Vagabond Drifter Camper Buildout and Mods

sitting nice there for that weight in the back!

 

Long time coming, but the official mod/buildout started today.

Assembly of two 300 w panels done and installed.



Tomorrow is wiring and cable install. Rewiring of switch pro and extending all lines to the bed. Followed by redarc battery management system,100aph battery and then going camping.

Was going to install a propex but i'm having trouble sorting one fitting to make it do I can use a 20lber. . That will be next before my annual trip the southwest us, although I may stick in the PNW this year, will see.

Steve

 

I'm on the fence with a drifter. What's the weight for the DCLB version? I'm guessing around 400lbs?

 

I think the base model is closer to 340 but depends on what you add on

 

What roof rack do you have? Is it a CBI and is it a full rack or the half rack? I'm interested in getting the full rack and your photo is the best angle I have seen.

 

Okay so those scan strut are a pain in the arse. Solar panel wiring well the stuff I have which is typical barely fits these suckers even though the cable size is suppose to. You do not need a cable gland, well I didn't they probably send me the wrong ones then what I ordered. Anywyays it's in and watertight and I injected the scan struts with silicone sealant.

I was going toinstall them in line with the alum strut but decided against it. Ended up with this below.





Scan Struts are in,w is inside the drifter now. I just drilled through outside the tent in the gutters and ran the cable through the hole at the front of the tent . Ran it all over to the passenger side drilled two holes outside the moveable bed frame rail and dropped them down into that corner.

Tomorrow is ripping apart the switch pro and dual battery system and bringing it to the back of the truck and maybe extending wiring for accessories.

Monday is new battery day (starter and house as my optimas will not work.with the new system well they will but too small in capacity). Then it's find a box/crate or something to mount the new battery under, red arc BMS system, inverter, circuit breakers and fuses.


Steve

 

That's the full prinsu rack on the truck.

The panels are mounted to a couple of 1470mm frontrunner load bars. Should have grabbed a third as I'm picking up a very lightly used Dave scadden outlaw here in a few months which should be some fun for River runs with he pup.

 

Hey Steve,

In regards to heaters etc take a look at these:

https://planarheaters.com/product/portable-diesel-air-heater-planar-2d-12/

Pricey but well made units and available with support here in Canada, with excellent service. They really pump out the heat. I switched out all camp stoves etc to diesel now so no more propane. So worth it due to ease of fill ups and created alot more space. Went from a 10 lb propane bottle to 1.5 L cannister for the stoves and the 7 L in the furnace tank and more then doubled my heating and cooking fuel run time.

 

Cool looks like it will run on kerosene too. Would that prevent soot buildup? Is that even a concern?

 

I've actually just been watching this guy's series of youtube videos on diesel heaters. He definitely focuses on the Chinese ones, but also usually explains the differences compared to the big names.

TONS of good info - like more than you even want... Including pros/cons of running kerosene.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLne7MoW21Rk01DYGGfOqIbYt6H1ZFSFks

 

From what I understand soot build up is not as big an issue with the Planner heaters due to the way they shut down. It runs for a while after you turn it off. Apparently some sort of burn off. As long as you run any of the diesel heaters hot you should have less issues. Kerosene should be a cleaner burn....more refined & less additives.

 

so the price on one of their portable systems is a lot more then I can buy a webasto/espar for here in Canada and stick it in a pelican case. Plus I do not want a third fuel source to carry around, and I went through a diesel heater fiasco back in January with Chinese stuff, dealing with Russian stuff is more then likely better, but I am not willing to entertain it at that price.

 

What I do like is they are willing to rent out items to try out. hmm

 

Have you considered a gasoline heater?

 

are there gasoline heaters that go off of the main fuel tank like diesel sprinters etc...?

 

When I get my Drifter next summer I'm looking to build a storage platform and some boxes on one side of the bed. Budget build, nothing elaborate but I want to make it look as decent as possible. Does anyone know any good carpet type material I could staple to the wood to have some nice surfaces and dull edges? I've seen something similar in here but can't remember what pages

 

For my initial build, I used plywood I had laying around the garage and the TrafficMaster carpet from home depot (https://www.homedepot.com/p/Traffic...r-Outdoor-12-ft-Carpet-7PD5N620144H/203240737). It comes in a couple colors and it's quite durable so far. Plus, the baby finds it quite comfy for lounging!

 

Webasto and Espar both make gasoline heaters. They're pretty popular for transit/promaster van conversions.

 

That's perfect, thanks man. That's exactly what I want to do.

What are those rails called? Also how did you attach those boxes to the lip of the bed? I don't build shit very often so I should probably read up on how to build corners that clean haha

 

The rails down the center? That's L-track, very versatile. https://www.uscargocontrol.com/shop/Enclosed-Trailer-Accessories/Airline-Straps-Hardware

I mounted my boxes to the bolts in the bed of the truck, as well as the Tacoma's bed rail system using some bolts through the top and standard bed rail clamps.

Better Built MOUNTING KIT

https://www.amazon.com/Better-Built...ocphy=9029760&hvtargid=pla-595419391159&psc=1

In terms of corners on the carpet, this is useful: https://dadand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/dadand-upholstering-a-corner.jpg