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Crew Chief Aero-Condo By Bill Farlow	Professor Farlow and his wife, Louise, and their new Crew Chief Condo on Wheels
"I wasn't looking for a new truck. Our Kodiak, Big Red, was doing a good job and didn't cost a bundle. I figured it would be the last truck we'd buy. But along came Crew Chief, and things changed. It's a small motorhome with big muscles for towing the largest fifth wheel. I don't have to tell you the advantages of that."
Read the RV Review, Latest and Greatest Recreational Vehicles (pdf -143 k) Reprinted with permission of Coast to Coast Magazine, March 2001

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King of the Campground Driver's Edge, National Post, Friday July 13, 2001 (Please note that the prices quoted in the articles below are in Canadian Funds.) It was intimidating at first, sitting behind the massive steering wheel and looking across a hood that goes on for eternity. Once I got the hand of driving the rig, though, I was throwing the beast around tight corners as if it were a go-kart. I even felt comfortable enough to make a call on my cellphone. Reverse is also a breeze, even with the massive blind spots. Cab Fever: This 2001 Crew Chief Aero-Condo is one of many RV rigs on order from Alumi-Bunk. No Class A license is needed to drive the tractor-trailer as long as it is equipped with some of the comforts of home. By Neil Dunlop The setting sun turned the sky to vermillion as I savoured a bottle of Creemore Springs lager and a Macanudo cigar. Georgian Bay lapped at my feet. Nearby, in the piney splendor, was my $140,000 (in Canadian Dollars) recreational vehicle – the Crew Chief Aero-Condo, a 2.4 metre-long, fully-equipped condominium, mounted on a Freightliner FL 60 tractor. At first, I had trouble coming to terms with the Crew Chief. I was intimidated as I sat behind the massive steering wheel and looked over the enormous Freightliner hood sloping away to eternity. I was also self-conscious, like there was something regressive about driving a big rig. Years of stigmatizing and middle-aged prejudice had taught me that truck driving was a blue-collar job and not for folks with white-collar aspirations. I got over it when I noticed the loop of the cable on the ceiling of the driver's side – an air horn. It was going to be all right – cool, even. The 300-horsepower diesel engine fired with the slightest turn of the key. I selected drive on the push-button Allison six-speed transmission, released the air brakes (drivers need an air-brake endorsement to drive this vehicle in Ontario) and pulled away. The sensation of piloting this 7,200 kilogram vehicle took some getting used to. The seating position is upright, the chair springy and the accelerator is flat on the floor like a sewing machine pedal. Also, the steering is hyper-boosted making it feel like I was trying to maneuver a dance floor by sitting on a bouncing bar stool and turning a cocktail table. After drifting haphazardly onto the shoulder several times, and sending up plumes of dust like distress signals into the opposite lane, I eventually got the hand of driving the rig. I rested my forearms on the wheel trucker-style. A boy riding his bicycle gave me the fist-pumping international signal for an air-horn blast. To both our glee, I complied. Then I phoned my fiancé and let her hear it over the phone. Afterward, I realized I felt comfortable enough behind the wheel of the elephantine Crew Chief to make a telephone call. It is that easy to drive. Later, in the campground, I discovered I was throwing the beast around the tight curves like a go-kart. Reverse is also a breeze: Select the R button and either look out the back door or use the large side mirrors to see where you are going. You can even peer out the two side windows. However, the blind spots are the size of sequoias. For a 7.47 metre-long vehicle, the Crew Chief has a remarkably tight turning circle. You might expect turning around to involve a nerve-wracking 25-point turn, but it never took me more than three points, even when I would have expected at least four in a regular-sized vehicle. Normally, a tractor-trailer is inaccessible to drivers without an A Class license. However, no special permit is required to drive the Crew Chief as it is classified as a recreational vehicle. (To be designated as such, an RV must be equipped with at least four of the following: a cooking facility, running water, toilet, refrigeration, heating and/or airconditioning, a generator, a sleeping birth and 110- or 115-volt electrical service.) The Crew Chief has all eight. The Crew Chief is made by Alumi-Bunk Corp. at its plant in Dundalk, Ont., about 150 kilometres northwest of Toronto. The company started making Crew Chief models in 1995 for people to tow large boats, horse trailers, campers and other equipment. With a maximum towing capacity of 44,000 kg, it is also popular with auto racing teams that need to haul large amounts of equipment and cars. Alumi-Bunk made six Crew Chiefs in the first year of production. Last year, 80 units were sold and the plant is on track to produce 120 this year. All are custom made and range in price from $139,000 to $160,000, (in Canadian Dollars) depending on the number of options. Customers can choose between cloth, leatherette and leather upholstery, oak and maple cabinets, and a toilet and toilet/shower combination. Other options include aluminum wheels, rear-view TV monitor and a Fifth Wheel hitch. The unit I borrowed had just left the plant floor, and it had not yet received its final inspection. There was still sawdust and filings in the corners and some of the door latches needed working in. The owners chose grey leatherette and oak cabinets. The leatherette is reminiscent of a diner booth. Finished in cloth or leather, the well-cushioned seats, captain's chair and sofa would be much more attractive and comfortable. The interior is more homey than luxurious. Think Holiday Inn, not Four-Seasons. In terms of serenity, however, think sarcophagus. Once you drop the blinds and pull the thick curtains over the windshield, the Crew Chief is as quiet and dark as a tomb. In addition, the entire cabin is mounted on its exclusive Air-Ride system, which replaces normal truck springs with self-adjusting pneumatic bags that make it feel as though it is floating on air. The Crew Chief was such a hit with other campers it might be hard to achieve total serenity. One fellow did not even wait for me to turn off the engine before he climbed the cab steps and banged on the window. "How much does this go for?" "Hundred ‘n' forty," I replied. (in Canadian Dollars) Geez, I thought it'd be more." He hung around examining the exterior until I invited him in. "Ya got a TV, microwave, potty, sink, fridge, climate control, a generator and a tractor all for $140,000 (in Canadian Dollars). Frig, I drove trucks for 40 years – I woulda thought it would be more. "I heard him telling his wife about it across the campsite. Later, when I left the campground to get dinner, another man looked at me with what could only be described as lust. I glanced at him from the highway and he was still watching me leave. Buyers have a choice of cabinetry and seating material along with other options. In town, a middle-aged couple stopped and asked the price. I told them. "I need one of those," the husband said and his wife rolled her eyes. I did not want to return the Crew Chief. As I was highballing it on Highway 9 back toward Dundalk, another trucker waved to me. I waved back as cooly as I could, leaned on the wheel and smiled. The $140,000 (in Canadian Dollars) seems a small price to pay. -30-

"Crew Chief at the Indy" "CASCAR Racer Dave Whitlock of Sarnia was front and centre at the 2001 Molson Indy this year for everyone to see (and admire)."

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AERO-CONDO

CREW CHIEF'S MEGA-HAULER IS BOTH A
TOWING MACHINE AND A SELF-CONTAINED RV

Trailer Life, October 2000

The Crew Chief Aero-Condo is not only a medium-duty truck for towing fifth-wheels, it's an RV in its own right, with toilet, galley and a convertible sofa. Built on a Freightliner Business Class chassis, the unit has stand-up access from the cab to the 8-foot-long RV section, as well as a full rear door. While serving as a tow vehicle for fifth-wheel trailers, this unusual vehicle adds comfort and convenience for side trips when not towing. The Freightliner chassis provides a tight turning radius equipped with three independent air ride systems, which include the seats, the rear-axle suspension and a multiple-bag air-ride system on the cabin. A spokesperson suggests that it is as easy to drive as a one-ton dualie truck. Listed at $98,900 (US funds), the Aero-Condo can be custom-built to the owner's specifications, including wheelbase dimension and engine/transmission choices. The Aero-Condo is available with any of a number of diesel engines - the largest of which is the C12 Caterpillar, rated at 430 hp and 1,650 lb-ft of torque - and a variety of transmissions, including an Allison six-speed automatic. The Aero-Condo's gross combination weight rating (gcwr) varies with configuration up to a maximum of 60,000 pounds. An aluminum frame and fiberglass cap form the trucks' cabin, and it's equipped with two large tinted windows, maple or oak cabinets with matching table, a sofa bed and a large barrel chair. The interior color is the customer's choice. The appliances include a microwave oven, refrigerator, power converter with automatic batter charger, a basement air conditioner, heater with a thermostat and a generator. The rig has an enclosed cassette toilet with built-in gray-and-black-water holding tanks and an enclosed kitchenette sink with a small freshwater tank. Equipment includes 12-volt DC and 120-volt AC outlets, halogen lights, swivel-style reading lamps and an exterior 30-amp shore power outlet. All LED exterior marker lights have a lifetime guarantee. The tow package includes aluminum checker plate flooring, enclosed steps leading to the rear door of the conversion, a Class V receiver hitch, a fifth-wheel hitch rated at 32,000 pounds, hardware for trailer hookup, large storage boxes and fuel tank covers. Some of the extra-cost options that are available on the Aero-Condo include an engine brake, back-up closed-circuit TV system, 3.5 kw diesel AC generator in lieu of gas, air-ride fifth-wheel hitch and aluminum wheels. TL - JIM BRIGHTLY Crew Chief, 5 Keppel Street, Dundalk, Ontario N0C 1B0 (8000) 700-2865; www.crewchief.com PROFILE Q u i c k   I n f o ENGINE: 3126B Caterpillar HORSEPOWER: 300 @ 2,200 RPM TORQUE: 800 LB-FT @ 1, 450 RMP TRANSMISSION: 6-SPD AUTO WHEELBASE: 220.00" EPA MILEAGE: N/A GVWR: 33,000 LB TOW RATING: 32,000 LB SUGG RETAIL PRICE: $98,900 US FUNDS Full Colour PDF version of article for print Click Here

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