2020 Overland Explorer Vehicles (OEV) CAMP-X pop-up slide-in pickup camper (renamed "Back Country" as of 2023)
- Thread starter Chadx
- Start date
Truma makes it, great if you want to keep water in the AquaGo in cold temperatures while driving https://shop.truma.net/products/aquago-electric-antifreeze-kit?variant=12505781633118
ontheroad22
Member
Lots of great answers here... just wanted to add my response as I'm in the Pacific Northwest as well. We have been using it with night time lows in the 20s and 30s with the truma at 58 degrees. It's a fantastic heater... amazing how quickly you can warm the space up. We crack a window through the night and we get condensation every morning on the upper extrusion. In the picture you can see droplets of water. We typically leave it as is and it dries up. Occasionally there will be a few drips. We have yet to have a morning where we didn't have these droplets but we've never had condensation anywhere else. @chadx story from Orcas Island is one of the biggest reasons we opted for the Camp X. Under the bed and the walls have been completely dry. If the only condensation is on the upper extrusion, I'm a happy camper.
ontheroad22
Member
A post sharing some of the products and hacks that have paired well with the Camp-X.
Backup camera: Once you remove the tailgate you can wire a new backup camera using the factory wiring and in dash screen. By sourcing the same camera that came with your truck, the backup camera functionality is essentially the same. Here's the wiring from the truck:
And then up to the camper door:
I purchased mine at Camera Source.
The storage that was created under the dinette (thanks to @chadx) has been mentioned for shoes. We use it for clothes. This bin fits perfectly with a little
room to spare for shoes or a dirty clothes bag.
I wanted to have the hand soap and dish soap secured and still be able to open the sink and stovetop covers:
The counter space is precious of course, so here a few ways to get items on the walls:
Links:
Toilet roll holder
Sponge rack
Shelf
Magnet for the knife
Also used the magnet for the truck and camper keys:
Hooks mounted for hanging coats which are not in the way when seated at the dinette:
Final tip: This bag has been incredible for storing the ladder. A muddy, wet ladder is the last thing you want to put in your truck or camper... this bag keeps everything else clean.
Backup camera: Once you remove the tailgate you can wire a new backup camera using the factory wiring and in dash screen. By sourcing the same camera that came with your truck, the backup camera functionality is essentially the same. Here's the wiring from the truck:
And then up to the camper door:
I purchased mine at Camera Source.
The storage that was created under the dinette (thanks to @chadx) has been mentioned for shoes. We use it for clothes. This bin fits perfectly with a little
room to spare for shoes or a dirty clothes bag.
I wanted to have the hand soap and dish soap secured and still be able to open the sink and stovetop covers:
The counter space is precious of course, so here a few ways to get items on the walls:
Links:
Toilet roll holder
Sponge rack
Shelf
Magnet for the knife
Also used the magnet for the truck and camper keys:
Hooks mounted for hanging coats which are not in the way when seated at the dinette:
Final tip: This bag has been incredible for storing the ladder. A muddy, wet ladder is the last thing you want to put in your truck or camper... this bag keeps everything else clean.
crystalclear
Observer
as another happy owner of a camp-x, coming from an fwc, let me just say the build quality is night and day. after adding some additional adhesive hd foam around exposed aluminum framing components, condensation is virtually zero.
looking forward to adding any hacks/input i can
looking forward to adding any hacks/input i can
seahaul
Active member
@ontheroad22 thanks for the ideas! We did the camper source thing too and mounted it under the door, your other ideas are brilliant! We also got some hooks and hand stuff from the insulation where the tension cords attach. We will be copying some of your counter ideas!!
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crystalclear
Observer
prob one of my favorite little mods yet - dimmer dial for interior and exterior lights (as well as adding matching led porch lights to both sides of the camper)
ontheroad22
Member
That's fantastic! One of my few critiques of the Camp-X is its lack of dimmable lights. Can you provide details on your mod?
Dread Pirate Sushi
New member
Hi all,
I had condensation building up when I was using the camper from late August until the middle of October on Vancouver Island. There were a couple rain storms including the first Alaskan low of the season. The humidity was really high and the exposed metal/extrusions inside were building up quite a bit of water and I also noticed condensation along the aluminum under the mattress and the seat cushions.
This was no good so I bought (lots) rolls of 1/8th x 4 inches and 1/4 x 2 inch weather stripping and extended the thermal break along the interior ceiling by 2-3 inches. I covered all the exposed metal including covering as much of the front and rear pop-up pivots. I also added weather stripping along the interior band where the tent is connected to the Camp-X body. The extended thermal break worked equally well in the coastal rain forest humidity and in the Rockies toward the mid/end of October with pretty mild -2C overnight temps plus more cold nights spent in the Praries, northern ON, QC and my 14 day quarantine once I got back to the East Coast. I was making a cheap-skate dash back east so I kept the top down at night with no condensation issues at all despite the much smaller interior volume and sub (Canadian) zero temps.
One of the thermal break photos has (along the right side of the photo) a storage mod I can't remember if I posted already; Velcro mesh pockets from Amazon (along the wall behind the sink & stove hung off 15lb Velcro from CanTire). I keep kitchen tools, dish soap, cutting boards, etc. They have held up very well in the near 3 months I lived out of it earlier this year. I will cover the pivots in the spring either with auto carpet bonded directly or with a fabric wrap secured with Velcro so it can be removed before dropping the top. I am also thinking of covering the ceiling with light coloured, low pile carpet.
...next projects...some awning extensions to get better runoff protection over the truck cab (I'm thinking of a Shady Boy awning attached to the front of the camper), some more interior mods to increase storage, and a mild kitchen reno; should be fun.
I had condensation building up when I was using the camper from late August until the middle of October on Vancouver Island. There were a couple rain storms including the first Alaskan low of the season. The humidity was really high and the exposed metal/extrusions inside were building up quite a bit of water and I also noticed condensation along the aluminum under the mattress and the seat cushions.
This was no good so I bought (lots) rolls of 1/8th x 4 inches and 1/4 x 2 inch weather stripping and extended the thermal break along the interior ceiling by 2-3 inches. I covered all the exposed metal including covering as much of the front and rear pop-up pivots. I also added weather stripping along the interior band where the tent is connected to the Camp-X body. The extended thermal break worked equally well in the coastal rain forest humidity and in the Rockies toward the mid/end of October with pretty mild -2C overnight temps plus more cold nights spent in the Praries, northern ON, QC and my 14 day quarantine once I got back to the East Coast. I was making a cheap-skate dash back east so I kept the top down at night with no condensation issues at all despite the much smaller interior volume and sub (Canadian) zero temps.
One of the thermal break photos has (along the right side of the photo) a storage mod I can't remember if I posted already; Velcro mesh pockets from Amazon (along the wall behind the sink & stove hung off 15lb Velcro from CanTire). I keep kitchen tools, dish soap, cutting boards, etc. They have held up very well in the near 3 months I lived out of it earlier this year. I will cover the pivots in the spring either with auto carpet bonded directly or with a fabric wrap secured with Velcro so it can be removed before dropping the top. I am also thinking of covering the ceiling with light coloured, low pile carpet.
...next projects...some awning extensions to get better runoff protection over the truck cab (I'm thinking of a Shady Boy awning attached to the front of the camper), some more interior mods to increase storage, and a mild kitchen reno; should be fun.
Attachments
crystalclear
Observer
sure, used this:
wired as follows:
inputs into dimmer: from the fuse block
outputs from dimmer: to the leads that originally went into fuse box
doing it this way, you still need to turn on the factory switch for lights to come on, but if the switch is on, you can also leave it on and use the dimmer to switch them all off as well
Dread Pirate Sushi
New member
In my case it's a combination of new owner ignorance (and/or learning cure ) coupled with extreme laziness...
Steve Hawkins
New member
Hi Folks. Newbie type question here.
My truck's payload is 3,600 pounds. With the Camp-X, I am about 2,000 pounds under maximum payload. I am experiencing "bounce" with the camper on at highway speeds. Any bump or irregularity in the road causes the truck to "wallow like a pig". Almost like I have a truckload of water in the back sloshing around. The effect is that the truck bounces all around, and sometimes feels unstable.
Are "bump stops" the correct solution to this type of problem?
I am guessing that bumps in the road cause more extreme compression of the springs in the suspension with the additional 1,200 pounds in the back. Which, results in oscillation of the springs, and the "wallowing" affect. I have read that "bump stops" will prevent this over-compression, and absorb some of the force place on the springs from the camper load and the bumps in the road.
I have no experience here, and just wanted to run this by a few folks here. Thanks.
My truck's payload is 3,600 pounds. With the Camp-X, I am about 2,000 pounds under maximum payload. I am experiencing "bounce" with the camper on at highway speeds. Any bump or irregularity in the road causes the truck to "wallow like a pig". Almost like I have a truckload of water in the back sloshing around. The effect is that the truck bounces all around, and sometimes feels unstable.
Are "bump stops" the correct solution to this type of problem?
I am guessing that bumps in the road cause more extreme compression of the springs in the suspension with the additional 1,200 pounds in the back. Which, results in oscillation of the springs, and the "wallowing" affect. I have read that "bump stops" will prevent this over-compression, and absorb some of the force place on the springs from the camper load and the bumps in the road.
I have no experience here, and just wanted to run this by a few folks here. Thanks.
crystalclear
Observer
could be many different things within your suspension and steering
- bushings, sway bars, shocks, springs, bump stops (id venture to say not bump stops as they typically dont come into play unless there is a lot of compression and bottoming out), id even check all your ball joints, tre’s, etc....
sounds no good - id take it to your trusted shop and have everything looked over
- bushings, sway bars, shocks, springs, bump stops (id venture to say not bump stops as they typically dont come into play unless there is a lot of compression and bottoming out), id even check all your ball joints, tre’s, etc....
sounds no good - id take it to your trusted shop and have everything looked over