How Minimalist Can You Get?

[ManitobaTacoma]

I know that this thread has died a bit, BUT, I have been struggling with this for the last little bit as well. My previous truck was well supplied with everything that I thought that I would need. I had it all in storage bins underneath a platform built in the bed of the truck that was equipped with a cap. This was set up to be a sleeping platform, but I found it greatly hindered the day to day "truckiness" of my vehicle as I lost almost half of my cargo capacity due to the platform. However, the vehicle was ALWAYS ready for whatever: Camping, emergencies, etc.

I just traded that truck in for a new one, and am currently without a cap, and am working solely with a tonneau cover. The plan is t get a Softopper for the truck. The struggle has been with planning what I am going to do with the organization of the vehicle. I have been debating going the same route with the platform and bins, but I don't want to repeat my same mistake. I have been looking at having everything packed in bins or bags to load up when necessary, and keeping the bed empty. I just recently watched a video of a couple who overland ina similar manner: The truck IS their living space. Through the day, the bed is set up with chairs and a kitchen, and at night, they switch to sleeping mode, all under a hard top canopy.

I think I am leaning towards this method for two reasons: Truck retains its utility and usability as a truck, and there is less cost in a build-out of a platform/drawer system etc. The truck would also be more "covert".

Thoughts anyone? sorry for the ramble.

 

[ManitobaTacoma]

Im in the same boat. I just bought a shell for my Tundra last month and had a week to slap something together before heading up to north Georgia. I did two boxes with sliding drawers the full length of the bed and wide enough for both to fit between the wheel wells to serve as a bed platform and storage. It worked well with two drawers and I loaded the right drawer with the stove, food, etc and that way I could slide out the right drawer and use the space next to it on the tailgate to set up the stove and then work out of the right drawer as its pulled out to access canned goods, utensils, etc. Great set up and a lot of storage. The drawers are about 7" deep, 22" wide and run a little over 6' long.
We have a camp trailer we use a lot, but some trips are fast and furious and end up going places we couldn't pull the camper, so that is when we use the shell. Traveling like that, I like to leave the bed set up and that way we can pull over wherever late at night and immediately climb in the back and sleep without moving totes, etc.
With the drawers in, there is space in front and behind the wheel well so I made a battery box to go in the front space and that supplies power and has charging ports for phone, etc. The rear space is perfect size for a 5 gal water can. This works well and of course there are drawbacks, but overall this works best for what we are doing with it. I like the idea of leaving the boxes in there full time so I am going to order some rubber matting to glue on top of the boxes so I can stick lumber and stuff in there without damaging the wood top. I can still use my truck as a truck for the most part and if I have to haul stuff like a pressure washer that is nasty and heavy, I'll just tote it on my utility trailer. I'm still looking for better ideas or improvements to make, but so far this set up has easily provided 90% of our needs.

not a great pic of the set up, we were using the camp trailer most of the time but you can see the two boxes and the space they take up

View attachment 140230

A nice simple looking setup. I had something similar, and it worked, the only issue I ran into was size constraints on what could fit in the truck for utility purposes. The other issue with the new vehicle, I am on super tight budget, and cannot afford another cap right now. So I am trying to make the best of both worlds.

These are pictures of my old setup. I may get back there some day.

 

[Downs]

Even on my motorcycle I still have about 60-80 lbs of total gear packed onboard for any reasonable amount of time. I'm able to obviously carry more in the Jeep but if I really needed to I could make it work with the stuff I carry daily plus a bag of spare clothes and food.

 

[SHEEPDOG 111]

I'm also a prepper so I have to constantly remind myself that I'm just going camping and not bugging out !
My "what if" instincts are hard to fight sometimes.

 

[ManitobaTacoma]

I'm also a prepper so I have to constantly remind myself that I'm just going camping and not bugging out !
My "what if" instincts are hard to fight sometimes.

I hear ya. I am fighting that battle myself. My last truck was also my BOV/Evac vehicle, so I kept it stocked up. Now, I'm in a much less remote place and am fighting the urge to put everything back in.

 

[armyRN]

I play "what if" too. But I try to re-evaluate what I used and didn't use on my last trip, and plan accordingly. But I want to be comfortable, and if I have the space (without being crowded) I'll bring it. Sometimes it is those little extra things you bring that make your trip so much more enjoyable.

I tend to bring way too much food. And I could probably condense my cookware stuff (although I'm a firm believer in always having an extra plate and bowl for an unexpected guest).

 

[leeloo]

it is a mental thing. When you come back from a trip take a look at all the gear you had and lay it all out. If you had not used it for the last 3 trips and it is not a recovery or survival item .. leave it home or find a replacement that does other things..
Pots .. same principal.. you don't need a pot for each type of cooking, you can boil water in the same pot that you use for a stew... and so on.
I see the 2 is one and one is none saying is very popular, it makes sense for survival and recovery items, but not for everything. It won't kill you if you lose your tooth paste tube, you can brush your teeth with salt for a couple of days, you will be fine.
Do you stay out in wilderness for 3 months + /year.. than yeah some kind drawer system has value.. do you go 1 month /year. ? some boxes are lighter and cheaper and make more sense.
There is no tailored solution, individual needs differ a lot.
Even if you have big rig and plenty of space, if you pack right you might not need that expensive GVM upgrade and your rig might perform better stock becouse it is light and not top heavy as opposed to a rig with fancy suspension and overloaded..

 

[Boostpowered]

Something to eat, somewhere to lay my head and something to wipe my ass and im happy.

 

[ManitobaTacoma]

Everyone has good points both for and against. But I have to agree that it is very subjective based on personal needs, preferences and comfort levels. What "minimalism" means to one could be plush travel to another, and vise versa.

If any of you have ever taken a wilderness survival course, you find out pretty quick that comfort is relative, and you don't in fact need THAT much gear to survive. The gear just makes it easier and more comfortable.

 

[Ralph]

This is some essencial subject !!!

I could never keep the weight - usually went +/- 1 ton above GVM :-(
So I invented one iron rule what eventually became MUST whenever I plan overlanding;
I deduct GVM and netto wet vehicle (full tanks diesel and water onboard). The result I divide on 3 parts:
1/3 is exploatation and reliability
1/3 safety and survive necessity
1/3 comfort

In most of the cars that means You have 300 kg for each part. And this is very possible to reach, isn't it?

 

[rho]

A jeep will force you into packing a lot lighter, lolol. But really, start keeping track of what you use and don't use on each trip. Not what you bring but what you use. I have a basic kitchen box that always has the same stuff in it and a basic set of camping gear in a box that always comes with me. I sleep in my jeep so I don't have a ton extra weight from a rack or a RTT. I favor a cooler over a fridge and don't deal with a HL jack and instead have a bottle jack and a piece of plywood, the winch, self recovery gear and the knowledge on how to use it. I've done a ton of backpacking, mountain biking and boondocking all over the place and this leads one to adopt a more minimalist perspective for some things. Comfort is a big one not to skimp on IMHO but there are plenty of ways to keep stuff light, minimal and with maximum comfort.

 

[madcratebuilder]

I had a tonneau cover and totes for gear storage for a couple a years then went to a softopper. Liked it much better but I got tired of all the totes, seemed like what ever I wanted was in the tote furthest a way. Put a drawer system in and while I did loose some height it's much better for getting to things. Makes a great sleeping platform and I can heat it with a 3 candle lantern, at least take the chill off.

Candlelier - Candle Lantern - Painted

Made in the USA - Sporting three 9-hour candles, this brilliant source of heat and light is perfect for large groups of campers and for home and emergency use.

www.ucogear.com

 

[ManitobaTacoma]

I

I had a tonneau cover and totes for gear storage for a couple a years then went to a softopper. Liked it much better but I got tired of all the totes, seemed like what ever I wanted was in the tote furthest a way. Put a drawer system in and while I did loose some height it's much better for getting to things. Makes a great sleeping platform and I can heat it with a 3 candle lantern, at least take the chill off.

Candlelier - Candle Lantern - Painted

Made in the USA - Sporting three 9-hour candles, this brilliant source of heat and light is perfect for large groups of campers and for home and emergency use.

www.ucogear.com

I Definately may consider going back this route once I get my topper again.

How tall was your platform?

 

[armyRN]

Yeah; Jeeps don't have much space inside (especially a Jeep TJ). Hence a trailer solves a lot of problems.

 

[M Rose]

A knife, a blanket, and flint. What else do I need... nothing... what else do I want? Everything.

 

[ManitobaTacoma]

A knife, a blanket, and flint. What else do I need... nothing... what else do I want? Everything.

Technically right! With those tools, can accomplish anything.... Won't be comfortable necessarily, but would get the job done. But the urge is there to fill the car.

 

[ManitobaTacoma]

Yeah; Jeeps don't have much space inside (especially a Jeep TJ). Hence a trailer solves a lot of problems.

View attachment 140451

Nice looking setup. I have considered the trailer too.... Keeps everything packed together, ready to go, and can be left at basecamp. What kind of trailer is that?

 

[armyRN]

Thank-you.

It is a home-made trailer. The tub is essentially a big truck-type aluminum diamond plate tool-box made in the shape of the old WWII trailers (I just like the looks). It was made by a company in NC called "Diamond Deluxe"; they make hunting dog boxes for trucks, so they made this for me based on my specs. No fancy drawers or slide-outs or anything; just a box with a locking hinged lid.

The frame is a modified Harbor Freight type frame. The overly-stiff original slipper springs were swapped out for longer springs with a shackle at the end, and the axle is an easily found 3500lb axle with electric brakes. You could easily replicate this trailer for a lot less than what you would pay for one already built. Or modify my specs to better fit your needs. There's pretty much no welding to put it together; it is all bolt together (for those of us that can't weld).

Check out this thread; it is long (very long), but if you're interested in building one there's a ton of info in there with different ways to go about building you a little adventure/overlanding trailer. About the only thing I would change is make the frame and tub 5' long instead of 4' long (although you can put a ton of stuff in mine).

A lot of stuff we want to bring with us is more bulk than weight. This trailer tub I made sure was tall enough to stack two 8-gallon Rubbermaid tubs on top of each other and still be able to close the lid (with still just a little bit of space to spare).

Mini Harbor Freight (type) Trailer Ultimate Build-Up Thread - JeepForum.com

Lets face it, there's only so much you can fit in the back of a Jeep, even with the rear seat removed. Some folks get pretty creative with Rubbermaid

www.jeepforum.com

 

[ManitobaTacoma]

Thank-you.

It is a home-made trailer. The tub is essentially a big truck-type aluminum diamond plate tool-box made in the shape of the old WWII trailers (I just like the looks). It was made by a company in NC called "Diamond Deluxe"; they make hunting dog boxes for trucks, so they made this for me based on my specs. No fancy drawers or slide-outs or anything; just a box with a locking hinged lid.

The frame is a modified Harbor Freight type frame. The overly-stiff original slipper springs were swapped out for longer springs with a shackle at the end, and the axle is an easily found 3500lb axle with electric brakes. You could easily replicate this trailer for a lot less than what you would pay for one already built. Or modify my specs to better fit your needs. There's pretty much no welding to put it together; it is all bolt together (for those of us that can't weld).

Check out this thread; it is long (very long), but if you're interested in building one there's a ton of info in there with different ways to go about building you a little adventure/overlanding trailer. About the only thing I would change is make the frame and tub 5' long instead of 4' long (although you can put a ton of stuff in mine).

A lot of stuff we want to bring with us is more bulk than weight. This trailer tub I made sure was tall enough to stack two 8-gallon Rubbermaid tubs on top of each other and still be able to close the lid (with still just a little bit of space to spare).

Mini Harbor Freight (type) Trailer Ultimate Build-Up Thread - JeepForum.com

Lets face it, there's only so much you can fit in the back of a Jeep, even with the rear seat removed. Some folks get pretty creative with Rubbermaid

www.jeepforum.com

View attachment 140455

Awesome! I will definitely check k it out, and I'm all for doing things DIY and on the cheap.

 

[armyRN]

Thanks! Let me know if I can help you in any way.

I literally put over 10,000 miles on this trailer this past summer/fall. Twice up into Canada (couple thousand miles total right there), and across the country in an "X" pattern (WA to FL, to PA [FourWheeler's Overland Adventure East 2019 and then to Overland East 2019] to VA, to Chicago (start of Route 66), and then followed Route 66 to southern CA, then headed north back up to WA). That was over 8,000 miles. No issues whatsoever (ok; my four cylinder Jeep didn't like the high altitudes in CO especially while pulling the trailer). But it was so nice having all the extra space for "stuff" the trailer provided.