Thank you
@lucilius
There's premise that the industry is likely in a bracketing phase, seeing how much can be incorporated in a mobile platform, what high-end tech can be used and probably what people are willing to pay. Think that it may be likely that over time more "simple" options become more available as a backlash/response to the current complexity, but who knows.
Once you are able to get warm and dry on demand - weight, simplicity, compact footprint and low maintenance are what matter to me now. That said, a water tap year round, ability to be well-fed with fresh food and ways to cook it, have good sleeps, be organized/tidy with the equipment and gear you want to carry - it's quite luxurious as far as camping or being in the bush go.
We considered incorporating a cab-over for soft bullky light items, but kept the initial "cube" shape for cost, simplicity, snow load, and overall weight. Visually, I agree that the cab-over rack would definitely bridge the gap nicely. I like what Enduro is doing with the carbon sheet wrap on the overhang (one piece sealed, very little drag, strong both for cab-over support and puncture resistance, plus good at deflecting branches).
I'd want to keep fuel and water in the garage for low/centered weight distribution. The garage can carry 60L of fuel, ie 3x 20L cans (on top of the 90L main tank) and 20L of water (on top of the 20L in the camper, which I haven't yet needed more of). Could see soft storage but we get mud/snow up here and the bags would just be a mess. Mostly, I don't feel limited yet by the room in the cab and camper combined (thanks to the gear net in the cab and bench seat space). I'd rather keep things on the inside if I can (less flashy as well). The sleeping bag and clothes/puffy storage bag on both ends of the bench seating act as pillows for when you are sitting inside, which adds to the overall comfort and doesn't yet have the space feeling cramped. Without these, would likely add pillows to serve the same purpose. I have three seasons (Spring->Fall) worth of gear packed in there now which isn't the norm. For the intended purpose, feels like lots of room for 10 days to a month in a given season.
As usual though, we'll see with more use. Thanks for your considerations.