Wyoming B.S. Thread

The Drifter is out and about. That's what they are calling it. Plenty of photos of it now. Internal frame is all aluminum and looks pretty close to the same as the v1.

Also they had 3 out in the wild before the gfc had 1 out.

But it weights 100 lbs more and costs 1500 more. Is a bigger sleeping area though. But doesn't look as stout.

Yeah granted they haven't made one with canvas yet..so shall see when it comes out.

And yeah be lighter indeed. Still taller though. This would be an igor mod in my mind vs a frankenstein mod. But I'd like to feel how it is in the corners myself first really. Anything above the roof isn't good for COG. So riding with Brett would be good for a test. I have no doubt it'll be the perfect solution for how he camps and packs.

I just like the fully opening hard sides. I don't love the bed design personally..or the price tag..but if it came down to it. I'd make it happen.

 

Yea, that's quite a bit. We got snow here to, quite a bit. Damn slick roads because it started as rain. Cold to, lows in the single digits. The only time I went out was on a fire call. Some fool pulling a snow machine trailer, going too fast, put his truck in a ditch on its side. No one needed extraction, or was even hurt, so not much for us to do. Other than that I stayed home, good day to stay home.

 

I watched the video of the gfc and while I respect the quality in parts I still can’t get over the price tag and the bulkiness of it, just too similar to a slide in bed camper which seems like a pita. Also did like that the sides opened like a canopy but was disappointed how the support bars blocked 70% of the space. Makes it so you better only pack soft bags and no totes. Also not a fan of climbing up through the bed or carrying a ladder in the bed that’s the highlight of the rtt ladder system to me.

 

Yeah as if now I'll end up keeping the low profile bed rack and wrapping the sides in canvas.

I still think the height would deter me from it too much with frank because I like to go fast. Igor I'd like to tweak the suspension so I can go faster. Right now the rear bottoms out so I can't push it..but for what I'd do in igor it seems like a nice setup vs where I'd like frank to end up. I doubt driving around for 2 weeks in a caged truck is fun. Super noisy.

We are talking long long term though. Like I said. I'd like to take a ride and drive a truck with one to feel the lean. Frank's old setup was down right scary with the long travel. So I'm skeptical of this. Which is also why I'd never do a soft topper with a rtt on top. Fits a slower driving style great though.

Actually the side you can fit an action packer through the triangle.

Plus in all my years of doing this never once have I loaded a heavy bug square box from the side. And nor do any one else. It's just easier to do it from the back due to the tail gate. The side access is great for getting smaller things quickly like axes, tools, chain saw, things like that. The big stuff comes out the back.

So I don't see that as a problem.

 

Ya I guess I didn’t mean it had to be heavy as all action packers e not the same nor contain the same stuff. I just was surprised at how much thos were in the way. Still not sold on it for 5k. Maybe if I get tons of mud in the bed I would but I don’t run wide tires and the tires r water proof. My rtt is bigger sleeping platform, is the ruggedized, weighs less, rides Lower, 3k cheaper. Not for me but I can see the appeal for others as they may use it different that I would.

 

The ruggedized is lower weight? Interesting. My summit serise is 225lbs I think dry. Even with my two small bed bars for low profile mounting the setup weighs the same or more than the gfc. But it's low. Which makes all the difference to me.

There is a lot of appeal to it. But still plenty of things not ideal. Always a compromise.

I love how easy it is to close. Faster than anything I've seen. Basically no tucking.

 

Totally right on "stuff out the side".

My guess on the truss is that it's not for carrying the load, rather it's for racking strength during acceleration and deceleration. The "load" of the tent (and people in it) is distributed to the 4 corners by the top platform/rails pretty well. But, with something that long, there's a lot of racking caused by inertia.

(Edit: if they wanted it for load, they could have a single post in the middle that would be less "intrusive" -- but that wouldn't provide racking strength.)

 

Ya 180 for my tent and my rack is 39lbs. I hear you guys always talking about how great a quick setup and tear down is and I feel like we are talking about 2monvs 8minutes lol. So that complaint never registers with me since it’s camping anyways. But the height and look and price alone make the gfc a no for me. I do appreciate the quality and engineering in it for sure. I think I’m with you and see this as a Igor thing not a frank thing. Look weird if you were hauling ass with that huge thing on the back. Full size bed nonetheless.

 

Already down the slope. I have two rigs I can take pretty much where ever. I like that. This year it could pay off big time for a few reasons. One is if Devin's family comes to visit. The other is due to Devin's new job she doesn't want to take off work for super long sections. So now she will get her own truck and come join for a few days and then head back.

But again. The goal was always to have igor become the more comfortable long trio truck and frank become more of a race truck. There are desert races here. Totally want to do it.

All in good time.

Wow I can't believe your tent is so light and supposed to be the heavy duty version. Will have to compare the difference in person.

And it's not so much timing. You're right 2 vs 8 mins is whatever. But during a shit morning when it's been raining all night and starts to snow in the morning..that's when it pays to have a fast easy pack up. Tucking up a rtt in those kind of conditions sucks.

In dry blue bird conditions it's all good. Alas nature can be cruel.

 

Ya the weight is what tepui put on the website so we shall see. I’ve loaded it once alone and I’m not going to again. But I see with the need of fast put away with bad weather but that’s not very often hopefully and not enough to justify a gfc or even a hard top. With a short bed a rtt is the perfect fit in my eyes. If I had Ben’s tent it would be part of my cab and bed and up quiet a bit more which I’m not a fan of. Maybe wider tires will help me in the future and make the height not as annoying when driving but I doubt it. I wanna see you summit series and see if I’m sad I didn’t get the one that covers the door to get in and out of the tent.

 

Your a smart kid I can’t kmagine setting up a tent and making a bed is really that difficult lol. I’ll take a few minutes more to set mine up in order to save a few bucks and keep the weight low and have more space. Much better things to spend money on to get better camping and truck improvements since I already have a tent.

 

I'd try actually using some of it before making any decisions at all.

 

0 but I still can read and think logically. Lol

 

Lol I will be all summer. Got it in late fall, not camping in the snow just not my thing. Plus I’m a touch busy until May. Not all lives are the same.

 

The overhang is super worth it.

Be cool to see the differences.

And no one plans bad weather. Sometimes it just happens. Haha

I find your first sentence and the rest of your statement a bit of a contradiction...

Or I suck at reading.

Both highly likely.

 

Never said I had experience lol. I said my opinion which is easy to form on something that’s a bias like tent set up times lol.

 

Man once you get caught in a few nights of cold rain or ice and snow..you'll understand how crap it is to stuff in the tent to the tarp. It is not fun haha

 

That's the only part if snow camping that really bothers me, is trying to get my icy fingers to shove all that shit back in and start the tent cover zipper. Being in the cold is fine with gloves but folding the tent requires more dexterity.

 

I don’t camp

 

Yeah I know. The worst I've had it was elk hunting. Dumped 2 feet over night. My dad and I took turns packing the tent while heating our hands over the cool stove. Didn't even bother zipping it up. Just put the straps on it and GTFO.

Sucked.

Yeah that trip was not ideal for weather ever. Plenty of times it's happened to me as well.