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Vagabond Drifter Camper Buildout and Mods

Discussion in 'Bay Area Metal Fabrication' started by MTNHABITOVERLAND, Mar 27, 2018.

  1. Jun 16, 2022 at 2:55 PM
    #6501
    smelly621

    smelly621 Well-Known Member

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    It's DLX son!
    Maybe by lid he means the roof?

    Whatever the case, I use your method (thanks for posting the picture!) using my homemade bed extension panel in the same way. Been great to have the fan running when I'm working on little interior build details in the driveway but don't need to pop the tent up.

    Heavily borrowed from the build Jerry did:
    20220604_170730.jpg 20220604_170613.jpg 20220604_182737.jpg
     
    BudLoomis, cobes, surfjones and 2 others like this.
  2. Jun 16, 2022 at 5:12 PM
    #6502
    JasonLee

    JasonLee Hello? I'm a truck.

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    I have just the lower insulation package and have a $10 ThermoPro thermometer that logs and connects to my phone on Bluetooth. In direct sun all day in Colorado it gets to about 85 degrees inside.

    I’d do some data collection before worrying too much.

    If you don’t have the lower insulation, get some and that will likely suffice.
     
    cobes and surfjones like this.
  3. Jun 16, 2022 at 9:34 PM
    #6503
    cobes

    cobes habitual line-stepper

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    Not sure if I missed this, but how did you make your bed extension?
     
  4. Jun 16, 2022 at 9:35 PM
    #6504
    cobes

    cobes habitual line-stepper

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    Might have to pull everything out and do this. Foam board I assume? Seems pretty straightforward sans the cutting out Window hole. Adhesive to the side panels?
     
  5. Jun 16, 2022 at 9:52 PM
    #6505
    fatfurious2

    fatfurious2 IG: great_white_taco

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    your head and my head work very similar. And I know nothing of electronics.

    I used a CTEK D250SE (instead of BCDC), and different batteries - lithium/standard. Also I have a different camper :anonymous: but great minds think alike?
    Ive also cleaned up the wiring, attached the temp sensor to the battery, and made a battery tray.

    3A43CF4B-67AB-4140-A849-8B1F73C5423F.jpg
     
  6. Jun 16, 2022 at 10:57 PM
    #6506
    smelly621

    smelly621 Well-Known Member

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    It's DLX son!
    I just made a rectangle out of spare 80/20 pieces I had and skinned it with 1/4" starboard HDPE sheet leftover from the bed storage build.
     
    cobes[QUOTED] likes this.
  7. Jun 17, 2022 at 10:20 AM
    #6507
    JasonLee

    JasonLee Hello? I'm a truck.

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    it’s a sandwich that is not taped or attached other than the corner electrical pieces holding it on. From outside to in: drifter aluminum, 1” foil coated styrofoam sheet, then ePanel like is on the inside ceiling.

    heat will still radiate/dissipate through the outer drifter aluminum so any exposed aluminum on the inside may be hot to the touch, but it’s not that much surface area that it heats the inside air too much.

    I have found that with the top popped it gets hotter than when closed since I have the lower insulation. (No roof ran)
     
  8. Jun 17, 2022 at 6:34 PM
    #6508
    cobes

    cobes habitual line-stepper

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    All Alcan'd up. For those who have had custom leaf packs designed, do they end up settling at all?
     
  9. Jun 22, 2022 at 1:56 PM
    #6509
    cobes

    cobes habitual line-stepper

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    As others have shown, the amount of rainwater that gets directed right to the corners and straight onto the windows is pretty wild. This was just a simple solution to try to get a lot of that out of the way. Didn't put too much effort getting it on that's why it looks like furled eyebrows, but it stuck really well and does a good job.

    I used this stuff
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B09GXG1RBS?ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
     
    xplorn and surfjones like this.
  10. Jun 22, 2022 at 5:26 PM
    #6510
    Spacegoth

    Spacegoth Member

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    I think it looks awesome and pumped to hear it works well! Will bookmark that item!
     
  11. Jun 23, 2022 at 12:02 PM
    #6511
    xplorn

    xplorn Well-Known Member

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    I can now say never lie down on a Hest mattress. Thanks a lot NW Overland Rally.

    Their convertable pillows are pretty sweet too.
     
    huruta likes this.
  12. Jun 23, 2022 at 5:18 PM
    #6512
    JasonLee

    JasonLee Hello? I'm a truck.

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    Yep, the Hest fits better and is more comfortable than the Exped Megamat LW+ I was using... Although the Hest is still off-gassing months later...
     
    huruta likes this.
  13. Jun 23, 2022 at 9:06 PM
    #6513
    Mlew7

    Mlew7 New Member

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    Does anyone know if a 5ft Drifter on a Chevy Colorado can be installed on a 5ft Tacoma? I’m assuming the rear tailgate flap might have to be changed, and a new bulb seal, anything else? TIA.
     
  14. Jun 25, 2022 at 3:13 PM
    #6514
    Stevieb.o.g

    Stevieb.o.g Active Member

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    Anyone have a good suggestion for replacing the factory back,up camera? Preferably one that plugs into the existing harness…?
     
  15. Jun 25, 2022 at 9:22 PM
    #6515
    MountainRecipe

    MountainRecipe Well-Known Member

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    I think so. I recently commented on one of these threads about this topic but I don’t remember which one. What I remember discussing with Phil is that most of their drifters are a standard size. Either 6’ or 5’. Colorados and Tacomas are the easiest to fit up. I bought a second hand 6’ off a Tacoma and and the dimensions are the same for all 6ft beds. It took a little creativity to make it work on my 6’ bed Frontier. There are a few trucks that have wacky dimensions like the short bed Frontier (standard 5ft Drifter won’t work on them) but I don’t believe the Colorado is one of them.
     
  16. Jun 27, 2022 at 9:37 AM
    #6516
    Wackyhacky

    Wackyhacky A Well Known Troublemaker

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  17. Jun 27, 2022 at 12:56 PM
    #6517
    MapJunkie

    MapJunkie Well-Known Member

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    Could someone with a 2nd gen 6’ bed measure the distance between bedrail cap and Drifter for me?

    I have about 1 1/4” on both sides. Some have thought the camper is mounted off center, but the distance is similar on both sides. I am now wondering if some of my leaking in the corners is due to very little coverage of the drifter on the bedrail cap (only 1 of the tree bulb seals).
    Thanks.

    201A65CF-2C77-4664-A4BD-4DF1363EAD9A.jpg C3F0E598-FB3F-4849-A2F1-8AE139BD96AA.jpg
     
  18. Jun 27, 2022 at 1:24 PM
    #6518
    chetterthecat

    chetterthecat Well-Known Member

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    OR
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    I'll check when I get home in a few minutes
     
  19. Jun 27, 2022 at 1:34 PM
    #6519
    chetterthecat

    chetterthecat Well-Known Member

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    20220627_133249.jpg
    Driver

    20220627_133308.jpg
    Passenger

    I have the bed rail caps provided by VO
     
  20. Jun 27, 2022 at 8:24 PM
    #6520
    MapJunkie

    MapJunkie Well-Known Member

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    Thanks! Yes, I am using the KB Voodoo aluminum rails that VO sells. And it looks like you have a 1 1/4” space in both sides as well. I am going to replace the triple bulb seal and the bedrail cap seal and hope for the best.
     

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