ATO AterraXL composite flatbed camper (pagoda roof)

[mk216v]

In that location I wonder about the heat exchanger fins/coil collecting dust and resulting reduced efficiency. Presumably one would cover it for certain conditions, but then not be able to run it while travelling. Plus the, "Is the cover on ?" concern.

Or would one just clear them with air regularly before they get caked ?

Good noise rating tho.

I agree; the rear of any rig gets damn dirty, so on a moondust track, I'd think the a/c unit would get very filthy.

How do you like the soft-sided containers instead of real drawers? Seems like they would be kind of a pita, especially having to remove, replace, and keep track of all those stoppers that keep them from sliding out.

They're very handy "portable containers" for cooking outside. Instead of gathering a bunch of items in your hands, you can just take a Step22 outside with everything you need.
For the stoppers, I've been putting them on the countertop or on the floor, grouped together. I'm pretty damn persnickety for organization and I haven't minded them hanging out there.


RIG UPDATE; I have not advertised this anywhere yet, but my life recently changed forever a few days ago; had to make the most challenging decision and put my 15yo pup and sidekick down due to cancer complications severely affecting his quality of life. While I originally designed/built the rig for 2 people and 2 dogs, now it's only me, and it's just way more rig than I need. PLENTY of space and storage for long durations, but I just don't need all of this anymore. So I'll be posting it for sale pretty soon and downsizing, in case anyone is interested.

 

[ExpoMike]

Very sorry to hear about the pup. It is never easy. Sadly we had to do the same back in 2016 and still miss our girl.

 

[mk216v]

Very sorry to hear about the pup. It is never easy. Sadly we had to do the same back in 2016 and still miss our girl.

Thank you Mike, I'm sorry for your loss as well.
Definitely not easy...a vendor made a comment that opened my grieving heart a bit; after losing many dogs, he/wife see the "opportunity" to rescue yet another pup and surround it with love. So true!

 

[sn_85]

View attachment 779440View attachment 779441

I was at OE PNW and saw this unit in person. One thing I noticed was that there was a puddle on the seat cushion right under the AC unit. There was some condensation on the internal unit of the AC dripping down the vent onto the seat. It was probably 90F that day. I don't know the technical bits of this AC unit but it's something to think about if you're considering this option.

 

[mk216v]

I was at OE PNW and saw this unit in person. One thing I noticed was that there was a puddle on the seat cushion right under the AC unit. There was some condensation on the internal unit of the AC dripping down the vent onto the seat. It was probably 90F that day. I don't know the technical bits of this AC unit but it's something to think about if you're considering this option.

Week. Hopefully that's resolved.

 

[Keyne]

Just learning about this truck and it really checks a ton of boxes.

In addition to the flat bed design, low weight, clever/simple details, fixed bed, and tons of storage. A couple big things for me is it's a non-pop-up, removable, and reasonably priced vs other expedition options (e.g. truck and camper setup cheaper than a used Earthcruiser). Also, I think it would be possible to remove it and fit the camper and the truck in a container for shipping.

Two things that seem strange to me/question:

• Toilet - Not sure I like the WrapOn toilet... with the buying bags etc. Also, really really don't like it not on a slide drawer... instead you have to take the dinette seat apart to get to it. Seems poorly designed vs. all the other great features. Thinking this could be modded by going lower into that small storage area below the current toilet, but would be easier if the switches above weren't there.
• DC Only Electrical - I like a smart design to minimize electrical usage and not needing to plug in at campgrounds, but the lack of an inverter and 110 plugs concerns me for plugging items in that don't have a USBc connection (camera battery charges, etc.). I wonder if those portable cigarette-style plug-in inverters would work but wonder in the real world how that would work.

 

[Herbie]

Toilet - Not sure I like the WrapOn toilet... with the buying bags etc. Also, really really don't like it not on a slide drawer... instead you have to take the dinette seat apart to get to it. Seems poorly designed vs. all the other great features. Thinking this could be modded by going lower into that small storage area below the current toilet, but would be easier if the switches above weren't there.

I have the same issue. For a few more years, at least, we sleep three in our camper, meaning that the cabover bed and dinette-bed are both in-use at night. Our 4WC Flatbed Hawk was not ordered with the cassette toilet, but we do keep a Thetford Curve in the lower cabinet next to the entry area, and I have modified* this cabinet so that it can be quickly deployed by anyone, including our young daughter - this means nobody else needs to get out of bed, nobody needs to be displaced while the dinette is reconfigured, etc. I get that there are a subset of folks who get really weirded out by emptying a cassette, but I've found the process relatively painless, and other than TP our only "consumable" is a small amount of tank sanitizer/deodorizer.

*Modifications included removing the lower part of the face frame and reversing the hinges so the door opens towards the curb - this means the toilet can just slide out (mounted on a board with those felt furniture sliders) and be used in the aisle.

 

[simple]

Just learning about this truck and it really checks a ton of boxes.

In addition to the flat bed design, low weight, clever/simple details, fixed bed, and tons of storage. A couple big things for me is it's a non-pop-up, removable, and reasonably priced vs other expedition options (e.g. truck and camper setup cheaper than a used Earthcruiser). Also, I think it would be possible to remove it and fit the camper and the truck in a container for shipping.

Two things that seem strange to me/question:

• Toilet - Not sure I like the WrapOn toilet... with the buying bags etc. Also, really really don't like it not on a slide drawer... instead you have to take the dinette seat apart to get to it. Seems poorly designed vs. all the other great features. Thinking this could be modded by going lower into that small storage area below the current toilet, but would be easier if the switches above weren't there.
• DC Only Electrical - I like a smart design to minimize electrical usage and not needing to plug in at campgrounds, but the lack of an inverter and 110 plugs concerns me for plugging items in that don't have a USBc connection (camera battery charges, etc.). I wonder if those portable cigarette-style plug-in inverters would work but wonder in the real world how that would work.

The little cigarette inverters work but need to matched to the amp draw of whatever you are plugging into it.
It's pretty straight forward to add an inverter on any battery bank as well as AC input.

In my opinion, in a camper this size, a toilet is more of an occasional use thing. Being able to get it out easily when needed is fine whether it is a bucket with a bag of wood chips or a porta potty or whatever kind you like.

 

[OldGreyShoe]

@Keyne just jumping in. We bought Jeremy’s rig this summer and have put 6 months of full time use into it. When I first bought it the inverter was the first thing I was going to do. Fast forward to today and for our use case we really don’t need one. I was really shocked. We have one in the cab of the truck so can use that…but again we haven’t missed it at all.

As for the toilet, we use the great outdoors…but yeah if you wanted to use it regularly it would be a PITA with the table in the way.

All that being said, it’s an exceptional setup. No rig is perfect, but this is darn close for us.

 

[Skinhyfish]

When camping in the cold… how much propane did you run through out of that 20lb bottle?

 

[OldGreyShoe]

When camping in the cold… how much propane did you run through out of that 20lb bottle?

Too many variables to answer with an absolute answer (outside temp, inside temp setting, hours of heating, cooking usage, etc.), but we’ve found that for full time use we start to check levels after a week, and from there we fill or wait. I’d say in winter conditions a 20# bottle lasts between 1 and 3 weeks.

 

[Keyne]

@Keyne just jumping in. We bought Jeremy’s rig this summer and have put 6 months of full time use into it. When I first bought it the inverter was the first thing I was going to do. Fast forward to today and for our use case we really don’t need one. I was really shocked. We have one in the cab of the truck so can use that…but again we haven’t missed it at all.

As for the toilet, we use the great outdoors…but yeah if you wanted to use it regularly it would be a PITA with the table in the way.

All that being said, it’s an exceptional setup. No rig is perfect, but this is darn close for us.

Congrats on the purchase. I have been watching your Youtube videos. Thanks for the real-world input! I think it's pretty close to the perfect setup for us. Maybe I just need to think about a modification to put the toilet on a slide-out from under that seat... Also, regarding the inverter, I would most likely follow your approach of not using an inverter for a while and see how it goes before adding one.

 

[Skinhyfish]

I would love 110 or shore power since able to plug in at some places we visit. Also while on duty at work.

We use a little spacer heater sometimes and it is great to save propane when option to plug in at friends house or spot.

 

[mk216v]

Any of the power can be added if desired. I'd looked into a 3rd LiOn battery and inverter (placing under driver side dinette).
Wrappon on a slide-out would be more difficult as the camper is built, but possible.

 

[OldGreyShoe]

Like Jeremy said anything can be done power wise. Shore power was another one I thought I would definitively do…fast forward to today, and for our use case it isn’t necessary- solar keeps everything topped off. Now if I was going to store inside and/or add AC, shore power would probably be a necessity.

@Keyne I might investigate other table options, mounting locations, etc if I was to want to use wrapon daily. Having to undo the table and move/keep out of the way is something that would drive me batty. 😂 Oh, and hope you like the Youtube vids…they take an extraordinary amount of time, but I enjoy it.