Kimbo Camper BS and Mods

Depending on your power needs it may work out just fine. If you are planning to add other accessories like a heater, electric cooler, and need a strong inverter, it may suit you better to just sell it and build your own custom setup. It all revolves around the battery capacity you need and may need down the road and the size of the inverter you want which creates heat. In an all-in-one system this seems to heat everything. I've never used an inverter pre Kimbo camping so it's really not an issue for me. Though I do have a 1000W inverter now for remote work or options down the road. A custom system can also add various outputs/inputs too. It definitely takes some planning and shopping around but in my case worth it. I can change out and upgrade various components as needed down the road and don't have to stick to Goal Zero's plugs or branded accessories.

Goal Zero does make solid and dependable products, so you could sell your eco flow or just say you don't want it and start shopping for your one Goal Zero now. You have more shopping options than Kimbo does with their margins they are trying to keep.

EDIT: Goal Zeros also have a smaller foot print than a custom system if that helps.

 

That randomness looks very chic - would not change it at all, there is a Japanese asthetic called Wabi Sabi that embraces elegance of the rustic and recognizes the beauty of aging/wear.

 

Thanks man! I am a fan of the Japanese art of burning wood too, Shou Sugi Ban. I would toast everything wood if my girlfriend let me.

 

Yeah - it's impressive way to treat wood.

Have you seen the lightning bolt treatment? my neighbor reconfigured a microwave power supply and does it...looks incredible.

 

Yep! Have one ready to plug up. That setup is pretty sketchy though. Still want to try it! Just need to figure out a project.

 

I'd second the "build your own" option if you have the skills - but I am glad to have had the goal zero out of the gate to get some time in the Kimbo to figure out what I want to do and recognize the shortcoming of that system. Next year will be a new solar system and selling the goal zero will help fund part of that venture, kind of like the Fantastic fan I'm currently selling to offset some of the Maxxfan replacement.

 

Great thread and community here, love it!

Spend the last few days reading through all 39 pages as I am heavily considering a Kimbo at the moment for full-time living.

I currently have a DCLB with a GFC platform camper which I love and has suited my needs very well living all over the West. At this time, my wife and I are considering going back to ~75% full-time living out of the truck and would like a few more creature comforts. We have lived in many vehicles over the years and are pretty comfortable with the amount of space...although we haven't seen one in person, unfortunately.

That being said, is anyone here living out of the Kimbo full-time? We also have two dogs (40-50 lbs) that go everywhere with us, wondering how people's experience has been so far with having puppers in this setup. My main wish is that we could safely/comfortably leave the dogs in the camper while we hike/bike/fish/ski or have a town day during all 4 seasons.

Also, haven't seen in this thread much about drive quality off-pavement. I certainly don't wheel the truck but I do like to get as far away from people as possible in the woods so that includes some pretty gnarly FS roads, heavy washboards, and off-camber rocky two-track. Does the camper feel pretty decent when in these situations if driven carefully/slowly? Still considering my suspension options so I know that will come into play along with the wheel/tire setup.

Lastly, is there any room in the bed for gear storage with a 6' bed Tacoma, or does the camper footprint fill the entire bed? Wondering if there is room to throw anything else in the bed while the camper is on...skis, gear, boots, whatever.

Thanks everyone!!

 

Hello copsnok - We use the Kimbo for year round camping in snow/wind/rain/sun and it has performed very well for my wife and I (no dogs yet). As you have probably read, the sky is the limit when customizing them to suit your needs.

We've spent some time on some steep/rocky NW trails and these rigs are very capable with the Kimbo - surprisingly so - the only thing that we ran into is that we needed to pay attention to the height (luckily in one spot that got tight, i had a saw to take down a 3" deadfall that was over the trail). Nothing more than stock suspension with airbags so far - if we did a ton of washboards we'd likely look at some real shocks...stockers are not going to take too much abuse I've heard.

Bed storage, well - that is something that I had an issue with, I could fit the tree step ladder between the Kimbo and the wheel well but that's about it. May be able to stick a couple disposable propane bottles, maybe a fishing pole or two in there (page 37 you can see the space on Voltron's post).

Nelsonator has a full size truck and has been able to add storage drawers under his Kimbo - super cool.

 

Thanks for the response and input @Profloundering this is very helpful! I'm considering going with the full factory buildout (minus the shower) as it seems the space is utilized well with a focus on being able to sit and work at the bench/desk area. I work remotely and this is going to be key for living in the camper and being able to work on the road.

Good feedback on the driving quality, that is great to hear and what I was anticipating. I'll likely upgrade the coils/leafs as well as adding airbags.

Love the full-size setup with drawers below and may switch to that one day, but I do love my Tacoma and have already put a ton of money/work into setting it up for my needs...plus it's almost paid off! I do love that the Kimbo will work with any future truck purchases, that is a huge plus for me.

Thanks!!!

 

Stoked on this community and the amount of contribution that has been given here. Thanks for hopping in.

I do know someone in-person who is currently living full time out of his here in CO. It was the first Kimbo I stepped into before mine. He gets along very well with the exception of working near a resort town I'd imagine with parking. Colorado's last winter went just fine for him too. IG: sethskis

Having hard walls all around will be a huge luxury especially with how well these are insulated and ventilated. I realized just how nice it is to shut the door and read/chill inside if you just need a break. Allows your senses to rest during extended periods if that makes sense. If you have an opportunity to step into one you wont be disappointed. When we upgraded, which was a bigger jump from a tent, I just made sure it hit most the boxes we wanted.

1. Easy and comfortable 4 season camping (especially winter)
2. Minimal setup
3. Modifications
4. Space for GF and doggies
5. Minimal cooking inside

We do have two pups that join us just about every time we go out. Depending on the pups, you will find it easy to create a routine. When it starts getting cold one of ours lets us know when she's ready for bed. We one large bed on the floor with some blankets and this has been plenty at night down to low 40's without any heat. In the morning we just move the bed to the backseat inside the truck. As for hot weather, although it is very well insulated, I would still use caution with respect to humidity with anything over 75 degrees with the fan running and windows open. Depending on breed this would also change obviously, one of ours is a boxer. The Kimbo mud room is good for water bowls. The two of us have had dinner inside with both of them on the floor too. Hope that helps a little.

I tested its off road capability, which isn't saying much, within the first week and was pretty impressed. With the minimal suspension upgrades and depending on your current lift or no lift your truck will handle well with that home. I've taken my Tacoma, 2.5 front and 2.75 rear full suspension, down trails where route selection was very important and 4-Low on the decent. The only effect the Kimbo had was on the side to side rolling. This could have been reduced with more air in the bags possibly. I did upgrade the rear tie downs on the truck bed after this and will switch the front to the bed bolts later. All said and done, I was impressed because I wouldn't take the Tacoma over anything more. Even without the Kimbo, I would probably tag something underneath or hit the sides on something. If you're looking to get serious off road or just have more security then @Profloundering flatbed option is the sweetest option out there.

For extra room or gear there is minimal space between the bed and the camper. I see this as a pro compared to the Scout Campers, the floor space and design is maximized on the inside. Skis and rods can be attached to the a rack mounted on the ladder (cheapest and easiest) or hitch carrier (more secure). I will try and have someone fabricate this for me so I can attach it to my swing out hitch. It would be tight depending on bindings if you could get skis on the side. My heater exhaust is on one side so that eats up that space anyways for me.

Let us know if you have any other questions.

 

Thanks for responding @Voltron4x4 I've enjoyed seeing your buildout and reading your posts...appreciate your contributions!

I would love to check one out in person before dropping that kind of coin, but at the same time feel pretty confident it is exactly what it appears to be and the quality is obvious. All the postings here are a good sign in that I see no buyer's remorse or persistent issues popping up.

Heard and completely agree on the hard walls and the necessity to 'seal off' when living full time in a vehicle...so critical. The Kimbo seems to be the best option for having this luxury while also keeping the off-road capabilities of the truck. The inside while small looks like a super nice vibe and place to spend time.

Wondering about your cooking experience in the camper...I generally try to avoid that if possible and still prefer to cook on the tailgate/outside. Assuming in the winter I could bust out the camp chef stove on top of the fridge module and cook no problem if needed.

Super glad to see your photos of the pups in there, that is super important for us in this decision...half of the truck build has been for them haha! They are experienced road dogs and should have no problem taking over the bench and floor areas (as well as the bed unfortunately, I'm sure) for sleeping. I'm more concerned with heat than cold...I think I read earlier that the AC module only works on shore power?? If that's true that won't do me any good...I had higher hopes for that for the dogs. Good tip on the mud room floor for water bowls! Sounds like we will all 4 fit inside the camper at the same time so that's great. Not sure how long that will be fun for though, haha!

Great input on the off-road capabilities...that sounds like exactly what I normally do with the truck. Don't think I will have any limitations with this setup as you described. I'll likely regear to 5.29's so that should help with power with all that weight.

Very cool idea on the ladder ski rack! I have a hitch swing away for the bikes, was mainly wondering if there was room to slide a ladder or anything else like that. I will need to mount some maxtrax and a weboost on mine and that should be it...any thoughts on those items?

Cheers!

 

For cooking inside, coffee, soup, or anything pre-made, we have a single burner base camp stove and use a granite tile as a hot plate. Not quite sure how much surface area you’ll have but it can be done when dumping outside. With our table inside and mini kitchen we have plenty of room for food prep and cooking outside which we prefer too.

We were pretty careful obviously with leaving the dogs alone in the summer the first time. But at elevation we were able to get plenty in and get back around 2pm. It was about 80 outside and comfortable inside with the fan pulling in air. It was also in full sun. With shade it would have easily made it longer in CO’s dry air.

No room for a ladder, the space available is as wide as the wheel well and spaces on either side. Kimbo really has it fitting like a glove in the bed. There are others that have mounted just about anything to the outside though. Pretty easy access behind the insulation panels to use bolts or rivets then seal on both sides.

It will be very interesting to see what a regear will do for the truck. It does well on its own but does have it’s happy place going against a head wind that could improve. A Weboost or Starklink will be in our future by next summer. My girlfriend is in webdev. Maybe some new options by then.

 

Sounds like cooking inside is definitely feasible if cooking outside isn't an option. At this point, we cook very simply if at all while on the road and camping (dishes, boo!) so we can work with that space I'm sure.

Good to know on the temps! We would primarily be spending our time on the West Slope so moderate to higher elevation and dry climate, should be good with decent airflow. Good to hear it does pretty well even in full sun that was my main concern.

Interested in seeing how the regear does as well. I am always wishing the truck had a little more juice going up the passes and steep sections off-road but that can be mostly managed with 'sport mode' manual shifting the auto trans. Stock gearing on 3rd gens is lacking already and with all that weight I think a regear will be a good choice.

I have loved the Weboost on the GFC so far, I've used it all over the West working remotely and been super impressed with its performance.

 

Yeah leftovers rule when camping/doing stuff and too tired to prep. Fast cooking like this is easy inside and keeps the propane burn time low.

I mentioned it a few times but every truck is different with their respective loadouts. With mine, well loaded with GF, pups, and gear, we can cruise up passes around here at about 45-50mph while keeping the RPM under or at 3000. I have the auto 4.0. You'll have plenty of power but a regear would be dope.

Weboost is at the top of the list. I thing the biggest thing for us is usage and getting into a routine. She's moving companies soon so that will delay needing it for a bit.

 

Voltron.....what was your thoughts on Weboost?...install it in the truck cab so you get navigation help on the road or install it in the Kimbo?.....do you know if the signal would go either way?.........

 

We would be installing it in the Kimbo since its primary use would be for my girlfriend's office. For navigation I have a subscription for Gaia though I rarely use it for driving. I have it for backcountry skiing. But you can utilize all the maps and layers, download them, and use your phone's GPS when in areas of no service for extended periods of time. If you have no need for an office in the Kimbo then you may get more use in the truck even when you don't have the Kimbo loaded.

Depending on your needs and ease of setup, there are a couple different Weboost options to consider too. They have that one that is directional and sets up on an extendable pole. It would probably give you the best performance but you would need to be stationary obviously.

 

Thought it would be good to share this photo of my two pups and the floor space @copsnok. Sage, the Dobie/German mix is almost 70lbs. Have the dog bed in the truck. I'll be cutting up the rest of this memory foam topper I got on Craigs's List for a custom shape dog bed later.

 

Hey @Voltron4x4 , I am going to the lagun table with the extra bracket. My plan is to mount a bracket where you did, and mount the extra bracket right when you enter the kimbo on the right. This way i'll be able to use the lagun table for extra cooking space while my girlfriend uses the Kimbo pull out table for work. My question is, is yours the standard length lagun mount or the "longer version? Not sure which will be best in the Kimbo.

Also, does anyone know if the A/C has to be plugged into shore power? I got the A/C for the pup but I don't foresee me being connected to shore power EVER...If this is the case, I'll probably use that money to upgrade to the Maxx fan.

 

@Boy Dog, I'm having the Wineguard 2.0 4GLTE installed in mine. This allows you to go to AT&T or a different provider and buy a sim card with a data plan just like you use for your phone.. It also works as a wifi boost... ex: if you are in say a starbucks parking lot, You'd be able to snag their wifi as if you were in the coffee shop. This is going to be ideal for my girlfriend as she had to be on the phone for work so working inside in a loud coffee shop is not going to cut it for her.

 

Does anyone think i'd be able to mount a spare 285 tire on the Kimbo, or is that too much weight lol? I am going to have a bike rack on my rig at all times so the hitch is spoken for, and I don't feel like dropping $2K on a bumper when I'll most likely upgrade trucks in 3-4 years.