how-to Homeless in Tacoma?

Packing for bike touring is a different beast. It's way closer to backpacking then car camping. lol

 

Not sayin’ you, but I get a chuckle out of folks who think they don’t have enough room in the truck for all they think they ‘need’…

less is more.

 

That’s one way
I need to figure out which inverter
And to replace stock one, or have it as second additional elsewhere like you said

in a way that hopefully automatically turns on only with engine on.
Or manual button

according to a video, even with app (mine won’t connect…) set to lowest charging, EcoFlow does not like the factory modified sine wave.

on top of that, the stock wall charge sucks in about 900-1000watts so maybe the EcoFlow tries to pull too much; whatever the reason, it doesn’t work from the bed outlet.

it sucks because it would be better to charge from the alternator. Which might even be heavier duty in tow package.

1. more watts than solar
2. solar requires parking in the hot sun which is bad because
-solar panels are less effective when hot
-when the cab is hot, the fridge is hot and has to work harder/longer, and the EcoFlow runs the risk of overheat and automatic temporary shutoff

 

I wouldn’t run a fridge for the long haul. I’d change my menu and grocery habits…

 

beloved Trader Joe’s, so far away of a drive

With the price competitive quick foods like wraps and salads

or even more than that, so many microwaveables
Indian food. Bowls. Macaroni.

It hit me
their instructions call for a Microwave…

 

Solar, house batteries, inverter. Smaller nuke. You’ll need the power & storage to freeze that stuff too.

 

Solar is for capturing energy over time, the batteries allow for different usage times. Alternator/generator are for immediate use, use fuel and make noise which gets old.

 

so far have solar
Power station
Fridge
A small microwave could work if I figure out a good inverter
Which I need anyway to get more charging watts into the power station from the alternator
That is pure sine wave as the power station doesn’t seem to accept modified sine wave from the stock inverter

 

Small kitchen appliances take oodles of power.

Any camping stove will make coffee and fry up a lumberjack breakfast. Eggs are a problem, but bacon and potatoes keep for a really long time w/o refrigeration…

powdered milk, cereal, peanut butter, bagels, tortillas, apples, oranges, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, cabbage, any root vegetable, rice, beans, nuts, oatmeal, just about any oil, packaged juices, soups, pasta, flour, all kinds of snack bars, popcorn, chips, salsa, a bunch of cheeses, pickled stuff (eggs), individual condiment packets, tea, coffee, sugar, honey, etc. all can be kept w/o refrigeration.

You pretty much lose eggs, butter, and meat w/o a fridge, but buying small quantities of that stuff, on occasion, and keeping a small cooler, that you can re-ice at any gas station just seems less complicated over time.

 

If you get unwashed eggs straight from the coop, you don't need to keep them refrigerated. Just need to find a source, or build a coop on your roof rack!

 

anyone who has converted the back of their double cab to a platform, do you regret it?



I want to see if I can make one with my leftover 3/4” plywood from my DIY bed platform (unless this is too thick and unnecessarily heavy)

35L fridge atop my back seat barely fits and kind of sucks because it tilts upward at an angle making things inside fall over and squish each other. Already had a bottle maybe not sealed the best from the grocery store leak.
Using a platform would give more room and a flat level surface.

but I might not have the room to be keeping spare parts (like seats) in storage and rather just throw them out.
No idea what a junkyard would charge to buy used ones later on down the road if I want seats back again.
They’d probably overprice it just like anything else 2nd gen Tacoma.


The cons are; getting rid of seats would mean less ability to take people off roading.
For example, I have had times where I empty out the truck and am able to take friends, family, etc on a fun trail

less seats means less ability to do that
Or only having the front passenger seat for +1 person

 

The platform sits on top of the folded down rear seats, you don't get rid of anything. 3/4" plywood is going to be pretty heavy. I used 1/2" for mine and it is more than enough.

 

which defeats the point

 

I stripped everything out and built one. So much room, never going back. It’s just two of us always and maybe a little dog sometimes. Fridge is in/on it full time.
One other thing you might consider (I ran it this way first) is to delete one seat. I did the 60% side for a fridge, it worked fine but led to the full delete and the floor space is amazing.
I wouldn’t get rid of the parts though but that’s just me. I would try and figure out someway to store them.

 

Wow that looks nice
I think I would do full rear delete
And basically treat it as an access cab for 2 people just with more rear storage room

do you happen to have a build thread or anything documenting how you made that?

Goose Gear looks nice but expensive at $500+ (might even be the price on a single section alone)
the $100 DIY plywood DIY’s I’ve seen on here look a little too basic without any compartments etc

 

Yes, the Goose Gear system is $1000+. The price is a hard one to accept but the lead time is is even worse.

I got my inspiration from this thread and documented my build in it. It was sometime in April 21.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/rear-seat-delete-decks.632134/

 

I did this for a while. If you're remote enough, it kind of works. I did it when I was working at White Mtn. Research Station and I'd camp around Bishop, Mammoth, etc. I tried it when I moved to Chico for school and it didn't work there. I didn't feel comfortable unless I was away from people and there isn't enough open land around cities.

 

got hot went from winter to summer
Windows open but nothings moving the air in

what do y’all do for overlanding fans?
Looking at something like this.
USB, run it off a portable little power bank to try and avoid drain on main power station

windows open on the shell but nothing actually moves the outside air in

 

I've got a small battery powered fan with a clamp end that I use. It's small but it works to get air moving, either in a shell or in a tent.

Edit: here's the link:

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/tre...c31Lx1BfNTdJg3z9eIRoCrX4QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

I had thought about plexiglass with downward sloped vents and USB computer fans, cut to fit into an opened window