Jack of all trades truck setup

[Modman]

Thanks for the heads up! Will add them to the long-term list to consider.

@ccw it will be interesting to see how this progresses long term!

@Rooster I am still considering the Softopper route... I spoke with one of the owners when I saw this one a Home Depot recently. She said they have been very happy with it and used it for sleeping on several camping trips:

I have been looking at different tonneaus but am really happy with the factory soft trifold. Maybe I just keep that and then buy a Softopper for when I need more room??

Sorry for the hijack!

 

[SomethingRandom]

I don't know about "solid plan" lol. Thought out, yes, but very fuzzy on the actual decisions front.

Here's the links to the two I mentioned and know of:

• Mits Alloy: https://mitsalloy.com.au/usa/
• RSI: https://www.na.rsismartcap.com/products/bedreplacement

I'm sure there's more out there as well.

Edit: I should also note that, since Mits Alloy doesn't have pricing visible on the site, I reached out to a local dealer and it was about $15,000 installed for the flatbed alone. That included install, taxes, and $1000 credit for the used bed. So these bed replacement systems are sweet, but they aren't cheap.

At those prices finding an installer in Oregon would likely be worth your time.

 

[Rooster]

I don't know about "solid plan" lol. Thought out, yes, but very fuzzy on the actual decisions front.

Here's the links to the two I mentioned and know of:

• Mits Alloy: https://mitsalloy.com.au/usa/
• RSI: https://www.na.rsismartcap.com/products/bedreplacement

I'm sure there's more out there as well.

Edit: I should also note that, since Mits Alloy doesn't have pricing visible on the site, I reached out to a local dealer and it was about $15,000 installed for the flatbed alone. That included install, taxes, and $1000 credit for the used bed. So these bed replacement systems are sweet, but they aren't cheap.

That RSI setup looks pretty cool. I do like the look of AEV prospector, but I think it only comes in 2 door. 1000 dollar credit for your your whole box. I dented my tailgate and Ford wants a grand for just the rear panel of the tailgate, at least through insurance.

 

[Rooster]

@ccw it will be interesting to see how this progresses long term!

@Rooster I am still considering the Softopper route... I spoke with one of the owners when I saw this one a Home Depot recently. She said they have been very happy with it and used it for sleeping on several camping trips:

View attachment 56227
I have been looking at different tonneaus but am really happy with the factory soft trifold. Maybe I just keep that and then buy a Softopper for when I need more room??

Sorry for the hijack!

I like my soft topper, not great for dust but no topper is except maybe the RSI. If I could setup a hoist system I'd probably have gotten a hard shell. Thats why I like the RSI cuz I can get it off myself. But sleeping in mine when it was snowing raining etc I've been pretty happy with it. Beats a tent if your are car camping, and its a lot safer feeling than being in a tent on the ground with grizzlies around. And I got it all with extra screen windows for just under 1k.

 

[SomethingRandom]

I guess I’ll also add that jack of all trades is really hard to pull off. Ultimately I went with a Bakflip as I can take it on and off by myself. The bed is reasonably well protected from water. I bought a cheap wheeled Kobalt tote from Lowes that has a gasket on the lid. I keep gloves, recovery gear, jumper cables, extension cord in there. Add tire chains during winter months.

This makes it pretty easy to clear out the bed quickly without help. I keep a sheet of cdx in the bed as a bed liner.

I’m a little spoiled as my neighbor has a dump trailer and a dump truck. So for things like dirt, gravel, bark, etc I happily kick him some money or bbq. The wife wants a camper, I’m still getting over cost vs what I see for build quality.

I might switch over to a hard cap once I get my shop built as either in there or my garage I do have the overhead clearance to rig up a lift for easy removal.

As for the land bit. I used to live in the same town you do. Moved 30mins north and money went a lot farther. Commute isn’t bad in the morning and work gives us some other options too.

 

[ccw]

That RSI setup looks pretty cool. I do like the look of AEV prospector, but I think it only comes in 2 door. 1000 dollar credit for your your whole box. I dented my tailgate and Ford wants a grand for just the rear panel of the tailgate, at least through insurance.

AEV prospector should be able to be applied to any cab/bed configuration. Nothing about it that’s cab/bed specific - it’s bumpers, wheels, suspension, snorkel, etc - and it’s aftermarket, so they don’t care what trim/config you have.

I seriously wish AEV would make something for Ford. Their stuff is so good.

 

[Rooster]

AEV prospector should be able to be applied to any cab/bed configuration. Nothing about it that’s cab/bed specific - it’s bumpers, wheels, suspension, snorkel, etc - and it’s aftermarket, so they don’t care what trim/config you have.

I seriously wish AEV would make something for Ford. Their stuff is so good.

That makes sense, guess I was assuming since I've only seen it in single cab. Who knew assuming could make you look bad. I like AEV I have one of their jeeps, pretty fun.

 

[Modman]

And I got it all with extra screen windows for just under 1k

I always come back to the value of this vs. my other leading choice - roll style like the Sentry. They end up being roughly the same cost. Sentry is a bit more secure, Softopper has more function... No choice needed right this minute so I'll keep debating in my head.

 

[Gus]

I like my soft topper, not great for dust but no topper is except maybe the RSI. If I could setup a hoist system I'd probably have gotten a hard shell. Thats why I like the RSI cuz I can get it off myself. But sleeping in mine when it was snowing raining etc I've been pretty happy with it. Beats a tent if your are car camping, and its a lot safer feeling than being in a tent on the ground with grizzlies around. And I got it all with extra screen windows for just under 1k.

How is the soft topper in the winter have been told they do not hold up to cold and snow/ice very good

 

[Gus]

Ask me again in a few years lol. That's how long it's going to take for me to be settled at this rate.

What I've ended up with is a Diamondback cover for now. When I bought it I was thinking I would swap between that and a slide-in camper I would get in the future. But I've learned some things about my usage since getting the truck.

The main thing is that I really want more weather-proof storage. Particularly with Search and Rescue, I find I'm hauling a lot of gear in the bed of the truck at all times, and then need to be able to add a bunch of large backpacks when transporting other SAR members. Getting everything under the Diamondback is a pain, and strapping to the top is even more tedious and time consuming when you're loading and unloading many times in short order.

So I'm bouncing between two main options right now, though they are highly subject to change.

First option is a slide-in camper, but a shell model. I checked out Four Wheel Campers in person the other week and got to see essentially a Hawk shell model. Advantages:

• Surprisingly close space-wise to a regular canopy with the shell model.
• Can have a furnace and auxiliary battery already built-in and designed for it.
• Far better sealed from dust and weather since it's a sealed unit. Good for camping and just general protection of cargo.
• Relatively easy to remove and re-install if needed, again benefitting from the fact it's a sealed unit. Any canopy is more of a pain to reinstall since you have to line it up far more precisely and potentially replace seals if you want to have proper dust/weather sealing.

Second option is a wedge-camper. Truly a traditional truck canopy with a RTT integrated into it. Advantages:

• Great side access (if you choose a model that has windoors, and many of them do).
• Keep the bed open for customization. After seeing one of our SAR unit trucks with a canopy, Truck Vault drawers, and bed slide on top of the drawers, it's extremely tempting. Really slick setup, as it makes cargo access truly a breeze.
• Better durability of the loading surface, either with the truck bed or the bed slide. With the slide-in camper I would be concerned about long-term durability of the floor dragging things in and out of it.

Then there's the third option that keeps poking around my head, and I feel like it's becoming more prominent. Getting a bed replacement system, like Mits Alloy or RSI, that has a canopy. Then putting a RTT on top of it. This is appealing because I get a flat bed out of it and I remember seeing a video where one of them had attachable jacks to make removing the canopy more like a slide-in camper. I feel they're better designed to be weather-proof on re-install since the bed and top were engineered from the beginning to fit together.

I feel like that third option will also be the most expensive, but my goal is to build out my dream truck so I'm willing to do the right thing in the long-term.

Really like the truck vault system but can’t justify one

Sounds like a go fast camper would be worth looking at

GFC Platform Camper - Product Details

gofastcampers.com

 

[Rooster]

How is the soft topper in the winter have been told they do not hold up to cold and snow/ice very good

been good, had 3 winters and camped in it. its a little stiff on the zippers sometimes but if they are lubricated I've had no issues. Zippers are harder to operate when its cold. I've slept in it when it snowed a foot over night and rained for 3 days in Canada, never got wet.

 

[Rooster]

Really like the truck vault system but can’t justify one

Sounds like a go fast camper would be worth looking at

GFC Platform Camper - Product Details

gofastcampers.com

go fast seems pretty cool, I like to be able to through my 4wheeler in the back though, that would make it difficult

 

[Cfack]

@ccw it will be interesting to see how this progresses long term!

@Rooster I am still considering the Softopper route... I spoke with one of the owners when I saw this one a Home Depot recently. She said they have been very happy with it and used it for sleeping on several camping trips:

View attachment 56227
I have been looking at different tonneaus but am really happy with the factory soft trifold. Maybe I just keep that and then buy a Softopper for when I need more room??

Sorry for the hijack!

Hey! that’s my truck! Below is a link to my post about this setup, post 1195. https://www.fordtremor.com/threads/tremors-and-campers-lets-talk-camping.1036/page-60#post-223049

It worked pretty good for our trip but has us highly considering selling/trading our pull behind for a Four Wheel Camper Hawk or a Palamino Backpack SS550 or SS1251.

Pros - doesn’t affect payload at all, very easy to take on and off, felt safe sleeping in the bed, kept dirt and water out better than expected, held up well during off-roading, easy to cool off and get fresh air circulating

Cons - didn’t handle high winds very well going through Nebraska, works well for sleeping but not really a hangout spot so you are either outside, sitting in the truck or laying in bed

@Modman if you are interested in checking out the soft topper or even want to try it out on your truck for a few weeks, let me know. I switched back to a tonneau cover so it’s currently just sitting in my garage.

 

[Modman]

Hey! that’s my truck! Below is a link to my post about this setup, post 1195. https://www.fordtremor.com/threads/tremors-and-campers-lets-talk-camping.1036/page-60#post-223049

It worked pretty good for our trip but has us highly considering selling/trading our pull behind for a Four Wheel Camper Hawk or a Palamino Backpack SS550 or SS1251.

Pros - doesn’t affect payload at all, very easy to take on and off, felt safe sleeping in the bed, kept dirt and water out better than expected, held up well during off-roading, easy to cool off and get fresh air circulating

Cons - didn’t handle high winds very well going through Nebraska, works well for sleeping but not really a hangout spot so you are either outside, sitting in the truck or laying in bed

@Modman if you are interested in checking out the soft topper or even want to try it out on your truck for a few weeks, let me know. I switched back to a tonneau cover so it’s currently just sitting in my garage.

Cool! My wife and I were pulling into the Depot and I spotted your truck. We stopped as we were walking in and I was telling her about the Softopper. Your sig-other was just getting out, hopefully she wasn't annoyed with me commenting on it!

 

[Cfack]

Cool! My wife and I were pulling into the Depot and I spotted your truck. We stopped as we were walking in and I was telling her about the Softopper. Your sig-other was just getting out, hopefully she wasn't annoyed with me commenting on it!

Lol that’s awesome. Nope, she doesn’t mind at all! She’s used to me doing the same exact thing every time I see another cool truck.

 

[Hopsferdays]

@ccw super late to the game and haven’t been on in a long time. My use cases are the same as yours you probably already decided what to do but I went with the slide in with jacks. I got a scout made by adventurer rv in Yakima they have a dealer in Tacoma. The scouts are fairly light fully loaded mines about 1700 pounds and I got the biggest one they make in that line and have decent options it kind of hit a midpoint for utility (what I wanted) and comfort (what my wife wanted). I do contracting work of all types and need the bed most weeks and drop the camper in the driveway. Gonna fit a vertical ski rack on the back of it for this winter. Hope this helps.

 

[ccw]

@ccw super late to the game and haven’t been on in a long time. My use cases are the same as yours you probably already decided what to do but I went with the slide in with jacks. I got a scout made by adventurer rv in Yakima they have a dealer in Tacoma. The scouts are fairly light fully loaded mines about 1700 pounds and I got the biggest one they make in that line and have decent options it kind of hit a midpoint for utility (what I wanted) and comfort (what my wife wanted). I do contracting work of all types and need the bed most weeks and drop the camper in the driveway. Gonna fit a vertical ski rack on the back of it for this winter. Hope this helps.

Hey! I think you were exactly on the right track given my original list of requirements. Unfortunately that list has changed slightly with Search and Rescue.

Now I need whatever solution I come up with to work for a Search and Rescue mission, as I don't want to take the time to drop the camper before I respond...don't mind the fact I might not be responding from home, and thus no place to drop the camper.

Would that Scout work for loading up a bunch of 48 hour packs, skis, poles, and/or snowshoes for transport? And carrying a bunch of miscellaneous gear - chain saw with necessities for use, winching gear, etc?