Vagabond Drifter Camper Buildout and Mods

I don't outside of Vagabond. I'd start searching eBay.

 

Thanks, guys. I'll check with Vagabond.

 

Question for the drifterites ! aka how much space is available above the mattress when closed ? Can I put portable solar panels up there when on the road ?

 

great looking truck!

 

Define the thickness of "portable". Not much room up there when closed...

 

I don't think solar panels work particularly well inside the truck..

 

i would not suggest putting the panels on top of the mattress when closing.. maybe under the mattress?

even better, secure them under the slide panels using bungies or straps. seems like it would be easier to get in and out as well as safer for the glass on the panel. i did this method when i had a portable panel before i moved over to a permanent mount on the roof of the GFC (now have a drifter with a panel on the roof)

 

Hey, Anyone installed the prinsu habitat rack on their 2nd gen long bed (above cab, in front of drifter)? Could you mount a solar panel on this (thinking about aerodynamics)?

https://prinsudesignstudio.com/product/2005-2019-toyota-tacoma-prinsu-habitatrack/

 

Pretty sure that thing is too long for the roof.

 

The habitat version is designed to fit with a camper. It should work.

@huruta also check out sherpa racks and martin off road.

 

Yea, but not a drifter from what my eyes tell me, Especially if a long bed has aftermarket bed rails.

I mean I don’t have a drifter and won’t for who knows how long, but I did reach out to Sherpa, I like their mounting and design model the best. The Animas model is make for wedges but...
Option B comes up short and leaves open space

and option C is too long

from what I can tell with long beds the wedge reaches to just where the front of passenger window is on the pillar for a drifter LB

I reached out to Sherpa and asked if I could get option C bare and then cut it down myself. They said no problem, just send them an email with a request and then I would ask for the mounting hardware for option B

again I don’t own a drifter yet, but seems like a good workaround, as they didn’t want to adjust the model B to make up for that extra space not covered, which I get.

 

Here ya go...


The angle is a bit off but it reaches to just behind the front doors. I think option B would fit.

I've measured this out as well. It's 30" from the top of the windshield to the front of the drifter and it's 2" from roofline to the bottom of the drifter (that's with stock bed rails).

 

Has anyone figured out how to lock the camper from the inside? I've been using a ratchet strap up until now, but its a mighty pain in the ass when you reeeaaally gotta pee in the night.

 

Oh yea B will for sure work, just depends on if you care about losing this much space/leaving an aesthetic gap between your rack and wedge

pretty much making it look like this

 

Just twist the insides of the handles from the inside until the rear window is latched. Then use paracord or some type of removable pin to keep someone from the outside turning the handles.

 

Just a heads up for folks talking about roof racks with the Drifter. I recently installed my Sherpa rack on my DCSB. See pic below but I will be cutting off the back edge of the rack where I put the arrow. During flex, the rack contacted my camper and I'm pushed all the way forward.

 

The paracord sounds like the same work as the ratchet strap. Hoping there's something more quick and simple.

 

I think the pin is the best idea I've heard so far. You could drill a small hole through the end of the latch bar and the channel it butts up against in the locked position, and just insert a little detent pin or something like the below to keep it in that position.
It'll come right out from the inside in half a second, but you'd never be able to remove it from the outside, obviously. And you'd just attach it to the latch with a small lanyard to avoid losing it.

 

Exactly what I was thinking.

 

I use an idea that someone else on here had... can't remember who though. Basically it's two small pieces of metal pipe that just slip over the latch bars on the inside, and effectively extend their length. Once fitted - two seconds - if the handle is turned from the outside, the pipe runs into the gas strut lower attachment point, preventing the latch bar from disengaging the camper shell. Effective, simple, cheap, very fast.

I personally used some galvanized EMT I had lying around, cut short pieces, and deformed one end with a vice so that it was more flat than round, and fits neatly over the latch bars. If I get a chance I'll snap a photo for you.