Pragmatic Overland Build (VO Drifter)

Yes, each breaker was chosen to trip if that particular line exceeded the design capacity of that branch. I can manually trip them if I don’t want that branch turned in for testing.

 

Can you post links for the breakers. Im going this same rout.
AWSOME build, cant wait to see more.

 

I just received the last of my parts yesterday, I ordered these from Amazon.

 

Those are the ones. Buss makes top of the line breakers. I got mine from Amazon.

 

Did you guys conceder the redarc dc-dc charger with the mppt solar controller? I understand what u said regarding the smart alternator and charging from the inverter. My thinking was to combine both in one unit with a proven track record.

 

I think it could be a great option. I went with separate systems so that if one failed, I could replace it without replacing the whole system. I went with Victron for their warranty - 5 years. I think RedArc would be a great solution.

 

I recently installed the Strawfoot rear window cover. We absolutely love it and I thought I would post some photos.

We wanted a way to feel like we had some privacy when in the Drifter and Strawfoot cover seemed like the best option. I will walk through the install process and point out features I like.



The cover uses magnets on the window and in the cover for attachment. Since the rear hatch is made of aluminum, you have to install some magnetic strips on the window itself.



If I were installing again, I would pay more attention to sticking these down. Note the small gap between the edges of the hatch and the magnetic strip. This is a source of light leak at night that I don’t know how to resolve.



There are big gaps at the corners. I used some black electrical tape to seal up these corners. My goal is to be able to have the light on inside the camper with the top down and stealth camp.


I also sealed up the gaps around the third brake light.



When the window cover is installed, the magnets in the cover stick to the magnetic strips on the glass. It sticks so well that we have driven some very rough roads and it doesn’t slide, at all. We chose a lighter color for the interior color so that it would feel too dark inside.

Here are some closeups of the perfect fit that the cover makes in the hatch window.








As you can see, from the outside the black side of the window cover makes it look like it is tinted.


Of course, the proof of the pudding is the night shot. Can you tell that the light is on in this photo? You can see a little spec of light near the third brake light. The spot at the bottom left is the tailgate gap. I am planning to install a tailgate seal to eliminate this point of light leak. From a distance, you couldn’t tell any light is in inside.


Best of all, the cover folds down into a storable size. The internal magnets cause the cover to stick to itself, making the Velcro strap redundant.

Overall, I am very impressed with the quality and precision of the Strawfoot window cover. It is fantastic to have fellow Drifter owner @belloinsella
building such quality accessories for our product line.

 

Cross-posted from the main Drifter Specs and FAQ.

Lighting Mini-Review

Someone asked for a review of the lights so they could make their build decisions. I am not sure this will help, because you really have to see the lighting in person to make a good decision. I think I will probably make this just complicated enough to leave everyone confused (I am sorry, I guess I am a technical geek). One challenge, is that even decent cameras don't take good photos in low light situations. The human eye makes these low light situations look much better. In order to control for lighting, I started with the highest lighting situation (side lights) and set the camera exposure to normal. Therefore, all the other lighting conditions are going to show much worse lighting. It isn't as bad as the camera makes it look. Perhaps this will help someone get a sense of what the lights do.

First, I created this matrix that shows the amount of light depending on the lighting condition. Obviously, extending the platform is going to block light from above and vice-versa. I am working on a cheap plywood build-out, and that is going to make the interior look lighter because of the light wood.

Lighting Intensity by location


Here we go, pic heavy content below. Note that the camera was normalized to the highest lighting condition. All other photos will reflect that starting point.

Tailgate Light - Platform Extended -- Seating Area
If there were one light I could do without, this would be the one. The light is critical for reaching in and grabbing something at night. If you plan to build out the bed as I have done below, you will find that this is the only light that illuminates the isle-way. The side lights don't extend over the bench seats very well.



Tailgate Light - Platform Extended -- Sleeping Area
Yup, completely black. This one light does nothing for the sleeping area.



Tailgate Light - Platform Retracted -- Seating Area
This light is too weak to light up the seating area well.


Recommendation: Buy this light if you are only buying one light. If you buy two, you can do without it, but the isle-way won't be lit well. It will be your critical light when the top is down, and you need to grab something in the dark.

Side Light - Platform Extended -- Seating Area
This is the big kahuna of lights, and consumes by far the most amps as well. It lights the seating area well. It leaves shadows in the isle-way if you have bench seats planned.


Side Light - Platform Extended -- Sleeping Area

The side lights doesn't light up the sleeping area at all. It is pretty dark.


Side Light - Platform Retracted -- Seating Area
The lighting works well for the seating area with the platform retracted as well.


Recommendation: Buy this light in combination with the top light. You could also use this as your only light, but it doesn't work well for the bed above. Also, lighting down the middle isle is limited, so the tailgate light might be the better single lighting option.

Top Light - Platform Extended -- Seating Area

Only a portion of the seating area is illuminated by the top light. It needs to be used in combination with the side lights.


Top Light - Platform Extended -- Sleeping Area
The top light works great for the sleeping area. It doesn't look real bright in the photo below compared to the side lights, but the human eye adjusts.



Top Light - Platform Retracted -- Seating Area
While this light could work as your sole light, there isn't enough light down in the seating area to make it work well. Pair it with the side light and every area is covered. Also, you can't use this light when the top is down.


Recommendation: Buy this in combination with the side light.

My final lighting thoughts are that each light has its place and if you only get two, some area will not be light well. Vagabond thinks about their design decisions very deeply. My recommendation is to get all three lights -- you will be happy you did. I certainly wouldn't recommend installing your own lights, especially for the side lights. The side lights are installed in the c-channel that is facing out, so they can only be installed well at the factory before the insulation goes in. It is so much cleaner to have the wires hidden behind the insulation as well. A self-install would leave wires exposed in area, where you can't get behind the insulation.

 

I finally got around to countersinking the screws in the overhang. I was getting lots of scratches on the underside of the bed platform because the screw heads scrapped every time I opened the bed. I would recommend this improvement for everyone.



I used a counter sink drill bit to allow the screw head to lower below the composite layer.
(a little blurry, I know).



I initially tried #8 x 3/4” sheet metal screws, as they were the same size as the original. But I found they only worked in the center screws. The majority of the screws are very close to the edge, and the drill angle caused the hole to enlarge. So I ended up using these #10 - 3/4 screws from Fastenal.



In the end, you get a hole that allows the screw head to seat into. This has made sliding the bed panel much smoother and doesn’t scratch the supports as much. I would highly recommend.

 

@crazyfingers OP has some good ideas and writeups here. Something to consider/borrow for your gfc build

 

hey @MapJunkie how much room is between the top of your antenna and the bottom of the Vagabond overhang?

I know my setup will be slightly different because Im getting a GFC, but I just installed the KB Voodoo bed rail caps this weekend, in preparation for the GFC soon. I believe on the 09-11, there is a smaller antenna (that is not a sharkfin) thats only 3/4" tall (if Im remembering correctly). I am just trying to double confirm with myself that everything will clear.

this is what mine looks like:

 

I measure 2.5” approx from root to bottom of Deifter. I replaced the antenna with the @Anderson cap, so I can’t measure from the top of the antenna for you.

I hope that is helpful.

 

Thank you! that is very helpful!

 

I wanted to catch up on some building that I did last Summer. I wanted a simple build that allowed me to store all of our camping gear, while allowing a place to sit when the weather is bad. I wanted to create something that was remove-able (4 bolts to the bed-rails) so I could use the truck bed.

We built everything out of 1/2" Baltic Birch. In retrospect, it would have been nice to use 3/4", because some of the lids aren't exactly flat. But the weight of the thicker wood is just too heavy. We did create a glue-laminated beam of double thickness plywood to provide extra stability where the module bolts into the bed-rails. I have a friend that is a genius with wood that helped me with all the cutting.



This is how you spray wood without access to a proper paint booth. It worked OK, although I think the high temperatures


Here is the entire line of pieces drying. Each side was designed with two separate modules to make it easier to handle for a total of four.



The build sits on top of the BedRug when installed. We designed the lids to be just above the bolts on the camper clamps. I found a local RV upholstery guy to sew the pads on top of each bench-seat. They work great for sitting, although they were pretty expensive ($600). I will note that it is difficult to find a foam that is comfortable for sitting as well as sleeping in stealth mode. This foam is not great for sleeping, unfortunately.

The center isle was designed to fit Alu-boxes for extra storage.



We designed a folding table into the build that performs three functions:
a) Outdoor table
b) Indoor table
c) Stealth sleeping platform

The legs for the table bolt on when needed. These same legs can be used a supports for the table as a stealth platform. The folded table also mounts below the c-channels in the camper to use when the weather is bad.

The table performs great as a prep table, because it is the right height with lots of square footage for cooking, prep, and cleaning.



In indoor mode, it is narrow, but will fit a Cook Partner stove, with some prep room.
When cooking inside, make sure you open windows and run the fan! We found that Carbon Monoxide climbs rapidly when using a stove indoors unless the fan is exhausting fumes.




Here is how are currently using the storage space. We store two alu-boxes in the aisle that we remove when we get to camp. The shorter Alu-box has a step-plate.


We use the driver-rear module for storing items we need to access constantly: Water, fuel, and camping accessories.


We installed a Propex HS2211 in the fender, so the vents exit this module. More on this later.


The driver-front module stores all of our boots, longer items like hiking poles / table legs, and recovery gear.


The passenger-front module houses all the utilities such as electrics (inverter, solar charger, etc) and water. We can carry 14 gallons of water in this module using 2 Reliance water containers. I have a water pump (not shown) to pump water into a sprayer. Yes, I know electricity and water don't mix. But, there is no pressurized water in this module, as it is only drawn out of the Reliance water container. Any leaks drain quickly and the electrical components are mounted away from the floor level.


The battery is under the blue Victron 1200VA inverter. You can see more details of my electrical build earlier in this thread.



And finally, the passenger-rear module stores the Yeti cooler.

While this build looks simple, it actually took quite a bit of time due to the joinery and attention to detail to make it look refined. There are no nail or screw holes to be seen! Our goal was to build a space that felt homy and less like a garage. Since we use our Drifter in all four seasons, it was important to have a useable space during the cold-winter months, when we used to stay home. We have found that with a heater, we can go out in the coldest weather that Eastern Washington throws us.

I want to thank everyone in the VO community for posting ideas and being willing to discuss solutions to issues that we have run into. We couldn't have done it without all of you!

 

Very cool and clean build out