Vagabond Drifter Camper Buildout and Mods

I just ordered a 9'8" Black Rose Mfg. Dark Horse... so a rack is inevitable in my future...

 

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where did you pick up those clamps jw?

 

$18 Breeze - 4000 Make-A-Clamp Stainless Steel Hose Clamp System, 1 Kit Contains: 8-1/2 ft Band, 3 Adjustable Fasteners, 1 Band Splice (Pack of 1)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002QTJ0E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_8FhzBbAD6E854

 

Great work!

I have short people problems and can barely reach to clean my solar panel, let alone having a rack and gear up there. I’d need to carry scaffolding on the sides of the Drifter. Hmmm...new trend?

 

Got my solar system dialed in this weekend. Also started building out the bed a little bit. Fridge enclosure doubles as a bench seat. Next I’ll be working on my water system.

 

I made a quick video of my setup. I'm really sorry it's kind of long, but it's my first time making this type of video. Hopefully it helps!

https://youtu.be/dkALriXyAM4

 

My lady noticed this almost right away. We since moved it back close to the fan, and now it sits near the rear tire (which is double the height of the side steps). I no longer need to jump down get around the rear door, as I can stand on the rear seat to reach the front of the rack.

I also now have 24" of room for a solar panel in front and the fan is protected, my 100W is ~21 so it'll fit nicely. The gas struts don't seem to notice the change in position either, but we'll see when the panel goes on.

 

Better late than never..

 

How are you finding that road shower?

 

It’s actually a Waterport - the cheaper smaller Road Shower with not as good mounting options. The Road Shower is also metal.

I’ve owned it for close to a year, had it mounted for a week and half and used it once. That being said, I like it a lot and a good size for a single person.

It’s kind of a pain to mount, and the stuff it comes with are useless. The new version might be better in that regard, I believe @inv3ctiv3 can comment on that.

 

That definitely looks better executed than their V1.

The “mount” it comes with is more of an aluminum shelf - it doesn’t lock in place it just sits there.

 

Latest update to the Swiss cheese camper.

I got all of my lights wired up, but I'll post a photo of that next week after I get a new corner panel.

Picked up a WeBoost 4GX-RV yesterday and installed it today. I mounted it to the extrusion (still need to open up the bottom mounting holes) and used the one remaining open hole to route the antenna through. I haven't wired up the unit itself, so can't comment on that yet.

Everyone has their opinion on phones and cell signal while camping and I get both sides of the coin, but I genuinely do need it for work.

As an aside, it's kind of annoying that there's a ton of people on IG who got them for free, made a post about it, and then never used it again because I know they don't camp that often. Maybe I'm just salty, but it's hard to drop $500 on something you actually need when you know a ton of others just got it for free and never use it. Oh well.

On another note the packaging, instructions, and accessories included on this are crazy good. They give a few different mounting options, and include everything needed. For instance, to drill a hole they included the drill bit and pass through gasket. Seriously impressed with that.

 

Planning to wire up that same booster on my camper tomorrow, did you think about mounting to the roof instead of side of the camper? I’m debating whether I could make it work and take advantage of the extra elevation when the roof is popped up. And whether the extra ~4’ of elevation would make enough difference to justify the effort.

 

I’ve had mine mounted behind the camper and attached down at the tailgate area. No problems there and service is great.

 

I think the antenna will not be as efficient if it's not perpendicular to the ground. You could always make a telescoping pole.

 

Truck looks great! That parking is ridiculous..............

 

I just uploaded this video on portable toilets. We are a Dometic dealer so I got a 972, but this is the same principle for all portables.

It really opens up the possibilities of camping and adds a few conveniences, but it is important to know how they work since it’s doo doo you’re dealing with.

https://youtu.be/eyvUb8orHNE

 

@Iggy, Phil said you had a Propex hooked up - do you have any photos?

 

Sorry, he has one but it isn’t hooked up yet. Iggy can make it work with his drawer/ storage setup, but we’re working on a solution to make it work with all setups. Just talking about a mount though. Ducting will be different with each persons build.

It’s really important to not block or obstruct the output, but it’s really easy to place the register on a vertical surface of a bench or cabinet. Heat easily rises because there’s open space between the sleeping platform and back of the camper. Just like central heating in a home, the register doesn’t need to be blowing on you to heat up the camper.