Kimbo Camper BS and Mods

Great feedback - shade is our friend, that's one of the driving factors in getting some additional solar that is not fixed to the roof. Also a good note on cracking the window, those little things are sometimes overlooked in the excitement of getting out of town, we kept forgetting to crack a window when snow camping with the roof fan running...then we would open the door and you'd hear a huge sigh of relief from the fan - oops!

 

Yeah, I definitely share that thought on solar. I won't have any roof-mounted solar to begin with, and I'm guessing it'll stay that way. I'm based in Phoenix, so shade is where I always want to be. Plus, I'll have almost nothing running of the battery, so between charging while driving and a folding solar panel, I think I'll be good.

Heat is obviously a concern while camping, but also while driving for me. I was just driving from Palm Springs to AZ, and I almost always see vehicles on the shoulder with their hoods popped. I really don't want that to be me. I plan to frequently travel between Phoenix and Flagstaff and that's just straight elevation gain almost the whole time, plus 110+ temps in the summer. I had been considering going up to 265/75 R16 tires (like pretty much everyone does), but the more I've thought about it, I feel like 245/75 will probably suit me better. I just don't want to make the truck work any harder than it needs to — less rotational mass is perhaps more beneficial long term than an extra centimeter of clearance. I'd love to hear thoughts on that.

One random question I've been thinking about...how confident do you feel standing or sitting on top of the Kimbo? Like, will I be able to just climb up there with a chair and chill out? Or will it feel like I'm gonna damage something? Climbing up and star gazing sounds like the coolest thing ever.

 

I hear you on the heat - 118 degrees today, just nutz man (got family just off of South Mountain). Can't speak to the tire size but the critical thing is to make sure they're "E" rated, especially in the heat - don't want the side walls turning to pudding.

Also not sure on the roof but in one of the videos, Mike gets on top and strolls around...so my kimbro Burny and I climbed up first thing

 

It was almost exactly 2 years ago to the date that I flew into Phoenix and hiked to the top of South Mountain.
Home Depot has a very large call-center located in Tempe Arizona and I was there for a week for training. Took advantage of flying in early just to get some hiking and sightseeing in.

 

I believe skinny will be better. I went 245/75 too. I’m on 17s though so a little more height. I wanted a lighter tire and definitely shaved some pounds from my 265’s Wildpeaks that were just SL rated. With a skinny you’ll also have better traction in slippery conditions so they say. Seems logical.

 

Hey folks....new to this forum. I have a new Tacoma 4 door TRD on order (trading in my 4 cyl access cab 2017) and picking it up in a few weeks.....Have a Kimbo on order to be completed in mid November. The question for you is I am thinking of adding a helper spring in addition to the airbags, just to give an extra level of safety and being a bit conservative....do you think I am going overboard or is that a good call?......thanks for any input

 

Hi, welcome and congratulations on your truck and camper! I have had 1650 lbs on my truck without airbags, and it was ok. So for the camper I just got the airbags. Never hurts to have extra though and I know some kimbo owners have both. One other thing is to be sure and upgrade to E rated tires. First thing after purchasing, I took my truck straight to a tire shop where I had a prearranged trade in of the stock tires for the E raters.

 

I just my E rated tires on yesterday. Stuck with the stock size of 245/75 R16. Went with Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT. Happy with 'em so far. Feel almost identical to the AT3 4S I had on previously.

As for payload...well, first, I'm assuming that most of us will be over the official payload capacity. But out of curiosity, what do your door jamb stickers say? Based on other reading I've done, it seems like most people's printed payloads are consistently quite a bit lower than whatever you find online for specs — even when those specs are based on you exact configurations. Mine says 1150lbs. I'm pretty sure that includes deductions for anything and everything the vehicle is equipped with out of the factory...which isn't super helpful since I don't know what the stock configurations were on mine.

For short trips I'm not too worried. Though, for my first trip, it's a 1,700 mile drive from Bellingham back to Phoenix, so I'm obviously eyeing that number.

 

Here are some various payloads for certain years.

 

A little truck wash before the next adventure. These Kimbos definitely look good on a clean Taco, and all the other trucks that chose wisely. I know @HomerTaco will be impressed with this top heavy angle on that first one. Hahaha, does look intimidating to me too.

 

Welcome boydog - great to hear you're 'expecting'

What Tacomaroma said...basically what the general consensus here is on weights/tires/springs/airbags.

I'll bet based on people who have chosen to run a Kimbo and based conversations here - the group is definitely on the conservative side in regards to adding truck weight/mods. It's when the "overland" bumpers, huge tires, skid plates, lifts, rock sliders that really begin posing a weight problem and poor on and off road behaviors.

Just keep in mind that your truck is very capable - it needs a little additional support with tires and airbags (or springs if you like) but not much else is "needed" to get along 90% of what most people are going to explore with this setup.

The desert racers and rock crawling crowd will likely lean toward a roof top tent and will be limited to mild temperatures (the exceptions being gluttons for punishment).

but i digress.

 

looking real good!!

love to see this stuff - the Kimbo seems to work great with any color scheme.

 

Thanks Profloundering and Tacomaroma for your comments......I am putting on the Firestone air bags and BFG KO2 e rated tires. the Bilstein shocks and sway bars that come with the TRD off road package are also some bonus's....so I think I am set for starting out......enjoy the photos on the site everyone and will share mine when I get the Kimbo in November.

 

Got my satellite radio back. Found this mod somewhere on the interwebs and worked out great and was fast. Just unplug the shark fin and plug in the new magnetic one. You’ll will need the adapter for it. Head unit was easy to take out too. Just have to remove 4 bolts after popping out the AC dash controls.



By the way check to see how much you’re paying on the service if you have it. There is always a promotion that they will give you which brings it to about $4-$5 a month if you tell them you want to cancel.

Parts:

$18 Sirius XM High Gain Interoperable Magnetic Satellite Radio Car Antenna

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H5D0I1A/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8

$15 Sirius XM Radio FAKRA Antenna Adapter Connector Sirius XM Radio Factory Antenna Adapter

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0083TX86S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8

 

Door sticker is the final say on what your payload is - it takes into account everything on your specific build and can vary wildly.

 

Scout/Kimbo alternative:

 

Wow - looks like an akward Scout camper...space above the cab and under the overhang seems HUGE. It's great they got the weight down so far but I'd like to see how it survives in the real world. Interesting tho.

 

https://www.ternoverland.com/aterra-prototype

@badger

 

Kimbo Spotting! Pretty fun, saw my first Kimbo on the road today (besides mine) heading north on I 5 between Eugene and Salem, around 10 A.M. or so this morning. Just got a glimpse as I was driving so not sure what model truck it was on.

 

Wonder how much they are, and appears you need a flat bed for it. Definitely Kimbo/Scout inspired.