The Drifter - Specs and FAQ

More pictures!!!!

 

Thanks! It was nice to meet you (briefly) when I was picking it up.

 

We must have missed each other by hours...

 

Are you using Yakima bars?

 

Yup! I have a set of discontinued feet that I have made work on the L track. Truth be told, I will be converting to the VagaRunner Rack system as soon as I can remember to ask Phil.

The Yakima system has been fine, but it’s tall. Which has been beneficial for loading/unloading my canoe but it isn’t pretty...

 

I think I signed the book on the 9th...I thought it smelled like taco when I pulled up!

 

Uh oh, I misunderstood.... I thought you said “the clap”

my bad.

 

I just got rid of that, why would I want it again?!

 

Was the Vagabond Flyer still in the mailbox? Hahahhahaha!!!!!! I have promotional material in my center console and figured that was as good a place as I’ll ever find for a “plant”...

 

@MJonaGS32
You wouldn't happen to have a link for those washers would you?

 

If you go to literally any hardware store, you'll find something that will work within a couple minutes. Super easy to source for cents.

 

I used 4 washers under each bolt. They were 1 3/8" diameter w/ 1/2" diameter hole. You can definitely find them at any hardware store.

 

Meanwhile; in the cold Northwest - Lessons learned from camping in the snow.

I went camping in the Blue Mountains again last weekend. People think I am crazy, but the Drifter makes it so easy to camp in the snow, that I have been going almost every weekend. I learned a couple things:

1). Try to keep the upper bulb seal dry if temps are expected to drop and you are closing the camper. Mine was still wet from rain in the valley the night before - I didn’t think of drying off the seal. The temps dropped below 20deg in the mountains and I had a bear of a time getting the camper opened. The bulb seal was frozen.


2) What snow comes down will end up on your windshield. I had almost a foot of snow overnight. A lot of it stayed on the roof until I fired up Mr Buddy. Then it ended up on my windshield. There is not a lot you can do to prevent this, but awareness is good.

3) Does anyone have a limit strap designed for the back door like the G** folks?
I found that all the slush that built up on the window slid right down onto the BedRug on my tailgate. Very wet indeed. If I could keep the door from opening all the way, this wouldn’t happen.

4). Do I need to treat the camper locks with anything? I didn’t get any lock freezing even water / slush / ice. But I worried that I wouldn’t be able to get in to the camper if it froze.

All in all, I have found the Drifter to be a game changer in the snow. I can adventure all day and then have a warm, dry place to thaw out at night. The condensation is a hassle to deal with, but I think most of it comes from the humans and not Mr Buddy. I can’t wait for the upcoming insulation package, because I think it will reduce the condensation issues - especially on the sidewalks. Condensation on the aluminum is a fact of life. I had this issue in a prior house with aluminum window frames. Four-season Camper. That is what I call the Drifter.

 

4. I use Tri-Flow to prevent the locks from icing up in the slushy/freezing situations. Others have used WD-40 I believe. I also believe this has attributed to the cracking of my rubber seals on the locking mechanism of the Frontrunner doors. YMMV.

Also, lay a tarp down over your windshield. Snow removal is quite easy that way. Just peel it off.

 

I didn’t notice it but then again, there could have been a tarantula in there and I might have missed it!

 

Do you run the Mr. Buddy Heater all night placed on the first floor? I just purchased a Mr. Buddy and little nervous keeping it on while sleeping, but in the temperatures you mentioned I think its necessary to do so. If you can give any input on how you use the heater that would be great.

 

Since gfc is mentioned... I was in Mammoth Lakes last weekend. I spotted 4 gfcs throughout the 3 day weekend. Thats alot of gfc's to see in a short time frame..

That being said, cant wait to get my Drifter. I'm going on 11 months and 1 day since ordering.... Seeing 'Vagabond Inn' in Bishop does not help either.

 

Seeing 3 drifters in Bishop was pretty Rad as well. First week of this month. I didn’t see a single Competitive wedge design around. Tons of FWC though.

 

I have been running Mr Buddy until bedtime then turning it off until morning. It gets cold inside the camper overnight, but it is certainly above outdoor temps just due to body heat. I use a 10 deg down bag and have been sleeping very warm. I crack the vent an inch to provide a little ventilation during the night.

If I keep Mr Buddy on low, it never shuts off due to low Oxygen (I can get around 2-3 hrs of run time on a propane bottle). There are so many holes in the Tacoma bed that it gets plenty of oxygen. On high, it runs about 15 min before shutting off. Opening a window would solve this.