Truck Campers Only, w/ an Overland & Off-roading theme

[savin yours]

Considering moving my Maxtrax off the Molle panels to free up some space for the earlier discussed trash/wood bag and other smaller accessories. I saw a photo of someone who had mounted L track to the cabover portion and put the Maxtrax there. Seems like a good solution. What is the best way to mount L track on these composite campers? Drill into the aluminum and put in a nutsert? Seems like others, including the below example, have mentioned drill and tap? I've never dealt with this type of construction before and a bit nervous.

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Mine are mounted using https://store.arbusa.com/tred-quick-release-mounting-kit-for-2-or-4-recovery-boards-tqrmk/ in the exo frame

 

[PJPVI]

It is almost time for me to turn the next page and move from making improvements to making memories and experiencing life.

I am so ready to get to this point too, but my list isn't as short as yours! I have been working on the camper nearly non-stop since I got home with it mid-Oct. Electrical, water, and heat systems are complete (unless I add some exterior lights). I picked up the cushions while I was in Boise last week as well as had the rear aluminum ladder welded while I was there (I suck at welding aluminum and labor is much less in Boise than the SF Bay Area!).

My list of things to complete before disappearing to Mexico for 3 months in February:

- Truck suspension upgrades (start today). Carli front end, Deaver rear springs, King shocks.
- Finish making shroud to hide my heater stuff on the back of the camper.
- Mount the rear ladder.
- I'd like to have the rear ladder, heater shroud, and a few other little parts powder coated before the trip but that may have to wait until I get back.
- Mount the awning.
- Mount fire extinguishers.
- Mount the fold out old person handle near the camper door.
- Replace the noisy vent fan for composting toilet
- Lots of other little stuff....
- Mount the camper back on the truck and hopefully have time for a couple night shake down before the big trip.

Pic of the cushions. I'm happy with how they turned out.

 

[rwalk]

Mine are mounted using https://store.arbusa.com/tred-quick-release-mounting-kit-for-2-or-4-recovery-boards-tqrmk/ in the exo frame

This looks great! I take it the mounting pin spacing is the same between the Maxtrax and Tred boards? (Yours look to be Maxtrax like mine).
And the spacing of the mounting holes on the bracket allowed you to mount to both top and bottom extrusions on the camper?

Basically, just confirming that you were able to run 2 mounts in a vertical orientation, using the blue holes for the board mounting pins, and one of the holes in the green circles to attach the plate to a threaded hole in the camper extrusion?

 

[gmoon]

By far the best one I've ever seen was over on the Expo Portal thread:

The Alu-Cab Khaya thread, share and ask

Rin started a Canopy Camper thread that’s pretty active, there is a fair amount of crossover with the Khaya, but it is distinct enough for its own thread. Share your experiences, ask questions. They aren’t widely dispersed in the US and I can’t be the only one in the US with a Khaya on a Ranger.

forum.expeditionportal.com

Post number 6 by Boltripper. He made it himself but it seems to be the perfect solution for what you're talking about. His is/was on the back of his Khaya which I think he's sold now. Maybe contact him for details?

My first though would be to put L-Track on your Molle panel, horizontally. That would allow you to use eye bolts and carbiner to mount pretty much any back that was the right size back there.

I was going to mention how silly an idea storing trash on the outside of your camper was (I honestly never understood it) but you covered that pretty well, and the firewood thing makes a lot more sense. I'll also say it's sad, but I've given up on fires, since about 2018 I haven't had a proper campfire, wow that is sad, but carrying a fire pit and propane has not only been infinitely easier and more space efficient compared to wood, my wife has grown to greatly prefer it because her hair doesn't smell like smoke for a week... I digress.

I recently found this:

Large Camp Seatback Trash Tube

Hanging camp trash bag holder for any vehicle. Easily hang from seat back, table, molle panel, and more. Retention rings holds liner bag in place and full-length zipper makes for frustration-free removal WHEN you overstuff it. Available in two sizes.

radiusoutfitters.com

That along with this:

Lid for Trash Tubes

NOTE: You can order a Trash Tube + Lid together by clicking on the links below and selecting the "WITH LID" option from the drop-down: Large Trash Tube Small Trash Tube If you already own a Trash Tube and just need the lid, then this is the correct page to order the LID ONLY from. What's...

radiusoutfitters.com

I think would make the perfect inside trash container, at least in my camper that has a L-Track mount on the "kitchen" wall off to the side.

I'll look some more into smaller trash containers, this Blue Ridge one always looked good.

Tire Storage Bag | Limited Run

The Tire Storage Bag using that unused space on you tire. to store all that stuff you don't want in side the truck.

www.blueridgeoverlandgear.com

Check them out it seems like with a full Molle back it would mount easily to your campers panel.

Final option might be to forget about hanging something big and heavy off the back of your camper that can be easily stolen and just get a heavy duty tote bag and fill it with wood and put it in your camper or truck back seat. Might be easier and probably carry a heck of a lot more.

Large Gear Tote [Radius Outfitters]

A good bag is a key for living in a small area like a van. Without the ability to properly "unpack" your clothes as you would at home, an open-top bag like the Large Gear Tote is perfect. An open-top bag allows you to store your clothes and other gear while accessing it more easily than a...

owlvans.com

Ok, now I've got to check out stair carriers...

We sell (and have used) the radius trash bag solution, and laundry bag for quite some time. By dad came back from a 10 week road trip in his Sprinter we built and said it was invaluable. Shoot me a DM if you end up going that direction! The lid on the Radius stuff is invaluable, and the way they allow a bag to actually stay in the contraption is quite something.

If you are considering a external trash bag, our friend Adam (Colfax Design Works) hand cuts and sews bomber trash bags made out of the same truck tarp, just much larger. I think I could fit two bundles of would in this just fine. He is a bag consultant for a lot of big names and finds the most obscure and amazing hardware.. things I have never seen before. It may not attach to your external maxtrax as cleanly (as its not a linear bag) so that might be a pain point but having owned both, there is no comparison to the quality.

 

[rwalk]

We sell (and have used) the radius trash bag solution, and laundry bag for quite some time. By dad came back from a 10 week road trip in his Sprinter we built and said it was invaluable. Shoot me a DM if you end up going that direction! The lid on the Radius stuff is invaluable, and the way they allow a bag to actually stay in the contraption is quite something.

If you are considering a external trash bag, our friend Adam (Colfax Design Works) hand cuts and sews bomber trash bags made out of the same truck tarp, just much larger. I think I could fit two bundles of would in this just fine. He is a bag consultant for a lot of big names and finds the most obscure and amazing hardware.. things I have never seen before. It may not attach to your external maxtrax as cleanly (as its not a linear bag) so that might be a pain point but having owned both, there is no comparison to the quality.

View attachment 137973
View attachment 137974

That Colfax bag could actually work great - just need to double check the width measurement against my camper, but the ring mounts instead of straps seem like a benefit. Thanks for the response!

 

[Ruadhrigh]

I am so ready to get to this point too, but my list isn't as short as yours! I have been working on the camper nearly non-stop since I got home with it mid-Oct. Electrical, water, and heat systems are complete (unless I add some exterior lights). I picked up the cushions while I was in Boise last week as well as had the rear aluminum ladder welded while I was there (I suck at welding aluminum and labor is much less in Boise than the SF Bay Area!).

My list of things to complete before disappearing to Mexico for 3 months in February:

- Truck suspension upgrades (start today). Carli front end, Deaver rear springs, King shocks.
- Finish making shroud to hide my heater stuff on the back of the camper.
- Mount the rear ladder.
- I'd like to have the rear ladder, heater shroud, and a few other little parts powder coated before the trip but that may have to wait until I get back.
- Mount the awning.
- Mount fire extinguishers.
- Mount the fold out old person handle near the camper door.
- Replace the noisy vent fan for composting toilet
- Lots of other little stuff....
- Mount the camper back on the truck and hopefully have time for a couple night shake down before the big trip.

Pic of the cushions. I'm happy with how they turned out.
View attachment 137970

Do you have any contact info for your cushion manufacturer?

Not totally stoked on the cushions that came with my camper.

 

[Chris-DTA]

I am so ready to get to this point too, but my list isn't as short as yours! I have been working on the camper nearly non-stop since I got home with it mid-Oct. Electrical, water, and heat systems are complete (unless I add some exterior lights). I picked up the cushions while I was in Boise last week as well as had the rear aluminum ladder welded while I was there (I suck at welding aluminum and labor is much less in Boise than the SF Bay Area!).

My list of things to complete before disappearing to Mexico for 3 months in February:

- Truck suspension upgrades (start today). Carli front end, Deaver rear springs, King shocks.
- Finish making shroud to hide my heater stuff on the back of the camper.
- Mount the rear ladder.
- I'd like to have the rear ladder, heater shroud, and a few other little parts powder coated before the trip but that may have to wait until I get back.
- Mount the awning.
- Mount fire extinguishers.
- Mount the fold out old person handle near the camper door.
- Replace the noisy vent fan for composting toilet
- Lots of other little stuff....
- Mount the camper back on the truck and hopefully have time for a couple night shake down before the big trip.

Pic of the cushions. I'm happy with how they turned out.
View attachment 137970

Those cushions look nice. Love it. I may end up adding some lights on the sides of the camper and maybe rock lights, but that is to be determined.

 

[NightForceFan]

We sell (and have used) the radius trash bag solution, and laundry bag for quite some time. By dad came back from a 10 week road trip in his Sprinter we built and said it was invaluable. Shoot me a DM if you end up going that direction! The lid on the Radius stuff is invaluable, and the way they allow a bag to actually stay in the contraption is quite something.

If you are considering a external trash bag, our friend Adam (Colfax Design Works) hand cuts and sews bomber trash bags made out of the same truck tarp, just much larger. I think I could fit two bundles of would in this just fine. He is a bag consultant for a lot of big names and finds the most obscure and amazing hardware.. things I have never seen before. It may not attach to your external maxtrax as cleanly (as its not a linear bag) so that might be a pain point but having owned both, there is no comparison to the quality.

View attachment 137973
View attachment 137974

Just looked over your Waypoint site. Top notch builds.

 

[TRAMPER]

Thank you. It is almost time for me to turn the next page and move from making improvements to making memories and experiencing life. The list of things I want to change or upgrade is really short and some of those will have to wait a few months.

1) Add an awning (February?)
2) Replace the front bumper and winch with a Buckstop aluminum bumper with brush guard (and a new winch as the other one will not fit). I hope to do this in spring.
3) Add a lightbar at the front and add lights to the sides of the truck (attached to roof rack probably). Maybe rock lights ... - not urgent.

Curious as to what awning you’re thinking. I know you put tons of planning into your build. I also don’t have an awning, and tbh I’m not sure I need one with this camper, but I got L-track down both sides for future upgrades.

What I really need down the side is a fly rod holder, might end up with a river quiver down my passenger side before spring. Not for long term storage but for bouncing from spot to spot.

Anway can’t wait to see your bumper installed either!

 

[TRAMPER]

Do you have any contact info for your cushion manufacturer?

Not totally stoked on the cushions that came with my camper.

What camper do you have? Why don’t you like about the cushions? If they aren’t comfortable you can probably cut your own foam and replace it yourself. If it’s just the covers any boat marina/ canvas place can probably make you cushions.

 

[gmoon]

Just looked over your Waypoint site. Top notch builds.

Appreciated. I have 10+ more I really need to get on the site. We were so busy during Covid that marketing was never prioritized when youre booked out two years. Now though I just want people to see more of them!

Curious as to what awning you’re thinking. I know you put tons of planning into your build. I also don’t have an awning, and tbh I’m not sure I need one with this camper, but I got L-track down both sides for future upgrades.

What I really need down the side is a fly rod holder, might end up with a river quiver down my passenger side before spring. Not for long term storage but for bouncing from spot to spot.

Anway can’t wait to see your bumper installed either!

Check out the Fiammas. We have used them with good luck over the years. I have "overlandy" awnings on a couple of my smaller rigs (270* units, etc) and they fit the format well but with these big campers, I try to get as much coverage as possible and most 270s dont cut it. There is a f350 w/ OEV on instagram under @chkwagn who did a good job of installing a proper length awning. So many OEV, FWC, etc have these tiny fiamma's and it makes no sense to me. Unless its dead noon there isnt enough coverage.

Basil @ Basil's garage (who i think @Chris-DTA used extensively) imports a new brand from AUS called Clevershade. They stopped by the shop this summer and I was impressed with their talking points, but with these big trucks -- weight is less of a concern -- I think prioritizing stoutness vs weight savings can be advantageous unless you are approaching GVWR. Personally, I dont care for the bag awnings (and I own a few). The metal housing units dont get thrashed by tight trails/trees, no sun fade, and just tidy ups the exterior.

Finally @Ruadrigh, if you are looking for high quality mattresses or foam products, there is a company in the van space called Roamrest (a subsidiary of a larger custom mattress company) and they do really high quality stuff. We have some unique needs with our camper and they are crushing it. Upper mattress in the camper takes into account that my partner Stephanie is a slide sleeper and I am not so they select different foam layers, and then our lower benches have to double as a bed in adverse weather or stealth camping so but can only be 2-3" thick so they are working some foam wizardry to have it handle sitting as well as sleeping.

 

[Chris-DTA]

Curious as to what awning you’re thinking. I know you put tons of planning into your build. I also don’t have an awning, and tbh I’m not sure I need one with this camper, but I got L-track down both sides for future upgrades.

What I really need down the side is a fly rod holder, might end up with a river quiver down my passenger side before spring. Not for long term storage but for bouncing from spot to spot.

Anway can’t wait to see your bumper installed either!

Undecided about which awning to go with. A 270 would be ideal but it will block part of the door. I want something that can accommodate sidewalls to provide some protection from rain and wind. STC says to best mount straight against the L-Track, not the Molle panel.

I am looking at the Kammok Crosswing with the shade bundle or a Fiamma and potentially a few others. Fiamma has side-wall options. The Clevershade that Basil imports looks nice, but is very expensive. For me, the main goal is to be able to cook outside even when it is raining and/or to have some shade for a shorter stop, as it is too time-consuming to get out of the Gazelle Gazebo bug tent.

 

[gmoon]

@TRAMPER @Chris-DTA If you guys end up going the Fiamma route shoot me a DM. They usually drop ship for approx $175, and FWIW ship from FL. Little bit better for tramper in NY but a bit far from us in CA.

 

[savin yours]

This looks great! I take it the mounting pin spacing is the same between the Maxtrax and Tred boards? (Yours look to be Maxtrax like mine).
And the spacing of the mounting holes on the bracket allowed you to mount to both top and bottom extrusions on the camper?

Basically, just confirming that you were able to run 2 mounts in a vertical orientation, using the blue holes for the board mounting pins, and one of the holes in the green circles to attach the plate to a threaded hole in the camper extrusion?

So I took some pics for you, and yes, maxtrax fit perfect. They did shave off a bit(circled) to make it fit between the frame rails. Third pic shows how it's mounted.

 

[rwalk]

So I took some pics for you, and yes, maxtrax fit perfect. They did shave off a bit(circled) to make it fit between the frame rails. Third pic shows how it's mounted.

Thanks so much, that looks great and probably the way I will go!

For what its worth and anybody else following along, I did email OEV for their advice, and here is the response from Erik:
"We have had several people do this, we tell all of them drilling and using a rivet to attach mounting brackets to the extrusion is ideal.
Use a locking rivet, don’t drill deeper then 1” (walls are 1 5/8” thick), put Sika 221 in the hole before installing the rivet to ensure a watertight seal.
I believe most people just make a pair of aluminum strips that connect from top extrusion to bottom extrusion and put the Max Traxx mounting pins on that."

 

[Chris-DTA]

@TRAMPER @Chris-DTA If you guys end up going the Fiamma route shoot me a DM. They usually drop ship for approx $175, and FWIW ship from FL. Little bit better for tramper in NY but a bit far from us in CA.

Thanks, man. I appreciate it. I made a note so that I remember.

 

[PJPVI]

Do you have any contact info for your cushion manufacturer?

Not totally stoked on the cushions that came with my camper.

Company is Guate Upholstery. I bought the Sunbrella fabric on Amazon and had it drop shipped to them. Their shop looked like they have been there for 100 years. A total mess, but their reviews were good, they were nice to work with, and did a good job. I would recommend them.

The cushions are 3" of firm foam. When I saw them I thought they would be too thin, but from my limited sit time on them they seem good.

 

[PJPVI]

Undecided about which awning to go with. A 270 would be ideal but it will block part of the door. I want something that can accommodate sidewalls to provide some protection from rain and wind. STC says to best mount straight against the L-Track, not the Molle panel.

I am looking at the Kammok Crosswing with the shade bundle or a Fiamma and potentially a few others. Fiamma has side-wall options. The Clevershade that Basil imports looks nice, but is very expensive. For me, the main goal is to be able to cook outside even when it is raining and/or to have some shade for a shorter stop, as it is too time-consuming to get out of the Gazelle Gazebo bug tent.

Awnings are not so easy on these campers I'm finding. When my camper was supposed to be a hard side, I had already bought a OVS Nomad 180 degree to put across the rear of the camper over my pull out drawer which will double as a table. Then my camper changed to a pop-top and I made the switch to a Taruca 270 degree. Have been trying to figure out mounts since I need to elevate it a bit above the rear side window. I was making my own but wasn't happy with how they were coming together so ordered mounts from The Bush Company that look nice and should work well. Now I just need to find time to get that project done. I had a Fiamma on my van and got a lot of use out of it over the years until a fateful wind gust in Baja killed it. My buddy just happened to have his drone in the air when it happened. The awning ended up in a metal recycler south of Loreto, BCS

 

[Chris-DTA]

Awnings are not so easy on these campers I'm finding. When my camper was supposed to be a hard side, I had already bought a OVS Nomad 180 degree to put across the rear of the camper over my pull out drawer which will double as a table. Then my camper changed to a pop-top and I made the switch to a Taruca 270 degree. Have been trying to figure out mounts since I need to elevate it a bit above the rear side window. I was making my own but wasn't happy with how they were coming together so ordered mounts from The Bush Company that look nice and should work well. Now I just need to find time to get that project done. I had a Fiamma on my van and got a lot of use out of it over the years until a fateful wind gust in Baja killed it. My buddy just happened to have his drone in the air when it happened. The awning ended up in a metal recycler south of Loreto, BCS

That hurt watching it happen (1:55). Bummer. Nice looking rig though.

 

[TRAMPER]

So I took some pics for you, and yes, maxtrax fit perfect. They did shave off a bit(circled) to make it fit between the frame rails. Third pic shows how it's mounted.

That’s a really interesting way and place to mount Trax. Totally out of the way, not to mention tough to steal and yet still accessible when needed. Bravo!

Truck looks so good!!!!!

Also a happy side note not at all related to camping but, today is the first day that daylight starts getting longer again!!! Idk about you guys but I’m ready!!!