When I was a kid, toys were something we made out of sticks and stones and animal parts in our spare time, when we weren't busy hunting for nuts, berries and edible roots. But that was in a different age-the Neolithic-and today's toys are more elaborate and imaginative.
Like those things they call Transformers-those gadgets that look like tanks or airplanes but open up and transform into giant, lethal avenger robots.
Well, you know what they say about the difference between men and boys. I'm not going to repeat it here, because I've used it before, but it's true.
What little kid wouldn't love a toy that looked like a simple Class A motorhome, but opened up at the touch of a button to loose upon the world a squadron of dirt bikes, ATVs or snowmobiles, and whose storage space then converted into additional living quarters, complete with beds that drop out of the ceiling and a widescreen flat-panel TV?
And what grownup wouldn't love the fact that said transforming wonder came with a 300-horse Cummins diesel up front, a power lift gate in back, and all the luxuries in between?
Sound like fun? Take a look at the newest way to transform doldrums into outdoor excitement: the 2007 Safari Simba STS. It's an ingenious new toy hauler that lets you take your fun machines with you without having to tow a trailer-the first such vehicle to combine diesel power with a rear entrance.
"The Simba STS is new and unique to the market at this price," said Safari National Sales Manager Shannon Thatcher. "There's really nothing like it, and the few other class As that do have toy hauling capability cost roughly twice as much."
Safari's suggested retail base price for the 37-foot STS is $142,301. Thatcher said that a fully decked-out version might go for about $150,000 to $155,000.
"We've definitely hit a niche that nobody else has filled," Thatcher continued. "Our dealers' reaction has been through the roof, especially in areas like southern California, Arizona and Florida, where towable toy haulers have been selling well."
Freightliner Front-Engine Diesel
The key to making this package work is that Safari builds it on a custom Freightliner chassis that gives you the power, torque and lower operating cost of a diesel engine-but puts the engine up front, so that a lift gate can be installed in the rear.
The engine is a Cummins ISB 300, coupled to an Allison 2100 MH transmission. Snowmobilers will be glad to know an engine block heater is standard.
The coach has disk brakes, fully automatic leveling and comes with a 5,000-pound hitch receiver.
Body construction is welded, interlocking Alumaframe, which provides excellent strength and durability, while cutting weight, which increases the weight of toys, fluids, gear and people you can take along. The exterior is gel-coat fiberglass with a peaked once-piece fiberglass roof.
Doing the Heavy Lifting
One of the great features of this coach is the hydraulic power lift gate. Your friends with those towable toy haulers have to drive, push or pull their machines up a ramp. You just push a button to open, lower and raise the lift-gate rear door.
The surface of the lift gate is diamond plate metal. Inside the 80-square-foot "garage" area, the floor is covered with a nonskid industrial material called Loin-Con® (yes, that's spelled right, and, no, I have no idea why) that is resistant to oil and gasoline stains.
Safari engineers have taken special care that this coach will stand up under uses to which normal motorhomes aren't subjected. Other Simba motorhomes have aluminum sub-floor framing, but the STS has steel. The lower parts of the sidewalls in the garage section are diamond-plate. Even the partition and door between the garage and the permanent living quarters are heavy-duty. There are nine tie-down brackets in the floor, all backed with metal plates.
Living Large
Converting the garage to living quarters (something my first wife occasionally made me do at home) is a snap, with your choice of two optional sleep arrangements.
The first option is a pair of single-size bunk beds that fold down from the sidewall. The second, and the one Thatcher says has been specified on nearly every dealer order, is a pair of double-size beds that lower, at the touch of a button, from the ceiling. The lower bed also converts to a sofa.
Overhead cabinets allow campers to stow their gear up out of the way; cargo netting is an option.
To keep the kids entertained, or so you can watch a NASCAR or motocross race while tinkering with your own machines, you can option a 20-inch LCD TV mounted on the garage bulkhead.
And that's just the garage. Up front is a big, beautiful, luxurious motorcoach.
The cockpit area has a cool feature you won't find in other Class A motorhomes, though: club-cab seating. Pilot, copilot and two passengers get to ride safely buckled into comfortable high-backed, reclining, soft-touch-upholstered captain's chairs with integrated seatbelts and wall-mounted cup holders at each station. The seats all swivel so you can get up a card game or a good conversation in the evening. The driver's seat has six-way power.
Amidships you have a well-appointed slide-out kitchen with an ample pantry and a large side-by-side refrigerator with brushed-metal doors and an ice maker. There's a sofa with end table, and a private bath opposite a large closet. And while the cabinetry, upholstery and window treatments say "luxury motorhome," the design is off-road functional as well. Floors are laminate tile throughout, and the coach comes with industrial-style raised rubber mats to help keep dirty boots and shoes off the floor. Diamond plate is included in the interior décor.
To make indoor-outdoor living a bit more convenient there is a standard weatherproof coffee table; a second one is optional.
The coach comes with an Electro-MajicT double bed that drops out of the ceiling in the forward area at the touch of a button, and includes a sleep sack and ladder. Including the flip sofa and available rear bedding, the STS can sleep up to eight comfortably.
You can keep all those people entertained, too. An AM/FM/CD/DVD unit is standard. Surround sound and two weatherproof exterior speakers are options. Standard TV up front is a 24-incher and I have already mentioned the optional flat panel for the garage.
The radio is Sirius ready, and you can option a Sirius unit that includes a six-month subscription. Considering that this rig is meant for travel to remote locations, I'd consider the Sirius and the optional satellite TV system.
The Lion Roars
The 37 STS gets a special exterior graphic package radically different from the standard Simba models. The flame-and-checkered-flag motif is perfect for motorsports enthusiasts.
Like all Simba models, the STS comes with a standard Onan 5.5 kW diesel generator. Diesel fuel capacity is 80 gallons, so you can go a long way into the outback, run your generator, and still get back to civilization.
Options especially for gearheads include a portable air compressor and a 40-gallon gasoline tank with pump and automatic safety shutoff for refueling the toys at remote locations. One entrance door to the garage area is standard, a second can be added.
Toy hauler trailers-both fifth wheels and travel trailers-have boomed in popularity, but the advent of an affordable Class A with this capability adds some important choices that weren't available before.
Can't get enough toys in a standard hauler? The Simba 37STS lets you take some inside the motorhome and haul even more on a utility trailer. Or you can use that towing capacity to take along a car as a dinghy.
Another advantage is the comfort and convenience of riding in those club-cab seats with all the amenities of a motorhome-from TV to kitchen to bathroom-close at hand. (Yes, you should always remain belted into your seat while the coach is in motion, but it's still easier than pulling over, getting out and walking back to the trailer.)
I've always enjoyed quiet outdoor pursuits, like hiking, biking, canoeing and cross-country skiing. But I have to admit that the idea of the Simba 37STS gets my motor running. So if the roar of an engine is sweet music to your ears, you're really going to love this coach. |
