Biggest practical vehicles

[apoyusiken]

6 hours ago, vf1000ride said:

You need to check out the trucks they run for stuff like the Dakar Rally.  The Mercedes will do 80mph on pavement, 50mph offroad.  I'm sure you could convert that aft maintenance section into a living area.

yea but is it good for the road?

[SimplyGone]

isn't this your wet dream of a thread @IkeaGnome ?

[apoyusiken]

1 minute ago, SimplyGone said:

Why you want a big car?  You little in other places?

yea they say that. i dont like trucks and stuff but idk i like being high . also i cant live in a camry.

[SimplyGone]

1 minute ago, apoyusiken said:

yea they say that. i dont like trucks and stuff but idk i like being high . also i cant live in a camry.

panel van decked out with all the creature comforts.  Somink like a log wheelbase transit.  or the iveco

[apoyusiken]

Just now, SimplyGone said:

panel van decked out with all the creature comforts.  Somink like a log wheelbase transit.  or the iveco

yea i will buy that first and then a double decker bus 

[SimplyGone]

Just now, apoyusiken said:

yea i will buy that first and then a double decker bus 

[apoyusiken]

2 minutes ago, SimplyGone said:

i like being high but i dont like high cars i think they arent as sexy, although they are more practical i wont be doing much offroad i imagine

 

also this looks like smt youd ride in earn to die

[vf1000ride]

16 hours ago, apoyusiken said:

yea but is it good for the road?

For any vehicle that weights multiple tons, can be used as a camper and can do almost 90mph on paved roads it's probably as nimble as they get.  It's a race truck.

 

If you wanted faster and more maneuverable you could probably go with one of them racing semi-trucks.  Not sure how well they would be at pulling an actual trailer though.

 

My personal favorite for comfort/speed/daily utility is my 2020 GMC Yukon XL.  Has no prob going 90-100mph on the highway.  Luxury interior, good towing and fairly nimble for it's roughly 5,600lb weight.

[Holmes108]

On 5/19/2026 at 3:59 AM, SimplyGone said:

 

I think that looks really cool, but also feel like I'd tip it over on the first turn!

[Issac Zachary]

On 5/12/2026 at 11:23 AM, apoyusiken said:

yea but i cant live in them

If I were looking for a vehicle to live in it would be a restored 1973 to 1978 GMC motorhome, hands down. These have:

• FWD and low center of gravity for excellent handling (for a 1970's vehicle at least). I don't know of anyone else who had tandem independent axles on the rear that allowed for the whole RV to be lowered.
• The big front windshield gives a view of the road and scenery like no other vehicle.
• GM did neat little things like pipe hot engine coolant to a heating element in the water heater you use for showering and such. That way you arrive with "free" hot water any where you go.

I guess the only downside to them is the don't have expandible pop-out living spaces like a lot of newer RVs.

 

Buses and semis could work. You mentioned semis not having the living space (trailer) connected to the cab, but you do get the biggest living space. Still, a bus is easier to drive, and if it's considered a recreational vehicle and doesn't have air brakes you might be able to drive it without a commercial driver's license. The potentially hard thing about some commercial vehicles is if you get one with a non-synchronized manual transmission.

[Dedayog]

On 5/11/2026 at 5:47 AM, apoyusiken said:

thanks really valuable info what are the chances of finding someone like this

 

im thinking of buying a vehicle around 1m kms, what do you think?

 

i really like this bus but ideally i want smt electric, is there no honorable mentions? also i will be doing this in like 5 years so hopefully they will make an electric version then.

 

and i like this idea a lot but is there other fun to drive vehicles? i think its fun to drive high vehicles but semis arent so practical bc the living space isnt connected. unless its moddable.

 

Also can i take this to most of the places i want? (mostly talking abt the logistics)

Have you done ANY research into this?

 

When I got my CDL, I already know ALL of this.  As I work toward my pilot's license, I again did all of this LONG before I started.

 

 

[Mark Kaine]

AT-AT (60mph)

 

[IkeaGnome]

On 5/18/2026 at 11:55 PM, SimplyGone said:

isn't this your wet dream of a thread @IkeaGnome ?

Eh, yes and no. I work in underground mining. The goal for us is as much earth as we can move in as small of a footprint we can. For example, this isn't my picture but this is what we use as a 45 ton truck underground.

Spoiler

Compare that to a surface Volvo A45 and it's a different beast. Also not my picture.

Spoiler

Our trucks are governed out at 25mph. Operators will run into the earth if they have much more speed than that. 

 

Unless you're talking about at home. The red truck sits a little taller now. It still gets driven every day I'm home and still goes on the freeway. 

Spoiler

Beyond that, what we use for some scenarios where I live has nothing to do with what OP is looking for. I have a friend that has 2 M76 otters that we use for moose hunting in exchange for letting him store them at my place since he doesn't have room living in Anchorage.

Spoiler

It looks like a tank boat because it is. Airplane engine, steer it with bicycle handlebars, drive on tracks or the rubber tires, and it has a boat propeller in the back. Meanwhile for a "normal" vehicle for moose hunting, we'll just take what ever we can and modify it how we need. 

Spoiler

Lots of vehicles chopped up with just enough to keep you dry and add a crane. 

[Skyview]

What about the Hummer H1 X3. Yes, it is actually real and street legal.