2020 Overland Explorer Vehicles (OEV) CAMP-X pop-up slide-in pickup camper (renamed "Back Country" as of 2023)

Crux

Member
For those of you that have owned a Camp-X for awhile, does the chemical smell ever go away?

If our Camp-X is closed up for a few days, when we first open it, there is a strong chemical smell.
I am not sure if the smell is from the cushions, flooring, or walls?

Once we open up the fan vent, windows, and door the smell does dissipate.
 

anthonym

Member
Took camp sweet camp down to Escalante for the weekend. I could get used to this whole hot shower thing...

@chadx the step ladder is a great recommendation, thanks. Also, the Yakima swing away hitch rack adapter has perfect clearance, at least with our bike rack. It's probably not as burly as the Wilco hitchswing or equivalents but does the trick at a pretty reasonable price.

Stuff we've figured out so far: This $30 fold up bamboo shower mat fits perfectly in the propane compartment (2020 model with 2x10# tanks) with our fresh water hose, shower attachment, grey water hose, and collapsible grey tank. Also found an under bed plastic tote at the local Kroger grocery store (6" tall) that fills up 2/3 of the under table storage space. It makes a perfect dry goods/pantry storage with enough room leftover for slippers or shoes. Put a section of non-slip shelf liner on the floor under it and it doesn't move. Put a section of the same non-slip shelf liner with a small plastic bin on top of the battery box inside the battery/water tank compartment to store infrequently used stuff (shore power cable, winterizing kit, emergency ponchos/blanket, all the manuals, etc.).

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No camper, but hope camp dog pics are allowed:
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Chadx

♫ Off road, again. Just can't wait to get...
For those of you that have owned a Camp-X for awhile, does the chemical smell ever go away?
If our Camp-X is closed up for a few days, when we first open it, there is a strong chemical smell.
I am not sure if the smell is from the cushions, flooring, or walls?
Once we open up the fan vent, windows, and door the smell does dissipate.

After owning our CAMP-X for about a year, we still have that faint "new car smell". Nothing that bothers us; we actually like it. Likely a sentimental thing for having bought so few new cars or new campers in our lives (we typically buy used). It does air out quickly.
Though it doesn't bother us and we are fond of it, I can see how someone that is sensitive to odors could find it bothersome. A quick air out before each trip should help.
 

Chadx

♫ Off road, again. Just can't wait to get...
Took camp sweet camp down to Escalante for the weekend. I could get used to this whole hot shower thing...
Stuff we've figured out so far: This $30 fold up bamboo shower mat fits perfectly...

Nice! We were in Escalante, Kodachrome, Bryce, etc. from April 9 - 14 (plus a day or two on both ends of that for backroad driving/camping from, and back to, Bozeman.)

We did mostly dispersed camping down there. That was conducive to outside showers since no neighbors. And my wife ordered us the exact same bamboo shower mat before our trip which worked great. I'll post a few images in a separate thread.
 
Took camp sweet camp down to Escalante for the weekend. I could get used to this whole hot shower thing...

@chadx the step ladder is a great recommendation, thanks. Also, the Yakima swing away hitch rack adapter has perfect clearance, at least with our bike rack. It's probably not as burly as the Wilco hitchswing or equivalents but does the trick at a pretty reasonable price.

Stuff we've figured out so far: This $30 fold up bamboo shower mat fits perfectly in the propane compartment (2020 model with 2x10# tanks) with our fresh water hose, shower attachment, grey water hose, and collapsible grey tank. Also found an under bed plastic tote at the local Kroger grocery store (6" tall) that fills up 2/3 of the under table storage space. It makes a perfect dry goods/pantry storage with enough room leftover for slippers or shoes. Put a section of non-slip shelf liner on the floor under it and it doesn't move. Put a section of the same non-slip shelf liner with a small plastic bin on top of the battery box inside the battery/water tank compartment to store infrequently used stuff (shore power cable, winterizing kit, emergency ponchos/blanket, all the manuals, etc.).

View attachment 658599

View attachment 658598

No camper, but hope camp dog pics are allowed:
View attachment 658600
Make sure you don't have the main latch too tight on the Yakima when it's closed. There's a small e-clip holding the pin for the u-bolt in place, after a couple of years ours gave way and I had to get a replacement. Caused by too much stress from the big u-bolt being clamped too tight. (I think I worded that correctly as I'm doing it from memory).

Interested in a pic of the collapsible grey tank if you've got one, that's something I've wanted a better solution than the "old" hard plastic water carrier I'd been using.
 

Chadx

♫ Off road, again. Just can't wait to get...
As mentioned, we recently returned from a trip to Escalante, Kodachrome Basin, Bryce, etc. We did mostly dispersed camping down there and stayed in a different place each night. Will add a few images, but will also convey a few camper specific thoughts.

A couple hours of driving each day was plenty to keep the battery where I wanted it and I that was with the REDARC charge rate set to 10amps. I typically like to keep the REDARC charge rate as low as appropriate for that days re-charge needs as to not draw from the alternator at a higher rater than needed plus I do not want to run the lithium camper battery back up to 100% each day. No need. We start our trip with it at 100% but as long as I recharge to about 70 - 90% SOC each day, I'm good with that. Though, if I had solar and it kept it at 100%, I'd be fine with that, too (except when storing). I also have a battery disconnect wired in under the pickup hood which I added at the time of camper install since I knew I'd go with a lithium battery at some point and would want the switch to disconnect charging in certain instances. On this trip, on the second to last day, I turned the switch off so no charge went to the camper battery. Got home with 30% SOC and so used shore power, rather than alternator, to up the SOC I wanted before for a few week storage (50% - 60% SOC). I'd brought our flexible solar panel along since we don't have one mounted on the camper roof, but I never used it. Nice to have as a backup, though.

Some cool nights up in high-elevation Bryce (20F degrees one night) and most nights were down to about 30 - 40F. Days were in the 60s. Little to no condensation. Our camper has the black insulating foam tape around the lower extrusion but not the upper ceiling one like newer CAMP-X have. That is the only place we ever get any condensation and it is minor. Evaporates before we close down for the morning. Still amazed and so thankful for no condensation on the ceiling, walls and especially under the bed like on our FWC.

We used the water heater the first few days when lows were in the 40s then drained it before lows dropped into the 30s. Refilled it once, to take showers, then drained it again for the rest of the trip. Tip: To not waste water when you drain the water heater, use a container to catch all the water when you flip down the yellow bar to pop out the water heater filter screen and drain. Easy to catch the water and use it for something else (we use it to refill the flush reservoir on our portable toilet). We only needed to refill the 10 gallon water tank one time. That was with four fast showers and we used it for our drinking water (we have a PUR filter pitcher that we fill in the sink to filter water before storing in our personal aluminum water bottles or into a large 1 gallon aluminum bottle so it's ready to go during the day).

For the last 5 years, I've had one section of our Tundra's Double Cab (extended cab; not crew cab) rear seat removed (the 2/3 sized, drivers side). So much easier to use that area for camping trips and all our other gear hauling activities. I'd wanted a platform back there to give two tiered storage but never got around to it. Decided no time like the present and so hastily built and installed something two days before our trip. So glad I did. It made the trip so much easier. I'd left it raw plywood as I ran out of time plus wanted to test it before spending time and money giving it a nice finish. I'll now pull it all out and sand/paint or carpet, possibly revamp a bit, or even look at available aftermarket solutions (which are high dollar) since I now know it's worth it to us.

I'll limit my pictures to images with the camper and leave out the "astounding view" pictures, but I have to say, sooooooo many great views and amazing images from the trip. The CAMP-X is the perfect rig for this type of trip. You can easily and quickly get to dispersed camping and drive your entire rig to hiking and biking areas that RVs or camper trailers have trouble getting to quickly or at all. And you can plan your through route without having to backtrack to pick up a camper trailer you dropped off because of rough conditions.

Here we go...



This is a dispersed camping spot about 13 miles down Hole in the Rock road and a few miles off on a side road. For those unaware, Hole in the Rock road is a 62 mile long road that is so washboard, you either drive 8 - 10mph or 45+ mph. Needless to say I can assure everyone that a CAMP-X can easily endure two 33 mile long runs of high speed washboard road. There are only a few twisty turns that one has to slow down below "float" speed and those are brutal. Probably more wear and tear on the truck and camper in those handful of 100 yard sections than the rest of the road combined. It gets interesting because you are mixing 10mph traffic with 45 - 65mph traffic but everyone plays nice and understands each others situation and the road is mostly as wide as a 3 or 4 lane road. From my previous experience on other washboard roads, and as one would expect, this much weight on the rear axle makes 2 wheel drive mode useless and dangerous at speed so I didn't even try that. For high speed washboard work, 4 wheel high range and a rally car mentality are all you need. There was so much to see down this road and we could have spent 3 days seeing it all, but limited it to the highlights (Devil's Garden, Peek-a-boo and Spooky slot canyons) and moved on.

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Devil's Garden parking lot down Hole in the Rock Rd.

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Kodachrome Basin has a couple campground options but why bother when you can camp dispersed within a mile or two. When you pay for a day pass to enter the park and hike or bike, you get use of the potable water fillup and other facilities, too.

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Bryce Canyon National Park was the most dramatic area. We stayed in a campground since we hit it as just the right time and there were some openings and Mrs. Chadx was ready for a token-run, 9 minute rather than outside CAMP-X shower. Ha. Campground camper pic not worth sharing but have to sneak in one "view" shot. None of these images, including this one, are post-processed yet and as it looked to the naked eye. Really something.

By the way, for anyone that has ever been in the military, since Veterans Day 2020, Gold Star Families and US military veterans are eligible to receive free access to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas, including national parks, wildlife refuges, and forests. More info available online. Bryce was the first time I had a chance to use that free access and it is much appreciated.

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Drive westward.
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Another pull out with short hike.
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Happened upon a campground down near Coral Pink Sand Dunes that had been open for maybe a week or two at the most. Many, many great dispersed camp spots in this area and ATV trails, but some looked like the sand depth could be an issue and we'd never experiences a campground that was so new that the outhouses still smelled of fresh paint, the cut back limbs were still pushing sap, and the spray paint on the ground was still visible that was used to mark where the gravel road and pads were to be.

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This brand new campground was the last stop of note. We drove to Kanab, UT the next morning and put in for the lottery to hike 'The Wave', but didn't get it so started our meandering drive home through backroads and mountains until the snow moved into the national forest mountains southeast of Provo where we camped that night. We chose to cut the trip a day short and when we got up in the morning, headed northwest to get on the Interstate and make the 9 hour drive straight home including through pouring rain in Salt Lake, but figured that was better than two days on snowy and icy backroads through the planned mountain route. Great trip and great rig for such a trip!
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Chadx

♫ Off road, again. Just can't wait to get...
Interested in a pic of the collapsible grey tank if you've got one, that's something I've wanted a better solution than the "old" hard plastic water carrier I'd been using.


This is the type that many use. Simply a collapsible water container; not specifically for grey water. Will at least allow one to collect it and dump it someplace more appropriate. Water Container
 
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pkita99

Member
I know this is a loaded question but after owning the camper do you guys so far not regret your decision and think it is worthwhile purchase? I have a scout yoho on order (Q1 2022 delivery....) but recently went to a local dealer that had a camp x and me and the wife liked it a lot better than the yoho. Only thing after all said and done it comes out to $45K total (20 grand more than the scout).

Any input would be highly appreciated.

Thank you
 

Chadx

♫ Off road, again. Just can't wait to get...
I know this is a loaded question but after owning the camper do you guys so far not regret your decision and think it is worthwhile purchase? I have a scout yoho on order (Q1 2022 delivery....) but recently went to a local dealer that had a camp x and me and the wife liked it a lot better than the yoho. Only thing after all said and done it comes out to $45K total (20 grand more than the scout).

Really a personal question that no one on here can answer because everyone values things differently. Everyone here likely thinks the CAMP-X is right for them and their use, but that doesn't mean it's right for your tastes and needs or worth the extra cost. They are two different price points, as you noted, and it's great to have choices. The economy of the Scouts can't be denied, so value really comes down to if one wants the creature comforts of the CAMP-X.

First decision is if you want pop-up or hard sided. There are pros and cons to both. Then, construction material is the next factor. Aluminum frame, like the Scout and FWC or composite honeycomb with R8 hard walls and R4 soft walls. Then, the various systems are what raise the price point. Built in water tank, plumbing, pump, water heater, furnace, battery, REDARC management system, fridge etc. For us, the CAMP-X ticked the boxes.

There are many great campers out there both above and below the price points of these two great campers. We had saved up enough to afford the CAMP-X with no loan which was one of our criteria. If we were in the position to buy something twice as expensive, we may have considered other options. If we were in the position to buy something half this price, we would have gone that route and can confidently say we would have used and enjoyed the heck out of it.

Personally, the value as you get more and more expensive, in all campers, drops off. A tent compared to a shell slide-in camper; Big leap. Add plumbing, power, heater, etc. and another big bump in value. That would be the difference between the Scout and the CAMP-X. But after that, it's mostly cosmetic upgrades in materials. Even within the Overland Explorer line of campers you can see this diminishing return. Of all the models they offer, the CAMPX is by far the best value for what you get. The value for your dollar drops off a lot with each bump up in price point. The CAMP-HBE I'm gaga for, but at twice the cost of the CAMP-X, once you add in the cost of the tray, you don't get twice the value in my opinion...but that doesn't mean I won't own one someday. Same with the next twice-the-price jump up the CAMP-HBE to the future BASE-CAMP model then twice the price again up to the SUMMIT series. I absolutely love all of them and would love to own them, but realistically, each step up in "twice the price" is not getting you "twice the camper" from a features and size perspective. All just my opinion to mix with other's opinions and your own research. Just trying to give one man's perspective.
 

anthonym

Member
Make sure you don't have the main latch too tight on the Yakima when it's closed. There's a small e-clip holding the pin for the u-bolt in place, after a couple of years ours gave way and I had to get a replacement. Caused by too much stress from the big u-bolt being clamped too tight. (I think I worded that correctly as I'm doing it from memory).
Thanks for the heads up. I definitely have it cranked pretty tight right now, will back off a touch.

This is the type that many use. Simply a collapsible water container; not specifically for grey water. Will at least allow one to collect it and dump it someplace more appropriate. Water Container
Yup, looks like the one we have. We're pretty stingy with water so not much going in there anyway, but it's nice for drowning campfires or otherwise properly disposing of it if the campsite area is unsuitable.

I know this is a loaded question but after owning the camper do you guys so far not regret your decision and think it is worthwhile purchase? I have a scout yoho on order (Q1 2022 delivery....) but recently went to a local dealer that had a camp x and me and the wife liked it a lot better than the yoho. Only thing after all said and done it comes out to $45K total (20 grand more than the scout).
We haven't had it long, but I'm thrilled so far. We wanted popup for added comfort/mileage while driving but more so for clearance. Spent years thinking about it and looking at FWC and equivalents. CAMP-X was, for our purposes, better quality and a better fit in the same ballpark of price and we could skip the 12 month lead time. The insulation, furnace, and thoughtful plumbing (so we can still use water in the cold) really sealed the deal. We've had some on-off issues with the roof that OEV is going to completely replace and are still quite happy despite the mild aggravation.

But take all that with a grain of salt—we just bought a truck to carry the camper and this camper to go on it so I'm deep into confirmation bias territory here :)
 
Ordered a 5 gallon collapsible from ebay last night, thanks for the pointers. Easier to store than the hard 5 gallon container I had been using :)

Has anyone had any issues with the small rubber "feet" that support the glass over the stove top and the sink? One has gone missing from our sink and I've a loose one from the stove. It doesn't want to just push back in to place...
 

Crux

Member
I know this is a loaded question but after owning the camper do you guys so far not regret your decision and think it is worthwhile purchase? I have a scout yoho on order (Q1 2022 delivery....) but recently went to a local dealer that had a camp x and me and the wife liked it a lot better than the yoho. Only thing after all said and done it comes out to $45K total (20 grand more than the scout).

Any input would be highly appreciated.

Thank you
We considered the Scout, but wanted more than a shell with a 5 gallon water bottle bolted to the wall and we didn’t want to wait 12 months. Plus the popup Camp-X has a much lower center of gravity than the tall hard-walled Scout, which can become critical when navigating off camber 4x4 roads.
If we ever wanted to try something different, I imagine the resale value of the Camp-X will be relatively high due to the quality craftsmanship.
 

pkita99

Member
Thanks for everyone's input. Decided to bite the bullet and get the camp-x. Installation next week :)

With that said have a question in regards to truck. I have a 2020 Ram 2500 Cummins. The door sticker says 2250lbs max payload, coil suspension in the back. From everyone's experience should I already order a set of airbags for it or wait and see how it rides with the camper on. What you guys running on your trucks (airbags?) and how is the ride? Enough clearance to get off the beaten path?

Thank you again for all the info.
 

Dunzee

New member
Thanks Chadx and everyone for the great ideas. We too are in line for a Camp X in mid July. I’m toying with the idea of adding a grey water tank along the truck bed rail. Has anyone tried this yet? My Camp X is going on a 2018 Ram Power Wagon as a reference.



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