your truck camping

[ab_slack]

First, I have to say some very cool rigs.

Second I know my eyes are in bad shape after the doc put stuff in them earlier cause I thought the topic said "truck complaining" and I entered the topic wondering what the truck was complaining about. lol

 

[4x4junkie]

Figured I'd show my BII's setup here:

About the only "truck complaint" I can come up with is not using it as often as I want lol.

 

[Will]

What's that cooler thing?

Solar panel! What's the antenna?

I'm totally impressed and always have been. You always have the cleanest, most effective and most organized way of doing anything.

 

[Will]

Can't believe I haven't seen this in the last 4 years. We've traveled in a school bus for the last 8 years--not counting vacations to the Florida condo. I'l have to find pictures, but I've regeared it from 4.88 to 3.73, installed a Kellerman air-ride suspension, it's got a big generator, A/C, solar panel. I built in bunks for the 5 kids and a big leather sofa/bed for my wife an I. There are 2 leather captains chairs and 2 tables and dinettes where the kids ride. I welded receiver hitches on both ends and we haul my motorcycle and 7 bikes on carriers.

A bus has unlimited storage, huge ground clearance and lots of off-road capability, and is made from commercial vehicle parts, not retail parts. There are drawbacks, but I'm not going to tell you what they are.

 

[4x4junkie]

What's that cooler thing?

Solar panel! What's the antenna?

I'm totally impressed and always have been. You always have the cleanest, most effective and most organized way of doing anything.

Edgestar FP430 12-volt refrigerator/freezer (yes, a fridge/freezer, not one of those power-guzzling solid-state cooler thingies that barely work, it uses R-134a freon and a compressor).

The "antenna" is a lamp mast (three 6-foot sections that clamp together which I can carry on the roof rack) with a bracket that clamps onto anything from a rockslider to many wooden picnic tables. The lights (when pic was taken) are 10W LED MR-16 lamps I got at Home Depot, which I put spring clamps on to attach them to the mast or to anything else (I have some 4W LEDs also if needs don't dictate sports-stadium-like lighting). Now that you mention it though, I wonder what radio antennas I could put to use on that mast....

 

[Will]

I was curious because I just bought a pair of Engel fridge/freezers. They have swing-motor compressors that don't need a capacitor to start, so they will run at least somewhat on any amount of electricity. I'm guessing yours has a similar thing.

 

[4x4junkie]

It has a Danfoss-type compressor (it's a variable-speed rotary type, pretty much has become the standard in every unit but the Engel now). It's draw is about 1.8 amps on average (3.5amps or so when running, 0.05 amps when idle).
By far the best gear purchase I've made yet, no more waterlogged meat and bloody icewater and having to chase down ice every few days, giving me the ability to stay at some remote place for 2 weeks or more if i wanted.

 

[Will]

That's about the same power consumption per unit--I think mine say 2.8 amps, but they are 40L each.

I bought the ones that are top-loading, permanent mount and hang into position. I cut out the counter under which my old refer lived and died after 6 years in a school bus. It's been a royal cock getting these in there--a cabinetry challenge with no instructions. They are supposed to be rugged for offroad use, plus I installed air ride this year, so hopefully they will last--and hopefully my 125W solar panel will do a lot of the work powering them when running the gen is inconvenient.

We're doing a 2-week, 5,000 mile trip in a couple weeks and I've been working my cheeks off on this bus. I'll never get it the way I wish it was, but I'm trying to get the must-haves done.

 

[4x4junkie]

Engels are good units. You shouldn't have any issues with them.

How about a pic of your bus and it's setup for the thread?

 

[scarface]

forgot i had this pic

 

[Will]

Engels are good units. You shouldn't have any issues with them.

How about a pic of your bus and it's setup for the thread?

Yeah, I'll do that. Been finishing a boat this week but now I have time to get this going. I set the refer units up and we used this this last Friday. We have had a big Friday gathering every weekend for almost the last 20 years--it's a lot bigger now with around 30 people between family and friends. The bus was in the past, the beer cooler, but since the old compressor fridges died of violence last year, it's been sketchy. This week I used the Engles with a 6amp Mina Kota charger and the charger was able to keep both units going and the battery fully charged with ease, even with the roof air off and the 80+ temp outside. It's looking like it's going to work out. These Engles were cold immediately after I hooked power to them. I would get the cooler version or regular refer version, though. I got drop-ins and it's a lot of carpentry to install them. The lids are meant to be attached to your door and it has to be just right. And there are other issues. But these are the things that fit the space we have best. They perform very well.

 

[Hagan]

This is my setup. Very plain and simple. Sometimes I just sleep in the back of the truck. I upgraded my tent to a much bigger one. This is at a lake next to a road.

 

[mnthomp]

Nothing fancy here, just my stock '92 (with a '99 motor and wheels) 2wd XLT with a second hand topper. The tent is a Go Lite 3-person (two comfortably) that sets up in about five minutes and packs down smaller than my sleeping bag. Not much compared to some of the rigs on here, but it's fun and gets the job done. Despite the Colorado plates, that picture was from last weekend in West Virginia.

 

[bftank]

our set up. need a bigger tent. ive thinned out the camping supplies to fit a smaller box and made a tote rack to lock them in place in the explorer.

also have a 1988 grandby pop up slide. working on getting that to fit in the new truck. here is a pick of it in the old truck. this set up worked awesome. the truck had a liftgate that made a perfect platform to climb in on or pee off of. lol. miss that truck.

 

[iamsamrogers]

here's my setup, Tepui rooftop tent with a custom rack.