Kimbo Camper BS and Mods

It looks like AC is a requirement for your camper. Unfortunately, Kimbo is not offering this option any more due to quality/function concerns. You may want to double check with them. This would have me strongly considering the Capri line of campers. If you can live with out, I think the Kimbo is still in the running.

I would like to know what can I run with the 30 pound propane tank and for how long? How long can I run the A/C? Fridge?

I don't have a propane a/c or fridge.

What can I power with the solar panels and for how long?

This depends on the size and type of battery. For example, a AGM/Lead Acid battery will only get you 50% of its total capacity where a lithium will give you 100%. You pay more upfront but it's a better investment and about half the weight. You can easlly fit 2x100 watt panels on top and supplement with more one the ground if needed. Just size your battery with what you plan on running. There are a lot of solar usage calculators out there. Here is one below.

https://unboundsolar.com/solar-information/offgrid-calculator


Is the fireplace necessary or can I just plug in a portable heater and run off of solar?

I believe a lot of owners love their propane heater and its a closed system so you are not adding moisture to the air or burning the oxygen in there too. Electric heaters work great too but only if you're at a campground and plugged in to shore power. Otherwise they would drain you battery in a matter of minutes and you would need at least a 2000watt inverter.

Fridge or Yeti Cooler?

I went with both. The electric cooler I have works as a Yeti cooler when not plugged in. It all depends on how you want your kitchen setup inside.

How good is the construction? Is this a durable camper where I don't have to worry about leaks, serious damage to exterior, etc.?

Amazing. You will not have to worry about quality with the Kimbo. Im sure Capri is just fine too. I would think about how you plan to build out the inside if at all and the way you would go about it. Due to the design of the Kimbo, no internal framing, you can make repairs or modifications very easily once you get comfortable with the design features. The Kimbo it self feels to be built like a Yeti Cooler and functions just as well as them too.

What are any notable pros/cons of the Kimbo in comparison to a solid truck camper like the Cowboy?

I believe weight and design features are the biggest pros of the camper. Almost apples to oranges though comparing the two. The Kimbo definitely shine when boon-docking. I'd imagine the Capri comes with more amenities. If you see that less is more than Kimbo may be your route. If AC is a concern, the Capri will be a great choice too.

Are there any other truck campers you would recommend for my needs?

Check on the Scout campers are similar in class but go different routes on design. Still a less is more type feel but different.

https://www.scoutcampers.com/


Hope all this helps. Happy to answer anything else.

 

Hahaha, I actually though about going the other way and wrap the whole thing black. I think that would look amazing! Too expensive and probably add some degrees in the summer. Wow that thing would look intense all polished up.

 

Kimbo is offering a new and improved A/C unit if you are interested. Their brochure & website is a bit out of date as they are pretty busy building campers. But I put my deposit down a month or 2 ago now and Collin mentioned they are offering an updated A/C unit, so reach out to their email, info@kimboliving.com, and they will update you will all their current offerings. I saw they are offering a 200W as well as a 100W solar panel installation as another option as well.

 

That's good to hear. I'm glad they figured it out. I'm interested to what they came up with, but won't be needing that option. Nice that they offer 200W too. It's working well for out needs and battery size.

 

Thanks guys for all your answers, it is appreciated. I'm leaning towards the Capri Cowboy mainly because of the price. This would be my first truck camper, and I figured that I can always sell it in a few years and upgrade to the Kimbo if I felt like I really needed it for boondocking.
I know I will need a gas powered inverter generator to power my A/C for boondocking with the Cowboy. As for the rest (Dometic fridge, lights, cell phones, fan, laptop) I was thinking of getting a Jackery 500 or 1000 watt battery with solar panels. Is there a way to just plug the 30 amp shore power cable from the camper straight into the Jackery (with a 30 to 20 amp adapter) and have it power my interior outlets? Or would I need a different configuration?

 

Yeah I believe that what ever adapter come with the all-in-one solar generators should be fine plugging in to shore power through the camper. With the higher amps it just may get warmer. I'm not sure with how they have the wiring in the Capri's, but the Kimbo can charge the Goal Zero when hooked to shore power and it's what powers the lights and other 12V accessories.

If you decide to build your own system you will save some money, especially in the long run, have a modular system, and more efficient components. It worked out well for me but I had to do a lot of learning. The deciding factor for me was the amount to 12V connections I was going to have.

 

Yeah I'm still considering the Kimbo. Seems like it's much more ready for off the grid camping and probably handles tough weather better. I've been spending so many hours researching stuff about electricity, connecting solar, inverters, etc. Things I really had no clue about. The wood vs aluminum has me concerned with the Cowboy. I live in Florida and we have rain season. Not like the Northwest, more like hard rain for 30 minutes to an hour then it's sunny again, and this continues on and off for a couple months straight. I heard caulking the seams every 6 months can help prevent leaks so hoping that might be good enough for a wood frame camper. A lot of money to throw down on something that I hope lasts many years and at the very least is in good condition to sell 5 years later.

 

I believe the Capri campers are quality and you wouldn't have to worry about leaks for awhile, at least 5 years. With a humid climate I would just focus on keeping the air dry as possible inside. Humidity is a concern in any camper. Focus on what you will actually need in the Cowboy camper and what you really don't. Less is always a lot more with these things and more than likely it can be added later and probably better by you.

 

POINT OF ORDER - this is a Kimbo thread hahaha, hijacked! LOL.

 

Hahahaha! Had hopes to convert. Especially since they have AC back on the table.

 

Yeah - i'll be interested to hear what that is all about.

 

Wow I didn't knew about that product, pretty nice... I saw they offer different height too, wich Decked does not. 6, 8 and 10 inches. But how much does it add total ? Decked is 8 1/2, but add as much as 12 inches total, wich is too much... thanks ! Happy skiing (well, maybe next year) !

 

Hi Ranger Phil, My interior truck vault drawers are 6 and 1/8" and the overall height of the drawers in the bed are 9 and 5/8". The truck vaults drawers don't taper towards the bottom like the decked drawers do and they are water and dust proof. Like the Kimbo they are made in the Pacific North West so I have confidence in the water proofing. I am very pleased with the truck vault drawers but they were a pretty penny.

 

Just got in line for a Kimbo. Looking forward to joining the club this December!

 

Welcome!! it's going to be an awesome Christmas for you!!!

 

Let us know if you have any questions, I'm sure you're excited. That's not a bad wait either.

 

I know from reading the forum that you've both ordered bare bones kimbos and customized them, but I went with a few of the prefit modules. With the kimbo, I know you get a mattress for the bed but does it also come with cushions for the seats? I couldn't find info on it anywhere but the images lead me to believe it is included.
For anyone who didn't do too much customization with the Kimbo, what did you need to add prior to first use? I read about having to run the propane heater for a bit to burn off any oils, so am planning on that. We are hoping to pick it up and hit the road for a couple weeks after it is finished and are unsure how much more we need to make it comfortable for a longer trip.

I will have upgraded the suspension (2 inch lift with beefier shocks and springs) and put KO2 tires on the truck beforehand. Any other mods you recommend for an otherwise stock 4x4 v6 taco access cab?

 

Mine came with a basic cushion for one of the double seating areas (think yard furniture cushion) - I can get you measurements, you'll likely want to get something a bit more substantial if you plan on sitting on it for more than 20 mins or so, don't ask me how I know LOL.

You'll want some fabric (the cushion should be adequate) to cover the aluminum angle that's bolted to the front of the seating area for winter camping, it gets cool.

If I had to do it again - I'd definitely have them switch out the fan for the Maxxfan with articulating cover that allows the vent to be open when raining/snowing.

My truck has the airbags and KO2's, that's the extent of my truck mods and it performed admirably - beefier suspension should be even more capable.

BASKETS - they are a must, they add some awesome storage space.

Grab a small battery operated fan to move the interior air around when using the furnace - it gets the inside plenty warm but there are some definite levels:

Foot level - brisk
Seated level - comfortable
Sleeping level - smokin hot

We only had a short time to experiment with the small fan and it seemed to move the air around enough to get some of that warmth out of the ceiling but we'll need to do plenty of additional testing. We didn't consider using the ceiling fan to pull in some colder air and force the hot air lower (if that'd even work) until we were on our way home, at the time there were a lot new things going on so you know hindsight and all...the fan on the furnace is barely perceptible and there were times i had to check to see if it was actually running but it is super quiet.

Keeping the bulky and non-essential items in the truck helps keep space open in the living area (extra clothes/jackets/shoes)

What Tacoma will you be running?

 

Nevermind - noticed the specs in the profile.