OVRLND CAMPERS ONLY : Post your OVRLND Camper build here or a link to your build thread to inspire others!

[jagarcia89]

How are folks attaching the poly iso to the ceiling? I got double sided sticky foam tape for the sides but am wondering if it's strong enough for the roof.

On my ambulance build, which was quite similar to the construction of an ovrlnd (aluminum tube and skin) I uses great stuff windows and doors. I've use this technique on van builds as well with great success and is what I will do with my ovrlnd as well

 

[Jascra]

First night out and we dig it. Lot's of work to do yet so let the fun begin!

 

[montechie]

This is a great thread, lots of excellent build ideas. Thank you!

I'm picking my Ovrlnd up in 2 weeks for our Gladiator Rubicon. I will 2nd what others have said, Jay & Maggie have been great and exceeded my expectations. They've answered my questions, given good advice, and even have steered me towards options that would earn them less money.

We've done a couple fiberglass toppers in the past but decided to get the Ovrlnd so we could also downsize trucks (F150 5.5' -> Tacoma DCLB 6' -> and now the JTR) and still have a great sleeping area. We 4-season camp in Montana so it'll be fun insulating this camper while keeping the bed ready to do "truck" things on the weekdays and often hauling dirty mountain bikes. It'll be interesting going from a composite bed + lined fiberglass Leer to a steel (coated at least) and aluminum box to sleep in. The Gladiator has SO MANY little holes to dust seal. Say what you will about Taco composite beds, the tailgate was the only dust weakness. Our F150 had a drop-in plastic liner so bed holes weren't an issue.

Things we ordered that seem a little different from other builds here:

• Arctic Tern windows in a flip up hatch on each side. Wanted windows that also provide decent insulation (double paned), more secure, can lock at a tilt to allow air flow in the rain, and they have built in blinds & insect screens that can be raised for clear views.
• Did the arctic pack liner for the tent walls.
• Double windows out back on the barn doors. This is the biggest ? for us since we do want to insulate it, but I've been in situations in the past where I wanted to see what was happening outside or for backing up when the backup camera is blocked by a bike rack.
• Full length Rhino racks, for skis + potentially some flexible storage. Might be overkill, but figured racks are something I wanted them to order and install.
• Fold down counter top.

 

[dstefan]

So we took a week trip in the NV desert and thought I should get a mount for some extra fuel. With a 38 gallon fuel tank turns out I didnt really need it for this trip, but glad I worked up the mount anyway for longer future trips.

I added two footman’s loops on the side of the vertical 8020 frame I already had on the door to attach a loop-end Rollercam strap. Then I fabbed a simple foot shelf from 1.5x1.5 alu angle and bolted it to the horizontal 8020 for the 3 gal Rotopax to sit on. I put some scrap .25” thick rubber on the alu angle and on the face of the vertical rails to cushion the Rotopax, prevent it from trying to slide and allow the Rollercam to really cinch down. Worked great. I wasnt sure the Rollercam would be secure enough, but the can didnt budge at all after some pretty rough washboards over several days.

My Trasharoo fits over the can just fine and helps secure it further. I can remove the can easily to fill or empty and the configuration doesn’t affect getting trash in or out. Plus, the Trasharoo keeps the sun off, so I had negligible swelling, and it hides the can from prying eyes a bit.

The door handled the weight (27 lbs full plus weight of the 8020 and the Trasharoo plus a weeks trash) just fine, but you can feel the weight on it when opening and theres a slight (maybe a 1/16th”) downward flex from the weight. I wont use this often, and it’s simple to remove completely, so the effect of the weight on the door isnt an issue.
Edit: oh yeah, I forgot theres 10lbs of kitchen gear in a roll alwayshanging on the inside of the door. So total weight on the door with a full can, weight of the 8020 and full Trasharoo is probably about 60+ lbs? And thats dynamic weight bouncing down the road. Jay builds ‘em pretty stout!




This last picture was at the pump before filling so the Trasharoo is empty. . The strap is way easier to release and get the can out than I hear some people experience with the expensive Rotopax mount which apparently jams up when the the cans swell.

 

[PirateMcGee]

Got my foam in! I did a 68x39" (little extra room for squish) with 1" of a high density foam and 2" of a medium density foam. Then 2x 20x60 of the same. One section will come down below for storage or the bench and leave room for other bedding up top. Waiting on the covers.

 

[PirateMcGee]

Also got the bedrug wrapped up, fan hole cut and maxair fan installed (except trim once headliner is in) and the 1" polyiso in all around and up top.

 

[aaaslayer]

Progress. Just about done. Ceiling can wait not in a rush. I have the panels ready to go just need to drill several holes into the frame for rivnuts. Looking for a bug mesh screen door. I remember someone linked one a few pages back. Have to look for it. Also have some LED strip lighting I want to install but need to get those 90 degree connectors for a clean install.

 

[dstefan]

Barndoors definitely make getting in and out easier, but at night we would pull the bed out and read for a while with the tailgate up and the doors closed and then get out one last time to pee. it’s a total PITA to open the doors and drop the tailgate, or climb over — sketchy back for me and my wife’s pretty short for hopping down from a lifted truck.

Also, the back of our campers leave you completely open visually when you’re not the only rig. Plus noisy when others are nearby and its late and you’re opening and slamming the tailgate and doors.

We thought some sort of curtain in the back would be useful when the weather is not super cold to leave the doors open and the tailgate down while inside and in certain circumstances where we wanted privacy.

We asked Jay and he got his person who makes the thermal liners to make us a two part curtain out of the same material for the rear opening from our design and measurements. Also easy enough to make yourself if your sewing machine can do thicker stuff. Ours wont. We haven’t used this yet, but in preparation for a trip next week we tried it today.
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Works great! We already had Velcro all around the door opening and the sides of the bed to fit a screen. The curtain has Velcro on the top and two sides and is in two pieces. One of the pieces also has Velcro all the way down the edge and it just sticks lightly to the other material. Release it to peel up and get out or in.

It lets in a fair amount of light, and we were surprised that on a chilly day in Phoenix we noticed it being warmer a bit inside once we put it up. On really cold nights we might put it up as extra insulation over the doors, which have a lot of thermal bridging.

Since screens have been mentioned recently, we took at @Pshin ’s suggestion on this screen:

One of their sizes happened to be the perfect width for our rear opening. We used the Velcro it comes with to attach around the door to do double duty with our curtain. Since it’s a Sliding door screen, it’s quite long, so we use the cut off portion to make a window screen for one hatch.

I thought I would update this post on the rear curtain since we had a chance to use it for a week in Nevada recently.

It worked great! We used it almost every night. The temps were pleasant during the day, and at night cooled off quickly with morning lows into the high 30s to low 40s. The curtain was really effective keeping the interior comfortable while going in and out and while reading in bed before fully closing up. The last pee trip outside was way easier. it also kept the few moths and bugs out well while we had the interior lights on.

On the coldest two nights we left it up after we closed the tailgate and doors for the night and thought the added insulation made a difference as well.

Depending on conditions and how you camp a curtain may be really useful … or not … YMMV!

 

[PirateMcGee]

Progress. Just about done. Ceiling can wait not in a rush. I have the panels ready to go just need to drill several holes into the frame for rivnuts. Looking for a bug mesh screen door. I remember someone linked one a few pages back. Have to look for it. Also have some LED strip lighting I want to install but need to get those 90 degree connectors for a clean install.

Looks great!

 

[PirateMcGee]

Propex mount is built. Ran it in this location with my prior fiberglass shell and it works great. Factory bed holes line up with the intake and exhaust. Pretty convenient!


Now I am working on the next layer of wall insulation and the panels. Using 1/2" xps foam attached via double sided sticky foam tape. A little more r value and a great thermal break altogether.

 

[dstefan]

You’re gonna be set for near arctic-level camping! Do you do a lot of cold winter camping or skiing or hunting?

 

[PirateMcGee]

Added a bit more padding and insulation to the tailgate using noico closed cell foam I had left over from a prior car. (Will add pic and once I downsize it)

You’re gonna be set for near arctic-level camping! Do you do a lot of cold winter camping or skiing or hunting?

Haha I do quite a bit of hunting that starts in a couple of weeks (lows in the 20s) goes into the winter in CO, NM, MT and WY (lows in to the negatives) . I also cross country ski with my wife and she gets cold easily so even for high elevation summer it's nice to take the edge off.

 

[dstefan]

Great thermal set up for those activities. Used to do a lot of backcountry cross country and it ALWAYS seem to be in incredibly cold weather (=<10°), but never camping for it.

 

[aaaslayer]

I and my husband like mountain biking too. Our previous truck was Toyota Hilux. We used to just put the bikes in the back. But then we decided we need something good-looking. I was searching for a truck bike rack. The perfect size and type. Found lost of info and reviews. What really helped me is this https://rackadvisor.org/best-truck-bed-bike-rack. Here is said that when you get at your location, an ideal truck bed bike rack should be simple to set and unmount. The bike rack should also have certain safety features to prevent you from losing your pricey bike. When you step away from your vehicle for an extended period of time, it is critical to protect the safety of both your bike and your truck bed bike rack.

Nice way to plug in your affiliate links on your blog page. Please spam elsewhere.

Propex mount is built. Ran it in this location with my prior fiberglass shell and it works great. Factory bed holes line up with the intake and exhaust. Pretty convenient!


Now I am working on the next layer of wall insulation and the panels. Using 1/2" xps foam attached via double sided sticky foam tape. A little more r value and a great thermal break altogether.

That wall looks really nice and a clean install!

 

[montechie]

After a trip from Bozeman -> Flagstaff with sidetrips to Moab and elsewhere I picked it up!