Vagabond Drifter Camper Buildout and Mods

Don’t forgot about stepping out of one in the morning after a good nights sleep...

 

#pleasenobarndoorrequestsatthistime

 

I absolutely thought about this as well. I still miss the bed rack+RTT look but after 30 nights in the Drifter, this isn’t even close. Such a game changer. aka you’ll get over it. Fast

 

I still feel sad at selling our vanagon 3 months later. There's something special about those vans. That said, it simply did not fit our needs and our usage had dropped off considerably because of it. I don't regret selling it in the least as I know it was the right decision. And I'm super excited about what our new set up will offer (reliability! 4x4 capability!) and a much better night sleep on a new, thicker mattress. Letting go seems to be part of the process for some of us!

 

Thank you! I know it's a petty thought to have but I dont doubt I'll be laughing about it six months from now. The validation and encouragement is sincerely appreciated.

 

Absolutely is. And it's not an easy process. Especially when its something we've had great memories attached to. But the new memories are on the way!

 

crossed this off the winter prep list today.

 

Nice! What rack is that?

 

I am looking into using 8020 for my interior. Is it possible to have a flat top with 8020? Most photos I have seen have inset panels and I am planning on having a sleeping platform on one (fridge) side and need something solid.

 

Its custom, but used a set of frontrunner racks on top to lock the boards. Carries 4! On to powder coat...

 

Is there enough room in the mount to keep the boards in a bag? Not sure where you’ll be driving or what the roads are like but in my experience the board would be getting sand blasted with road and slush debris.

 

This. I have stored my boards/skis in a box now for over a decade. The Sierras sandblast the exposed snow gear due to using sand, not salt, on our winter roadways.

 

Good point, as I’ll definitely be on BLM roads with this too. Maybe a mud flap on the lower crossbar?

 

Loik at mud flaps u put on a truck for towing a trailer

 

For those of you who changed out to the kb voodoo bed rail caps. Did you do bed rail caps only or bed rail caps+tailgate cap? Not sure a tailgate cap would have much benefit. Opinions? Thanks.

 

Not odd at all. You know where I came from! Bed rack, hard shell rtt, open dusty/wet truck bed...I DON’T MISS THAT SETUP AT ALL!! She still gets jiggy!
Photo: @kodastacoma

 

We are looking to get new all terrain tires for both city and (lighter) off road use and snow. The K02s keep coming up. Other suggestions welcome. We currently have 17" wheels with tires that are P265/65R17. We just don't understand the world of suspension upgrades very well yet and want to make sure whatever tires we buy will work in the long term. Our use case scenario is unlikely to be hard core (no boulder driving like the Phil monster), but we want to be able to go where we want to go within reason.

• will this same tire size work well with the Drifter? if bigger tires, why?
• will this tire size work with Deaver leafs, prob stage 3 (ordered Alu-Cab awning and frontrunner gullwing hatch windows that add to base weight / also will have box on top)
• will this tire size work with any type of shock? (we currently have Bilstein shocks that came with the extra value package with the 2nd gen TRD Sport but may need to upgrade)
• do we need to consider lifting the car for any functional reason? ramifications on tire size?
• anything else to consider when buying tires for the Drifter Taco?

Thanks. -C

 

Hey Christy! I have been a really big fan of my Cooper Discoverer S/T Maxx tires so far. I switched from KO2s to these and they seem a little quieter. They are very pleasant on road and have been great on dirt roads. Haven’t had them in snow yet but maybe @tacomgee can comment on that.

 

I’ve had experience with BFG and Nitto prior to settling in to the best for me all around tire.
I daily commute my truck as well as get off-road often and have found the Falken AT3W to be superior. From zero road noise and no problems with snow, mud, dirt, sand and wet roads, they handle it all very well. They are the only off-road rated tire with a mileage warranty and snow rating. I’ve found this to be one of the big considerations for myself. I’ve had mine some time now and they still look new. They are a lower price point than many of the other popular tires.

Whatever you get, an e-rated tire is the way to go if you’re getting off-road, regardless of how many highway miles you drive. Good luck with your choice.