"American excess" is a simple term that points at the United States' tendency toward materialistic overconsumption. As a culture, we aim for what we want, not necessarily what we need. So when you see a massive overland RV with an extra axle and a big, proud Ford badge all capped out in its gape, it'd be easy to slap that "American excess" label on it without thinking twice. But in the case of the new 6-wheeled Ford Ranger Super Duty expedition rig from Kerkamm, that Blue Oval badge is the only American thing about it. If anything, this one is German excess, and it looks like just the right amount.
Just a few weeks after the world's first ever Ford Ranger Super Duty camper truck arrived in Thailand, Ford announced in May plans to bring the Ranger Super Duty to the European market. It followed up with an official German premiere in June at the Adventure & Allwheel Show, the country's long-running overland exhibition that hosts some of the largest, gnarliest RVs the world will ever see, both at the exhibitor booths and out in the visitor camping lot.
Now, just a few months later, we have Europe's first Ranger Super Duty camper truck.
The average DIYer or custom builder might look at the Ranger Super Duty's massive 1,982-kg (4,370-lb) payload and think, "I'm gonna' drop a dream off-road camper setup on top of that and enjoy the nimble size of the midsize truck platform while wandering around looking for idyllic base camps."
Kerkamm, on the other hand, looked at it and thought, "Close, but we still need some more payload for what we want to do with this thing."
To its credit, the company didn't go whining to Ford about its unique set of needs and wants but instead partnered up to extend the chassis out onto an extra axle, upping the total gross vehicle weight rating from 4,500 kg to 5,900 kg (9,920 to 13,000 lb).
The added axle isn't connected to the powertrain, so it's a 6x4 setup instead of the 6x6 we've become accustomed to in the globe-crawling mega-camper truck market. That leaves the 204 hp and 443 lb-ft of turbo-diesel V6 output to be distributed among the original four wheels.
Despite its extra axle, the new Ford motorhome - which doesn't wear a model name in any of the materials we've looked at - is actually fairly modest for Kerkamm, whose work extends to massive camper trucks right up to 16-tonne (35K-lb) weights and 8.9-meter (29-ft) lengths. The fiberglass motorhome module is plenty roomy, however, sleeping all four people that fit in the SuperCrew Ranger cab. Those four adventurers sleep on a combination of the oversized 79 x 79-in (200 x 200-cm) front alcove double bed and the convertible rear dinette.
During daytime hours, the dinette splits into a U-shaped sofa wrapped snugly around an adjustable-height pedestal table. Meals are prepared on the kitchen block just to the right of the entryway, which equips adventurers with a dual-burner induction cooktop, sink and worktop. A 119-L Dometic fridge keeps perishables fresh and drinks icy cold.
Across from the kitchen, the bathroom includes a Clessana C1 dry-wrapping electric toilet and shower. The truck carries a 200-L fresh water supply and holds 80 liters of waste water.
Kerkamm aims to give buyers robust off-grid capability with a Victron electrical system based around a 550-Ah lithium battery bank fed by a 400-watt solar array. Buyers can gain even more off-grid capability by optionally upgrading to a 750-Ah battery and 800-watt solar setup and/or adding on options like Starlink satellite internet, a Goodguards water filtration system and a Maxview 4x4 LTE 5G antenna.
Kerkamm also includes a Timberline heating system, Outbound windows, a MaxxFan and LED lighting as standard. It offers a deep options list that includes items like Maxtrax traction boards, a Thule awning and a dual-bike carrier.
The Kerkamm Ranger Super Duty 6x4 camper truck made its official world premiere at this year's Düsseldorf Caravan Salon and is available to order for a base price of €379,900 (approx. US$441,200).
Despite the hollow promise of that all-American "Ford" badge, this is a German expedition vehicle built atop a Ranger Super Duty that Ford has no intention of selling in the United States. So Americans will have to find their excess elsewhere - may we suggest the Supertramp Paragon or Rossmönster Loft.
Source: Kerkamm
