Vagabond Drifter Camper Buildout and Mods

There’s definitely different ways to do the pop up. Mine is most similar to the AT Overland Atlas camper, but I had to do it a bit different because their lid is a lot taller. The Topo Topper Badlander and 4 wheel campers have similar pop ups, but different in how they have their hard walls stay open and how they fold close.

But yea for the aluminum panels with the hinges, I also added a u-channels to each side of the panels to fully open the tent and spring loaded latches to keep them locked in







You’ll also need 4 new gas struts w/ accompanying hardware for the lid. I tell you guys what, it was a pain in the ass to remove the front 3 hinges so I could weigh the lid. Thank goodness I have a smart scale at home that connects to my phone via bluetooth. Otherwise it would be impossible to have the lid rest on a scale and then read the display, especially doing it all solo! My lid with the fan (which has internal bracing with 1x2 aluminum square (rectangle?) tube, plus 2 Renogy old school solar panels (not the thin flexible ones that folks mount with vhb tape), came out to 200 lbs. So I got four 60lb gas struts at 44” long each, since the lid was going to lift 32” total (math nerds - use the pythagorean theorem to calculate).

I also had to use aluminum angle iron to attach the aluminum hinged walls - 1” angle iron on the ceiling and 2” angle iron mounted to the recessed channel area (kind of hard to explain, but where the sleeping platform sits, but at the front and rear of the camper. I’ll see if I can snag some pics tomorrow when there’s light out)

Basically… it was a long ass process with a lot of work lol.

 

Btw I’m looking at upgrading the clamps that hold the camper down and was wondering if anyone has done something to upgrade. I’m leaning toward what @NYCO has on his camper that he got from Iggy (stole this pic from his build page)



Anyone else upgrade to something else?

 

I need to. With a short bed and 4 clamps per side, I have to pull my camper back a half inch after going off road as self-migrates towards the truck cab.

 

Mine its doing the same thing, how do you move it back by yourself? Doesn’t the seal get damaged?

 

yeah a full length bar across the bed rails would hold a lot better. I don't think you need extrusions it could be a bar of .250" aluminum clamping down evenly on the bed rails.

 

I loosen all of the clamps and the shake the front overhang up and down while I add pressure towards the rear and it moves back.

With the Jerry made Vagabond sold bed rail caps, the seals haven’t been damaged. I also don’t have any additional butyl rope, silicone or RTV smeared around anywhere because I haven’t had any leaks.

 

Interesting. I fortunately haven't had any issues with this cap migrating. My old Tradesman liked to go on adventures, but that resolved when I switched to a triple bulb seal. I've got a triple bulb seal under the Drifter as well and so far so good. I did replace my clamp bolts with some partially threaded Grade 5 instead of the fully threaded Chinesium, and periodically re-tighten. But so far so good.

A thought for improving the camper is to add a plate to the front wall so that it overhangs the bed lip and can't slide forward. I think Alucab does something like that.

 

Haha after re-watching your videos, I convinced myself I don't want to do this project

Seriously, great job with this. If Jerry were interested in doing a conversion kit and the install, I would definitely be interested in it

And also don't blame him for not wanting anything to do with it!

 

Can anyone remind me what the clamp torque specs are?

 

Officially: https://gciclamps.com/products/g-133/ <-- 2nd gen clamps, but the G-1 and G-103 for 1st gen have the same specs:

Do not over-tighten your clamp. Maximum Torque not to exceed. 80 inch pounds of torque, 6.67 foot pounds of torque.

 

Hahaha 6.67 ft lbs?! I tighten mine well beyond that for sure. Probably why I broke one of them. But I just replaced all of the bolts anyway.

 

That’s why I said officially.
I’ve had to tighten down my 8 clamps on the short bed many times and they start to flex the extruded clamps…

 

Alright, those who go off road, how do you clamp down and keep your drifter from moving on a 2nd or 3rd gen with the truck bed rail mounts?

I moved the drifter back before a short weekend trip and it immediately crept back forward. This is my only complaint with the Drifter!

 

I'm honestly surprised that the fronts of these sorts of campers don't have a bracket tying them into the front bedrail and preventing them from sliding forward.

 

Not a drifter but my Topo Topper has a bracket that utilizes the factory threads near the cab. I’ve never had mine move around. I’m not wheeling the rubicon but enough to cause some movement. Seems like a simple DIY fab fix.
This is a random internet grab to show what I mean.

 

Just use the stock bedside cap clip holes. Snap the clips, drill the hole upwards through the camper. Use a grade 8 bolt and call it a day.

 

That’s definitely one solution, and would free up some room for interior build out not having to route around clamps…

 

This one is difficult as there is not thick bar to attach to on the Drifter, but I have thought about tying into the riveted vertical section outside the window and then attach to the rail or tie downs.

 

My buddy has always bolted his campers down on 2nd gen’s. KB voodoo rail caps, drill through, and fish the nuts up the bedside. Total pain in the ass but it won’t be going anywhere.

 

Yeah, I have the nice Vagabond sold, unbranded Relentless Fabrication made bed caps. Doing it that way would be harder to access on the road, but at least it would stay put.
I’d probably want to cross-drill the bolt and aircraft wire it so a nut doesn’t free itself and fall off on a trip.