Nimbl Vehicles
Freedom to Roam
Hi everyone - we love to talk about how we approach our builds, and will be sharing some of what we are up to here, from time to time!
Nimbl Vehicles build thread
- Thread starter Nimbl Vehicles
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Nimbl Vehicles
Freedom to Roam
We are really luck to have some smart and talented companies to partner with.
I had a chance meeting in Moab in Spring of 2019 with Ben Calhoon, the owner of Dissent Offroad. They were in a campsite next to us in the Sand Flats Recreation Area (Fins & Things) and I remember looking over and admiring their obvious fabrication skills, but since they build mainly for Toyotas (and I'm a Land Rover guy) I figured I would never be sporting any of their kit.
Fast forward a year and Ben has relocated Dissent Offroad to their huge new facility in Colfax, CA - at about the same time we were signing a lease to move into the old Crispin Cider plant in Colfax.
Despite their focus on Toyotas we convinced Ben & Dissent to take on the challenge of building a version of their rugged and super lightweight aluminum front bumper for our 2020 demo truck build.
It's not complete yet, but here are a few shots of the first prototype. We are thinking we will leave it raw aluminum to tie in with the flatbed. How do you all like it so far?
I had a chance meeting in Moab in Spring of 2019 with Ben Calhoon, the owner of Dissent Offroad. They were in a campsite next to us in the Sand Flats Recreation Area (Fins & Things) and I remember looking over and admiring their obvious fabrication skills, but since they build mainly for Toyotas (and I'm a Land Rover guy) I figured I would never be sporting any of their kit.
Fast forward a year and Ben has relocated Dissent Offroad to their huge new facility in Colfax, CA - at about the same time we were signing a lease to move into the old Crispin Cider plant in Colfax.
Despite their focus on Toyotas we convinced Ben & Dissent to take on the challenge of building a version of their rugged and super lightweight aluminum front bumper for our 2020 demo truck build.
It's not complete yet, but here are a few shots of the first prototype. We are thinking we will leave it raw aluminum to tie in with the flatbed. How do you all like it so far?
Nimbl Vehicles
Freedom to Roam
We ordered our demo truck with pretty much every available option, including adaptive cruise. We want to be sure that we can integrate things like adaptive cruise, 360 cameras, blind spot sensing, automatic trailer backing, etc. into our builds if it is something a customer wants.
In the case of the adaptive cruise, the sensor is in the factory bumper behind some plastic trim. We relocate it behind the grille when we do a winch bumper like this.
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09Busaman
Member
Thank you. Will be interested to follow your build. I have not yet found something that will incorporate the adaptive cruise and forward camera.
highaltidude
New member
Nice bumper!
- Any option to have a "bull bar" type of attachment to protect the radiator from damage in a crash (vehicle or animal)?
- When we ran the Dempster, we lashed a protective screen across our "bull bar" to prevent rocks from puncturing the radiator when passing oncoming trucks. Maybe a way to incorporate something like that too???
Just thoughts.....
Chuck
- Any option to have a "bull bar" type of attachment to protect the radiator from damage in a crash (vehicle or animal)?
- When we ran the Dempster, we lashed a protective screen across our "bull bar" to prevent rocks from puncturing the radiator when passing oncoming trucks. Maybe a way to incorporate something like that too???
Just thoughts.....
Chuck
Nimbl Vehicles
Freedom to Roam
Hi Chuck - Yes there will be other options! We recognize that there is no "one size fits all." (Buckstop has some nice offerings along the lines of what you are thinking.)
Our goal for this bumper from Dissent Offroad is to have a low profile trail bumper that
- leverages Dissent's proven offroad experience;
- enhances (rather than decrease) approach angles;
- provides a solid front winch mount location;
- provides solid front recovery points;
- retains function of the OEM forward facing camera in stock location; and
- retains function of the OEM adaptive cruise control, relocated from behind the stock bumper to the grille.
Nimbl Vehicles
Freedom to Roam
Nice bumper, but it looks to be for 2017-2019 model years and made out of steel, so quite a bit different from the Dissent Offroad modular aluminum bumper for our 2020 Super Duty. Just going from the photograph it looks like the approach angle isn't quite as favorable. It may be that CJC is designing around a larger winch than we are.
(The Super Duty face changed for 2020 - the CJC steel one may fit, but it doesn't look like they have confirmed it yet. Also no indication that they offer an aluminum one.)
Nimbl Vehicles
Freedom to Roam
Here's the very-close-to-final bumper from Dissent Offroad.
Nimbl Vehicles
Freedom to Roam
I'm a big fan of UJOR's E-350 bumper. It's what I have on mine...
Nimbl Vehicles
Freedom to Roam
Today we are excited to unveil our custom water filtration and purification solution which will be exclusively available on the Nimbl Evolution camper range. This on-demand 12VDC water disinfection system is instantly and automatically available to deliver palatable, potable water throughout.
We worked with Guzzle H2O and Aquisense to come up with what we believe to be the gold standard. It is designed to use standard 10 inch filters (available at any hardware store) and incorporates the worlds only LED ultraviolet-C disinfection system.
Now all the water in your camper can be safe for human consumption (not just the water from a separate little dispenser).
We worked with Guzzle H2O and Aquisense to come up with what we believe to be the gold standard. It is designed to use standard 10 inch filters (available at any hardware store) and incorporates the worlds only LED ultraviolet-C disinfection system.
Now all the water in your camper can be safe for human consumption (not just the water from a separate little dispenser).
Greetings, I have one of the last flatbeds that XPCamper made before they went out of business.
I love the flatbed (I have a FWC Hawk camper mounted onto mine), unfortunately, mine was made with forged aluminum cross members that the two longitudnal flatbed frame rails rest on. To make matters worse, the crossmembers were unboxed and were stepped down to make "ears" where they bolted on to the flexible bushing housing. BAD DESIGN.
Failed cross member at top of photo with "ears" snapped off, made of aluminum, unboxed, "stepped down" right at critical point. Weak. Bottom cross member, fabricated in La Paz, So. Baja, boxed steel... hopefully strong enough for 10s of thousands more Baja miles.
The front cross member eventually failed in Baja, breaking off the ears that bolted to the flexible bushing mounts. This really sucked. I ended up having to get the broken cross member removed (in La Paz, Southern Baja), refabricated in fully boxed steel and then re-installed. While the guys were in there, I had them also make a new steel crossmember for the rear, even though it was not broken.
Like I've said, I love the flatbed, I want to keep this for many years and many, many miles of baja travel (best way to see some of that would probably be on instagram @ adventuresofelmucho) - I'm wondering if you'd be interested in having a look at how my bed was mounted/constructed and if you do any retro-fit work including aluminum repair (I've cracked one of the aluminum bumper mounts that holds the hollow XPCamper rear bumper on to the flatbed and this has ended up interfering with the way the rear drawer slides out.
Also, I'm wondering if you have any insight into the extremely strange way that Firestone RideRite airbags mount onto the F350 (I have a 2017, 6.2 gas engine 4x4) if you have installed these onto the newer F350s you will know what I'm talking about. I'd be interested in if you've got a work around, or are manufacturing your own upper brackets for the airbags - the Firestone Brackets do not allow vertical bag alignment.
I live in San Diego, Ca. but will be traveling to Bend, Oregon at the beginning of July and could probably swing by your factory if you had any interest in examining my flatbed. Please feel free to pm me here.
Best wishes on your new endeavor, I've always thought the XPCamper concept was the nicest one out there... the subdeck and recessed stairs being real winners.
I love the flatbed (I have a FWC Hawk camper mounted onto mine), unfortunately, mine was made with forged aluminum cross members that the two longitudnal flatbed frame rails rest on. To make matters worse, the crossmembers were unboxed and were stepped down to make "ears" where they bolted on to the flexible bushing housing. BAD DESIGN.
Failed cross member at top of photo with "ears" snapped off, made of aluminum, unboxed, "stepped down" right at critical point. Weak. Bottom cross member, fabricated in La Paz, So. Baja, boxed steel... hopefully strong enough for 10s of thousands more Baja miles.
The front cross member eventually failed in Baja, breaking off the ears that bolted to the flexible bushing mounts. This really sucked. I ended up having to get the broken cross member removed (in La Paz, Southern Baja), refabricated in fully boxed steel and then re-installed. While the guys were in there, I had them also make a new steel crossmember for the rear, even though it was not broken.
Like I've said, I love the flatbed, I want to keep this for many years and many, many miles of baja travel (best way to see some of that would probably be on instagram @ adventuresofelmucho) - I'm wondering if you'd be interested in having a look at how my bed was mounted/constructed and if you do any retro-fit work including aluminum repair (I've cracked one of the aluminum bumper mounts that holds the hollow XPCamper rear bumper on to the flatbed and this has ended up interfering with the way the rear drawer slides out.
Also, I'm wondering if you have any insight into the extremely strange way that Firestone RideRite airbags mount onto the F350 (I have a 2017, 6.2 gas engine 4x4) if you have installed these onto the newer F350s you will know what I'm talking about. I'd be interested in if you've got a work around, or are manufacturing your own upper brackets for the airbags - the Firestone Brackets do not allow vertical bag alignment.
I live in San Diego, Ca. but will be traveling to Bend, Oregon at the beginning of July and could probably swing by your factory if you had any interest in examining my flatbed. Please feel free to pm me here.
Best wishes on your new endeavor, I've always thought the XPCamper concept was the nicest one out there... the subdeck and recessed stairs being real winners.
pugslyyy
Expedition Vehicle Engineer Guy
Hi - I think I remember you picking up the flatbed from XP.
I know that prior to closure XPCamper was replacing all those aluminum crossmembers, since they were all failing - looks like yours got overlooked... It was just a really bad design that should have never gone into production.
While I'm sure that Marc is a better cook than I am, I'm equally confident that I'm a better engineer than he is. For the Nimbl Evolution we do use aluminum crossmembers, but the similarities end there.
With respect to the airbags, I would have to look at how yours is set up. I'm a much bigger fan of setting up the suspension correctly so that air bags aren't needed.
I know that prior to closure XPCamper was replacing all those aluminum crossmembers, since they were all failing - looks like yours got overlooked... It was just a really bad design that should have never gone into production.
While I'm sure that Marc is a better cook than I am, I'm equally confident that I'm a better engineer than he is. For the Nimbl Evolution we do use aluminum crossmembers, but the similarities end there.
With respect to the airbags, I would have to look at how yours is set up. I'm a much bigger fan of setting up the suspension correctly so that air bags aren't needed.