- 19 hours ago
Bliss Mobil’s 13-ft Type 4 turns a truck camper into a true expedition rig, with a removable box, metal-frame construction, and enough redundant systems to keep world travel moving. At Overland Expo East, Spencer Park walks through the engineering behind this Dutch-built overland camper, from the torsion-free subframe and 1,100-lb motorbike carrier to the water filtration, heating, and service access built for extreme conditions.
Inside, the layout feels more like a compact yacht than a truck camper, with bamboo finishes, carbon fiber hardware, a fold-down dinette bed, a high bed on worm-drive lifts, induction cooking, a wet bath, and smart controls for lights, table, and critical systems. The tour also covers the AEV RAM 5500 chassis, Hutchinson beadlock wheels, 41-inch tires, and the ability to remove the Bliss Mobil box and move it to a new truck when the chassis wears out.
For overland travel fans, expedition vehicle shoppers, and anyone searching for a luxury off-grid camper or full tour of a modular expedition truck, this walkthrough shows why Bliss Mobil is often called the gold standard for long-term global travel. It is also a strong fit for searches like truck camper tour, overland expo, off-road RV, and expedition vehicle review, especially if you want practical details on storage, insulation, water systems, and serviceability.
Inside, the layout feels more like a compact yacht than a truck camper, with bamboo finishes, carbon fiber hardware, a fold-down dinette bed, a high bed on worm-drive lifts, induction cooking, a wet bath, and smart controls for lights, table, and critical systems. The tour also covers the AEV RAM 5500 chassis, Hutchinson beadlock wheels, 41-inch tires, and the ability to remove the Bliss Mobil box and move it to a new truck when the chassis wears out.
For overland travel fans, expedition vehicle shoppers, and anyone searching for a luxury off-grid camper or full tour of a modular expedition truck, this walkthrough shows why Bliss Mobil is often called the gold standard for long-term global travel. It is also a strong fit for searches like truck camper tour, overland expo, off-road RV, and expedition vehicle review, especially if you want practical details on storage, insulation, water systems, and serviceability.
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TravelTranscript
00:00This is Patrick with New Jersey's Outdoor Adventures YouTube channel here at Overland Expo East and I just met up
00:05with Spencer.
00:06He's with Bliss Mobile. They build Expedition vehicles. Look at this thing. It is absolutely insane.
00:12Wait till you see it inside. This has features on it I've never even seen before. So join us for
00:17the tour.
00:18Hi, my name is Spencer Park with Bliss Mobile USA. I'm here with Patrick today. He was kind enough to
00:23come shoot a video for us.
00:25I am excited to show you what sets Bliss Mobile apart from the rest with these fabulous Expedition vehicles.
00:33What we have for you today is our 13-foot Type 4 Bliss Mobile unit and something that sets us
00:40apart from the rest is we build a metal frame to our Expedition units.
00:46So part of the reason we do that is we're not relying on the walls as the structure of the
00:50unit which gives it more rigidity for extreme overland travel.
00:55And part of those features is having a torsion-free subframe that we design and build in-house to make
01:03sure that your off-road travels go as planned and you don't have any surprises in extreme conditions.
01:09One of our accessory features is our motorbike carrier.
01:15We have multiple different layouts of this option, multiple different tray options to carry motorcycles, bicycles, quad bikes, multiple spare
01:24tires, and storage solutions for your long-term Expedition travel.
01:30And part of this construction which makes it unique going back to our structure of the Bliss Mobile unit is
01:37because we have a metal frame where you can utilize that frame for the mounting of these robust accessories.
01:43So this rack that you see here is capable of carrying 1,100 pounds to make sure you bring your
01:49bikes and all your gear with you.
01:53Now this one is featured with our large rear storage box.
01:56This is a really nice feature because it gives you a great amount of storage for your spare parts, gear,
02:04hammocks, everything you need at camp and on the trail.
02:08And just below the storage box is our Batwing awning, which unzips from the bag here and goes around to
02:15the side of the unit and locks into the L-Track that's mounted on the side of the Bliss Mobile
02:21box.
02:23Now one of the great things about this motorbike carrier is the ease of loading and unloading your vehicles that
02:31you're taking with you just by utilizing a winch.
02:52Some other exterior features, we have storage box solutions for the subframe, both aft axle and in front of the
02:59axle.
03:00Multiple different layouts, you'll have storage options in utility areas.
03:08In this case, we have a utility cabinet, which gives us access to our water filtration and waste tanks.
03:15One of the nice features with Bliss Mobile is we really accentuate the water filtration of the water coming in.
03:23So it's filtered coming in as well as filtered coming out of the freshwater tank.
03:27Above and beyond that, we have an additional feature of a tri-filter system that allows you to draw from
03:33lakes and streams.
03:33So it really keeps you out longer.
03:36Our customer base is interested in traveling the world.
03:40You're not always going to have great water sources where you go.
03:43So having the capability to have fresh water at all times is very important for your travels.
03:49Now on this particular build, we hit on this 13-foot Type 4, the truck chassis is an AV Ram
03:565500.
03:58And this one features the Hutchinson Beadlock wheels with 41-inch MPT tires.
04:04Again, taking you out further and longevity of travel with a very strong package.
04:11Very robust engineering.
04:15So going back to the Bliss unit build features, I spoke to the frame of the unit.
04:21Let's talk about insulation.
04:23Our walls are 60 millimeters thick.
04:25We rate the units down the negative 40 degrees.
04:28Again, making sure that during your world travels, you're going to run in the inclement climates and you want to
04:35be prepared for those conditions.
04:36So not only insulation, but multiple heating systems as well.
04:40We have in-floor electric heat that's standard on every unit.
04:44A diesel air heater that's standard on every unit.
04:46And additional heating options available depending on your type of travel.
04:51So part of the build quality of Bliss Mobile that we do differently is we build redundancies in the systems.
04:57We understand that you're going to be traveling the world, long-term travel.
05:02Parts are going to break.
05:04What's important is having redundancies for those parts.
05:07So most systems have two or three redundancies for every component to make sure you stay out longer and travel
05:13further.
05:18Now speaking to our connection box outside, you can tell we like to keep things tidy and efficient.
05:24So we have our fresh water fill.
05:27We do have exterior shower out here as well.
05:29Hot and cold water access.
05:31We have our dump valves, which again have multiple redundancies.
05:34We have electronic dump valves and manual dump valves in case you run into a situation where maybe the electronic
05:41valve has frozen for some reason, needs cleaning.
05:43You have a mechanical option as a backup.
05:46And then down here we have lighting switches for the exterior of the unit, our shore power connections, and we
05:53have power available out as well to run your electric grills or other electric accessories.
06:01Now I mentioned earlier about our 360 awning, our batwing awning rather.
06:06We have an L-Track system on the side of the unit.
06:09That's where the awning clips in.
06:10But this also gives you capability for other attachments to hang your towels, hang your wet gear if you go
06:16swimming.
06:17Anything you need to dry off on the exterior of the vehicle or mount accessories to the side, you have
06:23that capability.
06:27One of the nice features of Bliss Mobile and something that's important for every build is to have a robust
06:33entryway going into the unit.
06:35We make sure that we build a step system that is not only capable of everyone coming in and out
06:42of the vehicle, but will last a very long time.
06:46Now this design, you'll notice at the bottom of the stair set, it does not touch the ground.
06:51The reason we do that is if you are in inclement weather and go through a lightning storm, this does
06:58not ground the vehicle or the unit rather to the ground.
07:02So we want to make sure we take any grounding possibilities out of the equation if there's an electrical storm.
07:11Now, we build the box in-house.
07:14One of those features is our door as well.
07:16We just, we didn't find a door that really fit our needs for the unit, so we decided to build
07:21it in-house.
07:22The locking feature of the door is very interesting.
07:26We actually have a three-point lock system, so normal lock there.
07:30When you close the door, it actually deadbolts from the bottom and top.
07:35Again, playing into that robust engineering and build quality.
07:42Additional storage options, this is a feature for the Ram series.
07:45We have plentiful space between cab and axle, so we have storage options there.
07:56Always important to have space to carry all your gear and spare parts with you.
08:04Now, part of our insulation features is we use KCT windows, which are very well built.
08:11We've been very happy with them.
08:13They have shades and screens.
08:15We have multiple screen options as well, depending on the territory that you're in.
08:19With us being based in Colorado, we have those very small no-see-um bugs,
08:23so we have fine mesh screen options for that reason to keep the bugs out and enjoyable inside.
08:29Now, moving to the truck side, one of the build features of Bliss Mobile to be efficient
08:35is also keep in mind serviceability.
08:38We can pull the Bliss Mobile unit off the truck within about three hours.
08:42There is one electrical charge connection to the truck, four bolts to the subframe,
08:47and we can pull the unit off the truck, so we're not fully integrated into the truck for that reason.
08:53This particular package, again, features an AEV Prospector 5500 heavy-duty Ram
09:00with the Hutchinson B-Lock wheels, 41-inch MPT tires.
09:06One of the nice features of AEV as well is this beautiful front bumper,
09:11which features a 20,000-pound come-up winch,
09:15again, playing into that capability of the vehicle and long-term expedition travel.
09:21Now, I spoke to certain features of the Bliss Mobile unit being able to come off and on easily.
09:28Part of that design and modularity is we build on multiple different trucks all over the world.
09:33We want to make sure we're not married to one territory.
09:36So, for instance, here in the U.S., we use Ram, Ford, Chevy, Isuzu, International, Freightliner,
09:43basically any truck chassis that has the correct wheelbase and payload we can build on.
09:48So, that really plays into customer expectations of how they want to travel, their needs.
09:54Now, part of that process is if the customer comes to me or when you come to me,
09:59we sit down and we have an interview and we basically go over where you're going to travel,
10:03types of territories, how many people are going to be traveling with you,
10:06and then we can go over a selection of vehicle chassis that I would recommend to fit your needs.
10:12And that plays into each territory.
10:14So, in Europe, we build on MAN, Mercedes, Scania, all those beautiful expedition rigs that we see over there.
10:21And again, for territories that have where you drive on the opposite side of the road,
10:26such as the U.K. and Australia,
10:28we will cater the units to the opposite driving position as well.
10:34Now, I've showed you some features on the outside.
10:37I'm sure you're begging to see the inside of the unit.
10:40So, let's go.
10:47So, as we step into the Bliss Mobile unit,
10:50you're going to notice a beautiful build feature that we love.
10:53is a nice, big dinette, which also will fold into a bed.
10:57This provides ample space to be comfortable inside your expedition unit.
11:03But also, if you're traveling with your friends, which we always love to do,
11:06you have the space to entertain, play games, eat together.
11:09It's all an important part of the experience.
11:12Now, I mentioned earlier, this is a 13-foot Type 4.
11:15We have multiple different layouts of the 13-foot that's featured on our website.
11:19This particular layout features a high bed over the dinette.
11:23So, this bed lowers down for your main sleeping quarters.
11:29These are on worm drive electric rods to lower the bed and raise the bed.
11:36Now, a nice feature about this option
11:38is because we use independent worm drive motors per corner
11:42is we can level the bed to your campsite.
11:54Now, moving back to the dinette area, I mentioned the ample seating space to entertain.
11:59But if you have people traveling with you, you can also make this into a bed.
12:03This table does raise and lower.
12:05It has foldable sides for easy access.
12:09And when you go to raise and lower that,
12:12I'm going to open one of the beautiful features in the Bliss Mobile,
12:15is a very well-acquainted switch panel,
12:18which has your table controls as well as all your lighting and accessory controls.
12:24Now, again, speaking back to the redundancy of systems,
12:27a lot of these systems have two or three electrical redundancies.
12:31So, if you have one electrical portion of that accessory go down,
12:35you have a backup for it.
12:38Another feature that is, I would say, is rare in the industry
12:42is we also place temperature and water sensors around the unit.
12:47So, if you do have a water leak that happens,
12:50that sensor will actually sense the water leak in the area of the camper,
12:54shut down the water pump to prevent any damage or flooding within the unit.
12:59Now, this particular unit has 880 amp-hours on 24-volt, 1,000 watts of solar,
13:07and we have accessories and options to increase battery power from there, if you so choose.
13:17Now, one of the unique features of this particular unit is the owners do live out on the East Coast,
13:23and one of those concerns is humidity and moisture.
13:26So, we have a humidifier on the entry door to help prevent that moisture from accumulating inside.
13:33Now, speaking of water, we have 120 gallons freshwater capacity on this unit,
13:39and depending on the layout, your black and gray water systems will be anywhere from 30 to 40 gallons.
13:47As we get into the larger sizes, those do increase as well.
13:52So, down on this side of the dinette, inside this vented door here,
13:57we have our inverter systems, breakers, everything nicely and efficiently installed for easy access.
14:13And speaking of livability of the unit, we have our kitchen area, which is nicely acquainted with a kitchen set.
14:22Everything has its place inside a foam insert to keep it from rattling around or causing any damage to the
14:28drawers.
14:30Nice induction two-burner cooktop.
14:33With our larger units, we have four induction burners as well.
14:39Main fridge area is in the center here.
14:44Now, for your long-term expeditions, we also have an additional fridge or freezer option.
14:51That way, you can carry more with you to stay out longer.
15:07Now, just behind the fridge area, you'll notice some of our accessories in the back there.
15:13That is the Wabasto air heater, which is one of the heating systems on this unit.
15:19Very efficient, very powerful heater.
15:22So, next to the fridge area, you'll notice a little compartment here.
15:26I'm not going to show you because it's slightly a secret,
15:28but this is what we call our water table, which gives you access to all of your critical water systems,
15:35your water pump, water filters, and plumbing.
15:40So, it makes it for nice, easy access there.
15:42If you want to see it in detail, you're going to have to come visit us.
15:49Now, another feature, as I'm putting the dinette back together here,
15:52you'll notice that everything is on magnets.
15:54It makes it very efficient to pull all the cushions out, all the panels for deep cleaning of the unit.
16:00We like to keep things nice and tidy during our travels and service-related.
16:05Another feature that is a little hard to see, but maybe you can sneak back there, Patrick,
16:10is we do have wine storage in the corners.
16:12We also utilize a Sonos Bluetooth stereo system.
16:17Now, as we were talking about insulation values of the unit,
16:20I spoke to these beautiful KCT windows, which feature a shade from the top screen at the bottom.
16:27And as I mentioned, this one is optioned with the fine mesh screens.
16:31And all the hardware is just very solid on these windows.
16:35Very nice to use.
16:37You'll even notice carbon fiber hinges, which in the industry is just insane.
16:41But, again, one of those nice features.
16:46Now, another thing that I love about these windows is you're not married to the screen being open or closed.
16:53You can just set it where you want it, depending on the ventilation and sunlight that you want in.
17:01Now, some more about the galley features.
17:03We have a nice large sink, coffee maker options, Nespresso, tea makers, or if you just want to use it
17:11as storage,
17:12we can delete the coffee maker.
17:14Wine storage options also have dish storage options, as we spoke about a little bit earlier.
17:23We typically have an iPad or tablet mounted here for controlling the unit.
17:29We looked at the switch panel earlier, which is a hard switch for every accessory.
17:34We also run an app, so you can utilize a tablet to run your critical systems, your normal day-to
17:40-day systems, right from the tablet.
17:48We also have more storage underneath the sink, garbage container there, and other storage drawers with dish storage options.
18:06And finally, our nesting cookware in the bottom.
18:13Now, down here towards the floor, we try to utilize all the space as much as possible.
18:19In this particular unit, we have additional wine storage here in the lower drawer.
18:35Now, moving across the galley, we have entertainment systems and more additional storage.
18:41You'll hear me say storage a lot.
18:43We want to make sure that you have ample space to carry everything you need with you for long-term
18:48travel.
18:48We'll look at some of those features now.
18:52There's multiple different layouts we can do with this cabinet, depending if you want drawers, if you want shelves, if
18:59you want clothes hanging systems.
19:01We can cater to those needs.
19:10And then moving to the rear of the unit, this layout features a wet bath, very ample space for your
19:19shower and bathing needs.
19:22And as I mentioned earlier, that storage word keeps coming up, ample storage in the bathroom, in the medicine cabinet,
19:31and then additional storage to the right here.
19:36One of the nice features that I like about the wet bath is it also has a roof hatch in
19:42that area, which, as you can see on video, provides a nice, well-lit bathroom, again, with screens and shades,
19:53as you saw earlier.
19:58This particular unit features an option of a fold-down sink, so you can also have additional living space in
20:07the bathroom for your toiletry needs, apart from the galley area.
20:17Now, another feature in the bathroom here, Patrick, if you want to sneak around the corner, you'll notice on the
20:22left side we have a heated towel rack.
20:24This is a very nice feature, especially if you're coming back from a hike and hit a rainstorm.
20:30You can hang up all your wet gear, kick on the heated towel rack option, and that'll dry out your
20:36clothes pretty quickly.
20:42Now, part of the features of interior living, especially during the day, is we want to make sure that the
20:48unit is well-lit, comfortable.
20:50You'll see the treatments of the bamboo wood features, white walls to keep it nice and bright.
20:55Another feature is more roof hatches down the center of the unit to provide natural light.
21:02In addition to that, we have LED lighting throughout the unit, which is very efficient, very low-power usage.
21:07Speaking to the climate of the inside of the unit, we talked earlier about heating systems.
21:13Now, on the opposite side, to stay cool inside, we have ample ventilation throughout the unit.
21:18But on top of that, when you're in those desert hot travels, we have air conditioning as standard in every
21:25Bliss Mobile unit.
21:27Moving to our media cabinet, it's a little bit hidden up here.
21:30We do have accessories for external cameras, 360-degree IR cameras, a DVR to record what's going on outside, as
21:41well as Wi-Fi systems.
21:43Now, part of the Wi-Fi system and our service support that we provide is we can remote into the
21:49unit wherever we're at in the office to check on your critical systems if you have an error happening.
21:56I love the fact that, you know, notice throughout the whole entire video, like there's service access points everywhere.
22:03So, really, the service is built in.
22:05I like the fact that you have redundancy.
22:07Someone that is extended travel in something like this in other countries, other continents, they depend on this.
22:14So, that redundancy is really, really important.
22:16It does add some weight and it does add some cost.
22:20But, it's better than just packing up and turn around and go back home, right?
22:23Exactly.
22:24Yeah, we want to make sure that if you have a critical system, go down, which a lot of times
22:29can happen when you're traveling in extreme conditions.
22:32We want to make sure you have a backup for that system to keep going.
22:36And then when you put a million miles on the truck, you can take this off, get a new truck,
22:41and continue your travels.
22:42This thing's going to outlive the truck.
22:44Correct.
22:44You're not married to the entire vehicle at that point.
22:48So, if you wear out the vehicle, you can order a new one and move the Bliss Mobile to that
22:53vehicle.
22:54Otherwise, if you have the unfortunate accident of a car collision, you can change out the vehicle as well without
23:01having to start completely over.
23:03And if someone damaged the actual box of this, that's repaired as well?
23:08Yes, it can be repaired.
23:10And speaking to the structure of the box, so the metal frame of the box, it keeps it very rigid.
23:15So, if we have a hard hit to a wall, we can replace a wall.
23:18The wall is not a structural component of the unit.
23:21And it's purpose-built, so it's easy to pack and easy to ship.
23:25These come from a different country here to the United States?
23:29Correct.
23:29So, Bliss Mobile is built at our factory in the Netherlands.
23:33We are the North America factory direct contact for Bliss Mobile.
23:38So, you're not going through multiple different dealers.
23:41You can come to us for your sales, service, support, installation, upgrades in the future if you want.
23:46And, again, speaking to that truck chassis topic, you know, manufacturers are coming out with latest and greatest all the
23:55time.
23:55So, if you have a truck for five, six, seven years and you want to upgrade to the newest truck,
24:00you can do that without starting completely over.
24:02Well, this is awesome.
24:03I appreciate the opportunity for you to take some time away from here at the busy show.
24:08I came here yesterday and there was a line longer than I could imagine to get into this thing.
24:13And I was like, I'm going to have to come back early the next day.
24:16And I appreciate that.
24:17How do my viewers find you guys?
24:19So, you can find us at blissmobile.com.
24:22We're also on socials, Instagram.
24:25Pinterest is a big one, surprisingly.
24:27YouTube, we're working on our YouTube channel to feature more videos.
24:31Also, more specifically, on our YouTube channel, you will see not only Expedition vehicles, but we do provide rentals as
24:38well.
24:38So, if you want to try it out before you buy it, we have this wonderful program of rentals in
24:43Iceland and multiple locations in Africa.
24:46You can find me, Spencer Park, USA at blissmobile.com if you want to learn more.
24:52And, again, thanks, Patrick, for stopping by and giving us the opportunity to speak more about Bliss.
24:58No problem.
24:58And then I know my viewers, I panned over to it.
25:01There's another one next to it.
25:02And they're going to be dying to know maybe just a one-minute explanation of that one.
25:07Absolutely.
25:08That's why that one's different.
25:09Come on over.
25:09It's a Ram 5500.
25:11It goes to AED and it gets the prospect.
25:13So, also featuring at Expo East, our new 8-foot lifting roof.
25:18We're very excited for this new component of Bliss Mobile.
25:24New feature of Bliss Mobile is we build 8-foot and 11-foot units in lifting roof configurations.
25:31So, if you are the type of customer that, again, wants to go further into tighter spaces, this is going
25:37to be the package for you.
25:39Now, even though this 8-foot unit is small in size, it is large with amenities and capacities.
25:46We have a 62-gallon water tank on this unit, which you will not find anywhere else in this small
25:52package.
25:55Multiple different waste options.
25:57We could do cassette toilets.
25:58We could do black water macerating toilets.
26:01Or, if you want to do a toilet delete for your wrap-on systems, we can do that as well.
26:07Again, this unit features in-floor electric heat, diesel heating, air conditioning, all in a small package.
26:13Now, the big advantage of a lifting roof in a small package is to get that roof down for both
26:19driving efficiency and fitting in tighter spaces.
26:22So, with the roof down, this overall height of the vehicle is less than 10 feet.
26:27And, speaking to the efficiency of driving, low drag means that we get up to 18 miles to the gallon
26:34in a Ram 5500.
26:43Now, I mentioned small on the outside, large on the inside.
26:47We have a high bed option in this one as well, which is right about a queen size bed.
26:53Again, that lowers from the ceiling for your main sleeping area.
26:56The dinette also folds down into a single bed.
27:00Very nice galley here.
27:02Dual induction cooktop.
27:04Again, you'll see similar features to the 13-foot with our dish storage options.
27:09Similar layout with the main fridge here in the center.
27:13One of the cool features on this particular unit is we actually have a gray water regeneration system,
27:20which means that we can filter our gray water and get 50% of that back into fresh water.
27:28Now, we have our switch panel right front and center for easy access here.
27:33Our Victron control panel so we can take a look at critical systems, make sure we have power and solar
27:38happening throughout the day.
27:43And then at the rear area, we have our wet bath toilet, macerating toilet here in the corner.
27:49And then this drawer down here to my left is a tray system that slides over and that is your
27:54shower tray.
27:55So you can also shower right in this area as well.
27:58Now, we have more storage options when the roof is up, so you can store your needed items for living
28:05in these areas.
28:07Inside this cabinet is your air conditioner, also storage options.
28:14And we use an actual hard-sided closed fixture instead of a shower curtain for the shower area.
28:23Closes here.
28:24And then we have a pocket door that slides across here.
28:28Spencer, awesome.
28:29I am happy that we were able to check out this one too.
28:32This is just as amazing.
28:34Different buyer, different customer, different purpose.
28:36And I think they're all excellent.
28:38I'll put those links in the description so our viewers can click over.
28:41This is Patrick from New Jersey's Outdoor Adventures YouTube channel.
28:44Thanks for joining us.
28:45All right.
28:45Hope to see you guys soon.