“Enterprise B” Paramotorhome

by | May 3, 2012 | Log: Enterprise

Enterprise A – Enterprise B – Enterprise C

I wrote the first PPG Bible largely in the Back of Enterprise A. But when I wanted to crash on the bed I had to transform my work area INTO the bed. My tendency is to work until I drop and then I really want to nap. Just 20 minutes is usually all it takes and I’m back at it but it got to be a hassle. The shower was a very limited affair, too. Usable, and really clever, but sprayed down on the toilet and sink to save space.

We needed more room.

Enter Enterprise B, a 28 foot Gulfstream BT Cruiser built in 2004. It would be a better platform for filming, offer way more room, carry the gear easier, and allow immediate naps. This one already had the appropriate height 2″ receiver for a paramotor platform

This carried us through the most adventures of paramotoring. It aided my most needy time of flight, when every destination was judged by its ability to provide launch. It was piloted by a number of fellow flyers who drove to various events while I worked on the project DuJour. 

Tim does most of the driving while I peck/ mouse away in the back. When scenery warrants, he’ll tell me “the Movie’s on” and I come join him to take in the view. It’s awesome having the room but it comes with tradeoffs.

We got frequent questions about paramotoring so I designed a graphic to go by the door that could answer most of them. It showed Edition 2 of the book as well along with basic aerodynamics, a launch, a landing, parts, what was possible with precision. A couple pics were “just for funs”. It proved quite valuable and made for much quicker “ahhh, I see” moments. And who knows how many people walked by wondering what those things were on the back and found this graphic. Just knowing what it’s called would direct them to the right search term.

We lived in the Chicago, IL area so the motorhome remained on a mission to never be winterized. We would leave in the fall, get it to a place that would be at least in the 70’s and fly commercially back home. Tim was working full time, climbing the Wendy’s ladder, so I wound up going to many events by myself or with friends.

It was so cool to get to a warm destination and have all my gear there. And wherever I put that coach door was my back yard.

Downsides

Like every single rental motorhome I’ve seen — EVERY SINGLE ONE — it was based on Ford’s mighty Triton V10 350/450 chassis. Indeed it was hugely reliable, but it rode, not surprisingly, like a truck. I developed the ability to work in back while feeling like we were in a war zone, bouncing through flak while focused on finding the target. “Just keep working, keep on target.”

It didn’t have storage space in the overhang of a typical class C. There was an entertainment center with a TV and cabinets up there. We rarely watch TV at home and never watch it on the motorhome so that was largely wasted space.

It was harder to maneuver and some of the tight spaces we found ourselves in—airports, flying sites, strip malls, friends houses, etc. 28 feet isn’t large by motorhome standards but we didn’t need all the room they devoted to its bedroom. Plus it got 8 mpg. So when we saw the Sprinter-based Winnebago View it looked appealing. That would eventually become Enterprise C.