Rethinking many aspects of our Overlanding setup and goals.

[DRAX]

Awesome pics, thanks for the info! Seems like everyone really loves their OGTs.

 

[Etoimos]

Awesome pics, thanks for the info! Seems like everyone really loves their OGTs.

I looked at trailers for 2 years, even going to one of the Overland Expo events to check them out in person. There were several trailers that I liked and every time I optioned them out the way I wanted, they were all in the $27k~$32k range. At that price range I was not willing to still be sleeping in a tent on top of a fancy cargo trailer. That narrowed down the choices quite a bit and the all aluminum construction (well, steel frame) of the OGT pushed it to the front for me.

 

[dchurch]

And a new model from a proven design.


It's great to see the advancements in these types of trailers.

 

[Armor_LG]

As someone who is anti-trailer with never having any experience with a trailer offroad before, I like this setup by Trail Recon

 

[DRAX]

And a new model from a proven design.


It's great to see the advancements in these types of trailers.

Yeah, we looked at those, more specifically the Meaner Bean, and while nice there were some features/design choices of the Pando 2.0 that we like better. I do like that the Bean has some in-floor storage with an optional table, but we like the galley setup, water capacity, storage, and roof rack of the Pando better.

As someone who is anti-trailer with never having any experience with a trailer offroad before, I like this setup by Trail Recon

Those are cool for sure, but $100k (truck + camper) > $40k and doesn't address our wants/needs the same as a trailer.

 

[dchurch]

That's a fun looking camper! My folks owned a few over the years. I loved looking out the cab-over window while we cruised down the highway. We made several coast to coast trips. Eventually there were four of us boys. When we got old enough the boys pitch the army surplus tent. I'm pretty sure that locked in my love of camping and my career path.

As much as I love my truck we decided against putting a camper on it. During or comparisons we ruled out indoor kitchens and bathrooms. I'm sure it's odd to some folks but for us it crosses some imaginary line of camping. No TV or built in audio either. We have led lighting but still need our pump up mantel lantern (kurrrrr).

We like the simplicity of dropping off the teardrop as base camp. Not so easy with a camper especially in the dark or crack of dawn, rough weather, uneven ground...

But it's a cool camper. I'm not crazy about the popup feature. Hopefully the fabric is covered by an awesome warranty.

The range of choices is fantastic and a little overwhelming. We have life long friends that are going through this shopping process and leaning towards a modified Sprinter van. They don't expect to go very far off the beaten path and they are fine with that.

 

[dchurch]

Yes, I agree the Pando is really nice!!!

 

[SaskSilver17]

So, we got back from Montana (Missoula and Glacier area) not quite 2 weeks ago. While it was mostly an enjoyable experience, we decided to cut it short as we felt like we weren't getting as much out of it as we had hoped for or expected when compared to our trip to Colorado last summer. We were able to miss a lot of smoke during our Glacier and Going-to-the-Sun Road visit, but down south it was quite smoky. The heat wasn't horrible. Yeah, it was in the 90s a bit but it was bearable. What added to it not being a super experience is that my replacement Jackery 1000 died within 4 hours of leaving home. That was the first real trip after the first one was replaced that had some weird internal issue and would randomly power off or the regulated 12v would drop to 7-8v. For the first week-ish of the trip I had to run everything off my truck's battery. Didn't have issues running the battery down, but also didn't have the flexibility/portability we were expecting either. Jackery came through in the end, but by the time the replacement 500 arrived in Missoula (I told them I didn't want another 1000 as I can't trust them) we were pretty much ready to head home.

The current challenges, issues, and positives are...

• Soft-shell RTT is a bit more effort to set up and take down than I'd like to deal with in the heat, especially if we're only going to be staying one night. This is compounded by the fact that we also use some self-inflating mattress pads because the 3" mattress that came with the RTT leaves a lot to be desired. That means rolling up/deflating the pads before the tent can be put away. There is just enough room to keep the deflated pads and sleeping bags up there with the tent closed up, but that doesn't prevent the need to get as much air out of them as possible first.
• Have to put tent away if we want to drive anywhere for any reason. We do have a Gazelle gazebo that we can leave behind with other things to keep our spot claimed, but still gotta pack up the RTT.
• Speaking of the Gazelle gazebo, it was a lifesaver when it came from escaping the mosquitos and flies. We were able to have a table and chairs inside to play games, etc, and still have a great view of the outdoors. Quick and easy to setup.
• I love what the RTT provides compared to a ground tent in terms of not being on the ground (avoiding crawly bugs, etc) or needing to find a flat, clear space to set up a tent. Being able to park on any terrain and get the truck basically level with minimal work is great and opens up a lot more options for places to camp, so I'm not inclined to go back to a ground tent anytime soon.
• We currently have to bring our 16-year-old daughter with us. We love her to pieces, but she is a teenager in the social media age and it can be a challenge to not murder her when there's no cell signal. I wish we could get her to appreciate being out in nature and away from society as much as my wife and I do, but it's a losing battle.
• Cold-weather camping with an RTT can be a pain due to condensation and/or coming up with a safe, reliable, and inexpensive way to heat the tent in addition to dealing with setup and tear down of a soft-shell RTT in the cold and snow and then finding a way to dry it all out after the trip.

At this point I've thinking about focusing on adjusting the setup to focus on just my wife and I as the primary travelers and either just not plan on any long trips until my wife and I can go without our daughter or have a small tent setup for our daughter. In either case, the truck would be setup to only sleep 2.

I have to also keep money in mind and make sure what I do has reasonable value. I also have no interest in trailering for the main reason that there are places we go or have gone that a trailer would have made it 10x more difficult and we wouldn't have been able to camp at some amazing spots.

I'd love to have something like a Four Wheel Camper Project M but I can't justify the cost. Granted, selling the current RTT and shell would offset a chunk of that it's still a pretty pricey way to go.

Initially I was leaning towards a GFC RTT (not the tent + shell) but the sleeping area is pretty small for 2 people, IMO. I do like the ability to store relatively light items on top of the GFC, like solar panels, traction boards, etc.

I also like the iKamper RTT due to its quick setup but being a hard shell it limits what bedding/mattress/pad can be stored up there and there's no way to mount anything to the shell.

Similar deal with the Tuff Stuff Alpha.

Then I saw that Tuff Stuff now has the Stealth RTT, it kind of combines all of what I'm looking for into one unit.

Here's the thing. I still feel like any of these would be a compromise overall and while they would help with most of the main current complaints I also feel like we MAY look at going full-time or close to full-time once we're empty-nesters or at least able to travel long term while we still have one of our daughters living at home and able to be self-sufficient. The tent route (RTT or otherwise) isn't a great full-time/long-term setup, especially considering it would be with my midsize truck. It's great on narrow trails but is pretty space and weight limited compared to a full-size 3/4- or 1-ton truck (Which I've owned 4 of in the past)

My wife and I have been toying with the idea of doing a 4WD ambulance build. We haven't seriously discussed it, but we both think the idea has merit based on what we've seen. Yesterday I showed her 2 different videos, one was a walkthrough of an ambulance build and one was basically a flatbed fiberglass camper (Overland Explorer/OEV) build. Not even discussing the price difference, she liked the ambulance better. She about died when I told her how much the OEV camper cost.

Lastly, we've also been talking about trying to find some land out in Colorado or maybe Oregon or Idaho to basically stay on during the summer and work on eventually building a house on it.

I know I'm kind of all over the place here and you're probably wondering what I'm actually asking. So, I guess what I'm asking if anyone else has been in a similar situation with similar goals and if so how did you go about things in the short-term and long-term? For the short term I keep flip-flopping between just giving up on doing these trips for a couple of years, keeping things the same and just dealing with it and planning trips more carefully and spending more time at each site to reduce effort, and swapping the current RTT for one that's less hassle.

Thinking about our long-term goals I feel like it makes the most sense to just not change anything because ultimately we're likely to end up moving towards something better suited for full-time travel anyway. On the other hand, a hard-shell RTT is relatively inexpensive and I feel like it would greatly improve the overall experience compared to the current RTT and wouldn't involve redoing everything else.

Gah...running in circles...help! :)

An interesting thread- I had thought a RTT would be great, started looking into them and could see some of the drawbacks you mentioned. I might still go w a hammock and a small ground tent for some flexibility.
And, that darn smoke has def had an impact up North here too. Here’s to maybe a little rain to get things calmed down a bit!

 

[ThundahBeagle]

"tactical" just means taking a regular item and painting it black and then charging double for it.....

Well, that and making it "one-handed opening."

 

[ThundahBeagle]

View attachment 206679
We love being able to set up a base camp and then freeing the vehicle to explore. With awnings and ARB rooms under each we have up to 162 sq. ft. to live in.

Where the hell is that?! Awe-inspiring!

 

[kwill]

Tomichi Pass in CO. We were temporarily lost and did a lot of unplanned rock crawling.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

The thing about slide ins is that the Colorado and other midsize trucks are really not rated for them and they dont make a good one light enough for them. Even the K1500/ half ton is not quite suited for them you really need a 250/2500 series to carry one of those along well

 

[M Rose]

The thing about slide ins is that the Colorado and other midsize trucks are really not rated for them and they dont make a good one light enough for them. Even the K1500/ half ton is not quite suited for them you really need a 250/2500 series to carry one of those along well

Wolf Creek slide in truck campers are made for 1/2 ton trucks… still not suited for Mid Size like the Colorado though.

For a midsize pickup there are actually quite a few slide in truck campers available. From the more conventional style like the Scout Yoho 6.0 to the ultra utilitarian bare bone pop up by Vagabond Outdoors. Price range from $6,000 to sky’s the limit.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Wolf Creek slide in truck campers are made for 1/2 ton trucks… still not suited for Mid Size like the Colorado though.

For a midsize pickup there are actually quite a few slide in truck campers available. From the more conventional style like the Scout Yoho 6.0 to the ultra utilitarian bare bone pop up by Vagabond Outdoors. Price range from $6,000 to sky’s the limit.

Yeah, I've seen the Scout Yoho. I like it. I've also seen the sticker in my half-ton telling me not to use a slide-in. And I like my truck more.

The Scout Yoho is almost a thousand pounds dry. DRY. You, your spouse, and your dog and equipment add to that. The Colorado can carry a maximum of 1500 pounds. Carry over a thousand pounds around all summer at highway speeds or while doing twisty-turnies hills and trails, and theres a very good chance you bend your bed rails or your frame.

And Chevy wont cover you if you had a slide-in mounted when you broke or bent something.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Meanwhile, my GMC 1500 will tow a maximum of over 9,000 to almost 10,000 pounds. So a 3,000 travel trailer, a teardrop, a military trailer with an RTT, or even a Leer or ARE camper shell would all be far more advisable.

 

[DRAX]

Indeed, there are slide-in camper options for mid-size trucks. Problem is, your truck is over GVWR/RAWR before the driver even gets into the driver's seat once loaded with food/clothing/gear. The dry weight of a lot of those campers is right up near/at/over (depending on truck) available payload capacity which leaves no room for anything else, not even the driver.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Rail mounted equipment not to exceed a thousand pounds. The Scout Yoho alone weighs almost that.

If you want to use a slide in for a mid-size, I think your options are Toyota Tacoma or Ford Ranger.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Just because they sell it, doesnt mean you should buy it. They sell transmission and radiator "stop-leak", too. Take your chances, and get ready for some repairs.

 

[DRAX]

Officially placed our order for a Pando 2.0 today! Let the waiting begin. :)

 

[TPolley]

On the subject of trailers and such, we've been there and done that. A few times.

31-foot bunkhouse bumper-pull trailer with slide out towed by both a Nissan Titan initially before upgrading to a Ram 3500 with the Cummins.
36-foot diesel pusher RV
Flagstaff off-road pop-up trailer with a deck for quads and such up front
Flagstaff hybrid travel trailer (21-foot), towed by my Canyon. Trailer weighed 5,000LB and was over 10ft tall, giant parachute. Towed that thing at least 10,000 miles around various parts of the country and while it wasn't awful it also wasn't a great experience towing it. A bit slow and I was at my weight limits.

I'm not opposed to a trailer because I don't want to tow, I'm only opposed to it because it limits where we can go off-road due to maneuverability. On the other hand, we can just plan routes around that, set up camp places that aren't a risk for getting stuck due to size or being unable to turn around and then just explore the more difficult areas by truck during the as excursions.

Those teardrops look like pretty nice units for the money. Do you ever wish you had heat or A/C? I do see a heater option but no A/C. I'd been eyeing the NoBo 10.5 but that's not exactly a real off-road trailer and I really don't think it would last if used often off-road and it doesn't really have off-road suspension, etc.

The reasonably-priced off-road trailer options seem to be somewhat hard to find, this is the first I'd heard of the SoCal off-road trailers. Seems like my search landed me at the cheap units like the NoBo or the insane $50k+ units that I could never justify, I could take the money for one of those, take my current truck, and buy or build something that would check more boxes and end up being a better value. The Off Grid Trailer Expedition 2.0 also looks like a decent trailer for the money.

Maybe the "right" trailer is the best option. I do like the the minimal setup work and being well enclosed from the elements. I would like to be able to comfortably do some winter/snow camping as well.

I also don't need a lot of what some of the trailers come with. I already have the 12v fridge, portable instant hot water heater, some solar, etc. Being able to use those instead of sell what I have and pay more for the trailer would be nice.

I appreciate the input and sanity check. :) We don't have any more trips planned at the moment so I have a bit of time to figure this out.

Drax - too many choices to make! I hear you! My husband and I decided on a combo.. We have a IKamper hardshell RTT for the jeep when we know we're going to be running light and adventuresome. But have the 511 So Cal Teardrop when we might be parked for a day or more OR... wehave 4 people and then it's 'the Duplex'. BOTH are very simple set-ups... and the trailer is actually pretty hardy - we have the universal rotating hitch that means the trailer keeps its own equilibrium ..the 6 cyl jeep has pulled it up some big hills and through the water. You can turn around on a single wide forest service road. Same 35" tires on the trailer that are on the jeep. We live in the southwest so all our trips are either going to be desert (fall and spring) or high altitude in the summer. We don't ever really experience torrential downpours ... rain is an anomaly - but we have had a few and the 180 awning on the side of the teardrop keeps us dry. I prefer the teardrop when it's cooler - it's well insulated, and just the RTT in the heat - catch a breeze at night. Good luck finding the right mix. If you're soon to be parked on a beautiful spot in CO or something ... I would definitely keep something that you can still get out and expore with. Those days are numbered so take advantage of all the time you have left to do that.

It's ALWAYS the art of the compromise......advantage to self contained is just that....but you have to move the whole house every time. Advantage to trailer is that you don't, but you do have to trailer.

Coming off adventure motorcycles and tent camping, my wife and I went for the ability to go similar places, and sleep a bit more civilized. Jeep and a teardrop. A/C, Heat, kitchen, bed with roof and walls. We pull to where we want to camp, set up, and then go out in the Jeep for more challenging things. So far it's working for us, and my wife wants to go more than ever before!

If you look at teardrop type campers, suggestions: go on the more simple side and then make it yours after you use it a few times. Look at one with a max-coupler (articulation), and perhaps the biggy is look for the Timbren axle-less suspension (or plan to add it after purchase). It's a game changer.

Good luck with your processing.......be flexible.

Amen to that. we have done the same -Jeep w a teardrop (and occasionally the RTT when we take company). Most versitile setup, the max hitch means it will go anywhere the jeep can haul it. Find an amazing place and drop it....go explore. I love the 180 awning, creates quite an inviting space to relax in.