Lance Gillies, founder of EarthCruiser, stands before the company's proof of concept EV slide-in camper in January 2023.  

It took about a year of retooling, but EarthCruiser, a high-end customizable outdoor recreational vehicle business in Bend, is back, but at a different scale. 

The 16-year-old business couldn’t compete manufacturing the vehicles, said Lance Gillies, EarthCruiser’s co-founder and CEO.  But after taking a serious look at the business, and dgging in to figure out what was special about the business, the company will focus on providing the EC MOD slide-in campers and EarthCruiser Terranova shells to adventure van builders and outfitters, Gillies said. 

The unfinished shells will be installed and completed by others. That meant that Gillies had to give up his Bend manufacturing space, but still forge ahead with his business.  The unfinished  EC MOD and Terranova units to others, allowing customers to customize their vehicles at their own pace to install. 

Slightly more than a year ago, Gillies made the decision to close the Bend business. Citing changing market dynamics and economic challenges, Gillies found it increasingly difficult to sustain operations. 

“Our closing was done badly,” Gillies said. “The fact is, we arrived here, we were incredibly welcomed, and the company grew. We employed a lot of people here, but as our brand grew, so did the competition. Everyone wanted to be us.

“We couldn’t make it work, even though we tried to find a better way to do things. “ 

It’s not uncommon for businesses to shutter and retool, said Katy Brooks, Bend Chamber of Commerce CEO and president. 

“Businesses are in the business of retooling,” Brooks said. “Responses to market changes, competition, tariffs, supply chains and customer expectations are major considerations for any business. It’s a healthy thing to reevaluate and relaunch when forces are driving in that direction.”

Outdoor recreation and systems engineering are areas of growth in Central Oregon. The Oregon State University-Cascades offers fields of study in those categories. For nearly 10 years, the company offered internships to students, who were later hired on.

The retooled business is just Gillies today, but he hopes to expand and grow without manufacturing. The partnership with the college is an important goal that he hopes to resume, Gillies said. 

Since 2017, EarthCruiser started making slide-in campers that could be fitted into Nissan and Toyota. This is the part of the business that will move forward. Other small manufacturers can use the designs created by EarthCruiser to build and fit into businesses, he said. Gillies started the business in Australia and moved it to Bend in 2013. 

EarthCruiser vehicles, like EarthCruiser EXP and FX models, can be found around the world.  During the business’s heyday, they sold for anywhere from $150,000 to $600,000, 

The vehicles are designed to store and use solar power without losing range before needing to recharge. The engineering required for these vehicles focused on aerodynamics and energy storage without affecting range as these vehicles tend to not rely on power in an RV park, rather they can be found in the wilderness, Gillies said.

“It’s encouraging that EarthCruiser chose to still maintain a presence in Bend, even though the business model evolved,” said Cyrus Mooney, city of Bend Economic Development manager. “Lance and the team have always shown that they are innovative thinkers and do not follow the status quo. This transition is a demonstration of that.”

The Economic Development for Central Oregon, a nonprofit that works with traded sector businesses that want to locate in the region, declined to comment on Gillies return to the marketplace. 

“We want to support other small manufacturers across the country and in Central Oregon without designs,” Gillies said. “Small manufacturing is where the innovation and interesting things come from. That’s important to me to support.

“This is a proud moment for us.”