Pragmatic Overland Build (VO Drifter)

Documenting my 2015 ACLB TRD Offroad build with an Vagabond Outdoors Drifter Camper.

 

Installing Ride Rite Airbags. This is what the finished install looked like. This may not be my permanent solution for the extra weight of the Drifter, but I think it will keep me from destroying the stock rear suspension.


First step is to remove the wheel and cut the old bump stop.


The saws-did the trick, but was difficult to get through the dense rubber.


After removing the bump stop, the top and bottom plate will slide into place.


The press-fit fittings screwed into place on top of the air-bag. Initially, I screwed in the fittings with the provided thread sealer. I found that they leaked pretty badly (>10psi / day). I removed them and used a Teflon paste. Stopped the leaks at this spot.

After installing the upper bolts, the lower bolts were easy. The upper bolts were difficult to tighten because their wasn't much space to work. It was certainly easier to work under the truck after removing the spare tire.



In order to give me some flexibility, I tied both airbags together with a valve and some t-fittings. This will allow me to have both airbags filled with the same air pressure, or each side loaded with a different PSI. I figure this could help balance out weight on one side or the other.



I installed the Schrader valves into the license plate. The whole project took longer that I expected -- probably about 6 hours using a friends tools. What I didn't expect was all the air leaks I had to fix to get the system to hold pressure long term. After adding Teflon paste to the air-bag fittings, I still had a leak. It turned out that I didn't have one of the fittings pressed all the way into the fitting. Initially I was loosing 10 psi per day. Now I only lose about 1 psi per week.

 

Sharkfin Replacement for Vagabond Drifter
In order to prepare for the Vagabond Drifter, I need to remove the sharkfin and replace it with a shorter cap. Unfortunately, this is much more difficult with and Access cab, because the the entire back seat must be extricated to reach the shark fin. It is difficult to describe all the steps to do this, but I have tried my best. I have never done anything like this before, so, I started this with a bit of fear and trepidation. If I can successfully complete this project, anyone can. It took me about 4-5 hours, but included a run to Toyota to get white tabs.

Here are the tools I used:

10mm socket
12mm socket
socket wrench with extension
star drive screw driver
flathead screw driver
Phillips head screwdriver
Phillips head jeweler's screwdriver
Flat head jeweler's screwdriver

First, begin removing the door latch covering for the suicide door. You will first pop out the cover and use a star drive to remove screws.


Remove the cover, and pull the strip down.

This will begin the process of removing the C-pillar.


Move to the rear seats. There are bolts on either side that need to be removed.


This will remove the rear seat.



Next, remove the suit hanger by rotating to the right 90 degrees.


You may break one of the insertion tabs in the process, but it didn't seem to be too much of a problem for me.


Next, remove the cover at the top of the C-Pillar. Start at the top with a small screwdriver, try not to scratch yours as much as I did.


Pop the cover from the rear seat.


Pop the plastic attachment to release the rear seat.


Begin popping the rear seat attachments carefully. You may break some, but they are inexpensive to replace. Start at the bottom.

Repeat the same process on the passenger side. The rear seat should now pop down. You will have to pull each of the tabs free.



I broke 7 of the white tabs in the process, but they were only $.50 to replace at Toyota.


Begin popping the tabs on the C-Pillar.


Be careful when popping the lower panel of the C-Pillar. Use a screwdriver to pop the tabs if you can.


Remove everything that has been loosened. This looks like quite a mess.

Finally, you have arrived! The headliner should now be free to carefully pull down. Because the Access cab has a much smaller rear seat, the headliner can't be pulled down as much.



Once you pull the headliner down, you will be able to see the magic nut that holds the sharkfin on. Unscrew this nut with a crescent wrench.


Success! You have now removed the sharkfin.



Remove the four screws that hold the assembly together.


There is it, installed!



Now to fix the damage I caused by pulling out the bottom C-Pillars. A little super-glue solved the problem. Believe it or not, it did all go back together.

 

Excellent write up for the access cab!

 

Install KB Voodoo Bed Rail Caps

In order to support the new Vagabond Drifter Camper, I decided to install KB Voodoo Aluminum Bedrail Caps.

Pop out the plastic attachments for the plastic bedrails. This is what holds the plastic rails down. Since these snaps aren't needed for the aluminum bedrails, it is OK if you break these while removing them.


Remove the plastic caps. I noticed that the plastic caps wore some holes in my paint -- down to the metal. I will have to touch these up to keep the rust from setting in. Remove the bedrail t-track as well. This will allow the cap to be pulled up easily.


Removing the plastic caps exposes all the holes in the bedrails. These need to be covered to ensure that dust doesn't get into the bed.




Apply aluminum tap to the holes to seal off the gaping holes. Some trimming is required where the bedrail is wider.



Multiple of pieces of tape are required near the end.



Install the new cap and re-bolt the t-channel into the bedrail. You will reuse the bolts, so nothing new is really required. Because KB Voodoo does not recommend the use of adhesive

 

Vagabond Drifter Install

Well, this was the big day. My wife and I drove down to Benicia, CA to install the camper.

The VO boys use a forklift to install the camper. Note, the white truck behind my camper is V0, the Drifter that was on a Tacoma when it rolled. I can tell you that it had very little damage occurred, even though the unit essentially rested on the camper when it rolled.


The camper gets lowered onto the bed and installed with the multiple bulb seals. The multiple bed seals are amazing to see in person.






The VO team is amazing to see in operation. They really stop everything they are doing to make sure you get all your questions answered.

And here is the finished product. Another happy customer. Here is the team that makes it happen.

 

How many bolts hold the KB voodo rails down?

also looks like with your Drifter you got the fan, prewire for solar, awning quick mounts, what else?

thanks for all the info

 

Do you happen to recall the PN for those plastic tabs you got to replace the broken ones from Toyota?

 

The KB VooDoo bed rails are held in place with 6 bolts, I believe. Two near the tailgate and four that hold the t-track in place. I was dubious that the bed rails would be solid until I realized that the entire t-track bolts against the new rails. It is very solid once tightened down.

Yes, I wanted all the punctures of the camper to be installed at the factory. So, they installed the quick mounts, solar with 6AWG wire, lights , and fan. The 6AWG wire required two holes and glands in the roof, but I want to be able to handle up to 400watts up there.

 

I just took the broken tab down to the local Toyota dealership and they gave me a bag. I don’t remember the part number. They weren’t very expensive. If you happen to find the part number, send me a DM. I will add it to my post for mother’s.

 

Sweet, thanks for the info, I figured the Rails attached to the T-track, just wasn't sure.

What interior lights did you go with? Could you throw some shots up, trying to decide what interior lights I would need, thanks again.

 

Solar Panel Install

My solar design takes advantage of the fact that the Renogy 160W solar panels are almost exactly the same width as the L-track on the top of the drifter. I would highly recommend get Vagabond Outdoors to install the L-track, because it requires the use of a bunch of screws that will be hidden behind the roof insulation after the unit is completed at the factory. I love the L-track because of the flexibility, and this project shows how flexible they are.

Wired in the 6AWG welding cable that VO installed for me. Phil had to penetrate the roof in two places because I wanted to use the larger cable. Long term, I plan to add additional panels, so I wanted to make sure all of that power was making it to the solar charger. I am installing one 160W solar panel, so I wired in two 10AWG cables with an MC4 connector at the end. I am using the Solar Combiner Box from AM Solar in Eugene, OR, so I have flexibility for future expansion.


Although the combiner box includes two strips of VHB tape, I followed AM Solar's recommendations to use some SikaFlex 221 adhesive to hold the unit down on the roof. I really didn't want to use screws to hold it down.


In addition, I filled the hole in the solar combiner box with some Dicor

$1,400 self-leveling 165FT/50M, drain pipe inspection camera built-in 512hz transmitter, meter counter, with microphone speaker DVR recorder, 16GB TF card, guide wheel (5mm cable)

self-leveling lap sealant. The combiner box was designed to cover the puncture hole into the camper -- but I am not using it in this fashion.


This amount of sealant should seal up the hole and prevent any water ingress.


I added some weight to the top to keep everything together. Now to wait for 7 days to reach maximum adhesion for the SikaFlex 221.



The top of the solar combiner box is attached with 10 hex screws. This isn't going anywhere. The top also includes a a seal to keep moisture out.


The solar cabling is now complete. Next up, install the solar panel.



A buddy and I made a set of simple brackets from angle-aluminum. A set of blocks allows me to mark the solar panels for drilling. We found that lifting the solar panel bottom edge 1" from the surface of the L-track would ensure that the second solar panel will clear the apex of the roof. This will keep the solar panel from hitting the roof.


1/4" bolts will hold the brackets to the solar panel.



The solar panels now slots onto the L-track bolts.



Four nuts hold it in place.


Final installation photo. Power is flowing, now on to building the electrical panel inside.

 

Installing Rago Bed Stiffeners

I have not had any issues with the bedsides spreading, but I though I should preemptively install Rago Bed Stiffeners.

Remove the two bolts that hold the bed in place.



Install the bed stiffener and replace the bolts. I found that I needed to enlarge the left slot on the passenger side to fit the bolt pattern. I also will need to find a replacement bolt for the right slot. The stock bolt doesn’t fit well because of a collar.



Remove two 10mm bolts from the tail light assembly.



Pop the tail light out. The Rago video will give you a better idea of how to do this.



I shouldn’t have let mine hang from the VO rear light extension. It popped off and was difficult to get back on.



Drill holes in the bed side matching the stiffener.



Insert the bolts and tighten.


The final product. It’s not sexy, but it performs a useful function.

 

I'm trying to put together my solar system now so I can have it ready to install when I get my Drifter. Did you link your truck and house batteries together?? Any other pictures of the charge controller and fuse box install?? Any other info would be great, thanks.

 

Just sent you DM...

 

Drifter Electrical Design and Build

I have been busy finishing my electrical build. Before dump a pic heavy post, I want to lay the foundation for my goals in this build. I am an electrical engineer by training, but engineering school gives you lots of electrical theory, and very little practice. I have never worked in the solar industry, or with large-capacity batteries, so I have been doing tons of research to design the highest quality system.

The criteria and Design considerations for my build are as follows:

• Not permanently installed in the Drifter, so it can be removed to use the bed as a "Truck" -- I ended up designing the system on a board that mounts to the end of my removable bench seat (more on that later). The electrical system has connectors so I can remove the bench seats easily.
  
• Supports Lithium Batteries -- I chose high end solar and shore (Victron) because they have the best configuration options. I want to be able to properly charge (and not overcharge) Lithium batteries. Since my Lithium investment will be far more expensive than a couple hundred $$ on chargers, I went high end. Since I have never owned a set of LiFePO4 batteries, I built a set of two Valance batteries (87 Ah total) that I purchased used on eBay. They were still in shrink wrap, though I expect they sat on the shelf for medical backups for a couple of years. They only cost by $300 combined, though the costs have gone up since Will Prouse posted a video review of these cells. They are designed very similarly to Battle Born, so I won't cry if I wear them out prematurely due to my learning curve.
  
  
• Supports 110v Charging -- I went with the Victron 15A IP65 charger. This will charge my battery in a reasonable time (6 hours) when connected to shore power. I don't plan to charge directly from the alternator. I think this doesn't always work well for people because the Tacoma smart alternator will drop to 13.2v after topping off the starter battery. This will never properly charge a lithium battery, that needs at least 14.4v to charge fully and balance cells. I have the off-road bed inverter, so I plan to do the always-on mod so that I can charge the system while driving via my shore charger. This reduces the need for a separate DC/DC charging system. I don't plan to charge while driving very often. We will see if it even works. Victron assured me that it would...
  
  
• Supports up to 450 watts of solar -- I went with cheap Renogy solar panels. They seem pretty well constructed and still have a 25 yr lifespan. I plan to work out of my Drifter in the summers, so I want to be able to support 2 160w fixed panels, and a 100w foldable panel. This will allow me to park in the shade during the hot time of the year. I also installed the entire wiring on 6 AWG cable. This is a bit of a pain to work with, but many people under-design the wiring for solar. If you lose just a few tenths of a volt of power from the solar panels, your panels will underperform. I was shooting for less than 3% voltage drop from the panel to the charger. I purchased the Victron 100v / 30A charger to be able to support the charging wattage and 6AWG cables.
  
  
• Ability to protect from accidental shorts and turn off all battery inputs / outputs -- I installed circuit breakers instead of fuses so that I could easily turn of each component. This has been very helpful in testing and troubleshooting.
  
  
• Accurate battery monitoring -- I installed a Victron BMV-712 for accurate battery monitoring. Lots of people end up destroying batteries because they don't accurately know the state of charge of their battery. I played around with a cheap knockoff from Amazon, and found that it often left me with a dead battery because it wasn't counting current very accurately.

OK, enough words. Here are the photos.

Here is my electrical diagram. I didn't implement the DC/DC charger.


I wired the two Valance batteries in parallel.


I used 2 AWG welding cable and copper lugs. I used the cheapest crimper to crimp these. It required that I pound on the crimper with a sledge hammer.


I made a small connector from the negative pole to the shunt. Astute observers will note that this isn't the Victron shunt. This is the shunt from the $50 knock-off battery monitor that didn't work so well. The Victron shunt mounts in the same location. I am looking for some insulation to keep the shunt protected from the positive cable.


Here is a close up of the shunt itself.


I purchased some cushion foam from Joan's to keep the batteries from rattling around in the battery box.


An Anderson connector finished up the battery. Here is what it looks like in the battery box. Note that I will not be using the old battery monitor with my Drifter install. I could, however, pull the battery out (less than 25 lbs) for use with a water pump if needed.


I used a large sheet of paper to design my wire runs, and component locations. My design goal was to never cross a red wire with a black wire. After many years of road vibrations, I was worried that I might get an accidental short. I think I succeeded!


I used my paper template to punch pilot holes for the components. Note that I used circuit breakers (at $35 a pop) instead of fuses. I think this is much more flexible for troubleshooting and I don't have to keep the proper fuse in the Drifter at all times.

I ran the cables following my wiring diagram. I initially tried to insert the raw wire into the victron solar charge controller, but the 6 AWG cable seemed to fray every time. I ended up crimping a lug to the end and cutting it down to size. This seemed to be very securely held under the set screw, and I will never have to worry about a stray wire strand starting a fire.

I stripped the ends of each cable to the appropriate length. I bought all my supplies from Amazon following Will Prowse's (http://mobile-solar-power.com) recommendations for tools and wire. He recommends some quality stuff.

Insert the wire into the lug.

Crimp solidly and melt shrink tubing with a heat gun. I believe the properly-executed cold crimp to be superior to solder any day.

Here is the finished product. Repeat many times.

I used coax surface mount clamps to hold the thick wires in place. I mounted the solar controller on a small piece of aluminum. This will help dissipate the heat away. I followed the controller requirements of 10 cm of space above and below the charger. However, I am mounting it in a very small space. I am hoping this will keep it from overheating, and will provide a non-combustible surface. I am sure my build violates many ABYC codes, but the RV / Overland industry doesn't seem to have developed its own set of electrical codes yet. I am hoping this is a pretty safe install, given the circuit breakers and wire sizing.

Here is the finished electrical board.

I added Anderson connectors to the end of Phil's 6 AWG solar cable from the glands on the roof. I used a set of 60A RC car connectors for the house wiring. The gray cable is the RJ11 (6 conductor) cable from the Victron BMV 712 battery monitor.

The cables have enough length to attach them with the board pulled out

The board mounts at the end of my bench seat. Note the wing nut that holds the bench seat in. This makes it very easy to remove.

Here is the board mounted in place. I don't have the Victron IP 65 charger installed in this picture, but it is mounted on the bottom left on the interior of the bench seat.

The battery fits perfectly in my 6ft bed. I will add some straps to keep it in place.


I cut a 2" hole in the driver rear Drifter access panel for the Victron BMV 712 battery monitor. I think this will have a clean look. I considered adding it to the stock electrical control side, but it would have been very cramped. The controller has Bluetooth, so I don't have to look at the monitor to see the status of the battery.

The monitor has a screw-in ring that holds it in place.

I tucked all the wires into the well-designed access panel. Vagabond engineers thought this one through. I ran the RJ 11 control wire around the C-channel also design for electrical wires.

And that concludes my electrical install. So far, I have not used it much, but I have been doing extensive testing over the past two weeks. It is working like a champ so far. It will get many weeks of use this summer.

Please DM me if you have any questions about the build. Given my background, I love to talk about this nerdy stuff.

 

Thanks for sharing the electrical build. I need to do something very similar. Those 3 breakers what is each shutting off when tripped?

 

The picture of the completed board has the breakers labeled, one is for the solar panels, one for the charger, and the last for the house fuse box.

 

Thank you for the response. I saw the labels it was difficult to read. Might PM you at a later date for more details of part numbers of those breakers. I see you using two different ones.

 

Not me, MapJunkie designed and built it for his truck.