ... no sign of an actual Torsus off-road motorhome. It's now close to six full years since we first looked at Torsus' overland RV ambitions, and we're finally seeing the ripe, juicy fruit watered by those ambitions arrive in the real world.
Developed collaboratively by German Torsus distributor All4Bus and Dämmler, an 80-year-strong camper and furniture building specialist, the Praetorian Liberra features Torsus' standard wild, animalistic exterior and mechanicals, tamed only by an interior layout that looks pulled straight out of a high-end luxury motorhome. In fact, All4Bus calls it an Expedition Liner – "liner" being the term the German RV industry uses regularly for large, bus-sized luxury motorhomes like a Volkner Performance S or Dembell.
While the Liberra seems destined to ultimately slate in as a custom made-to-order package reflecting the layout, spec and preferences of each buyer, the demonstration variant that All4Bus and Dämmler have been showing in Germany definitely earns its "Liner" tag.
Most expedition motorhomes in this class feature an independent RV box and driver's cab, but Torsus' unique bus-style body construction makes for a more cohesive, integrated space that mimics Class A road yachts, albeit without any slide-out expansion modules. This creates a more open, comfortable layout on road and trail, seating two passengers behind the driver's cockpit in individual seats mounted side by side.
There's no division between that belted travel seating area and the long living area behind it, making for seamless transition between long-distance travel and life at base camp. The main floor plan highlighted in Dämmler's materials shows a unique split kitchen that has a full range with four-burner stove and oven directly behind the seats and an independent sink block behind the side entry door separating the two – sort of a "dry" kitchen layout in place of a dry bathroom.
Both kitchen units have drawers below, and the range block features a countertop. The 90-L Dometic fridge is inbuilt into a wall console across the way, trimmed to match the greater white paneling.
Behind the driver's seat, the dinette seats all four occupants on two independent benches split by a dining table, no need for the driving area seats to swivel around. The unit then transforms over into a double bed at night so the Liberra can sleep a total of four people. A tall storage and shelf console separates the dinette from the fridge, adding to the homey ambiance further enhanced by warm wood trim and cool neutral fixtures.
As alluded above, the layout doesn't include the dry bathroom setup common in this grade of RV. The wet bathroom does appear plenty long for comfortable shower and toilet use without any tricks or hideaway fixtures.
The rear of the Liberra gets carved into a cozy, open-floor plan master bedroom. It features an 82 x 35-in (208 x 90-cm) single longitudinal bed on the right side of travel and a 190 x 90-cm (75 x 35-cm) single on the left side. The two beds can then combine into one king. A combination of ambient mood light and adjustable reading lamps delivers plenty of lighting.
Further bringing the Liberra together into one single living space from tip to tail is its extensive glazing. The large bus windshield blends seamlessly into full-length window lines on both sides immediately after the A-pillars, providing generous views of the scenery from all parts of the floor plan, including the rear bedroom.
Standard features of note include a Victron dual-lithium battery electrical system with 3,000-W inverter and smart control panel, 250-L fresh water capacity, underfloor heating, Truma Combi diesel air and water heater, and a 2.4-kW Truma rooftop air conditioner.
All4Bus and Dämmler plan to put the Praetorian Liberra into small series production, using modular components that mix and match to create different layouts. While pricing seems likely to vary wildly based on individual customization selections, Dämmler lists base price at €550,000 (approx. US$635,550).
