Vagabond Drifter Camper Buildout and Mods

Using this kettle. It collapses and has a kind of hard clamshell case. Don't get this exact one as you really don't need the cup (they are kind of worthless with hot water anyways). This actual device comes in a few different arrangements from your typical array of Amazon vendors.

$50 Upgrade Travel Kettle, ShineMe Food Grade Silicone Dual Voltage 110-220V Ultrathin Portable Electric Water Kettle with Cup, Universal Adaptor and Detachable Power Cord, 555ML (Blue)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TK66RYL I think it is a pretty steady 900W.

Using a 1200W inverter, sized by my estimated needs, but mentioned a few times in past Will Prowse videos (what do I know about inverters). They do come in a nice range of sizes.

$190 Giandel Power Inverter Pure Sine Wave 1200 Watt 12V DC to 120V with Remote Control Dual AC Outlets and USB Port for RV Car Solar System Emergency

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07G36Z2TH


Silicone is an interesting racket to get into. The promise is there for durability and compactness, but the follow through seems like it has a lot to be desired (go read collapsing bucket reviews).

 

I guess to keep going on AC stuff. I plan to cut up a girthy enough AC extension cable and run it to this receptacle for tailgate use. I'd rather keep the inverter near the battery for DC wire size and run lower amp AC to the back of the truck.

The receptacle is slightly bigger than those standard bulkhead round DC accessories for USB charging, 12V socket, digital gauges, etc. even though it could be shaved down to fit a hole like that (and my nice knock-out punch would then work). If anyone sees a small (protected) 15A receptacle let me know!

$18 Flanged Outlet, NEMA 5-15 15 Amp Grounding Straight Blade Flanged Outlet Receptacle with Covers, cUL Listed, 120-125 Volt, 2 Pole-3 Wire, Commercial/Industrial Grade, Black

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08V944M5P

 

I like the idea. Please follow up with photos! I’m about to install a similar plug cover for the inflation port on my airbags.

 

Magnets for wind faring mount:

I posted a while back about using suction cups to mount a wind faring in front of the camper to reduce road noise. Some of you speculated the suction cups would eventually fail, which they did, even with adhesive, after a few weeks. (The suction cups are vinyl and I ultimately couldn’t find a suitable adhesive that I felt confident wouldn’t hurt the truck’s clearcoat.)

Enter magnets from Amazon. I cut some rough brackets from aluminum angle and screwed them to a crossbar for the wind faring, and everything is working perfectly.



(The residue rings are from an attempt to glue the suction cups, not from the magnets slipping.)

Magnets seem to be the easiest, cheapest way to mount a wind faring in front of the camper’s leading edge on an access cab.

$28 Nilight 2PCS Magnetic Base LED Light Bar Mounting Brackets, Powerful Sucker Holder for Straight Curved Side-Mounted LED Light Bar Mounting on Hood Roof, 2 Years Warranty

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0831M38LR?_encoding=UTF8

 

Yooooooo this is great. I'm going to follow your lead. Ive been trying to figure out how the hell to get a fairing on my first gen.

In relevant MPG news, after my 4.56 regear I went from 17 to 22 MPG. And wildly that 22MPG is also with the most weight I've ever had in the truck.

 

Very slick.

 

Thanks for the info! $30 I can give it a try. Already have the fairing and crossbar. I'll just figure a way for it to work with a round Yakima bar.

My only concern is the AT Summit extends even further than the Drifter so it's going to be close...

 

Has anyone done anything interesting with the laser cut panels in each corner? Thinking about using one to mount a fire extinguisher to. And if anyone has any cheap simple ideas for mounting a 4 lb extinguisher Id appreciate it

 

on my second gen i have fire extinguishers laying beside both seats in the front, between the seat and the doors. been there for a couple years, dont rattle, move, fall out, are super handy if i need to grab one......

 

Did you adjust the maths for the odometer and speedometer now being off? Or did you replace the plastic gear in the transmission to adjust the speed sensor?

 

I keep my fire extinguisher tucked up in the side channel next to the mattress. If you’re using propane or diesel heat at night you need to have it accessible from your bed.

 

Might as well post my interior build in its current state.

I live in my Drifter full time in the Seattle area — I have been since October, including during those really cold “polar vortex” nights — when I wished someone at Vagabond would return my several attempts at communication regarding how to buy the insulation pack for the wedge.

My budget is not big, so my setup is somewhat Spartan:

1.) The benches end two feet from the tailgate. A slotted rubber mat takes up the rest of the rear area, giving me a “mud room” and a place to bathe.

2.) Fake grass feels great on the feet.

3.) I use the Lagun rotating, raising, swiveling, removable table arm.

4.) A 5-gallon bucket toilet with plastic liners lives in the leftbench. I rarely use it, but if something gets the best of me in the middle of the night, I’ve found that the liners are the easiest way to dispose of the waste in an urban environment — tie them up and throw them in a dumpster like you would a diaper.

5.) I have a funnel at mattress height, connected to a tube that empties under the truck. I can pee without getting out of bed, on the street in Seattle.

6.) 10 gallons of water live at the front of the bed in the center, in the form of two septer cans. (Behind the trash can.) I like this set-up because two 5 gallon cans don’t slosh like a single 10 gallon tank, and if one tank is breached, I still have five gallons of water left. On the to-do list: run a water line with an electric pump to one tank, with a dishwashing, boot-washing spray nozzle at the tailgate.

7.) A 20 lb. propane tank lives in front of the right bench. This powers my buddy heater and a small stove (that stows in the right bench).

8.) I put a shut-off on the propane line just behind the heater, and built a drip leg into the line, after some oil in a bad propane fill ruined two previous buddy heaters. I keep the heater covered with a backpack rain cover to protect it from dust when not in use.

9.) Also in the passenger bench: A bluetti lithium battery that powers the house through the 12v cigarette jack, via a line that runs under the bed.

10.) I did the 400w anytime mod to my truck’s inverter; the bed’s AC outlet charges my bluetti battery while I drive.

11.) I have a cooler instead of a refrigerator. It lives in the cab of the truck, where (I think) I can access it through the back glass. I haven’t used it because the weather has stayed cool here in Seattle.

12.) Cargo nets all around the “ground floor” store my bedding, etc.

13.) I removed the overload springs from an old set of Dakars and replaced them with Deaver 3-leaf AALs. This combination of Dakars and 3-leaf AALs rides really smoothly and supports the loaded Drifter. The set-up cost $300 total; they do still squeak like crazy.

14.) I regeared to 4.10 (265/75/16), which restored all my acceleration with the truck loaded, and still keeps my RPMs low at 65mpg. I do sometimes wonder if I would have liked 4.30 more.

 

Oooh is that it? I was wondering. Where can I find a guide for those calculations?

 

Looks like a well thought out build! Do you keep the wedge popped up at night to sleep or do you use one of the benches as a stealth sleeping platform?

 

I pop the wedge every night. I find sleepy streets, I come in late and leave early, and often switch my location so I don’t draw too much attention.

 

What was your stock tire size and what is your current tire size?

 

28.3" to 31.6"


Also Folks,

About to mount my L Track on the side and its just going to be for a multifunctional use. Maxtrax, snowboard mount, etc. I have two 48" lengths, and trying to decide how much to space them apart?

 

Just under 12% difference would mean you actually drove just under 12% more miles than your odo reads.

So your gas mileage is actually even better than you thought if you’re hand calculating without that correction now.

22 x 1.1166 = 24.57 mpg.

 

Wow. I'm confused but I like it.

 

https://adventuretaco.com/replacing-the-speedo-gear/