Hondo Garage's New Thing

I've been waiting a long time for my camper but a positive thing could be that many of the bugs, like leaks, will be corrected by the time I get my unit.

 

Looks good.

How come I can see the mattress cover? Do you not have all the panels in? Are you having a hard time closing it with all the panels in place? Just curious what to expect since I don’t have my camper yet.

 

I’ve been leaving the two small squares out, it’s easier to close. Ive only tried to close it a few times with all the cushions in. It’s sealed up pretty well, so when you try to close it, there isn’t anywhere for the air to go and the tent get blown outward making it hard to tuck nicely. I tried with the windows part open, which helped a little.

 

I went through this whole thing two back when mine arrived. The key is just to close it sloooooooooow and tuck it as you go. Once i did that no more problems. Just go slow spend maybe a min or two closing and tucking. No problems anymore.

 

The concept is to raise the temperature inside enough with heat to be above the dewpoint. Challenge is the metal parts are good conductors of heat and are at the same temperature as outside. Adding insulation means the humid air inside does not contact the cold metal, and has a temperature gradient where the inside surface of the insulation is above the dew point temperature for your given humidity level.

 

Good find.... a powered vent fan would really change things inside the GFC when conditions dictate.

 

What’s the difference with the maxxair over the fan-tastic? Looking at both of those. Figured with one of those or the ez breeze and some hanging dehumidifiers it should be perfect for all seasons.

 

A small, quite, efficient exhaust fan operating 24/7, powered off of solar and/or the house battery would help keep the GFC sweet smelling and mold free. I'd leave the fan on all the time, year around, not just when using the rig. Maybe the exhaust vent could be located on the front panel, up high in either corner. You could take a hole saw to the panel to cut the hole and install a small cowling to protect the fan from rain.

 

Wow, where did you find a battery operated dehumidifier?

Edit, never mind it is the absorbing crystal type.

 

You must have responded jus as I was editing my post. I have the others, but using an inverter would suck the batteries dry in no time to power it.

 

The Lewiston and eastern OR areas rock, even more so if you got something to carve corners with.

 

Right I saw those but not a huge fan cause it’s just another thing to charge lol. But the Anderson plugs sounds like a good option. I have a bed light package with a latching switch right now. For GM we have an option package that I just wired into and got a trailer harness tee to get the 12V signal. Beauty is it’s time red at 20 minutes and fused already. So it’s a great lighting solution and I am working on a better solution for full 12V without a timer. Might replace my main battery with an AGM and keep a portable starter in case. Rather not go solar or dual battery if I don’t need to.

The ez breeze looks like the best solution since it’s passive and year round waterproof even with the vents open. I didn’t like it at first but it’s growing on me lol. The only thing I can think of is how to properly mount it to the roof panel since they all take screws? Silicone would seal, maybe an RTV and cured would hold it? Vibrations can get nasty so definitely need something robust and waterproof.

 

Hmmm yeah maybe an that plus epoxy to glue it and then use a clear silicone to seal it? Love me some in jb weld. That’s in my trail kit. Never know when you need to fix a cracked oil pan in the boonies. Works like a champ. Should do fine with a measly fan.

I did get to see the marinco fan in person and it really blends well and is compact. Could be a good option to get the day/night solar version as well.

 

Yeah that’s what I noticed too. Reviews weren’t too hot. The maxxfan looked awesome too. The main feature I love is a remote model. Nothing better than that!! I’m a fan of compact and simple so anything that gets me that with a 12V signal or solar is on my list.

In the meantime winter is kicking in here and I am still waiting for new panels to be painted and the whole assembly re-shipped out east. Not missing out on too much yet since snow up north isn’t quite enough to justify a trip yet.

 

Can anyone comment on the upstairs airflow in hot weather (75-85 degrees)?

I know most tents would be hot, but the small windows on the side are the reason I ask. Most of my camping is done in warmer weather climates and airflow is very important to me.

Thanks!

 

Didn’t get mine till it was cool but... @wileydavis has repeatedly stated that the small windows are superior to larger windows due to the the pressure differential it creates (causing a force draft airflow).

That said @inv3ctiv3 had his first and is in hot sunny California so I’m sure he will jump in if he sees this.

 

I live and play in the southeast and had my GFC all summer. There were several nights when we got in the tent in the mid 80's with humidity in the 60-70's. As stated above, the cross ventilation is better than any tent I've experienced. I have a DeWalt 20v fan which we use and only one night was hot enough for us to run it all night. Normally, the cross ventilation will have you under cover before morning.

 

Has anybody heard an ETA on the lighting kit? Word was a few months ago they were revising it and it'd be available soon

 

I believe they mentioned that they were focusing on production and that accessories were put on hold until January. However, I did see that they mentioned roof rack parts potentially coming out on the end of December on their Instagram story yesterday/today.

 

Time for me to join the fun! Been browsing the forum for a while and finally pulled the trigger a few months back.

Today a package arrived from the folks at GFC. What a great way to help with the color decision and get me absolutely stoked!
Full disclosure, I’m a ZR2 owner! Love the community here and the ideas flowing around on some great builds!

Just got back from a 3000 mile trip to West Texas. Sure would have loved to have a GFC along for the ride.
Can’t wait to join the GFC club!