INTERIOR living system for truck campers

[driven.to.roam]

My experience has been as follows:
1. Marine plywood will stay together and not delaminate after getting rained on. It is pretty soft, so it will get gouged up if used as a floor without a hard finish or layer bonded to the top.

2. An alternative is cabinet-grade wood (It has more plys and is very stiff) and sealing the edges well with fiberglass resin. You can also skin the surface with fiberglass cloth (I did this for my removable platform, as it's stiff and also slippery, so that I can slide the cooking unit out by myself). Fiberglass is messy and labor intensive, so it's a judgement call here.

3. It's hard to 100% seal the tailgate and the place where your tailgate meets the back glass of a typical camper shell, so you should expect that the last 12" of a camper interior and/or the floor in that area will receive a bit of water spray from time to time. It will also get left open occasionally too.

Most driveways slope downward, so any water that gets in will end up right around the last few inches of floor.

That’s really great feedback. Thank you! We’re trying to use as much marine grade or weather resistant material as possible.

 

[Spencer for Hire]

Sorry I didn’t quite answer your questions. Thanks for the feedback anyways

Why didn't you answer the questions? You can still answer them.

 

[driven.to.roam]

Why didn't you answer the questions? You can still answer them.

I thought I did in my response…I think he wanted to know who exactly it was meant for.
It can be used in four season camping if installed with a diesel heater. It’s ideally set up for weekend or months long trips/adventures but some can live in it full time. Just depends on the needs of the person. So any trip or adventure within that scope I would say.

It can fit most truck topper style campers with a wedge or pop up tent.

Hopefully that covers it? I’m I missing anything?

 

[Arclight]

Some more suggestions:

1. Use braided split-loom for covering the wiring, as it makes it much easier to make changes or fix electrical stuff later.
2. I have changed everything out to use Anderson Power Poles for 12V connections, as it's the standard for disaster comms. Signals and low-amp stuff could use Molex or similar. They work great and are very reliable. Mount the fusebox on a piece of plywood with space for extra items for future upgrades.
3. You might also want to find a small 12V lighting controller so that you can just use a pushbuttons for everything. I made my own, but there are probably solutions out there. I particularly like having a switch on back glass that automatically turns the lights on when I open it and turns them off after 30min unless I override it.
4. On that note, you might want a windup timer switch for the inverter or an inverter that can be programmed to do this. Some people like to use an electric blanket to pre-warm their beds.
5. USB outlets everywhere! In addition to phones, headlamps, BT speakers, etc. are also available as rechargeable from USB now.
6. Sheetmetal screws tend to work themselves loose off-road. I would try to use machine screws that thread into metal or rivnuts/etc. and a bit of threadlock whenever possible.
7. People either really want a sink and stove permanently inside or really do not. I think it comes down to whether you like to cook things that are more sophisticated than freeze-dried meals or ramen. I really don't want bacon grease inside my camper personally.
8. I made a compartment to store 2x Waterbricks at the front of my camper, but a permanent tank is another solution. I think people who use very small campers like this are going to want anything "wet" to be removable for easy service and aren't going to want to find an RV park to fill up at.
9. I would not plumb in any type of toilet. Just include a storage space that accommodate a bucket+liner, Thetford or other common solution for this. As long as it's accessible, that problem is basically covered.

 

[driven.to.roam]

Some more suggestions:

1. Use braided split-loom for covering the wiring, as it makes it much easier to make changes or fix electrical stuff later.
2. I have changed everything out to use Anderson Power Poles for 12V connections, as it's the standard for disaster comms. Signals and low-amp stuff could use Molex or similar. They work great and are very reliable. Mount the fusebox on a piece of plywood with space for extra items for future upgrades.
3. You might also want to find a small 12V lighting controller so that you can just use a pushbuttons for everything. I made my own, but there are probably solutions out there. I particularly like having a switch on back glass that automatically turns the lights on when I open it and turns them off after 30min unless I override it.
4. On that note, you might want a windup timer switch for the inverter or an inverter that can be programmed to do this. Some people like to use an electric blanket to pre-warm their beds.
5. USB outlets everywhere! In addition to phones, headlamps, BT speakers, etc. are also available as rechargeable from USB now.
6. Sheetmetal screws tend to work themselves loose off-road. I would try to use machine screws that thread into metal or rivnuts/etc. and a bit of threadlock whenever possible.
7. People either really want a sink and stove permanently inside or really do not. I think it comes down to whether you like to cook things that are more sophisticated than freeze-dried meals or ramen. I really don't want bacon grease inside my camper personally.
8. I made a compartment to store 2x Waterbricks at the front of my camper, but a permanent tank is another solution. I think people who use very small campers like this are going to want anything "wet" to be removable for easy service and aren't going to want to find an RV park to fill up at.
9. I would not plumb in any type of toilet. Just include a storage space that accommodate a bucket+liner, Thetford or other common solution for this. As long as it's accessible, that problem is basically covered.

Thank you so much for sharing! I will definitely take these things into consideration. Most of these suggestions have already been considered during the design and testing process. It seems that we are on the same page with a lot it

 

[driven.to.roam]

BIG MILESTONE: We secured a production partner to help cut the panels that will be used in the interior living systems. Best thing, it is right here in the USA. We are are adamant in using American manufacturing, Why? because it is good for the local community and good for quality control. Things are moving along and we can't wait to share more.

 

[ramblinChet]

It can be used in four season camping if installed with a diesel heater. It’s ideally set up for weekend or months long trips/adventures but some can live in it full time. Just depends on the needs of the person. So any trip or adventure within that scope I would say.

If you don't mind me asking, what is your experience level with four season camping, weekend, months long trips, etc. It seems someone with many years of first-hand experience would be beneficial to designing a compact system such as this.

 

[driven.to.roam]

If you don't mind me asking, what is your experience level with four season camping, weekend, months long trips, etc. It seems someone with many years of first-hand experience would be beneficial to designing a compact system such as this.

Thanks for your inquiry. I have had several years with camping in a wide range of conditions. From blizzard conditions in Montana, freezing temps in Sedona, and desert camping in Anza Borrego. Trips are usually weekends or 2-3 weeks which is why I say it’s probably ideal for these time lengths. A lot is thought has went into the design. The idea is to have a light weight, compact, and cost effective alternative to a full on camper.

 

[84FLH]

Why didn't you answer the questions? You can still answer them.

Because they weren't sincere questions. They were rude, confrontational, condescending criticisms pretending to be questions, from the Simon Powell of Expedition Portal.

Did it to me, too! So welcome to the club, Driven, and drive on!

 

[ThebigMT]

I'm struggling through this dilemma myself so I'm very curious to see what you come up with. I'm particularly curious to see how you're going to deal with the unbelievably complex geometry of modern truck beds. It seems a waste to leave that space in the "bulge" between the bed floor and the rails but no ordinary human created that maze.... Also, I would really like to see someone who is after this sort of system devise an interior propane locker. hanging a 5 lb bottle off the back looks all cool and stuff but in reality its a pain in the butt and a liability. Marine solutions exist for this but a grand for a rotomolded box just seems absurd considering that most RVs get away with a really dumb, simple solution like the vented compartments in the back of a FWC that satisfies insurance companies. a cap/camper that leaves the tailgate on can't take advantage of that. Subscribed to this thread. thanks.

 

[driven.to.roam]

UPDATE:

We launched a prototype on our instagram "driven.to.roam" and "vecel_usa" last month. You can check out the short walk through video there. We are currently working on production details and pricing.

In the meantime, attached is a couple photos of the prototype out in the field.

 

[driven.to.roam]

I'm struggling through this dilemma myself so I'm very curious to see what you come up with. I'm particularly curious to see how you're going to deal with the unbelievably complex geometry of modern truck beds. It seems a waste to leave that space in the "bulge" between the bed floor and the rails but no ordinary human created that maze.... Also, I would really like to see someone who is after this sort of system devise an interior propane locker. hanging a 5 lb bottle off the back looks all cool and stuff but in reality its a pain in the butt and a liability. Marine solutions exist for this but a grand for a rotomolded box just seems absurd considering that most RVs get away with a really dumb, simple solution like the vented compartments in the back of a FWC that satisfies insurance companies. a cap/camper that leaves the tailgate on can't take advantage of that. Subscribed to this thread. thanks.

Hey, what did you mean "bulge" between the bed floor and rails? Also, the propane would have to be mounted on the exterior. It would be really convenient to have one mounted on the inside but it would take up too much space inside (especially when every inch of real estate is crucial) plus the added risks.

 

[ramblinChet]

Following you on Instagram also - love your updates and pictures!

 

[driven.to.roam]

Awesome! We follow you too. Digging your setup.

 

[Hummelator]

Do you have a ball park price? $500-$1000,
$1000-$2000, $2000+?
I quite like the idea especially since my truck has such a low payload capacity.