Truck Camping Photo Thread

I was just down at Trona right after Thanksgiving. Love that spot!

 

Couple more Trona shots. Killer spot for night shots.

 

I gotta learn how to take good night photos. Nice photos. Did you try any light painting in Trona? Trona is a really cool spot to explore near SoCal.

 

Took the trip out on its maiden 'campered' voyage this past week. A friend and I wanted to test it out, to see what it is like, even though it isn't complete at all.

I have to say, after spending a lot of time and trips using an open bed with a more common rtt on a bed rack, this setup is worth every single penny. The enclosed nature of the bed is much, much nicer and more comfortable. The wedge tent is so convenient it's not even funny. The side access through the hatches is just awesome. The entire setup just feels way more natural to use in my opinion. I am excited to keep improving it and making it better.

Oh, and the Shadow Awning is just insane. Massive coverage and is completely deployed in all of 22 seconds. Packing it back up takes just a hair over 60 seconds. The fully cantilevered design is just unmatched IMO. This thing takes making shade to a level I did not know existed!

Tacoma Work Round 5 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

 

Very nice . Ordering one myself soon. Make a build thread!

 

You will not be disappointed, I can 100% promise you that.

Check the signature for a link to my build thread!

 

First night camping with my wife and 3 dogs. One of the dogs, the smallest,will be left with a sitter next time lol. He did not enjoy himself. Camped on a buds land by one of his fishing spots. Really enjoyed the evening. Had to pack up early to beat the rain.

 

Death Valley:







Alabama Hills:

 

you guys sure got good views. very nice
Might as well put onr up to represent Southern Ontario

 

HELL YES!!!! Awesome!!!

 

Nice photos but heads up there are no drones permitted in DVNP or any national park that I'm aware of.

 

I like the way your bikes are mounted either side of the rear door to allow access. Have you had any issues with the bike tires contacting the ground? Something to be careful of for sure.

I used a moto carrier this summer which had a jack mount that hung down about 6" below the receiver and was constantly getting smacked on rocks and driveway entrances and other grade changes. So much in fact it bent the metal arms holding the jack. I've gone back to a tray mounted Versahaul moto rack now that has its own rear facing receiver so I can plug my MTB rack into that.

I have a superpacific. Worth every penny for sure, love having this style of camper. Lots of tradeoffs with any setup. I can't open the rear hatch or the tailgate without unloading the moto now, which is fine since I can get in the camper by climbing up on the top of the tailgate. My setup is constantly evolving. Don't try and get it "finished" before using it a lot, because it will never be finished : )

Pic of the truck with previous setup. You can just make out the carrier arm sticking down below the bumper. I could lower the tailgate fully once I lowered the moto carrier. MTB lived inside.

Black Hills, SD from mid October.

 

Love me some South Dakota shots

 

You make a lot of good points, thank for sharing!

The current placement was a quick fix before our first trip. The bikes can stay on the rear and we can still use the rear door and get in and out of the camper easily enough. Depending on what we plan on doing at camp and in the morning, I'll just leave them attached all night. I feel like the bikes can only stay on the rear while using the rear door currently, because the rear area isn't finished yet. No spare has been mounted yet, as I haven't upgraded to 33's yet. No trashbag on the rear tire either. Once those are installed it won't work anymore.

We went out for two nights this past weekend, and pulling into our first camp site of the weekend, after dark, we did have the bikes rear tires contact the ground as we passed over a deep, but short, dip caused by water runoff. My rear view mirror camera is mounted just above the license plate, so as I creeped over I saw the rear tires touch the ground and the bikes suspension compressed.

Wasn't a fan of that. Made me realize this setup isn't super ideal for the long term. The lady and I will be taking our bikes on basically every single trip we take, so I need to flush this out a bit better. I'm thinking a hitch mounted tray setup, like a 1UP or Kuat, but I would need to test out how it works with the rear door. The side hatches are very convenient, but the rear door is a crucial part of the use of the truck, from entering/exiting to cooking, etc. Maybe a swing out added to the tray to quickly get the bikes out of the way, so I don't have to remove the bike carrier too often. Not sure yet. Not really looking to go overboard on the build in general, but I may have to for these bikes.

Picture from this past weekend, outside of Superior, AZ near a popular climbing spot called The Pond and Atlantis.

Tacoma near Superior AZ by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Another two nights in the camper just made me enjoy it even more. It is still remarkably convenient. I finished the power setup before leaving on this trip, and that made it even better. The built in lights and USB ports within the camper itself were remarkable. Tons of light, everywhere. Being able to simply plug our phones in and go to sleep, just like you would in a house, was very enjoyable. Next up is the fridge/freezer, which I am very excited about.

It was incredibly windy where we were, so windy that a soft shell RTT, of which I am used to, would have been impossible to sleep in. But not in this. The truck would gently rock back and forth under the hardest gusts, but with the zippers for the windows positioned in a way that they couldn't jingle, it was quiet enough for both of us to sleep through the night. The loudest noise was the wind itself, not the tent fabric being whipped around. Massive improvement.

 

Adding bikes or motos to the rear always adds a layer of complication to an already niche product. A swingout that can accommodate both the tire and a bike rack in one unit would be ideal. Having to deal with 2 different swingouts to get in the back door would get old fast, and you definitely don't want to have to remove the bike rack for access.

I saw this one a while back while researching moto setups. It mounts via the rear hitch so maybe not the best option clearance-wise, but they do show a bike rack plugged into it. https://www.rigdsupply.com/products/rigd-ultraswing-hitch-carrier-multi-fit I'm sure there are other options as well that aren't hitch mounted. Between here and Expedition portal someone will have a solution for you.

 

Man, that looks like War of the Worlds came to your campsite and it’s time to get outta Dodge.

 

Kirk Creek in Big Sur, CA

 

oh man...would love more info about where you camped!!!


wife and I went to Lake Placid area on our first ever trip together 10 years ago (I am a hockey fan and she was a professional figure skater back in the day) so we were visitng the arena, and the Olympics areas. We stayed in cabins before, but are planning on going back and would love to bring the truck for camping

 

Time lapse from the campsite during a full moon:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yT4GhUUxK8

 

A few of my favorites