Kimbo Camper BS and Mods

From the drive home - borrowed the trailer from a buddy, it was a beast - way heavier than expected for such a small trailer but it got the bed home...10mpg DOH!!!

 

If I may ask, what's your weight pre- and post-loading for a trip?

 

Profloundering,

The Sherptek looks awesome!!!

The only thing I am going to modify on the kimbo landing pad works great. The frankenyeti is all lead acid - no lithium. The Yeti 200 is AGM Lead-Acid and so is the extra batter I connected. One day I may go to lithium but the lead acid works for me at present.

I tested out the Joolca some this past weekend on a trip and it was amazing, hot shower after riding dirt bikes all day long was amazing.

Right now I am pretty happy with the Kimbo, my next mod would be the leather seat cushions - still looking for someone who can fabricate those without breaking the bank. I also might add an ottoman with storage inside and turn the seat by the window into a lounger.

 

Ooops,

Couple of typos, sorry:

It is a Yeti 400*

The only change on the kimbo landing pad is that the concrete pads under the skis need to be screwed into the skis with concrete screws so that the skis don't shift when unloading the kimbo.

 

It’s not needed but helps with the wobble inside. The jack stands are very over built, 2k lbs each. The floor is fine too. You could possibly use a simple jack stand or two with some wood and lower it down on them. Would be light weight option when traveling.

 

Yeah man!!!

 

Haha - that's a great question, we have yet to weigh it properly so that'll be something we'll do before the end of the summer. It really depends on what you're loaded up for also - a weekend trip will be less than a week long trip but it also depends on what toys you are taking too - skis/bikes/kayaks/standup boards/ets...I did know the outriggers were heavy...but WOW, those suckers are probably 50# or more each!! Not taking them along anymore for sure. Would recommend to others to consider how important they are to take along as well.

 

Hey everyone. On a two week trip with the pups and lady. Thing are going great and getting some much needed rain here in CO. Camping close to 10,000 ft. Temps have been great and the insulation has been doing it’s job keeping the inside comfortable for the pups while we ride bikes or visit town. Not much else to report other than everything is working just fine. I did notice the door catching on the bottom corner, but I had the jack stands a little uneven and once I adjusted it closed perfectly. Just a heads up is you run into the same thing, you didn’t bend the door.

Will have to catch up on all the news when I get back. Sweet rig @Profloundering ! Can’t wait to here how the truck and storage is working. Looks sick.

Some new pics below.

 

A little cut-n-paste (don't have any photoshop tools) but it shows what I'm going for.

I plan to bolt the fenders under the tray and keep the stock attachment locations for the lower parts to maintain their integrity.

 

Looks Fantastic up there - love the leveling rocks!!!

Yeah, I get the bottom of the door catching on the inner lip from time to time (tight tolerances) - it'll get a little filing to clearance if it becomes too frequent...but it seems to be when things are a bit skewed when it catches and, for me, it just requires a little force to overcome. Glad I'm not the only one seeing that.

Great to see you enjoying the wild - be safe!

 

I understand. I thought I would ask, you know, for science (and to make myself feel better about the weight of my truck loaded).

 

Yeah, I get it - most here are pretty mild so far and likely well within reason weight wise with the airbags and properly rated tires. If you plan to install a 25 gallon water tank, front and rear steel cattle guards, and rock sliders...that may pose a bit of an issue but loading up the kimbo with camping gear and heading out for an adventure has been stress free for me. These are very capable trucks but at the same time we are mindful of what we are doing because we are building these to be able to get out and avoid stress - hopefully this thread will ease your mind.

 

I was just curious at the weight of Tacos with the Kimbo. Saw my first Kimbo in the wild in eastern Nevada about two weeks ago on a Dodge and was thinking more about the weight. My family and I sleep in a Habitat which is great for the 4 of us and the dog. I'm quite heavy with for a week trip out to nowhere with extra fuel, water, etc. Thanks for the replies and input. Looking forward to the variety of rigs.

 

There is a bit of a range depending on the options but I think the stock Kimbo as delivered from the factory is 950-ish and then as options are added, the weight increases accordingly.

 

Hey everyone hope your summer is going good. I’ve been lurking here for a long time and enjoying all the posts and insight / pictures of Kimbos! Thanks so much for posting in here. Super awesome thread that I dig checking in on. Anyways, I have a 2018 tacoma that I love dearly, and I recently got a topper for it that I’ve been pretty happy with. I discovered the kimbo campers however and it has opened my eyes to how rad a truck camper could be. I saw my first kimbo in person yesterday here in boulder, co on a red tundra and it looked so sick!!! I knew it was time to make an account here and say what’s up to everyone! I haven’t ordered my kimbo yet but I hope to within the next 6-12 months.

I know you guys have posted here pretty extensively about suspension setups and it seems like almost everyone goes with airbags. I’m just wondering if there are non airbag solutions also? I would like to get my suspension upgraded before I order a kimbo. I also want to do the suspension because I have decked drawers, and a fridge, batteries etc and my truck is already sagging and the ride quality is way worse than stock. My leaf springs are already totally flattened out :/ I would love to hear from you guys about options. I’m not really sure why I am not psyched on airbags but honestly I have zero experience with them. It seems like it would just be one more thing to have to check on. Also I plan to leave the kimbo on the truck full time when I have it. One more reason why airbags don’t appeal as much to me I guess. I’m not set one way or the other, I’m still just gathering info. I appreciate you guys!!!

 

Hey thanks for jumping in. I'll have to keep an eye out on that red Tundra. CO plates? I know of two other locals wit Kimbo's in CO, one I've been helping out is having his delivered within a few days now. He's got some creative ideas I'm looking forward to seeing.

Yeah the air bags are a solid option for these campers. These "bags" are way more burly than I imagined once I started down that path. For one thing, these things are built for loads up to 5,000 lbs. The hight and ride quality is adjustable depending on how much air you put in too. I roll with about 30-35psi but these things can hold up to 100psi I believe. I also have OME Dakar leafs in the back so that probably effects the psi I use. So all in all we are using only a small fraction of what they are capable of. Also, if you're worried about articulation of the rear suspension, they make a cradle system that doesn't require the system to be attached to both the axel and body of the truck, I went this route. With out the camper I keep minimal positive pressure in them, 5psi as recommended. They just hang out in there, not affecting anything until I need them again. I rarely check them once I have them set with the camper and it only takes a bike pump to fill them.

Others can chime in, but I believe the only way to keep the truck level with and without the camper, since yours are already flattened, would be a custom leaf pack for 1,000lbs+ or Sumo Springs. The Sumo Springs look to act similar to an airbag system, but they are not adjustable, solid foam/rubber. Two options a 1400lbs and 1800lbs capacity at 50% compression. I'm not sure what the ride would be like but they are popular too.

Hope this helps.

 

I looked forward to getting back to the camper after a ride. Not necessarily to get out of the rain, but just hanging out in the Kimbo during a rain storm is just so relaxing. Love that sound on the roof.

Also, just got back after about 10 days in this spot. Great trip! I had the legs down to give the leafs a break. Just know the Kimbo may shift a bit to where you need to back up a tad to close the tailgate. No biggie though. I thought it was still touching the bed on the bottom. Got about 15mpg over about 200miles and a few mountain passes.

The truck stayed put while we used my girls subi for trips to the trailhead, friends, and to town.

Think I mentioned this already but I was really stoked to see how well this thing was insulated. At 10,000 feet and 80-85 degrees, it stayed below that with just the fan and windows open until about 5-6pm. Plenty of time for us to go biking and leave the pup inside. Still very comfortable inside when we got back. Our one pup immediately jumped out to sun bathe each time we got back.

This is a huge “Pro” during the summer when we want to travel with our dogs. This was at 10,000 feet and low humidity so all other spots and weather patterns will need to be taken into account down the road, but for 10 days in 85°-70° we didn’t have to worry.

 

Voltron you are a wealth of knowledge! I really appreciate you weighing in with plenty of real life experience with the camper. I actually saw the tundra again today in boulder but it didn’t look like Colorado plates. I couldn’t tell exactly. The lines of the kimbo look really good with the tundra though for sure.

clearly I need to do more research on the cradle type airbags. That sounds like a win-win. also super cool to know that you can handle the airbags with a bike pump.

 

No worries man. Here's a pic on a Tacoma with the Daystar Cradles if that helps.

 

Oh damn those look super sturdy!