Hondo Garage's New Thing

@DoorDing - the bed rail reinforcements should be just fine as long as the utility track inside the bed is still usable.

As for locking, there will be a latch to lock the rear hatch from the Inside. If you were worried about someone closing the outside latches on you you could lock them in the open position. They’re also reachable from the rear tent door worst case scenario

As for wind, the tent does very well in the wind. Better than a ground tent and better than a soft roofed rtt. If we get a wind storm I’ll shoot some video. But I weathered a two violent pacific rain storms down in Baja recently and the tent did great when parked both into and away from the wind. Everything inside stayed dry as well.

The lower panels would definitely flex in 30 mph winds but they won’t come off or be damaged. The panels are flexible by design not perfectly rigid. But they’re .080” 5052 aluminum and really tough. I purposely abused them on the Baja trip and they took it without issue. But if you did ever damage one they’ll be available individually and are easily replaced.

 

We are working on a fan solution that will be less cfm and draw than a fantastic fan and will work well with the steep roof pitch. That said, I have yet to find a need for a fan. And I say that as someone who used to own a converted van in which the fan was absolutely necessary.

 

Every time I think every question has been asked (and answered) something else comes to mind. I know @wileydavis you mentioned here (or on ExPo) that a full sized cooler can be passed through the side openings; will this be true on the short bed version as well? Have you proto’ed a short bed (5’) yet? Thanks.

 

We have the short bed version designed but not yet built (building one this month though.) The side access will be a little tighter. An 8 gallon Action packer will fit but not a Tundra 45 cooler, for example. I found that I never really loaded anything from the side openings but did use them all the time for access. It was always easier to load big items from the tailgate.

 

The two side windows and the rear door both have rain flaps that zip to cover the entire mesh opening. So they're very well protected.

 

We recommend always leaving a floor panel open if you can. If you do that, it doesn't take long for the whole thing to dry out with a bit of driving, even without a fan. I frequently close the whole thing up when wet. The frame was designed to block rain but flow air when closed and has proven to be very effective at drying things out.

 

or you can always install one of these on the side panel to help air circulation

 

I want one of these on the roof of my GFC.

Marinco N20030 3' Stainless Steel Minivent 1000

https://www.amazon.com/Nicro-N20030...517333282&sr=8-1&keywords=boat+solar+vent+fan

I was going to put one on my current canopy - but I don't want to hurt the resale value.

It's wet in Vancouver. And it can get pretty musty with the dog back there.

From having boats - the solar vents really help.

 

Yeah, I understand there are a lot of compromises with the short bed framing, and you’re right, lifting big stuff over the side is tough anyway ... My interest in the side accesss is because on our longer trips, we often have bikes on a rear hitch rack, which only allow my liftgate to open a few inches. Though I can lower the bikes (and do) for full rear access at stops. And since I don’t have windoors now, any side access at all would be a huge improvement ... the critical items that need to go in would be adding ice and food/beer to a cooler which would already be in the bed. Or pulling out a beer Thanks.

 

all of that should be super easy to access with how big the panels are. Way easier than a windoor.

the things i think about from the side access for quick access are: Chainsaw, shovel, Axe, Tools. This is for quick simple trail fix situations. The bars might impede on getting something long like a shovel or axe out a bit, but certainly not that bad.

 

My bike and gear live under the topper during the summer. Currently the front and side sliders are 1/4 open all the time, allowing for some airflow. I live in VA, so during the stickiest times, stuff just stays damp. But that little bit of airflow is the difference between stuff just being damp and stuff rotting and mildewing. I’d planned to leave the sides “cracked” all the time. Hopefully that’s not an issue while driving?

 

I'd like a Fantastic Fan and some LED lights up in the tent part. Fantastic Fans are... well.. FANTASTIC. Holy crap they move a ton of air!

 

That's correct.

 

YAAASSSSSSSSSSSS

 

Now I'm tempted to ask for breakfast to be thrown in!

 

I am interested in the ability to set up the seating area (as pictured below).
I didn't see anything in the photos from your trip to Baja with the prototype with this configuration.
Is this still planned to be available with the base camper?

 

The floor panels and cushions fit in that location but the base model won't have specific bracketry for making a couch. A lot depends on how you end up setting up the back. In Baja I just set the panels on a storage box to make a couch in the configuration shown. We have plans for interior options that can be added later, such as a bed platform, couch hardware, etc., but those won't be available right out of the gate.

 

3" foam mattress and most likely Sunbrella covers.

 

Same. I've told myself I'm 75% committed to purchase but I want to see more about the interior options before I commit. I guess I have commitment issues.