Negative comments about the limitations aside, this provides shelter from the wild and elements. I don't think anyone is considering this refit a replacement for an RV setup. Sleeping bags/blankets, heaters and windows can mitigate temperature extremes. He's dry, secure and up off of the ground, so good job!
Nice setup! You'll be able to go almost anywhere with that. Have you looked into no-drill corner bracket solar panel mounts? I'm going to try those on the TPO roof of my class c. You won't have to drill holes to mount a rigid panel. Might want a drilled hole somewhere for a secure wire tho as recommended by Will Prowse (I'll use a ladder or existing mount on my rig).
Your power station can be powered from the truck trailer connector. I did that for my power station powering my refrigerator. It worked great for my travel. I did unplug the connector at night to prevent draining the truck's battery.
I've done a fair amount of truck camper camping over the years. The biggest downside IMO is the inability to use the truck's AC and heater to condition the camper compartment.
Get a camper top that has a sliding window that goes against the cab (as long as yours has one too) and then duct around the space between them. That way you can have either without any changes to the truck itself
That’s certainly a basic build. Enough to get started. I’ve kinda gone the opposite route, been building on my truck camper for a little over a month. It’s coming along great! Will be better than my previous Astro van build. More stealthy for the city and has 4x4 when out in the mountains. 👍 Have fun with your truck setup.
I have heard that if you spray peppermint oil in your engine department it should get rid of the mice problem. Spray on the inside of tires or underneath were a mouse would climb up. Hope it helps you.
just an idea if you don't want to drill holes in the topper you could raise the height of the topper by adding a piece of pressure treated lumber or even get some other material such as aluminum and putting holes in that
Your photography and music is why I subscribed and stayed for the last 4+ years. I started with you when you converted your NV-200, because I have one… Didn’t leave because you have a lot going on 🙏
I have the exact truck and setup as this, love it. I just pulled a single mattress out of the house! Sleep better in here than at home! I have a few other tricks for it
Great video. Did I miss something? Maybe you mentioned in another video...why you aren't using your new truck camper top (that pops up)? Was it because it's not stealth or reduces the gas mileage? Thanks for sharing your adventure with us. Love your new easy no-build.
Love the night sky shots. Question, this is the first of your videos I've watched so this might be dumb, but why wouldn't you use that Rogue truck camper?
Great thumbnail 👌 So glad you took the time to share some night sky with us, I really enjoy seeing that. What a scourge those pack rats are! 🐀 Especially after the hours you two put into detailing the Element from top to bottom. Truck camper set up fits like a glove, really looking forward to some on the road videos. ✌️
Dude...in the "old days," we used to wash everything by hand in a big tub....and hang those items on a clothes line! Try it! Saves you a lot of energy expenditure!
Are the pack rats an issue with the truck itself or the big truck camper? I don’t remember if they were a problem inside the tiny houses, but they seem to keep reinfesting the Element every time you clean it.
A small note on drilling into the shell, coming from someone who was terrified of putting holes in an otherwise-perfect aluminum lid on a vintage camper: Get a marine cable clam to thread your power cables through, then caulk around it with a good, all-weather sealant. No one is gonna see it, it doesn't have to be pretty, just caulk like heck. The cable clam is meant to be submerged entirely- it's for boats. I only found out about it after tons of research into old forums about throwing solar on camper shells, and it worked a treat. I threw 300 watts (2 panels) onto that roof and they've held beautifully- 2 years and MANY torrential downpours later, and not a drop leaks.
Yep, I lived in the back of my Ford F-150 off and on for years… be it working construction for the summer at Lake Tahoe, being a cook at a surf camp every year for two months, 6 months in Tennessee helping my buddy start a construction business, or just camping in Mexico, the mountains or at the beach fishing and surfing for months at a time in between work! The only building I did was build a platform over the wheel wells to store tools, surfing and fishing gear. A basic solar shower for washing up and cleaning dishes etc. Good times for sure🏄🏼♂️🎣🏖️ 🏔️🤙🏻
So are you happy with that mattress thingy? Havin a hell if avtime deciding if i should buy a set-up or build. Broken back. Crohns related arthritis... more. 2 adults and a 6 yr old. Ram 1500 6.5 ft bed. $$$ is always the issue
So what was the purpose of spending the money on a camper if you will rarely use it. I noticed that you sure go through a lot of set ups trying to find the right one.
If you winter/cold weather camp, that truck bed will sweat and be very cold. Especially the floor, and side walls. Consider shatter proof 3M film on the shell rear window. That window will be a mess if it breaks, by you, or a thief. I replaced rear glass with tougher plexi/poly carbonate, custom cut at TAP Plastics. Find some foam/design to seal that tailgate from dust!
I am having a heck of a time finding a truck topper for my 2005 Tacoma I am only going to use this for weekend camping or a week getaway so I do not want to spend a lot of money. My truck is a 2005 5 foot bed. Any suggestions?
That cooler has a heat vent if it's a "Powered" cooler. It looks like its pointing at your head which will make those sultry summer nights worse for you unless you sleep with your head facing the tailgate.
Very nice. Wouldnt you want the fridge closer to the door so you can access it easier? Thinking grabbing a drink while outside at the fire, filling it after getting groceries, etc?
25 years ago you could get a “work truck” and put a camper shell on it and go camping. Everybody had one! Now you need a mortgage to buy any car or truck. Sad …
Greetings from faraway Denmark, Europe. Beautiful setup and at a low cost. The most important thing is a comfortable bed, a fridge and a place to store things - you have it all! The truck has a better sleeping setup that the other smaller car and this is by far the most important. Another bonus is the ability to empty the camper setup and turn back to a truck mode once needed. This is a portable design - a no build design - very versatile! I wonder about insulation and hope you can talk a bit about it. Maybe a solar with a roof fan, compromising on only one hole in the roof. Take care, both of you and be well and happy.
In terms of power, there is a device call "blueetti" you can charge multiple devices on it, I saw it on another channel. You can hook it up to solar panels outside if you're not going anywhere then you don't have to drill holes, I think that person claims it takes about 5 hours to charge that devive then you're good to go.
Two questions. I am looking to buy some land in Northern Mexico, Southern Colorado and the land looks like yours. What do you do to clear the land so it is usable? How old are you guys?
My 2 cents worth: Next trip to neighborhood grocery store, ask the Cake Dept for any 3.5 to 5 gal empty food grade buckets with lids. Clorox wash, potable water rinse, these buckets make great potable water supply buckets. Amazon also sells the 5 gal water shower bags that I place (2x) on each side of the truck between the truck roof and the shell roof. Great for that warm water wash up/shower! For your portable fridge, you could easily run a hot wire from the fuse links (Accessory, engine running only) to the rear! Install a 12v adapter for the fridge. My ride: 2019 F150 SPORT SuperCab w/ ARE cab-high shell covering the 5.5 foot bed. Side to side 24” platform for sleeping. Blankets are mostly Harbor Freight moving blankets. Home Depot sells the thin lightweight aluminum insulation held in place with strategically placed velcro strips. I use the hook only since the whole back is lined with BedRug! Privacy and warmth! Boondocking is a fun get away! Harbor Freight Predator 2000 Inverter Generator for power and Setpower AJ50 portable fridge! Couple of good books/magazines, me and the dog, ahhhhhhhhh!
Why doesn’t Nate just use the Element? 😂😂 For those of us who watch the channel, we know that Nate loves to buy things and build, and then make a video about it. If he just used the Element that’s been built out already he’d be bored.
I missed a lot of vids, but why not use the brand new rogue camper 🤔? I remember 1 episode of you saying that stealth factor is out of the window with it but you've must of spend a lot of money in it so why not just re sell it ...?
The pad/shed in front of the trailer hitch? What if you need to move the tiny house? Are the wheels/tires on the tiny house? Time/sun/rodents may destroy the tires. Do you regularly (monthly) spin the wheels on the tiny house? Keep the bearings free, brakes free?
had a 1986 f-150(8ft bed), put wheel well cabinets into it. leaving the middle open. used a queen size air mattress. this is what i used for years. got the canvas tent enclosure for the back so on summer nights i could leave the back open for ventilation.
Add a rack on top of your truck & attach your solar panels to that. There's got to be a way you can route the wiring with a hole & rubber gasket to make it waterproof.
Back in the day, my parents had a truck camper too. We're from Michigan but the family took a trip out west. I remember my Dad removed the back truck cab window and the camper window while we were traveling. He installed a truck cab window that popped in and out. For camping tips he removed it. This allowed us to move between the truck cab and the camper. I noticed many of the newer campers have such small windows it's not feasible but your truck top has a big window. So perhaps it's something you could consider? This way you might be able to move freely between the cab and the bed of the truck in the event you needed to exit stage left quickly. You would also have easy access to the 12V in the truck or for a quick warm up or cool down using the truck's AC and heat if needed.
How did you seal around the tail gate. That's usually where all the dirt road dust comes in and makes your sleeping are all dusty. Great video though. Simple is sometimes best then over thinking a project.
Good cheap build. When I was a kid we had an old dodge truck with a club cab. Us Kids took two heavy dowel rods that were laying around and laid them on the jump seats then took a bunch of quilts and laid over the dowels. Nice comfy bed.
Youre fortunate to be in an area with low light pollution! Perfect to see the sky. I hope you're able to properly clean out the Element. If not, you'll have to get a mouse/rodent proof stealth vehicle for Shannon too!
