We all get waylaid by bright shiny objects and the thought of new technologies which will make things supposedly ‘better, easier, cheaper and more user friendly’. But really, does what’s on the surface matter as much as why some things are the way they are? We all know how to do things, but do we know WHY we do them the way we do?
Here at EarthCruiser, we’re very deliberate about why we do the things that we do. Here are a few examples:
Why does an EarthCruiser have one layout? Early on, we decided there were a few things that we always wanted. One was to have a bed that didn’t need to be put away everyday. That meant that the bed had to be in space that wasn’t used for anything else. We also wanted to have a place to sit or sit and eat that didn’t have to be cleaned up everytime we wanted to use it because it was used for some other purpose—that said, we have several customers who have used their dinette not as a place to eat but a place for their dogs to relax! Essentially people are lazy and so we wanted to be able to do something without having to move something first. This made our kitchen layout the way it is. We use drawers because having cupboards would mean that you’d need to essentially be lying on the floor to see what was stored in the back of them.
Why is an EC bathroom in the doorway? Having a toilet and the ability to have a hot shower inside is really important to us. On the first EarthCruisers, we had a dedicated space for the toilet and shower which meant that it was taking up space that could be better used for other things. Let’s face it…how much time does one actually spend in the bathroom everyday? Not much, right? So why have space dedicated to an activity that wasn’t taking up a lot of time. As well, why not have a wet area in a place that made it convenient to take off wet gear, hose off the dog and keep the moisture in one place so it wasn’t tracked everywhere.
Why is an EarthCruiser not longer/bigger than it is? When we started EarthCruiser in Australia we were considered second stage vehicle manufacturers which meant that we were subject to the same constraints as companies like Toyota and Mitsubishi Fuso. Longer vehicles with higher weights required different driver’s licenses. Some places had restrictions on vehicle length (think ferries and national parks). High vehicles can be very top heavy. No one wants to feel like they’re porpoising as they drive down the road. EarthCruisers have rounded corners which means that sticks and branches won’t be catching on the roof and trying to tear it off or put a hole in it.
So size does matter and the why matters too. There are plenty more whys involved in making an EarthCruiser the way it is. This doesn’t mean that we’re adverse to making changes but those changes have to have a good reason why. If you want to have a travel experience in a vehicle made by people who travel and understand the whys of what is needed then an EarthCruiser may be for you and you should come to see us to find out more.
