Appreciate your honesty with the things that aren’t working well. I was going to suggest mounting solar panels on top of the rig to optimize space and taking advantage of the sun, but you already have a good plan. Keep doing what you’re passionate about, and don’t second guess yourself. Love your vids, keep em coming!😊
Can always ask Ovrland camper if they can retrofit you to full size barn doors. Also, can get the tank mount for the side or rear door just like the fuel tank mount to carry a 5-10lb refillable tank.
Just realized the barn door retrofit was an option. Leaning towards that. And you’re right - they would totally support a Propane. Leaning that way. Thanks for the comment
You should look into a tailgate step from Toyota…I have one that can flip down on the left rear corner of the tailgate so I can step onto it and then step onto the tailgate to save my knees…..
For your frig voltage error, try swapping out for thicker gauge wires. I saw another video with same Issue but it was using a diesel throwing the same error
Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm sure you may have thought of this already, but one thing that I've done to mitigate the wear and tear on my knees when crawling in and out of the tailgate was to attach one of those "anti-fatigue" mats with some some velcro. You can get a roll at harbor freight for like 10 bucks. But a nice full size door would be great too if my project M could support it. All in all, these campers are awesome because of their space and lightweight compared to a full slide in!
No sir I had not thought of that. Haha I appreciate you sharing. I like the idea of a removable mat. Yeah, a full size door would be clutch but you're right, these things make up for it in so many other ways. Freakin love this camper
I did man. Went with some heavy duty leaf springs in the rear. The whole thing probably isn't as heavy as you think though. My first video goes over weight and GVWR. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-H9OU7nP56TE.htmlsi=vk7up1kJxia0RaPK
Maybe consider a DC/DC pecron charger adjustable up to 500watt $150 relieving reliance on sunny skies can charge battery driving between locations or even just letting the truck idle at current location if needed as far a fridges try the brands that have a long history of business not just low prices
I already have all the equipment for solar but if that's still not adequate I'll definitely be looking into DC/DC. Haha and totally agree with ya on the fridge. I don't usually go the budget route but I did this time and I got burnt. Lesson learned
@@HeyJonMoore if you do decide to the connection for that DC/DC is a mc4 connector so it's compatible with many battery makers as well as a direct connection you have
I have a Little Giant two step ladder to get into the truck. Or step up onto a cooler that's on the ground in front of the tailgate. I plan on getting one of those AMP tailgate steps that's mounted on one corner of the pumper so the step is always ready to go.
Right on! I'll look into that brand of step ladder and amp step. I didn't know amp made a tailgate step. Thanks for the info. The cooler is a solid option until I put in a new fridge. A little harder to take that thing in and out.
I’m dying to get a frig setup. So done with ice. Good to know buy once cry once with those. Full door makes a lot of sense, but also your barn doors have there pros too. I’d try a step stool or tailgate flip ladder
Yep! I really wanted the budget option to work out but the old adage held true this time, ‘You get what you pay for.’ I think it's worth saving for a higher quality model. Dude, the barn doors are rad. This rig game is all about compromises. Even if I had a full length door I'd probably end up missing my tailgate more than expected. A step stool is the move
You can buy a locking system that goes in the tailgate handle and triggers when you lock and unlock your doors with your key fob. Doesn't realllly solve your comfort issue but it makes for one less key to lock/unlock every time. I got one after picking up my GFC and its been super nice. They arent crazy cheap but the peace of mind knowing your tailgate is locked if your cab is is worth it for me.
@@HeyJonMoore If im remembering right I went with the Pop & Lock system! Pretty easy install to do yourself. A few bolts and some wires run to the front of the truck.
Not someone who comments. Enjoy the simplicity of the channel. Check out ICECO fridges. I have the VL45. Used and abused it. I have it on 24/7 365 with a 100w panel on the roof of a camper shell. Brother bought one after me. Entry cost not as bad as others. Good features. I have had for ~ 5 yrs. Also look into a quality charger controller to charge car battery and eco flow together off 200w panel while stationary. Glad you made the move the mounted panel. It’s better to get 50% wattage for 8 hours vs 100% wattage for 1 hr. Great work. Stay small. Stay humble. Safe travels.
Well thank you for taking the time to drop a comment dude. Funny you say that too - ICECO just reached out to me and I'm pretty stoked on the options available. The VL45 was top on my list. Do you feel like it's enough capacity? I like the VL60 too but I think it might be too much fridge. And you nailed it. There's no reason not to capitalize on passive solar if possible.
@@HeyJonMoore nice that iceco reached out. To your question. VL45 vs VL60. Hard to say. I like to keep it simple and reduce my baggage . One could always say a bigger fridge is better due to more space. I definitely think that 45 is enough space but can’t argue against wanting more. I enjoy the small amp draw the fridge does. I was someone who thought I needed a second battery if I ever wanted to run a fridge. Calculated the amp draw. Realized these fridges just take little sips of power and won’t destroy your battery in 1 day. I do not run a second battery and just use the starter battery to run everything. Solar recharges it. The iceco fridge itself has a shut off if the voltage of your battery goes too low. Great design in my opinion. What I store in the fridge… I try to keep my storage in bags to stack better. Doesn’t have a lot of rooms for beers and food. Beverages take up so much room. I like to have 4 beers/ soda in and once I drink one then put another one in. If you someone who wants to have a 12 pack and 5 days of food then maybe a bigger fridge is for you. I’d say best part VL45 is the size. Small enough I can move it while full. Small enough to fit in bear boxes. Removable wire baskets so when I am doing extended trips. I will sometimes bring the wire baskets into the store to make sure the items I am bringing will fit back in the fridge. The fridge can freeze as well. Like you can use it has a freezer it goes that low. (Usually only on a/c power) For gatherings at a house we will take it out of the truck and use it as a drink fridge hooked up to a/c power. So versatile. If mine broke today. I’d try to get it fixed because I do believe they have a repair side of the house. If I could not repair it ,then I would buy another one without hesitation. Also they sometimes have coupons so maybe watch for that. It’s usually like 10% off. Also I do not know why more people do not have these fridges. Best thing is a cold drink on a hot day from your portable fridge that is also powered by solar. Have a good one.
My Arb fridge has been running solid for about 6 years now. In the jeep with half doors on dusty summer trips. Leave it on for weeks at a time. Not full time use but hasn’t let me down.
Man those arb ones look bomb proof. Slightly out of my price range for now but definitely something I'll consider in the future. Thanks for the comment 🤙
To save the knees- I keep my Yeti cooler towards the back of my truck. Right when I get to camp I open doors, drop tailgate, and pull out my cooler and set it just in front of my tailgate. Then use it as a walk-in step onto the tailgate and into the truck. Opens up space in the camper and saves the knees
Hell yeah birddog. Thats probably the simplest solution. Might be a little harder once I put in the new fridge but I'm leaning towards a small harbor freight step stool or something like that. Appreciate you man
I just bought the Euhomy 19 Qt. while they had it on Prime Days. It was just so cheap, that I had to give it a try. I don't live in my rig and honestly do good to get out for a long weekend. We do a couple of mild overlanding trips per year, but we do a LOT of road trips and this thing fits perfectly between the middle captain's chairs in my Yukon XL. So far, so good.
Dude, I’m not bashing it at all. A lot of folks have told me they had fantastic experiences with the Euhomy. I think I just got a dud. Crossing my fingers for ya
@@HeyJonMoore Oh, I understand. There are good and bad in everything. I mean, I’ve even heard of people getting their hands on lemon Tacomas and GM Suburbans or Yukons. 🤷🏻♂️😂😂😂
I have a tall-ish canopy on my Tacoma with a bed platform and I climb in and out leaving the tailgate up, I just lift up the rear glass to crawl in over it and out, using the bumper as a step. Maybe give it a try and see how it suits you.
Besides getting door extensions from Jay@OVRLND, a small step stool and/or the Bedrug tailgate cover does wonders for tailgate kneeling/stepping comfort on our rig. Honestly, in 3 years of our OVRLND with the barn doors, 90% of the time we leave the tailgate up and just hook a leg over and go in through one side of the barn door. Looks awkward as hell, but so easy. Full-time I'd go with the door extensions though, there's plenty of sources of how to redo your backup camera.
