Vagabond Drifter Camper Buildout and Mods

Search the Frontrunner website using “Foot” and “Slat” as search words. You will find all of the foot pack heights and crossbars.

Footpacks are sold in pairs and bars are sold individually.

The end caps are sold in packs of 4.

You’ll also need the 3/8” L-track stud fittings and will have to drill out the holes in the feet from 1/4” to 3/8”.

LMK if you have any questions! We’re a Frontrunner dealer too...

 

This looks great. Makes me kinda wish I had gone that route on my shell/topper instead of the Yakima Tracks.

 

I'm looking at replacing my Yakima tracks with this system.

 

Why?

 

It's easier to deal with.

 

How so? Yakima tracks seem pretty straightforward and they have locks (not sure about the frontrunner ones).

 

For me if I needed to add more track nuts it's kinda a pain in the ass to take the end caps off and shimmy the nuts in place.

 

You have several different fasteners that are easily adjustable for one. It's cheaper. The connectors aren't lockable but there are ways you can lock stuff down to mitigate that. I think the connectors are also quicker to take off/put on.

 

Ah okay, makes sense. Thanks.

 

I like the 90 angle idea, sets the solar panel in there perfectly, low rise, and offers protection.
Thanks y'all for the response!

 

Latest mod completed by Tom Clouse, new Drifter owner:

Happy New Year everyone!!

 

And the track would allow you to tilt the panels easily if you wanted to (and had built to allow it).

 

FYI and to hopefully save you all some work and money...most of us have had our panels flat mounted full-time. I previously built a tilt mount and used it on my roof prior to the Drifter but honestly, as long as you keep the panel somewhat clean and don’t park in shade for days on end, it works just fine flat mounted.
I tested it with the charge controller...not much gain at all with the tilt.

 

Woo been MIA for a little bit on TW! Too busy Drifter camping!

I had the little marine hammocks on the walls of my Flippac and had one in my Drifter for a little while. I just hung it through one of the front and back little slots that are used to conceal wiring.

They work good for extra little bits of storage but I ended up taking it out because i built a little “junk” drawer into one of our cabinets. We mostly kept random stuff in there.

 

I am thinking for fruit storage so it is not rattling round in he fridge. But I think i am going to have to slink it across a corner to keep them from bouncing off the sidewalls and bruising. Who knows. I'll have to look into it more.

 

Can someone please help me understand, for bullet proof weatherproofing where the Drifter mates with the truck bed rails, the purpose of the KB Voodoo Bed Side Rail Caps?

If it were me, I'd take off the stock plastic bed rails because I don't trust that much weight resting on plastic of any thickness. Then I'd tape the myriad rectangular holes that are underneath the plastic, as per @MJonaGS32's picture below, and then I would mount the Drifter directly to this taped surface. This is assuming the Drifter has triple bulb seal, or similar, on the base where it contacts the bedrail.

I don't see how adding an additional piece of aluminum between the factory steel bedrail and the base of the Drifter, such as the KB Voodoo rail cap, could help. It seems it's just an additional component that needs weatherproofing, and whose weatherproofing can (and probably will) eventually fail and need maintained. Am I missing something?

 

I am also curious about this!

What do long bed owners use to make their bed rails flat? I have a third gen Tacoma and I can’t find a long bed bed cap. KB VooDoo has a set of bed caps for the short bed, but I can’t find a product for the long bed (6’ bed).

 

It’s a combination of aesthetics and weight distribution.

Towards the front some of the holes or tape will be exposed and larger flat area (without holes) helps distribute the weight over all better.

 

I don’t think it’s as much of an issue on the third gens. On the second gens the plastic caps are about 3/4-1” thick. On thirds I would just seal them.

 

Is this something you do during install? I messaged Phil, hoping to get some good information from him. I think you are included in that conversation as well.