EarthCruiser is expanding options of Commander Off Road Equipment (CORE) vehicles, a division of EarthCruiser USA. The CORE division was created to meet the growing demand of high-performing 4X4 chassis for commercial use.

Available immediately, the CORE Dual-Cab Chassis is upfitted with CORE’s proprietary, industry-tested four-wheel drive system.

“The CORE Dual Cab is changing the game for utility and commercial chassis. The Dual Cab design can bring more personnel and gear to remote and rugged locations safer and more efficiently than current chassis offerings on the market. Its capable and compact footprint can get crews and equipment wherever needed to get the job done,” said John Stafford, head of CORE Business Development.

CORE Vehicles addresses a critical gap in the market for high-performing 4X4 chassis for commercial markets. CORE’s cab-over-engine platform increases driver visibility, creating a safer driving environment for any crew.

Custom-built CORE chassis are designed to withstand an unparalleled range of environments and situations and are tested to the extreme to ensure commercial professionals have the technology and equipment they need to complete the toughest jobs on the planet. With this in mind, CORE chassis are fully FMVSS/DOT compliant.

The CORE Difference

Originally launched with a production V-8 cab-over chassis, CORE vehicles’ purpose-built footprint also means a lighter, more agile vehicle, providing any crew increased access for when, and where, it matters most. With a track width comparable to a standard pickup truck, CORE vehicles are intuitive to drive and can access terrain larger vehicles can’t.

And now, with seating for six, CORE’s Dual-Cab Chassis offers transportation solutions for an entire crew, plus carrying capacity for the equipment needed to get the job done. 

CORE Platform and Features

CORE products stem from more than two decades of experience building, field testing and traveling in expedition vehicles. The CORE Chassis are one-of-a-kind and designed and tested for the US market, and applicable globally. CORE Vehicles are engineered to minimize vehicle downtime with widely-sourced parts readily found at retail auto supply shops and serviceability anywhere on the planet through an extensive Chevy/Isuzu global dealer network.

CORE Chassis are put through extensive testing to meet rigorous standards including a full brake system certification, conducted by one of the top independent automotive test laboratories in the country. Fuel system and exhaust routing are designed to ensure the truck stays in compliance with EPA and other standards.

CORE Vehicles Use Case: Oregon Fire Departments Granted CORE Vehicles for Emergency Preparedness and Response

CORE Vehicles have been in active duty supporting multiple Oregon fire departments who were awarded vehicles as part of a contract with the Oregon Military Department and the Oregon Office of Emergency Management for the State Preparedness and Incident Response Equipment (SPIRE) grant for high-axle water rescue vehicle to support state-driven emergency preparedness and response at the local level.

Fire Chief Crume with Evans Valley Fire District #6 said, “CORE Vehicles has created the perfect apparatus chassis to meet our needs for wildland emergency response. It can simply go places that most fire trucks can’t. This added off-road capability to our fleet is a game changer for light rescue and remote wildland operations.”

Additional Commercial Uses

Interested parties in commercial application can purchase a CORE Chassis directly to build upon themselves or work with EarthCruiser and to create a custom configuration to meet unique mission requirements including: Forest service, Homeland Security, fish and game, oil and gas, remote/mobile medicine and disaster relief situations, to name a few.

CORE commercial models provide shelter and support in a range of critical ways, and can be outfitted with a variety of systems including a top-grade water filtration system and solar power generation, both necessities for extended excursions through remote areas. Potential commercial applications include: 

• Remote terrain high axle rescue

• UAV launch and recovery systems 

• Delivering mobile shelter units to remote locations 

• Wildland firefighting 

• Foreign governments (natural disasters) – easily shipped anywhere in the world and operate effectively out of the box vs most domestic build products

• Mobile Command and control stations 

• Homeland security/Customs and border patrol

Check out a full CORE Dual-Cab Chassis spec list here. 

Digging into the CORE Details

The new Dual-Cab chassis is available on the Chevrolet LCF or Isuzu NPR Gas, C-channel straight frame. 

Top drivetrain features and specs include: 

• Engine: 6.6L V8, 350 horsepower, 425 pound-feet 

• Transmission: 6-Speed Automatic

• Transfer Case: 2-Speed

• Axles: Front and rear electronic locker, manual locking hubs

• Tires: 37 x 13.50R17LT, Mud terrain, E rated

• Wheelbase 150” (available in multiple wheel bases)

CORE Dual-Cab Suspension features include: 

• Front Configuration: Live axle, custom tuned leaf spring

• Front Shock Absorber Type: Performance Shocks

• Rear Configuration: Live axle, custom turned leaf spring

• Rear Shock Absorber Type: Performance Shocks

To ensure these trucks stop when they need to, brakes are: 

• Type: Four-wheel vented disc, dual piston caliper with ABS

• Front (Rotor Diameter): 13.7 inches

• Rear (Rotor Diameter): 13 inches

These trucks get the job done in a small package. The exterior dimensions are: 

• Overall Width 81 inches

• Dual Cab Overall Length (exc. rear bumper) 241.5 inches

• Usable Dual Cab to Rear Axle 88 inches

Work Truck is no stranger to the EarthCruiser CORE lineup. In early 2022, Executive Editor Lauren Fletcher took the CORE regular cab chassis out for a drive - check out the experience she had.