Full time offroad living pics wanted!

Afternoon bump

 

Thats super cool! What do you do for work?

 

These VW's are nice fulltime units. https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/6684320802.html

 

interested in hearing more!

 

Sorry if this was already asked, but what kind of work do you do? Nice setup BTW!

 

It was asked but never answered.


I’m fairly certain he’s a motivational speaker...

 

Hahaha, I'm not that good at public speaking unfortunately.

I'm self employed.

 

Sex Worker?

Fuller Brush Man?

 

We had a 1985 vanagon for 5 years. Loved it, but it was a huge money suck.
https://photos.google.com/search/vanagon/photo/AF1QipMwSWb8LdqD3XsqMGURdOSOmYivsIDFr_BmDV8

The deal breaker was this culprit https://photos.google.com/search/mike/photo/AF1QipOg8vgS0jAW3aos-OOCJeRK-d2Bo_w8qL69Sto
He has breathing issues and didn't do well in the vanagon in summer. We looked at putting in a/c which was a $5k cost on a vehicle with 290k miles. We sold it.

Our next "RV" would be reliable and take us places the vanagon couldn't. We looked at vans but they are so expensive and we are weekend warriors and it just didn't seem worth the expense given how much we'd use it. Plus we weren't sure it would get to access to more than the usual camp spots. We wanted something compact. Enter the truck camper. I think cirrus truck campers by nucamp are super cool (love the aesthetic), but still looking at 60k+ for a weekend rig that would require a full size truck which then limited it's use (truck camper on back of truck all the time) and not particularly compact.

So, enter the Tacoma + Drifter Vagabond. Small truck. Minimalist wedge style pop-up camper and more affordable than other options. Tacoma bought. Drifter ordered. Super excited.

 

Reviving this thread for any updated setups.

I placed my order for a vagabond and I do plan to live in it full time for 6-8 months at a time as well

I’m looking at setting up my bed like yours except doing a rear seat delete and putting my fridge inside the cab.
Any updated tips / things you would change with your vagabond bed set up in order to make it better living FT?

 

If you’ve got the cash Goose Gear makes a pretty complete setup for the drifter (in addition to a rear seat delete for you as well)



I’ve actually changed my setup drastically since this thread. Not very stealth but I have ALL the amenities of an RV now and man is it comfortable and convenient. I know there’s a lot of happy Drifter owners out there, including a Mega-Thread on drifter builds if you search...

 

do you have a link to a thread of your build showing how your new interior looks?

 

na... I suck I haven’t updated my build page since the day I started it... I can upload some pictures here though.


View from the back hatch in. Zippered storage everywhere because it’s lighter in weight and thinner. You can just see two front runner chairs tucked up in there on the bottom left.

National Luna dual zone fridge... been amazed by this I also have (from my previous build) an ARB 63 that was great but this dual zone is something else.

Cabinets are all made from aluminum with marine grade latches.

Dometic sink and stove combo.

Duetto 12V, 1 Gallon water heater with mixing valve provides water to outdoor shower.

This is the Supply and Return air for the Diesel Planar heater. All outside combustion so nothing but warm DRY, clean air. National Luna Battery monitor for the house battery.

“Utilities Cabinet” this houses all the trucks utilities. C-Tek charging systems for DC/DC as well as 200W solar on the roof, Diesel heater with separate tank and some extra storage. Compartment to the right houses the shower and 5lb propane bottle to run the indoor stove.

Kitchen... place settings for 4, the little coffee nook type thing in the upper right corner swings inside the camper so you don’t need to get outside in the weather to make your coffee... Priorities!

One of my late additions. Front Runner flatware kit.

Just added this as well. It’s an Alu Cab Privacy enclosure, twice as big as what came with the unit and sets up in 15 seconds. This is used for showers (rarely) or as a bathroom with our Wrappon Green Toilet.

And obviously the privacy shelter folded out. Goes back in almost as fast I HIGHLY recommend one of these. After owning an ARB awning and struggling to set it up solo, this and the Alu Cab Shadow on the other side are simply amazing.

If you have any questions let me know.

 

I'm on the waiting list for a GFC, due in (hopefully) September. I plan on living in it full time for a year while I explore those western National Parks I've been reading about my entire life.

In the meantime, I'm upgrading the the truck,a 2019 DCLB TRD OR. I'm trying to figure out if hot water is something I can do. I'm guessing you have an on-demand system, but my internet searches on "Duoetto" all come up as 10 gallon, 12v systems. I would have thought you would have to have on-demand propane for something like this. Any details you can provide would be helpful. Thanks.

 

Niceee
Same im looking to trade up my DCSB for a DCLB

 

I seem to remember reading that they are intended to be turned on before you get to your destination, half to a full hour before. That way the truck is running while the heater is heating and youre not killing your batteries, then you have a (small) tank full of hot water when you get there.

 

Hey I’m sorry for the delay, I’m guessing this question was for me but since I wasn’t quoted I didn’t get an alert about it, anyway....

The duoetto HW heater is 10L or about 2.5 US Gallons. And yes it’s 12V powered. As mentioned above you need to pull over about 30-60 mins out from your destination and flip on a switch to heat up the tank of water. Once you arrive the hot water and the onboard tank I have (22 US Gallons) are combined via a mixing valve, just like your shower at home and provide you with a comfortable shower. Works GREAT that said it must be used sparingly as with any camper system when boondocking. When we camp it’s only used to rinse down quickly and occasionally, it’s usually much easier to find a shower every 4 or 5 days and clean yourself up normally another way.

Bottom line is it works amazing but you need to understand the limits of the system 22 gallons of fresh and 2.5 gallons of HW isn’t going to let you live like you’re in an apartment and water is HEAVY.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P_y9wIEl018

This actually isn’t the exact video I was looking for on it but this is ASPW giving his opinion of the Duoetto heater, basically it’s what he uses and he’s tried everything. There’s a Video out there somewhere showing it in his LC with a portable tank he uses to mix if I can find it I’ll repost it for you to watch.

Anyway long story short it’s amazing and works very well, however it’s not a deal breaker to hit a KOA every once and a while either, in fact we normally stay somewhere like that about once a week or so just to catch up on laundry and relax and have a long warm shower.

Good luck with your build but be mindful of water storage. The weight will hurt more than you think!


FWIW something like a Roadshower either bought or built might be a much simpler option for GFC living space is at an absolute premium inside on of those. Road shower is simpler and far less expensive

 

Soy Llamo Matt Foley

 

Eh, fulltime offroad appeals to maybe .001% of the total population. I see travelogues about the great adventures, how great it is to wake up in the morning to wide open spaces. What you don't see is where they shit in the morning when there's snow and rain. They don't mention how they leave their turds and toilet paper for the next camper and to breed flies.

 

awesome setup man! We just picked up a new to us FWC. I heavily looked into the khaya almost went that route but a deal on the fwc came up i couldnt pass up.