Wedge Life

Go with Deavers.
I'd also suggest looking at Croms build for shocks/struts/coils.

 

That place is awesome. Looks like you had it all to yourself as well! Week day?

 

We used ome suspension kit with Hilux (not Dakar) leaf springs. Was cheaper for us than Deaver’s. So far, so good - 6 months with drifter. More people have Deavers and seem happy with them.

 

Yup, Thursday. There were a few people further down the road, but had our own lake.

 

I have those mounted to the side of my prinsu. Love them. Super bright and barley noticeable

 

Here you go. This is the 'no frills, no build out' approach we have DCLB and a Drifter. We have been using this set up for ~5 months and its working pretty well.

• Campmate where we keep the stove and kitchen gear (tan/green) / left gray item is stair step
• Above campmate and also on opposite side is blue ridge mountain year velcro pack for "nightstands" velcroed to side
• Dometic 45L fridge (awesome), pop up windoor and get access to fridge
• behind the fridge are two wolf packs. Bottom wolf holds small recovery gear, low use gear including Mr. Buddy heater, extra gas, etc.
• Top Wolf pack holds dry foods.
• Left corner loose, frequently used gear including one dog bed, reflectix for back window, 2 sit pads, luminoodle, bose bluetooth speaker, wine
• Yellow gray bag is dog equipment/blankets (mountain smith - we have 3)
• Two front runner 5gal water holders, with 2nd dog bed on top
• Orange is tire repair kit but and space for another mountainsmith bag for our clothes with another one sitting in front water
• Bedding is stored on top of mattress - two lightweight down comforters and two down pillows are compressable and still allow for top to be shut
• Under seats in double cab are extras (batteries, gas, paper towels, extra blanket, etc)
• Roof top box has plastic rug, foldable chairs and table
• Back seats foot wells hold backpack and dog clothes/treats/bag
• Cook Partner stove is a relatively new addition. Got a coleman that failed within 3 uses. REI purchase so returned. Cook Partner is awesome - well built and the first camp stove I've ever used that has some control over the output of gas - simmering is very useful.

Things we *might* change:

• We don't like the height of our rooftop box, might get a low profile one but not sure the 3" is worth it
• Toying with a swing out, but since its a double-cab its already pretty long and we live in the city - not sure we want it any longer, makes parking it difficult
• Paper towel holder - in the works
• More blue ridge overland gear bags velcro to rim might be useful, still debating the need.
• Attic in double cab to hold gortex and puffers
• Water seems a little hard to get at / bothers me more than DH - a swing out would deal with this but adds length. We had a water tank in our old vanagon and these water jugs are much easier to get ready with than something not easily removable from the vehicle, so will probably just live with it.

 

Prefacing this by saying I'm electrically pretty ignorant. Any input on what the easiest and simplest setup to use a solar panel to power a fan on a Drifter and a Dometic?

 

Simplest is likely not even solar, but just a 2nd battery under the hood, charged by alternator. Run a wire to the back through a fuse-block to your fridge/fan.

Solar route requires Panel, solar/batter charge controller, battery, then to fuse-block and then fridge/fan.

Otherwise, go here and start reading.

https://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/forums/power-systems-12v-solar-gen.48/

 

This guys website and his accompanying YouTube videos should answer any solar power questions you may have, from the most basic system to high end.
Website: Mobile Solar Power Made Easy
YouTube: DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse

 

Thanks guys!

 

That camp spot is amazing!

 

Wedge life!!!

 

Also, the wedge is great for showing my daughter all the things that the light touches.

 

@SenatorBlutarsky a couple questions about your rig: what swingout is that? And, without a swingout would the 1Up rack allow your bars to clear the rear window if you had the rack inserted into the OEM hitch receiver?

 

aaaahhhaaaaaaassssaavveeennnyyaaaaaa!!!!!!

 

RakAttach. Mine is the size large. The same swingout is re-branded and sold by Kuat, but you don't get to pick your size and swing direction with Kuat.

I assume you mean bike bars? Definitely not. The window won't even open fully with my setup. I can get the window open enough to reach in, but it's awkward. Unless you mean would the bike just fit without hitting the window, in which case...there's this much room between my bars and window.


I can measure clearance and subtract the swingout if you'd like. The great part about the 1up is that you can move the hitch out to get more clearance since it is held in place by an expanding ball and doesn't have to line up for a hitch pin.

 

@SenatorBlutarsky Thanks for the explanation and pics. Yeah, I just wondered if the handlebars would hit the closed window with no extension. In your pictures it looks close but as you say, you can always pull the 1Up out a bit ... that's a good thing about the ball locking mechanism. I used to have an ARE shell with a slanted window and the bars cleared enough to even open the window a bit and reach in for stuff, but I've been wondering about the clearance to a Drifter or similar vertical window shell. I guess the swingout solves that plus makes general access much easier, but I hate to add weight and hang the bikes out even further. Our 1Up SuperDuty rack is pretty heavy even without two bikes. 1Up, if you're listening, how about an aluminum swingout?

 

The rack definitely wobbles a bit more with the swingout, but RakAttach includes an anti wobble plate which helps. It's really not bad until you throw 3 or more bikes on there. That said, I can't imagine trying to get in and out of the camper without the swingout.

 

Gotta keep the wedge life thread going!

somewhere in grand staircase escalante...

 

Got to take the wedge out for pronghorn this weekend.