Member III
Back in April I ordered my Launch Edition Gladiator as soon as the site came up for their "concierge" service. About the end of June I it finally arrived. I don't have immediate plans for changing suspension or tire size as I'd like to experience the factory setup and see what limitations it has for how I end up using it. First purchases (before it even arrived) were the slush/mud mats and a stubby antenna (I don't listen to radio so reception isn't a big deal there).
The first step to get to be able to take it out overnight was a bed rack. I went with an RCI rack, the 18" version. It's really strong, mounts to the trail rails, and has a ton of slots to attach stuff to. The bike rack mounts on the side were what pushed me over the top on the purchase. Now I can put the cyclocross bikes on there if we plan on riding. You'll also note another project in the top of the picture - an electric hoist. I reinforced the roof joists to distribute the load of the expected rack+tent. So I just attach straps to the rack and lift the whole thing off of the bed so I can go back into city commuter mode.
The next step was a tent. I went with the Roam Vagabond as it seemed to tick off the right boxes for an ARB knockoff (basically the same as the CVT Mt. Shasta, etc..). I considered a clamshell tent but I wanted a vestibule/annex area and the iKamper was just too much scratch to pull the trigger on (only clamshell I know of that has an annex addon).
I'm trying out having the ladder on the tailgate end. If anyone has feeback on that I'm open to suggestions. At the moment it seems like I'd have some cover over the tailgate, which will be my primary horizontal surface at camp and being able to stand under cover and get stuff out of the bed seems useful. Plus, with the annex, I can close off most of the back end. My biggest worry was being able to drive the thing into the garage - I make it by a gnat's ass (the unofficial term for 1/8 inch or less).
There is a lot of work to do in the bed area. Below you'll see I was able to mount my X-Bull traction boards to the RCI Maxtrax mounts with a little help from Home Depot. Later, once I see how often I need traction boards, I'll consider going the Maxtrax route and get the posts for those. As I don't have a winch yet, I don't plan on getting too crazy. Things in the list - Rotopax for fuel and water, a slide or something for a fridge-cooler, consideration of other storage options since the bed is exposed (Pelican cases? Roam sells a similar case too.). For now I'm just tossing crap in the back in rubbermaid containers.
Of course a mobile base isn't complete without a cheesy vanity plate...so I have that going for me.
The first step to get to be able to take it out overnight was a bed rack. I went with an RCI rack, the 18" version. It's really strong, mounts to the trail rails, and has a ton of slots to attach stuff to. The bike rack mounts on the side were what pushed me over the top on the purchase. Now I can put the cyclocross bikes on there if we plan on riding. You'll also note another project in the top of the picture - an electric hoist. I reinforced the roof joists to distribute the load of the expected rack+tent. So I just attach straps to the rack and lift the whole thing off of the bed so I can go back into city commuter mode.
The next step was a tent. I went with the Roam Vagabond as it seemed to tick off the right boxes for an ARB knockoff (basically the same as the CVT Mt. Shasta, etc..). I considered a clamshell tent but I wanted a vestibule/annex area and the iKamper was just too much scratch to pull the trigger on (only clamshell I know of that has an annex addon).
I'm trying out having the ladder on the tailgate end. If anyone has feeback on that I'm open to suggestions. At the moment it seems like I'd have some cover over the tailgate, which will be my primary horizontal surface at camp and being able to stand under cover and get stuff out of the bed seems useful. Plus, with the annex, I can close off most of the back end. My biggest worry was being able to drive the thing into the garage - I make it by a gnat's ass (the unofficial term for 1/8 inch or less).
There is a lot of work to do in the bed area. Below you'll see I was able to mount my X-Bull traction boards to the RCI Maxtrax mounts with a little help from Home Depot. Later, once I see how often I need traction boards, I'll consider going the Maxtrax route and get the posts for those. As I don't have a winch yet, I don't plan on getting too crazy. Things in the list - Rotopax for fuel and water, a slide or something for a fridge-cooler, consideration of other storage options since the bed is exposed (Pelican cases? Roam sells a similar case too.). For now I'm just tossing crap in the back in rubbermaid containers.
Of course a mobile base isn't complete without a cheesy vanity plate...so I have that going for me.
