Hondo Garage's New Thing

A 10 amp fuse is what you want. As for termination, the wires will still come out near the front of the bed.

Regarding the line-x panel, we aren't making the old style anymore. Can't make them faster if we make them custom Keep in mind that there's already variation in floor color because the small square panels are actually inside the cushion cover. So those are gray. The line-x version is easier to handle and doesn't have the sharp corners you have to watch out for when moving the panel around. Less potential to tear the tent sides that way. It is a bit bumpier, but nothing a desk mat wouldn't fix.

 

10-4, I figured it didnt hurt to ask. Wasnt sure if yall would have an old floor panel laying around. Lol. Are the wires driver side or passenger side? Not sure that matters, driver side would make it a shorter run of wire for me.

 

No worries.

Driver's side would be best.

 

Awesome, I will be getting the truck ready to go....fast.

 

Mine is supposed to have a lighting kit, I ordered it with my build.

 

I posted my mileage on the highway going 75+ a few pages back it’s was low to mid 14’s. Since than I haven’t been on any highways and it’s now giving my 16.5-16.8 consistently on 55 MPH roads and normal stuff. Don’t really have a city here to even drive in so couldn’t tell you about city. I’m lifted on 33’s with a Decked System and prob over 600lbs of stuff Skids, Sliders, ext... I lost about 1-1.5 MPG’s same as stated above. Where it really hurts you is at high speeds. It’s light low profile and small... but there’s a ton more resistance once you really start moving. All said it’s really still pretty damn good

 

I’m not calling you a liar, so please don’t take this the wrong but if you really went 120 miles on 1/4 tank of gas that works out to be ((120/(21.1/4)) = 22.75 MPG’s that’s pretty damn amazing fuel mileage. Keep in mind that’s if you ran it to empty. If you get that at 70 good for you. But I never ever got close to that even when my OR was new without a lift or larger tires or anything. I’m not too sure that’s a realistic expectation. At 70+ MPH, with my GFC I can barely manage 15 MPG. The gas I run is 87 and contains 10% ethanol which obviously doesn’t offer as good of milegage as pure gas. Just my observations. But if you can really get well over 20, well that’s freaking amazing.

 

I ordered mine with a lighting kit too...

FYI: Mibe didn’t arrive with one.

 

I'll comment on the fuel economy. I have GFC #2 so I've had time and several thousand miles with it at this point. With the GFC added I find myself leaving all my recovery gear and some other misc stuff in the truck all the time. This equates to another 150 +/- lbs in addition to the GFC. I use the Road Trip app for tracking mileage and with no other changes to the truck, my average mileage has dropped from 19.25 to 17.4. For me, that's "A-OK".

 

I'm not taking it wrong, but you're reading into it more than I intended.

I didn't state the MPG's because I didn't know what it'd be across a full tank.

It was simply a comparison to how my far my truck would go before and after adding the camper along the same route. Full tank, distance stated, amount used according to the dial, the same. Hence my statement that the difference was minor.

As for your truck, I don't know. Your truck is definitely heavier than mine with the stuff you have in the bed.

Cruise control at 70, long highway drive, I could easily get 21 mpg over the course of a tank, hand calculated, when I'm trying to cover distance. All gas in CA has some ethanol as well.

I haven't had a long continuous drive with the GFC yet, but my last mixed driving tank was 17.5 mpg.

 

To throw another hat into the ring, I was easily getting 20ish mpg on highway in my 2018 OE DCLB according to the trucks trip summaries. I just put a lift on this weekend so I can't test stock mpg numbers anymore, but I think 20 is realistic.

 

Having a hard time choosing between a GFC of Drifter.

What I really like about the Drifter is the added sleeping room, you do not have to lift any cubes to get in/out in the middle of the night when going to the bathroom. I would image I would wake up my partner struggling to lift the cube than placing the cube back in when done. This would be kind of an annoyance to me. Maybe a deal breaker, not sure.

 

We did a trip to the outer banks, over 1,000 miles round trip and averaged 18.4mpg with cruise. Mostly hwy with a few hundred miles of backroads and 50 miles in the sand. Loaded down, hitting bumpstops on whoops, with rtt on the bed. Speeds up to 75mph but mostly 60mph to 70mph. Only truck mod was 265/75r16 falken wildpeak at3w.

Edit, ill be doing 2100 miles pre gfc and 3,000 miles with it installed in Nov so ill have more data to add. Although i will have a lift by then.

 

I got 17.27mpg from Alabama to Montana (no GFC) and 16.26mpg from Montana to Alaska (with GFC). My 2nd gen is a DCSB 4.0 auto and is lifted with bumpers, sliders, skids, and 33’s. Average speed was around 65mph.

Edit: Did some more math calculating fuel economy for the drive from Alaska to Alabama. The truck was set up the same and carrying the same amount of crap but had an ARB RTT mounted on bed bars with the top just about level with the cab. According to my numbers I averaged 17.28mpg for that portion of the trip, so again, lost about 1mpg with the switch from an annoying RTT to a sweet GFC.

 

Just drove home from the dealer after my 15k service and literally drove like a grandma on all 55 mph roads which are idea for gas mileage and got 17.8!!! I’ve been seeing 17’s with my GFC, just not on the highway. I lost big time mileage going 70-75 barely over 14. Sounds like everyone is different. And I’m not complaining one bit. I’m basically rolling in an armoured RV now.. 14-17 MPG’s is AWESOME!!!

 

I think the drifter would be easier to leave the bed made and get in and out. I have a mattress topper and fitted sheet in my roof top tent. Use regular bedding and bring a thick sleeping bag for the colder nights to go on top if needed. Maybe one day they will offer one that sticks out over the cab farther in the future so you have that extra space in and out.

 

Yeah I hope they do too. I think the GFC is a bit too small. I definitely do not want anything smaller than my RTT that I sold.

 

There is a good comparison of the sleeping platform sizes over on the Wedge Campers thread:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/wedge-campers-assorted-oddities.538935/page-36#post-18359462

From that it seems the standard Drifter sleeping platform is shorter, but they do have an option for an extended platform, at the expense of space to get out of the bed of course. Depending on your height, that may or may not be an issue.

 

So, I went through the exact same delema (as I’m sure about 1000 other people are having) between the drifter and the GFC. They both launched about the same time i was following them both and i had to pick one.

I chose the GFC because I felt like it offered me more of what i did want (less weight, STRONGER, and lower profile) for less money. I’ll 100% agree the drifter is awesome and i would have been very happy with it. But I feel the GFC is simply a better design in it simplicity and strength.

I got crucified on the Drifter thread talking about material properties and how Steel gets stronger with welding (GFC frame) and Aluminum gets weaker. It’s not anything to be upset by but it’s a fact. Just the way it is...

The GFC design seems “simple” to
Me. Kind of pure utilitarian and I loved that. Plus as you look at it I can’t think of a think they could do to make it STRONGER, the materials they used and the designs @wileydavis and Graeme came up with are simply awesome.

Finally I really liked the Fact that Wiley already was running a business and I had a just about everything he made so I was familiar with this quality I also liked that Graeme was already building expedition vehicles. I know the Drifter guys aren’t noobs but I am not sure they were running companies previous (i could be very wrong)

The panel thing to be is almost a non-issue it’s super light and moves very easy.

To put his all into simpler terms...

If your the guy that likes to sleep in a simple sleeping bag and stuff it and go get the GFC

If you’re more the kinda guy that wants to have a real bed made up with sheets and what not get a drifter.

Or get a Snap! Treehouse (to farther add to your confusion lol)

Long long winded post but you can NOT miss either way. When I made my decision neither one was technically in production so my decisions may be based on different things than yours. If your in California I’d imagine it’d be very easy for you to see them in person, just ask. Me I live in NY, my gfc is the only one in the state right now so i didn’t have that option either lol.

Good luck, and honestly you’re a winner either way....

 

Leaving the bed made is really not an option with the GFC, it’s designed to be the lowest profile tent made anywhere... and it is 6”... but with that comes very tight clearances. Like i said previously if your the guy that wants a “bed” get a drifter. If you want to crash in a sleeping bag get a GFC.