► Torsus Praetorian Liberra RV revealed
► Could this be the ultimate overlander?
► Vanlife doesn’t get much tougher…
Where does an 800lb gorilla sleep? Pretty much anywhere it wants to. And now, thanks to the Torsus Liberra, the same could be said of you. Taking motorhomes and RVs to potentially ultimate extremes, this newly announced overlanding vehicle is to a regular camper van what a Unimog is to a ride-on lawnmower. Utterly massive, and basically unstoppable.
Based on the Torsus Praetorian we drove in 2024, the Liberra is a specialist conversion that turns the self-proclaimed ‘world’s toughest bus’ into a luxury motorhome. It costs upwards of half a million quid, and probably won’t fit down your drive – even if said thoroughfare is a particularly large one with country estate attached. But it will likely take you places most other overlanders can only dream of.
And not to fret if the Liberra is, in fact, too large. Torsus has announced a smaller camping vehicle at the same time, based on its Terrastorm off-road minibus. A heavily upgraded VW Crafter / MAN TGE, this too has proven extreme driving capability, and if it’s also a little more spartan and chez rescue services inside, it will at least fit into the local supermarket car park and costs about a quarter of the price.
The Praetorian is an off-road bus designed to handle safe personnel transport for disaster relief, mining operations and other road negative scenarios. Torsus says it’s ‘built to operate at the tip of the spear’, and not without justification.
It uses a MAN 4×4 truck chassis, six-cylinder diesel engine and 12-speed transmission, fitted with a bespoke welded skeleton that’s also assembled on Torsus’s behalf by MAN in Poland. It is fully homologated as a bus, and can accommodate 35 people, with proper rollover protection and higher safety standards than the rival ‘trucks with seats in’ affairs.
This also makes it an interesting starting point versus other extreme overlanding machinery, which are typically basic truck conversions. Albeit usually highly luxurious with it.
The Liberra – a name that fuses Liberty and Terra, implying ‘freedom on Earth’ – cuts the occupant capacity down to just four. It uses the same platform but has been redeveloped in partnership with German Torsus distributer ALL4BUS GmbH, leaning on the expertise of some leading German motorhome developers.
The most obvious change on the outside is the raised roof. This is done by FES Sachsen GmbH following a design collaboration with the Torsus HQ in Prague, and is available on its own from ALL4BUS, just in case you fancy picking up a second-hand Praetorian and doing your own conversion.
It increases the interior roof height to 2.2m, allowing easier standing for most. But that’s the least of differences inside, where you’ll find a full kitchen and dining area with four-burner oven and 90-litre fridge, a bathroom with shower and toilet, and sleeping space for up to four.
The cabin makeover is the work of RV conversion specialist Dämmler, and can – of course – be tailored to individual client requirements. In this instance there are two diesel heaters to keep internal temps toasty, and an additional air-conditioning unit for hotter climes.
Trick off-road suspension, very serious four-wheel drive and 848lb ft means you can literally go anywhere, probably. The underlining MAN components, however, mean that servicing and repairs can be managed by any relevant depot globally. Optional extras include larger fuel tanks and bigger leisure batteries for those to whom off-grid is a little further than a farmer’s field.
It’s a hell of a thing to look at, isn’t it? And should be, given the Torsus Liberra has a starting price of 580,000 Euros (around £500,750).
The Terrastorm Camper is a much more modest device, though still properly capable.
Based on a large van with factory four-wheel drive, 175bhp 2.0-litre turbodiesel and eight-speed automatic, it’s a much easier proposition to get to grips with. But fully upgraded with under-body protection, enhanced suspension and all-terrain tyres, and utilising multiple breather systems and uprated door seals, it can off-road and wade through deep water with remarkable ease.
Typically used as the basis for harsh-environment minibuses, ambulances and military vehicles, here the Terrastorm incorporates a ‘nestbox’ camping pack from Czech Republic specialist Egoe. This slides out from the tailgate to create a mobile kitchen area with sink, stove, fridge, food-prep area and storage.
Above this you can option a two-berth mattress platform – or simply pack a tent. The interior, with its harnesses and bucket seats, is clearly much more rough and ready than the Liberra’s, but for global nomads who care more about that spectacular sunset than creature comforts, not much is going to hold this thing back. Pricing for the Torsus Terrastorm Camper starts at 130,000 Euros (around £112,250).
CJ is a former Associate Editor of CAR, and now runs parent company Bauer Media’s Digital Automotive Hub – the in-house team that provides much of the online content for CAR and sister site Parkers.co.uk as well as helping out with CAR magazine. He’s been writing about cars professionally (if that's the right word) for nearly two decades, though attempts to hide this fact with an extensive moisturising routine.
By CJ Hubbard
Head of the Bauer Digital Automotive Hub and former Associate Editor of CAR. Road tester, organiser, reporter and professional enthusiast, putting the driver first
