kamicrazy99
New member
I don't have a Kenai, but my Ram 2500 box tie downs bent from a sled deck, so wouldn't trust them. When I was considering Kenai I was trying to figure out a different way myself.
Scout Olympic vs Kenai
- Thread starter GeorgeHayduke
- Start date
I went out and took a closer look look at the OEM tie downs and I definitely agree. The actual loop appears to be solid but there isn’t much from keeping it from pulling through the thin piece of material. Eye bolts it is! Thanks, guys.
GeorgeHayduke
Active member
We're using the OEM tie downs on our Ram 2500. So far it's been mostly fine but I've noticed a few issues. We have a spray in bedliner and it was rough enough to quickly cut through the rubber on the ratchet hook. Still holds fine, but now the hooks are rusting.
We used the Happijack tiedowns on our previous Northstar camper and I felt like those had more control of the camper because the attachment points on both the camper and truck were further outboard and had better leverage to control rocking motion of the camper.
The rear Happijack tiedown point connects to the sheet metal bumper which flexed a ton. The OEM tiedown points are much more solid in comparison, so I'm less as worried about flex and more concerned about the geometry of the tiedown angles.
We used the Happijack tiedowns on our previous Northstar camper and I felt like those had more control of the camper because the attachment points on both the camper and truck were further outboard and had better leverage to control rocking motion of the camper.
The rear Happijack tiedown point connects to the sheet metal bumper which flexed a ton. The OEM tiedown points are much more solid in comparison, so I'm less as worried about flex and more concerned about the geometry of the tiedown angles.
Very interesting! What year is your 2500? My 3500 is an ‘18 with a spray in bed liner and the rear most tie down appears to flex the metal and liner when I push or pull on it. I can’t imagine it taking much abuse but maybe it’s the liner flexing.
Again, this thread is amazing. I am very interested to hear about your experience with the Airhead toilet, and I will be Getting my scout in August but the toilet is probably being delivered afterward (3 month wait). Mine is not coming with the RTT, so i think i will probably install myself (eek, hopefully that goes ok). I bougt the Kenai new-used (but cant pick it up until august, currently sitting at my uncles house 1500 miles away). And yes, a video of the install would be amazing!
GeorgeHayduke
Active member
Ours is a 2016, as far as I know they didn't change the bed between those model years. We have a shortbed, if yours is a longbed maybe the distance between sheet metal reinforcements is longer and allows for more flex? Idk, just speculating...
You are a brave guy getting that RTT installed yourself lol. I'm not that handy in the least. I DEFINITELY think the RTT is freaking amazing tho. It just wouldn't work for us without it. I've been really impressed by the RoofNest for sure too.
I'll send you a photo/video album that documents the install process as well as the electrical work to install the fan switch. So far the install has been freaking sweet. Not sure I'd change a thing. The airhead (with the 2gal liquids bucket) fits so perfectly, its almost like the designed the space exactly for it. Certain thing fit within a 1/2in and its just super clean. Now an update on the thing. I can't tell you how handy it is to have the thing. We use it at our kids sports practices all the time, mostly for just taking a wiz without hitting the gross porta-potty. I can easily dump the urine in 5 mins and its just no big deal, no dump station...simple.
We've put around 5 days of solid waste into (a few trips) and I just emptied the solids bucket yesterday before our long weekend trip. I learned a couple of things. After everyone is hip at ensuring to not get urine in the solids bucket (easy) the rest is just a balance between how much coco fibre is used to balance the waste load. Too little coco (only one brick for us) left it stinking out of the vent (once I sealed with silicon). I then added another brick and then also added extra dry coco fibre after using it. This allowed it to entirely desiccate/dryout easily, but it also used up the capacity a bit quicker than it should have.
So, I went to empty it yesterday and had an M95 mask on and gloves. I double bagged two compostable tall trash bags that we use at home. I opened the thing up and it was definitely full, nearing the very top of the bucket. The good news is that there was literally ZERO yuck smell. It was all dry like coco fibre. So bizarre. I even took my mask off and stuck my nose near the bucket. I'm guessing this is because we had extra coco fibre and also it wasn't in constant use but only weekend use. Regardless, I was stoked that it was no big deal at all to empty...I just put the bags over the top of the bucket, flipped it upside down and away it went. It went out in the trash can today. Easy peasy. I'm sure it won't always be that easy but this time it was. The urine bucket is easy to dump and we make sure to dump it every day...apparently having it over fill and get that into the solids bucket is the worst thing ever. That 2gal fills up fast and we'd likely be pushing it to get 2 days out of it. Again it easy and we spray the bowl down with some stuff similar to simple-green.
I'll send you a photo/video album that documents the install process as well as the electrical work to install the fan switch. So far the install has been freaking sweet. Not sure I'd change a thing. The airhead (with the 2gal liquids bucket) fits so perfectly, its almost like the designed the space exactly for it. Certain thing fit within a 1/2in and its just super clean. Now an update on the thing. I can't tell you how handy it is to have the thing. We use it at our kids sports practices all the time, mostly for just taking a wiz without hitting the gross porta-potty. I can easily dump the urine in 5 mins and its just no big deal, no dump station...simple.
We've put around 5 days of solid waste into (a few trips) and I just emptied the solids bucket yesterday before our long weekend trip. I learned a couple of things. After everyone is hip at ensuring to not get urine in the solids bucket (easy) the rest is just a balance between how much coco fibre is used to balance the waste load. Too little coco (only one brick for us) left it stinking out of the vent (once I sealed with silicon). I then added another brick and then also added extra dry coco fibre after using it. This allowed it to entirely desiccate/dryout easily, but it also used up the capacity a bit quicker than it should have.
So, I went to empty it yesterday and had an M95 mask on and gloves. I double bagged two compostable tall trash bags that we use at home. I opened the thing up and it was definitely full, nearing the very top of the bucket. The good news is that there was literally ZERO yuck smell. It was all dry like coco fibre. So bizarre. I even took my mask off and stuck my nose near the bucket. I'm guessing this is because we had extra coco fibre and also it wasn't in constant use but only weekend use. Regardless, I was stoked that it was no big deal at all to empty...I just put the bags over the top of the bucket, flipped it upside down and away it went. It went out in the trash can today. Easy peasy. I'm sure it won't always be that easy but this time it was. The urine bucket is easy to dump and we make sure to dump it every day...apparently having it over fill and get that into the solids bucket is the worst thing ever. That 2gal fills up fast and we'd likely be pushing it to get 2 days out of it. Again it easy and we spray the bowl down with some stuff similar to simple-green.
Yes, i think i am a bit brave. I am waiting until August to discuss with Ryan from Scout, he says that they may offer to add on the RTT after market. so I will email him at the end of the summer and see what they are planning for RTT additions before i go with it. but for me its vitally important, as you said it changes the entire dynamic of the camper .
the toilet looks so clutch! I am excited to install it and try it out . I think the Airhead toilet and Joolca shower are far superior to those supplied by scout. otherwise Scout seems to offer top of the line. I think i would err on the side of too much coco, rather empty often then have a stinky trailer. i could not imagine anything worse than a scout that smells like an outhouse . and thanks again for the videos and photos! i downloaded all of them to my computer.
Another question for you or anyone else on the thread. the Kenai i found in Montana did not come with the stove. Is the best stove the one that comes with the camper? (dometic 2 burner i believe ) . or is there a better stove? i know it needs to be a low pressure propane stove.
Also, does everyone use aftermarket bolts or are the bolts that come with the truck sufficient to keep the camper in the bed?
thanks again everyone, and especially svinyard for help with the Airhead. so excited to get the camper. finally found a 2500 HD chevy to carry the thing.
nickw
Adventurer
I didn't get a chance to scroll through the entire thread....but how far off the back does the Kenai hang on a 6.5' bed (Ram 2500 in my case)? I want to use a motorcycle hitch carrier and wondering if I have the room from back of camper to handlebars of bike. I have not looked into hitch extensions but std. moto trays concern me enough without the additional leverage.
nickw
Adventurer
Off topic - but what size tires are you running?We've been enjoying our Kenai for about a month now and took it on a multi-week trip around UT and AZ in early March. We're still thrilled with the camper and think it was the best choice for us given what was on the market. Some observations from that trip:
Heating: The coldest night we had got down to 15F and the Dickinson heater kept the cabover bed in the high 60's which was very comfortable. The aisle and back cabinet areas did get pretty cold though with some frozen condensation in those area. The fireplace effect creates great ambiance, but the drawback is that it's hard to get any of that heat down lower in the camper. It would be tough for a dog sleeping in the aisle to stay warm. On high, the heater puts out 4,500 BTUs, while other heaters in truck campers that I've seen are typically 15,000 or 20,000 BTU's. I think it's a testament to the insulation that you can get away with a smaller heater, and it helps the propane last longer.
Cooking: I was pleasantly surprised with the dometic stovetop. It works great for cooking and the outside propane hookup was convenient in as well. The fan + open window above the stove provided adequate ventilation. The voile straps holding it in place are a little crude but very effective.
Fridge: The dometic fridge functioned great but is a little too big for the spot they gave it. It's hard to access the straps to really tighten it down and it rocks a bit without being secured. If you do get it strapped down, you can't open it easily because the lid hinge design needs more rear clearance and you bump against the window trim.
Propane use: We got about 4-5 days out of each of the 10 pound propane bottles when running the heater for ~12 hours a day and cooking about 1 meal a day. Seemed reasonable to us.
Floorplan: The floorplan is really excellent for our uses. The aisle is wide enough for consenting adults to pass each other and plenty long enough for multiple people to stand and do things. We often had one person standing at the stove/fridge and another person standing in the mudroom area using the counter above the toilet. Storage abounds both inside and out. The Kenai feels really spacious on the inside and the extra height makes the cabover bed quite comfortable. The dinette and Lagun table are comfortable and versatile and the shelf on the passenger side is handy.
Build quality: The camper does feel like it was a bit rushed. There are some bubbles in the exterior skin, some places where caulking looks sloppy, aluminum shavings where everywhere, and a couple plywood voids in unfortunate places. However, none of these issues seem serious and we're understanding of the situation with COVID and early production runs. Scout has been really responsive with any questions/concerns we've raised with them.
Jacks: The jacks have some strong pluses and minuses. They remove super easily which we plan to do for every trip and the integration between the jacks and tiedowns seems well thought out. The jacks have two settings for width, one is super wide (I assume for a dually) but the other setting is a really tight squeeze on our Ram 2500. Tight enough that I'd be concerned about aftermarket wheels with different offsets fitting. The camper is also pretty wobbly when unloaded from the truck, even with the jacks at their lowest setting. Scout actually emailed us telling us not to load or unload the camper until they release a fix for the jacks so they're aware of the issue and working on a fix.
Electrical: We ran completely off the goalzero and solar panel for about 10 days and never plugged into shore power or the truck. Our typical usage was interior lights, cooking fan, phone/laptop charging and ~12 hours/day of heater fan. Most mornings we woke up to the battery in the high 70% range and were back to close to 100% by the end of the day. For our use, the charging and storage seem well balanced, although we were disappointed to discover that Scout doesn't give you the ability to charge the goalzero when you're plugged into the truck (the truck plug only runs the clearance lights).
Tiedowns: The tiedowns are convenient and keep a streamlined look which we like. Being fabric instead of metal, they do stretch and we had to tighten at least one each day. So far no issues with the strength of the hooks on the truck bed.
Rooftop Tent: The RTT continues to be one of the coolest features and we're getting better at closing it while keeping the fabric tucked in. One quirk that we discovered is there's not a great way to protect the foam mattress while preserving the hatch access. We've yet to locate a mattress cover with a donut hole in it.
Size/Weight: The Kenai works well enough on our Ram 2500 6'4" bed, although a longer bed would be preferable as the COG is behind our rear axle. The RTT also noticeably raises the center of gravity and an aftermarket sway bar was pretty crucial with the coil sprung rear suspension on current Ram 2500's. We tried both keeping the tailgate on and removing it and decided to remove it. Removing it eliminated a nontrivial amount of weight behind the axle and gave us access to our spare tire.
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GeorgeHayduke
Active member
They're 285/75R18 Cooper AT3 XLT's. Very pleased with their traction, durability, and load capacity (4080 pounds!).
I don't have it loaded up at the moment to measure overhang relative to the hitch, but the Kenai is 92" long.
nickw
Adventurer
Thanks - looks good, do they fit in spare tire location?
GeorgeHayduke
Active member
Supposedly it's the biggest you can fit. I've not tried however, still just running the OEM spare for now.
eyemgh
Well-known member
Remember, your tire weight capacity is pressure dependent. That tire has to be at 80 psi to hit that number.
LT285/75R18 Tire Pressure
Discover the load limits at various inflation pressures for LT285/75R18 tires to ensure optimal tire performance and a safe drive.
tirepressure.com
bharl
New member
has anyone installed the YETI LINK VEHICLE INTEGRATION KIT? or know if there is there a factory exterior outlet to make the connection?
www.goalzero.com
also, anyone add a YETI TANK EXPANSION BATTERY yet?
www.goalzero.com
Yeti Link Vehicle Integration Kit
short Contains everything you need to charge the Yeti 1000X or larger from your vehicle’s alternator. Simply switch the Yeti Link to “Car Mode” to start collecting power while on the move. NOTE: Requires installation by a qualified professional. features YETI LINK VEHICLE INTEGRATION Off-road...
www.goalzero.com
also, anyone add a YETI TANK EXPANSION BATTERY yet?
Yeti Accessories
Roll carts, replacement batteries, expansion systems, solar charging optimization modules, and more. Everything you need to make your Goal Zero Yeti charging experience even better.
www.goalzero.com