Kimbo Camper BS and Mods

I like the secondary bed! where do you store the plywood, under the primary bed mattress? thx

 

I have found that the felt is very delicate and will separate from the insulation if you walk by it too fast or sneeze...or use a vacuum on it. I learned the hard way, but also found that a small dust brush works great to keep the felt clean and doesn't cause it to separate like a vacuum does. Not sure this gets you any help with the nut juice but speaks to the sensitivity of the felt.

I just finished replacing my flooring due to a spill...it was fresh toilet chemical. I'm not sure how oat milk will age. The chemical dried up on the felt pretty good and only left a bit of discoloration.

If the oat juice soaked down below the flooring - there is no way to clean without removing the floor...we thought we cleaned up the chemical sufficiently but a week later pulling the floor, it was still wet in places.

Getting the flooring up is tough and I ended up destroying the vinyl flooring - glad I took the flooring up because there was a piece of plywood that soaked up plenty of the liquid.

I replaced the thicker insulation and installed LVP over the top.

I'll try to get some better pics (better lighting) of the final result and some along the way with additional details when i get a moment.

 

They unscrew - early versions didn't have any thread locker so they fell out while along the journey, sounds like they may have corrected this issue.

 

If it can be mounted vertically, you could mount it above the propane door. This would give you room to mount a lockable metal case over it and cut holes for vents.

 

That came out great. Nice color too. How does it feel with just the insulation underneath? I’d imagine the flooring ads plenty of support on top.

 

Looking forward to the build. I attached mine by bolting directly to the Kimbo. Sealed it on the inside and outside. IT’s flush with the insulation but used some 1in HDPE plastic as a spacer, same stuff as a cutting board. It’s really bomber.

 

Hi friends. Random question...

Do people climb into the bed of their Kimbos (when not on truck) without anchoring? I have pretty stable jacks under the bed that support 5k lbs, so not a weight issue, but more a stability question. It feels very stable, but I can't get myself to trust it and climb in the back. I'm 200 lbs.

Thanks for any feedback provided!

RV Slideout stabilizer jacks

WEIZE Slide Out Support Jacks - 26'' to 49'' Slide Out Stabilizers for RV, Camper and Travel Trailer, Supports Up to 5000 lbs, 2 Pcs

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B093Q18F62?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

 

Yep, driveway relaxing with the wood stove going. It's solid. Yours looks just fine, but you could add an old tire underneath to take some of the wobble out if there is any.

 

Thanks for the feedback. If I tip over, I'll give you a shout to get me up right haha. I have a carpeted pallet with 3 inches of raiser on it to stabilize, need to get that under there. I'll brave it and climb in the back and let you know it feels!

 

Voltron4x4, I think this is you... so you climb in the bed like this with no issues? Maybe I have unlocked a new irrational fear of mine, tipping my Kimbo...

 

Yep, that’s mine. Done some reading and napping in there like this. That mattress is so damn comfortable. I agree the look of the overhanging bed can be deceiving. Majority of the weight is in the back. With my added 180lbs on a good day, it would probably be alright with what I have in there without the stand. But for safty that 3/4 ton stand does the trick with it distributed across the supports. I’ll back it off a turn when I see it raising the middle slightly. I can’t see it ever tipping forward with that stand snugly in place. The anchors do aid in supporting it in the truck from tipping forward, but do more for all the other reasons they’re there for.

 

Think of the weight of all 4 jack stands attached to it, the metal shell on the back portion, my gear including a 30-40lbs battery, etc, that’s definitely the majority of the 1200lbs it probably weighs after I built mine out. If we say 2/3 of that is in the back, that’s an extra 400lbs up front just to balance the scales. A jack stand or two will make sure my maths are right.

 

It’s helpful to see what others have done, makes drilling thru the side less daunting as I prepare to do the same. Thanks for the input!

 

So my buddy just picked up his new Scout Olympic. He was given a lot of upgrades due to his long wait, was supposed to be delivered in July. Pretty cool spending some time it his. One of the upgrades was the diesel heater. They use an Autoterm heater about $700 with some parts looking like the Chinese versions. One awesome piece was the silent pump. Once it’s past its prime stage, the pump was barely noticeable. Of course there is a Chinese version on eBay now. Of course it sucks buying Chinese but the Autoterm version is $125 and made in Russia.

Link below is the eBay pump and a screen shot of the Autoterm pump. YouTube link is also below.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3739339105...CnujNetQje&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

https://youtu.be/OZjNuWiVoF8

 

Look's similar to the Espar that I installed in my Van. Efficient and convenient since it's tapped into the main diesel tank. Unfortunately since most of my camping is above 6000'+ it's been prone to fouling.
But after I installed a High elevation module it's better but still throw's error codes on occasion.

Super stoked to pick-up my Kimbo in March with a Dickinson marine propane heater

 

Haven’t had any issues with mine even at 9,000ft. I know they can be finicky though.

 

The scout huh? I looked into those briefly before springing for the Kimbo - I liked the composite idea but I couldn't get past the strange storage/ergonomics and dungeon of a sleeping area above the cab. Having said that, I've never actually been in one - just youtube stalking them.

What did you think of it compared to the Kimbo? Was it the smallest one or full size truck one?

 

He got the medium for a full size. Fills in the bed better than the small one for mid size. I’ve also been in the largest Scout that that one is like a mansion but you would want at least a 2500 to haul it.

Due to the delays, his not passing inspection, and then being given a 2023 model with free upgrades, he happy with it. He did get two windows in the front added for free and the diesel heater which is mounted in an aluminum case outside. It’s pretty slick how they did it. Will post up some pics when I get back to Denver in a week. It’s definitely roomy with the larger size and windows on both sides allows for plenty of light in. He also as access to the roof from the skylight. Storage is interesting and would have to think hard how to best utilize it and how to add more. I would be more weary mounting through the composite/insulation sandwich but the factory has put some decent weight on it already with the water storage. I believe the quality is up to Kimbo standards but has more of an assembly efficiency vibe to it. Metal and rivets just feels more solid when inside. Looking forward to doing some trips alongside it.

 

I’ll also add that other than the space, the Kimbo stacks up better with the Medium Scout rather than the small. The smaller Scout just doesn’t utilize the space well at all in the bed. It’s an easy decision if you own a midsize truck, but with a full size truck you would be comparing harder for sure. I think that speaks loads to Kimbo. Trying not to be too bias… The struts on the outside are not rated to 2000lbs each but use a pin to remove easily.

 

Looking into getting some quick release strut brackets fab'd up after the new year...