winch, stairs/sliders, wheel in the front trunk, mobile sunroof

[C D]

It is an SUV with great potential for OFFROAD, I would recommend some adjustments/equipment to the car, as I would like my pre-ordered car to have:
- Equipped with winch or at least preparation for winch installation
- Electric side steps for getting into the car, which can also be used as sliders, possibly with two settings for driving: in off-road mode they should be positioned on the side and under the threshold, and for on-road they should be lowered under the car
-Space for the spare wheel under the front hood, hidden in the trunk, for daily use. For expeditions or if extra storage space is needed, it can be placed in the back, outside the car. This increases aerodynamics, changes the center of gravity of the car and protects the tire from UV, including the length of the car is easier for parking.
-The trunk is large enough, it can also be configured on the 7-seater version, with side-folding seats that can be removed.
- Slightly higher overfenders, to protect the wings from scratches laterally
-Reinforcement between the B-pillars on the dome, for better rigidity, similar to the rollcage from the Wrangler, Bronco,. In this case, the result would be a sunroof, separated into two parts, and the front part can be movable, which can be raised or even be removable. It must not slide electrically, because reliability decreases and costs increase.

Congratulations for what you have achieved so far with these models!

 

[MontanaSam]

It is an SUV with great potential for OFFROAD, I would recommend some adjustments/equipment to the car, as I would like my pre-ordered car to have:
- Equipped with winch or at least preparation for winch installation
- Electric side steps for getting into the car, which can also be used as sliders, possibly with two settings for driving: in off-road mode they should be positioned on the side and under the threshold, and for on-road they should be lowered under the car
-Space for the spare wheel under the front hood, hidden in the trunk, for daily use. For expeditions or if extra storage space is needed, it can be placed in the back, outside the car. This increases aerodynamics, changes the center of gravity of the car and protects the tire from UV, including the length of the car is easier for parking.
-The trunk is large enough, it can also be configured on the 7-seater version, with side-folding seats that can be removed.
- Slightly higher overfenders, to protect the wings from scratches laterally
-Reinforcement between the B-pillars on the dome, for better rigidity, similar to the rollcage from the Wrangler, Bronco,. In this case, the result would be a sunroof, separated into two parts, and the front part can be movable, which can be raised or even be removable. It must not slide electrically, because reliability decreases and costs increase.

Congratulations for what you have achieved so far with these models!

I would like to see both front winch and rear with on board compressor. My experience driving in Montana and Kenya you get stuck nose first sometimes. Rear winch has saved my bacon more than once. Look forward to getting mine!

 

[cyure]

I would like to see both front winch and rear with on board compressor. My experience driving in Montana and Kenya you get stuck nose first sometimes. Rear winch has saved my bacon more than once. Look forward to getting mine!

Welcome to the community.

 

[dreamweaver]

I would like to see both front winch and rear with on board compressor. My experience driving in Montana and Kenya you get stuck nose first sometimes. Rear winch has saved my bacon more than once. Look forward to getting mine!

Welcome to the Scout community.

 

[THil08]

It is an SUV with great potential for OFFROAD, I would recommend some adjustments/equipment to the car, as I would like my pre-ordered car to have:
- Equipped with winch or at least preparation for winch installation
- Electric side steps for getting into the car, which can also be used as sliders, possibly with two settings for driving: in off-road mode they should be positioned on the side and under the threshold, and for on-road they should be lowered under the car
-Space for the spare wheel under the front hood, hidden in the trunk, for daily use. For expeditions or if extra storage space is needed, it can be placed in the back, outside the car. This increases aerodynamics, changes the center of gravity of the car and protects the tire from UV, including the length of the car is easier for parking.
-The trunk is large enough, it can also be configured on the 7-seater version, with side-folding seats that can be removed.
- Slightly higher overfenders, to protect the wings from scratches laterally
-Reinforcement between the B-pillars on the dome, for better rigidity, similar to the rollcage from the Wrangler, Bronco,. In this case, the result would be a sunroof, separated into two parts, and the front part can be movable, which can be raised or even be removable. It must not slide electrically, because reliability decreases and costs increase.

Congratulations for what you have achieved so far with these models!

Welcome to the community

 

[AlanL]

I would like to see both front winch and rear with on board compressor. My experience driving in Montana and Kenya you get stuck nose first sometimes. Rear winch has saved my bacon more than once. Look forward to getting mine!

Would a hitch mounted winch solve that with less weight? Would need a front receiver of course. I do hope the Traveler gets an optional compressor. For me that would be more convenient in the back.

(Five minutes later ... I take back the part about the compressor in the back, I'm fine with frunk or back. I was thinking back or engine compartment!)

 

[Poison78]

I'd like to see the spare tire moved into the front as well. Onboard compressor would be fantastic. I'm not sold on having a winch mounted full time, but if you gave me hitch mounted options on the front and back that would work for me. I plan on using the rig as a daily as well as an overland rig. Having the options would make it more versatile I think.

 

[AlanL]

- Electric side steps for getting into the car, which can also be used as sliders, possibly with two settings for driving: in off-road mode they should be positioned on the side and under the threshold, and for on-road they should be lowered under the car
-Space for the spare wheel under the front hood, hidden in the trunk, for daily use. For expeditions or if extra storage space is needed, it can be placed in the back, outside the car. This increases aerodynamics, changes the center of gravity of the car and protects the tire from UV, including the length of the car is easier for parking.
-

The spare in the frunk is an interesting idea. I wonder how big a tire will fit? Maybe even a compact spare for daily use, mount the full size on the back when needed. Since we always back in to park, a spare in the frunk and easy access to the back is great for groceries, etc. But for those who park front in using the frunk for groceries might be better.

I see a couple of problems for electric side steps doubling as sliders. Seems like they will take more vertical space, reducing ground clearance. A fixed mount will be a lot more rugged unless the moving mechanism is super beefy, making it even larger. We have fixed Traxda slider steps on our Honda Pilot, they do fine as steps.

 

[Poison78]

I think they need to consider the price point of the vehicle. If you start adding things like electric side steps, roll cage style supports, on board compressors etc. the price point is too high. What makes the scout attractive to most is that you can get an extremely capable overland rig for a decent price. Having these items as options is great but will serve as a headache for a start up company. Scout motors needs to keep it streamlined in the beginning in order to try and generate revenue. They will need to roll out vehicles close to what the specified price point and on a close to specified time line. If they can't do that they will lose reservations/sales.

 

[cyure]

I'd like to see the spare tire moved into the front as well. Onboard compressor would be fantastic. I'm not sold on having a winch mounted full time, but if you gave me hitch mounted options on the front and back that would work for me. I plan on using the rig as a daily as well as an overland rig. Having the options would make it more versatile I think.

Welcome to the community!

 

[Poison78]

Welcome to the community!

Thank you. Glad to be here.

 

[J Alynn]

Would a hitch mounted winch solve that with less weight? Would need a front receiver of course. I do hope the Traveler gets an optional compressor. For me that would be more convenient in the back.

(Five minutes later ... I take back the part about the compressor in the back, I'm fine with frunk or back. I was thinking back or engine compartment!)

Was your change due to the photo of the Frunk with the compressor shown at reveal?

 

[AlanL]

Was your change due to the photo of the Frunk with the compressor shown at reveal?

No, I was just being brain dead and thinking I don't want a compressor in the engine compartment. Took me a few minutes to realize there is no engine compartment. I'll have to watch the reveal again. I think I recall a compressor in the Terra bed but missed one in the Traveler.

 

[cyure]

No, I was just being brain dead and thinking I don't want a compressor in the engine compartment. Took me a few minutes to realize there is no engine compartment. I'll have to watch the reveal again. I think I recall a compressor in the Terra bed but missed one in the Traveler.

I need to rewatch too. Also the videos from CES.

 

[J Alynn]

No, I was just being brain dead and thinking I don't want a compressor in the engine compartment. Took me a few minutes to realize there is no engine compartment. I'll have to watch the reveal again. I think I recall a compressor in the Terra bed but missed one in the Traveler.

It was 3-d printed but it showed the intent. Was right in front of driver

 

[ChrisP]

Just adding a couple of thoughts here as I have built several serious overland trucks over the last 30+ years. The first was an 1985 F350 which we upgraded to the 7.3L IDI (not Powerstroke) Banks Turbodiesel and a 5spd ZF transmission and ARB lockers front and rear and kept it for 25 years, drove it cross country twice and up into Alaska, down into Mexico and countless trips around the Southwest. If curious check it out at: https://www.bernoverland.com/

Regarding the Scout:
I would recommend Scout first and foremost focuses on making a really solid frame, drive train and suspension for comfortable fast driving on rough roads and desert tracks. E.g., I am not sure about the eBeam rear axle.: I am worried about the unsprung weight on rough roads and the reliability. eBeam axles from companies like ZF are primarily developed for heavy trucks in on road use.
For rough road/off road use I'd rather see the eMotor mounted on the frame in combination with a DeDion rear axle, and if you want to get fancy, with a portal axle setup and possibly a Watts Link instead of a Panhard rod to keep the axle nice and centered which makes for a more controlled ride, especially when towing! Just check out the GDELS Duro 4x4 and 6x6 midsize trucks - really capable on and off road:

IMO electrical side steps have no business in a real overland vehicle. They tend to break at the first real contact with obstacles on the trail. I would even go as far as leaving bumpers, sliders and roof rack systems to the specialty companies who have done it for years if not decades. Just make sure that suitable attachment points are readily accessible on the vehicle from the factory!

Thoughts?

 

[dreamweaver]

I would like to see both front winch and rear with on board compressor. My experience driving in Montana and Kenya you get stuck nose first sometimes. Rear winch has saved my bacon more than once. Look forward to getting mine!

Scout. “People. Connections. Community. Authenticity." Welcome to the Scout community. Enjoy the ride.

 

[dreamweaver]

I think they need to consider the price point of the vehicle. If you start adding things like electric side steps, roll cage style supports, on board compressors etc. the price point is too high. What makes the scout attractive to most is that you can get an extremely capable overland rig for a decent price. Having these items as options is great but will serve as a headache for a start up company. Scout motors needs to keep it streamlined in the beginning in order to try and generate revenue. They will need to roll out vehicles close to what the specified price point and on a close to specified time line. If they can't do that they will lose reservations/sales.

Scout. “People. Connections. Community. Authenticity." Welcome to the Scout community. Enjoy the ride.

 

[J Alynn]

Just adding a couple of thoughts here as I have built several serious overland trucks over the last 30+ years. The first was an 1985 F350 which we upgraded to the 7.3L IDI (not Powerstroke) Banks Turbodiesel and a 5spd ZF transmission and ARB lockers front and rear and kept it for 25 years, drove it cross country twice and up into Alaska, down into Mexico and countless trips around the Southwest. If curious check it out at: https://www.bernoverland.com/

Regarding the Scout:
I would recommend Scout first and foremost focuses on making a really solid frame, drive train and suspension for comfortable fast driving on rough roads and desert tracks. E.g., I am not sure about the eBeam rear axle.: I am worried about the unsprung weight on rough roads and the reliability. eBeam axles from companies like ZF are primarily developed for heavy trucks in on road use.
For rough road/off road use I'd rather see the eMotor mounted on the frame in combination with a DeDion rear axle, and if you want to get fancy, with a portal axle setup and possibly a Watts Link instead of a Panhard rod to keep the axle nice and centered which makes for a more controlled ride, especially when towing! Just check out the GDELS Duro 4x4 and 6x6 midsize trucks - really capable on and off road:

IMO electrical side steps have no business in a real overland vehicle. They tend to break at the first real contact with obstacles on the trail. I would even go as far as leaving bumpers, sliders and roof rack systems to the specialty companies who have done it for years if not decades. Just make sure that suitable attachment points are readily accessible on the vehicle from the factory!

Thoughts?

I don’t off-road so not critical points for me to debate but I will note the the ebeam design and engineering was essentially complete at the time of the reveal in October and just wasn’t quite ready to be shown for public consumption. I’d be shocked if they would back pedal after all that work and development cost. These vehicles, while needing to be capable off-road need to be equally capable on road. Very few people are spending $60K to simply trailer a vehicle for weekends and days off from work off roading. As you built your F350 and others have built their off road rides the common denominator is off road enthusiasts will build-to one level or another the ideal set up for the individual users so volume sales for SM as a start up still has to be the number one priority. If the off-roading side of this forum who have $1000’s sitting around to modify might get lucky the axle will be reasonable to swap if you have the time and the money. Just the business side of how it works. Thus far the bean counters at SM have realized the goal of this vehicle as well but at some point they have (or had) to say enough is enough-it’s the best we can do to satisfy the majority and still be A-affordable enough and B-Profitable

 

[ChrisP]

Fair points, and yes, business considerations always carry significant weight when making product decisions, and it might indeed be too late for a significant design change at this point.

Let’s look at two interesting cases of recent high-Profile new SUV introductions:
the Ford Bronco and the new Landrover Defender:
1. Ford did many things right with their Retro Bronco models and they are giving Jeep a run for the money, and that is saying a lot, since Jeep enjoys a loyal brand following crowd.
2. Now let’s look at Landrover. They had a huge global following of their original Defender going back to a few years after WWII. And most of these followers were hugely disappointed when Landrover decided to introduce another „softroader“, albeit one with a very capable all-terrain traction control system. And sales numbers have been somewhat disappointing. This opened an opportunity for Ineos Grenadier to introduce a „true“ successor the old Defender with a purpose built vehicle - it’s still too early to tell if they will become the new „old Defender“ though.

My hope is that Scout can pull off a similar success to what Ford did with the Bronco which is a true hardcore off-road vehicle (although some people lament the IFS and wanted a solid front axle). It comes in many different trim levels all the way to the just revealed „almost Baja 1000 ready“ „El Bandito“ model which will set you back a pretty sum of $400,000!!

My point is that getting drive train and suspension right is paramount to the success of a new off road vehicle, especially one with as proud a history as Scout!