Yes, not much info. There is this thread... https://expeditionportal.com/forum/...mper-soft-wall-and-hard-wall-versions.222352/
2021 Overland Explorer Vehicles (OEV) CAMP-HBE pop-up flatbed pickup camper (renamed the "Hudson Bay" for 2023 model year)
- Thread starter Chadx
- Start date
Ninelitetrip
Well-known member
They are doing so well it seems with the acceptance of the CAMP-X, HBE, and Aluma tray that perhaps they are holding back on the BASE-CAMP.
Ninelitetrip
Well-known member
If you should get any useful information please post in the BASE-CAMP thread.
Ninelitetrip
Well-known member
Certainly there are improvements that can be made to the HBE. Moving the shower pan over to the entryway as I believe it has been done on the BASE-CAMP would give some added storage underneath the table. The lav closet could use a rethink, more storage to be gained there.
I have visited them recently and had a look at the Basecamp. It looks very good and has a lot mor storage than the HBE. I also asked them why they don´t move the shower in HBE to the entrance. The problem seems to be that the entrance sits directly on the tray and there is no room for the drain. I think it could be solved if the wastewater tank is put underneath the tray and the the drain goes through a hole in the tray with a quick connect to the greywater tank. In the HBE I would use a porta potti which can be pulled out of the lav closet into the entrance for use. This way the whole space above the toilet could be used for storage.
Not sure how you would handle a drain size quick connect. Also at some point the simplicity of the concept is erased and you have a system complex and costly enough why not just step up to the Base Camp?
I do think the porta potti is a great idea. I plan on using this - El-Dukee™ Trash Can / Toilet Combo - Fish Fighter® Products (fishfighterproducts.com)
I also plan on moving to the Base Camp. I want the HBE to work, I like the simplicity of the HBE and the easy ability to take it off the "tray" and use the pickup for other things. Just don't think the comprises of weight, size, storage, lack of AC etc make it a good fit for my use.
Someone asked on this thread about expectations of storage etc. Mine are pretty easy. Enough food, gear, clothing etc. to jump in and leave for a three day weekend and everything is always onboard in it's assigned place ready to go. Except perishables of course.
I do think the porta potti is a great idea. I plan on using this - El-Dukee™ Trash Can / Toilet Combo - Fish Fighter® Products (fishfighterproducts.com)
I also plan on moving to the Base Camp. I want the HBE to work, I like the simplicity of the HBE and the easy ability to take it off the "tray" and use the pickup for other things. Just don't think the comprises of weight, size, storage, lack of AC etc make it a good fit for my use.
Someone asked on this thread about expectations of storage etc. Mine are pretty easy. Enough food, gear, clothing etc. to jump in and leave for a three day weekend and everything is always onboard in it's assigned place ready to go. Except perishables of course.
I've always liked the idea of showers being located in the entryway right inside the camper door. I wouldn't mind there needing to be a drain hole cut in the tray but you still need some type of floorplan to direct the water to the drain which would mean there being some type of raised floor in the entry.
Way long ago, they had a prototype with the CAMP-HBE shower in the toilet cabinet. This would be a good option for those with a portable toilet, but not so much with a cassette toilet as the cassette toilet takes up so much room there is little space to stand. The drain hose could go through a hole in the tray and onto the ground or into a bucket, or the drain hose could go into a holding tank built into the front passenger tray compartment.
That being said, perhaps the current shower location is the best. I recently went onto the OEV CAMP-HBE gallery and there are updates images of the new battery box under the passenger dinette seat and the updated shower pan (pasted below). It seems the pan is still quite elevated due to the need to drain out the angled rear of the camper rather than through the tray (which would be directly into the slide-out drawer that is built into the rear of the tray). The result has been a slightly lower shower pan floor, but it's still quite a bit higher than the rest of the camper floor. In the previous version of the showerpan, the height from ceiling down to the shower pan was 63" (5' 3"). I would like to see the measurement from the ceiling to the new, lower shower pan to understand how much was gained by the redesign. Hard to tell from the image, but it looks like the showerpan may be 4" to 6" deeper before. If so, that would mean around 5' 7" to 5' 9" headroom now.
My preference would be a much lower drain pan and the drain could exit towards the passenger side of the shower pan and the hose run sideways until it cleared the slide out drawer built into the tray. The hose could then go down through a hole into the tray and either drain directly onto the ground/bucket or into an under tray holding tank (perhaps within the passenger rear tray compartment). This would slam the shower pan all the way down to the floor, but allow the drain house to route around, and not impact, the rear, in-trays sliding drawer.
Way long ago, they had a prototype with the CAMP-HBE shower in the toilet cabinet. This would be a good option for those with a portable toilet, but not so much with a cassette toilet as the cassette toilet takes up so much room there is little space to stand. The drain hose could go through a hole in the tray and onto the ground or into a bucket, or the drain hose could go into a holding tank built into the front passenger tray compartment.
That being said, perhaps the current shower location is the best. I recently went onto the OEV CAMP-HBE gallery and there are updates images of the new battery box under the passenger dinette seat and the updated shower pan (pasted below). It seems the pan is still quite elevated due to the need to drain out the angled rear of the camper rather than through the tray (which would be directly into the slide-out drawer that is built into the rear of the tray). The result has been a slightly lower shower pan floor, but it's still quite a bit higher than the rest of the camper floor. In the previous version of the showerpan, the height from ceiling down to the shower pan was 63" (5' 3"). I would like to see the measurement from the ceiling to the new, lower shower pan to understand how much was gained by the redesign. Hard to tell from the image, but it looks like the showerpan may be 4" to 6" deeper before. If so, that would mean around 5' 7" to 5' 9" headroom now.
My preference would be a much lower drain pan and the drain could exit towards the passenger side of the shower pan and the hose run sideways until it cleared the slide out drawer built into the tray. The hose could then go down through a hole into the tray and either drain directly onto the ground/bucket or into an under tray holding tank (perhaps within the passenger rear tray compartment). This would slam the shower pan all the way down to the floor, but allow the drain house to route around, and not impact, the rear, in-trays sliding drawer.
Others may have other reasons, but the two main reasons for us would be, first, like you said, BASE-CAMP is not easily removable for when you need the pickup in the summer or to remove and store the camper in the off-season.
Second is the BASE-CAMP is roughly twice the price of the CAMP-HBE. Jumping up an extra $80,000 over an already quite expensive CAMP-HBE is simply out of reach for many. I submit that the CAMP-HBE (with tray) being about twice the price of a CAMP-X is already straining the value question of "Are you getting twice the value for twice the price?". The BASE-CAMP is four times the price of the CAMP-X and twice the price of the CAMP-HBE. Each potential buyer will have to evaluate for themselves if they are getting two or four times the value over other OEV offerings. That value evaluation as well as the simple questions of how are you using it and what do you prefer.
And, didn't even consider needing a different type of pickup to carry the BASE-CAMP. They are currently only specing them for a Ford F-350.
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MobileCabin
Member
Just look at the Nimbl for the layout. It appears to work for them.
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In our CAMP-X, we use a regular Thetford portable toilet, but the CAMP-HBE opens up a lot more options. We try to avoid using our camper toilet for solids if other options are available (outhouses or safe areas to bury), but sometimes those options are not available or more challenging that usual (areas with lots of biting insects, etc.) I originally liked the idea of a composting toilet as we liked the idea of separating urine from solids, but composting toilets need constant venting and, even though it is really only a "dirt" smell, it wasn't appealing since that vent would likely run out the nearest wall and that would mean the dirt smell venting by the entry door. Also of consideration was that I park in my shop so the dirt smell would fill the shop.
I then though about the Wrappon solution. However, it is designed to bag up the waste after every use which seems expensive and unnecessary for urine.
We finally discovered a combination dry toilet. It bags solids and has a separate reservoir for urine. They are called the Separett Waterless Toilets and the particular model is called the "Tiny with Urine Container" (because they also make a version called the "Tiny with Urine Tube" which has no container and drains into a holding tank, etc.
These do have a vent you can hookup, but since one can immediately remove the bag of solids and there is no composting material that remains in the toilet, it wouldn't be needed. Wishing we could fit this in the CAMP-X. If we go with CAMP-HBE in the future, this one is our current choice for our needs.
Link: https://separett.shop/collections/toilets/products/tiny-with-urine-container
I then though about the Wrappon solution. However, it is designed to bag up the waste after every use which seems expensive and unnecessary for urine.
We finally discovered a combination dry toilet. It bags solids and has a separate reservoir for urine. They are called the Separett Waterless Toilets and the particular model is called the "Tiny with Urine Container" (because they also make a version called the "Tiny with Urine Tube" which has no container and drains into a holding tank, etc.
These do have a vent you can hookup, but since one can immediately remove the bag of solids and there is no composting material that remains in the toilet, it wouldn't be needed. Wishing we could fit this in the CAMP-X. If we go with CAMP-HBE in the future, this one is our current choice for our needs.
Link: https://separett.shop/collections/toilets/products/tiny-with-urine-container
I've loved those campers since they were first introduced way back when as XPCampers. Love the shower placement as well. Little different layout and design allows them to do the shower there. The camper is only for a long bed and the toilet stall is a bit larger than there is room for in the CAMP-HBE. Nimbl also has a false floor (I think the 80-gallon fresh water tank and heated 24-gallon grey water tank are park of what is in the floor pack). The false floor gives them room for plumbing under the floor you are walking on.
They are also $250,000 for the base model (of which $70,000 is an allowance for the pickup, so figure about $180,000 for the camper and tray). More of a competitor for the BASE-CAMP.
Ninelitetrip
Well-known member
Absent the detailed information of what exactly you get with the BASE-CAMP in comparison with the HBE I find it hard to justify the doubling in cost. I already plan on an F350 SRW so that's a wash. They dropped the initial separate AC system to something that requires the truck to be running, and the heating system adds complexity. And you get a larger dinette area.
Ninelitetrip
Well-known member
One of the reasons I preferred the HBE is because of the desire to use it and colder temps and inclement weather. Not always chasing sunny days. Having that indoor shower is a big plus to me, as well as the lav. They have the know-how and the skills. There has to be a way to deepen the shower tray even more and reconfigure the lav closet.
Ninelitetrip
Well-known member
I do like the BASE-CAMP. I'll be watching with interest.
When I looked at the Basecamp the obvious differences were:
Cabin is firmly attached to the frame. Saves weight and height, for me a plus. (+) for others a deal killer.
Only works with one type of vehicle (-)
Roof is raised electrically (+)
Diesel or gas heating and hot water. For me no advantage over propane but a lot more expensive and in my experience prone to problems (-). OEV would probably install propane if desired.
More space inside because it is longer. It has underbed storage. (+)
Much better location of shower in the entrance. (+)
In my view it would be fairly simple to get a "poor man´s version" (about half price) of the Basecamp. Take an 8 ft HBE (which is actually the same size as the 6.5) without tray and jacks. Connect it to the frame with a simple lightweight subframe. Relocate the shower pan into the entrance and put a greywater tank under the entrance. If you install 2 drains diagonally in the corners of the pan you don´t really have to put a slope into the pan for drainage if the truck is not level (they never are). That saves height. Put a Porta potti or cassette toilet on a slide sliding into the entrance. Install storage containers under the cabin. You would then have a fixed cabin pop up with additional storage where the shower pan used to be and more storage in the lav. closet. Additional storage would be in the rear where the angled rear in the 6.5 version is. The only disadvantage to the Basecamp would be the lack of underbed storage.
When I was in Red Deer I looked at both the 8 ft and the 6.5ft HBE. The difference in storage is significant and the difference in departure angles is really not relevant because the cabin is so high up.
Cabin is firmly attached to the frame. Saves weight and height, for me a plus. (+) for others a deal killer.
Only works with one type of vehicle (-)
Roof is raised electrically (+)
Diesel or gas heating and hot water. For me no advantage over propane but a lot more expensive and in my experience prone to problems (-). OEV would probably install propane if desired.
More space inside because it is longer. It has underbed storage. (+)
Much better location of shower in the entrance. (+)
In my view it would be fairly simple to get a "poor man´s version" (about half price) of the Basecamp. Take an 8 ft HBE (which is actually the same size as the 6.5) without tray and jacks. Connect it to the frame with a simple lightweight subframe. Relocate the shower pan into the entrance and put a greywater tank under the entrance. If you install 2 drains diagonally in the corners of the pan you don´t really have to put a slope into the pan for drainage if the truck is not level (they never are). That saves height. Put a Porta potti or cassette toilet on a slide sliding into the entrance. Install storage containers under the cabin. You would then have a fixed cabin pop up with additional storage where the shower pan used to be and more storage in the lav. closet. Additional storage would be in the rear where the angled rear in the 6.5 version is. The only disadvantage to the Basecamp would be the lack of underbed storage.
When I was in Red Deer I looked at both the 8 ft and the 6.5ft HBE. The difference in storage is significant and the difference in departure angles is really not relevant because the cabin is so high up.