Thor's Talavera Camper Van Is AWD Ford Fun With a Luxury Airliner Interior Fit for Couples

Ladies and gents, the ravishing rolling habitat before you is nothing more than Thor Motor Coach's answer to AWD luxury traveling and on-road living out of a Class B motorhome or camper van for the rest of us. It's called the Talavera, and it's a unit designed for unrestricted traveling, even if there's no actual road where you're going.

That's because this baby is built upon an AWD chassis from Ford, their Transit Trail, a vehicle ready to deliver an off-road experience right out of the factory with improved ground clearance, a lift kit, that signature grill, and splash guards and fender cladding. But, once Thor steps in, things start to take on a different note, one of luxury and fine on-road living.

Unlike many of the camper vans we encounter these days, Thor somehow managed to add everything you'd need to live out of one of these babies full-time. It not only includes a sleeping area suitable for two guests and a galley with all the goodies, but it even shows up to this game with a wet bath.

Overall, two floorplans are available for this unit: the 1910 and 1920. As for my favorite one, it's the 1910, mainly because it has a bathroom situated at the rear of the unit, and if you're parked in just the right spot, you can swing open those rear doors and take a shower in the comfort of your own home, overlooking the mountain valley below.

Another difference between the two options is the bedding option. The 1910 includes a fold-out couch found in the living room, right behind the driver and passenger seats, while the 1920 moves the bathroom from the rear of the camper and occupies this space with a modular L-shaped seating space that doubles as a two-person bed during nighttime. But, for the sake of argument, I'll be looking at the 1910 as it has that bathroom I just can't wait to use!

To kick things off for this little story, I want you to picture yourself driving along in this baby. You'll be rolling along in a vehicle with a 148-inch wheelbase with AWD, and because of this, the moment some untamed dirt road pops into view, you can slow down and take that right-hand turn and ride deep into the desert or wherever you are.

As you lightly romp around, Ford cabin features will ensure you and your vehicle are comfortable and safe, and a 3.5-liter V6 powerhouse will be spitting out 310 hp and 400 ft-lbs of torque. But, it's once you finally park your Talavera that the real magic unfolds.

Once you've arrived at a sandstone rock formation in the middle of the Sonoran or the proverbial treetops of California's redwoods, take a moment to breathe in the fresh air, hear nothing but the natural world around you, and, if you close your eyes for a moment, you might even feel like an explorer in some strange and alien land. Not to worry; the Talavera has everything you need.

For example, once you've arranged your outdoor picnic setup, extended the awning overhead, and opened all of this RV's doors, you'll be able to seamlessly move in and out of the unit; it's one with the land. If it's the middle of summer, it might be best to leave the doors closed to take advantage of 11,000 BTUs of AC power; a 14,300 BTU furnace provides heating.

Above, I used the words, "The Talavera has everything you need" for a reason. As standard, Thor adds an electrical system that includes 400 Ah of battery power with a 3,000 W inverter, 170 A alternator, and a charge controller with 200 W of solar panel. Twenty-two gals (83 l) of fresh water are also standard, and so are 24.7 lbs of LP gas. Yup, that'll do it.

With off-grid abilities out of the way, let's see what all those systems will be used for. Now, the reason why I chose 1910 as my favorite version of this lineup is because the rear bathroom has more functionality than what I initially made it appear. Since access can be made directly from outside the unit, without ever trudging across your vinyl flooring, you can come home covered in mud to the teeth, and not a single drop will ever touch your living space; use this wet bath as a mud room.

That's great because, well, just look at the sort of interior that Thor has in store. Fabrics, composites, and natural materials blend with natural and artificial lighting to produce an interior that reminds me of an airliner. Best of all, even though the Talavera is packed with all the comfort, entertainment, and living features you'd ever need, everything is neatly hidden behind or underneath everything else.

While this is clearly not the end of this story, it is all the allotted time I'm allowed to have you for, so be sure to dive even deeper into all that the Talavera has to offer. While an extensive list of standard features is found on Thor's website, optional features exist, too, as long as you've got the budget for them.

Now, I understand that it's rather difficult to understand what a Talavera may feel like from behind a computer or smartphone screen, so what you can do - it's free - is dial up a local dealership that may have one of these babies in stock and step into what you may end up considering your future home. Just be sure to bring along at least $178,500 (€168K at current exchange rates). Yup, that's the starting price for this go-anywhere lineup of RVs.