The Drifter - Specs and FAQ

Thank you for your explanation of how the plastic bedrail cap helps prevent the truck bed from developing cracks. I never knew!

My plan is to flip the plastic bedrail cap upside down, put a fat bead of caulk around the perimeter, and then carefully drop it back in place and press it on, and do a quick cleanup on the overspill and then draw a clean bead. Since the bedrail cap on my 2018 Tundra seems to be similar to the low-profile 3rd Gen Tacoma caps, I'm hopeful that the bedrail cap won't crush, and that the caulk will considerably reduce dust and water intrusion. It's probable that the bedrail cap will grind down and etch the rail paint off, but there's only so much I want to obsess about so I'm ok with it!

 

I think people keep missing the part about you having a Tundra. Correct me if I am wrong, but don’t you have an all steel bed?

 

Oh I didn't see it's a Tundra. I know Tundra beds are Double walled...I think they are steel.

I just saw it's a Tundra. You'll be fine with or without it then. However, I would just remove them and tape them up with aluminum tape and caulk them if you want to (or use silicone). I think Jason posted a picture earlier of how is bed sides looked with tape on it - Just cover the holes up and it should be good to go.

 

Well said. I agree.

 

Possibly interested in putting money down for a camper but have a bunch of questions maybe the community can answer...
Can anyone give an updated timeframe for completion? i emailed them a week ago and havent heard anything back. i know they are a small company so response time is probably never great due to volume.
does anyone have a nomad on an f150? would love to see some pics if so.
how much bigger are the frontrunner doors than standard windoors? is there any way to vent them?
Can you run the fan with the roof down and still get ventilation (if dogs are in the back)?
are you able to leave all your bedding up top including standard pillows?
Which way do you usually sleep? head toward the small end?
im sure ill come up with more questions but would appreciate your input.
for reference, currently own a taco with a gfc. im looking for more room in an f150. overall love the gfc but am considering a nomad for a few reasons like leaving bedding up top if possible and ability to get in/out without moving panels. hesitant to give up the wide open access to the sides though which to me has been the best part of the gfc.

ETA: when it's raining and you open the gullwing doors, how well does it shed water? old leer cap used to just poor water into the bed in this case

 

Yes, it's a 2018 Tundra, I hijacked this Tacoma thread because the Nomad / Tundra combo isn't readily available yet.

I didn't know the Tundra beds are double walled. As I envision it, the shell's triple bulb seal sitting directly on the (taped) metal bedrail should be the best dustproofing / waterproofing scenario. The Tundra's plastic bedrail cap can only cause problems as i see it -- even reinstalled with a bead of caulk around its perimeter I can see it crushing or cracking underneath the weight and strain of the shell and letting water in through the resulting cracks; and, scratching the shit out of the paint underneath: I don't really want the plastic bedrail cap added to the equation if I don't have to!

 

I'll answer the ones I have some info about:

Unofficially 10-12 months. I just picked up mine thanksgiving week and I waited around the 10-11 month mark but mine could have been finished at least a week sooner but got delayed at the powder coater.

Not sure measurement wise but you can clearly see they are larger when comparing the two. From what I have seen, you can fit a 35" tire through the front runner door but not through the standard door. Not sure that really helps. I love the front runner doors and would choose it again.

I think technically you could but you have to be strategic about doing so. The recommended way to close the tent is to pull the platform within a few inches from the rear so that it catches the fabric when the tent is closed. When you do this, the platform and fabric is right below the fan. I'd imagine that *IF* the platform clears the fan opening (i.e. doesnt obstruct it), i think it could work as long as you make the effort to move the fabric away from the fan to allow air flow.

I can check for you later this afternoon when I leave the office but I am pretty sure the hinge does not allow water to flow into the opening. It just flows around the frame and down the sides.

 

For me, it's been 2 weeks shy of a year so far.

I ordered a Nomad for my 2018 Tundra on Dec 29, 2018. It was originally submitted as a Tacoma cap (I also have a 1999 Tacoma Ltd), with the option to switch to the Nomad cap once they were 100% sure it was going to be a viable offering. At the time, Phil was trying to find a supplier of the larger sheet metal required to span a full-sized truck bed. I switched it to the Nomad cap as soon as I was informed that the offering was indeed available.

I was told my Nomad would be the first production Nomad cap, which has me a bit worried to be beta testing a $15k shell, but of all the competing companies in this marketplace I felt best about the passion Phil's crew had. And there were a number of things about the GFC that I didn't like and I'm a patient person. Plus they are in Benicia which isn't too far from where I live, so I have popped in a few times and checked out some of the things they have going on. A great group, always willing to take the time to show me their rigs and talk shop.

I was originally told to expect a June 2019 completion, which would have been 6 months of waiting, but that has been pushed out indefinitely and now we are at two weeks shy of a year of waiting. I was a bit bummed about losing out on the summer camping season, but my girlfriend has a EuroVan which proved to be great fun, just not very capable off-road. We pretty much explore the Nevada deserts, so there's a lot to see that doesn't require 4WD.

Recently, I have been calling them every couple of weeks to inquire about the status. Partly out of curiosity, and partly because it's been quite a long time and I felt the need to become a squeaky wheel so I don't get lost in the shuffle. Last I heard they needed to do some redesign because there was more torsion than they wanted, however I was assured that the torsion observed was well below the industry standard in this market (i.e., lower than the torsion of the GFC etc) and they just want it to be bulletproof.

 

Here's a good write up on the windows: here

The windows share the same characteristics as the camper shell. Since they open past 90 water can shed into the camper. This is mitigated easily buy adding a limit strap (piece of paracord) to keep from opining past 90.

The fan placement and orientation is designed to be run only when the camper is popped up. You can run it with the camper closed, but the tent material might get in the way, and you have to remember to close it before you drive off.

Bedding can be left in place, and it depends on the type of pillow you use. They need to be able to compress so the large and heavy dense pillows make that more difficult, but no panels need to be moved in order to get out of bed once fully deployed.

You can sleep how you are comfortable, but we recommend feet towards the wedge.

 

thanks for the replies on my questions thus far. @Iggy is that timeframe mentioned above about right?

 

Phil has more accurate lead times but 10-12 months sounds right.

 

I can't speak for the Tundra, but on my '17 Tacoma, the bedrail caps are still doing just fine after 1.5 years with the Drifter. And I've got at least 75 extra pounds of weight on the rails from the solar, wiring, and other stuff bolted on.
Personally, I'd be more hesitant to run without the caps, as even with the rails taped, I could definitely see the bulb seals being torn up eventually from the edges of all those holes in the top side of the rails.

 

Good point. I guess I'll flip a coin.

 

Hey @Iggy im highly considering going this route with a tent topper and swapping my shell out. I’m having trouble deciding on which I’d rather go with either GFC or Vagabond. Have you seen anyone still run a prinsu rack with it just cut thinner to fit under the hang? I really don’t wanna give up my ADAPT LB. also can you drill and mount tracks to the side for maxtrax mounting like I’ve done to my shell here?

this is what I was talking about cutting the prinsu thinner under the hang over on a GFC

 

duuuuude. Nice truck.

 

Yes to both your questions.

 

I saw the one guy who cut it to just the front I don’t really wanna do that but I’d cut it shorter

 

Thanks?

 

It’s like I’m looking at a silver version of the former iteration of my truck. And my name is Anderson... And now you must buy a Drifter so I have an alternate reality doppelgänger on TW.

 

That was @jberry813