Soaring Eagle is entering the motorized RV market for the first time through an exclusive partnership with Montana-based Acela Truck Co., debuting a Jeep-truck-camper hybrid designed for the growing overlanding segment.
Soaring Eagle President Scott Tuttle said this new vehicle combines an Acela-modified Jeep Gladiator Rubicon chassis with an all-new Soaring Eagle truck camper body – creating a compact off-road adventure vehicle that will be sold as a complete unit.
The launch is Soaring Eagle’s most significant product announcement heading into the Elkhart RV Open House, where the manufacturer will display along Executive Parkway leading up to the RV/MH Hall of Fame.
There, dealers will get their first look at the new hybrid model, which Tuttle said is designed for customers seeking exceptional off-road capability without sacrificing comfort or reliability. Built on an Acela Breacher platform originally developed for emergency response and firefighting applications, this hybrid vehicle comes with a beefed-up chassis featuring an increased bed length with 3,000 pounds of cargo-carrying capacity. Those capabilities, while retaining the Jeep factory warranty, made it an ideal platform for a lightweight adventure-focused camper, Tuttle said.
The upgraded Jeep Rubicon and Soaring Eagle truck camper combo – measuring about 19’ – will be sold as one complete vehicle. Still, owners will have the ability to remove the camper and use the Jeep Rubicon as a standalone vehicle when desired – a concept inspired by trends within the overlanding community, Tuttle said.
He said he believes the project gives Soaring Eagle an opportunity to participate in the rapidly growing adventure-travel segment, where consumers are willing to spend six figures on highly specialized vehicles.
“We’re realistic about the market size,” Tuttle said. “We’re not expecting massive volume. We’re not going to sell thousands of these things, but I think it’s going to compete really well in a market where there’s a lot of Sprinter vans competing in the overland segment.”
Soaring Eagle has secured an exclusive agreement with Acela, ensuring the Breecher platform Jeep will only be paired with the RV manufacturer’s truck campers.
According to Tuttle, early reaction from dealers has been encouraging. He said one dealer who had largely exited the motorized segment told him he would be interested in carrying the product.
Tuttle said he anticipates the MSRP for the Jeep-camper hybrid – which did not have a name as of late July – will be somewhere in the range of $150,000.
While many RV manufacturers have expressed concern about current market conditions, Tuttle said Soaring Eagle’s experience has been dramatically different. He noted that Soaring Eagle shipped more units during the first five months of this year than it did during all of the previous year – which itself was a company record.
“We’re five years into this, and we’ve done nothing but grow,” Tuttle said.
Soaring Eagle Introduces the BUNKHOUSE
Wakarusa, Ind.-based Soaring Eagle Campers, manufacturers of ultra-lightweight, all-aluminum and composite constructed truck campers, announced a new line of Western-themed truck campers being sold under the BUNKHOUSE brand name.
The BUNKHOUSE truck camper from Soaring Eagle Campers features a Western-themed interior decor that blends rugged natural materials with earthy colors and ranch-style comforts to mimic the American frontier and bunkhouse living on a ranch. The distressed brown leather-look fabric on the sofa cushions features a Southwestern insert, while the hardwood cabinetry features iron and antique brass accents. The exterior of the BUNKHOUSE also features Western-themed graphics and is available in both white and gray exterior fiberglass.
“We are excited to offer the BUNKHOUSE truck camper in regions of the country where horses, rodeos, ranch living and country music are a way of life,” shares Scott Tuttle, parter at Soaring Eagle Campers. ”Many of our potential customers are pulling horse trailers so a truck camper is a great fit for their lifestyle and camping needs.
Soaring Eagle recently started shipping BUNKHOUSE models to dealers and they hope to have these unique models available at multiple dealerships later this Fall.
The initial BUNKHOUSE truck camper lineup includes a smaller model with basic amenities designed for half ton trucks, as well as a larger model with full amenities such as a shower and bathroom designed for ¾ ton trucks and larger.
