In my quest to achieve a relaxing night or two, camping on the beach, I decided to make some design improvements to the Kodiak Canvas Truck Bed Tent. #onahumbleroad #kodiakcanvastruckbedtent
George, I have absolutely no interest in a truck bed tent. I will, however, watch the whole video just because you made it. Always fixing, always improving. Wonderful and admirable traits.
I had no interest in truck tent camping until I watched this video. I love his modification ideas, and thought of some others. I must now get a tent. ❤
What a great video! You reinvented that truck tent. Your idea of relaxing on the beach equates to your mind working furiously on the next problem solution. You are like a German Shepherd, always on the job, always vigilant for improvement on a model. 12:56 - Appreciate those cinch clips mention. Enormously useful and never knew they existed. I also found out that hog ring pliers are what they use to attach bungee cord to any hook or clip. You can get the manual pliers which are the best for custom tightening around bungee, and you feed it one ring at a time. They also have a semi automatic pliers which are like nail guns but use manual power, and finally the electric ones that shoot out hog rings in perfect circles for fencing. Such a great tool. On the topic of tools, another great tool for anyone using salvaged pallet wood is the Reverse Nail Gun by Air Locker. Pneumatic tool, and shoots out the embedded nail if you have access to the pointy side stuck in the wood. No more crow bar use. Also comes with a changeable replacement hammer. Kit is $58 on Amazon. Other brands cannot replace the hammer so this one is industry best for DIY use. Tent looks so much like a prairie wagon, wow. Now you have to sit around a campfire with your chuck wagon and watch an old Western movie with John Wayne, ha ha! Love it. Thanks for a great Sunday. Happy Easter, George!
See, this is why you're not longer 6' 2"! You start out that way but life can beat you down, say for example, getting those video intros straight 😂🤣🛻. You always give me a chuckle & something for my brain to chew on too. You being you is a fun way for me to start my day. THANK YOU❤️!
Utilizing George-style form and function skills on the original Kodiak truck-bed tent yielded an new and improved product. I hope Kodiak is paying attention to your tweaking (and advertising). BRAVO
Looks nice George, but it's too much work. You should try a roof top tent that you can mount to that 8020 . Loosen a few latches , a gentle push and your tent is set. You'll also have some storage space between your truck bed floor and the bottom of the tent floor.
Except you can't stand up and walk in a roof top tent. What he needs is a folding, hard-wall truck camper. Even if he has to design and build it himself.
I used this tent in winter with white snow LOVE It. I set this tent in 8 minutes in winter. You can practice to take it down without dismantling the 3 poles. You just have to release the tension in the rope all around and the 2 awning pole remains in but with no tension. Bring toghether the 3 poles and the canvas. Put all the assembly in diagonal of the truck bed. And Voilà. Ready to go. Once ready to rebuilt. Just jump in the bed and hold all the 3 poles inside the tent. Start with the middle one and ajust.
you are such a Genius....like minds I say....I've been using magnets to secure for several years....my reason is I'm a little ole lady....and have to make things light / convenient / functional....love all your ideas and streamlining work/modifications. Blessings Brother.
Don't we enjoy simplicity and easy to do or use have bought several items in my day with easy assembly and days later just finishing it up thanks for the video
LOLOL ..... George, ... Maybe a glass of wine BEFORE you begin the video ..... Relax yourself a bit ..... Truly ENJOYED THIS video (as I just bought a Napier SUV Tent, ..... (Looking forward to using it THIS coming season ..... ) 😎👌👍👍 Beach camping is becoming more popular, here in coastal Massachusetts ...
I have a Kodiak and what I did to make it set up quick is to weld some extentions to the inside portion of the rails and then once I knew the correct position I drilled 3 holes along the rail on the inside portion of the bed and use rivnuts or speed nuts along the rail.. Then I use some 1/4 x 20 knobbed bolts to attach the rails. It can be universal on any truck bed. It cut setup time in half. For your setup and I would make a mark on the Tslot and the kodiak rail so you line them up each time and don't have to worry about sliding it around afterwords.
The tent looks nice and very well made. If you go to the end of the pavement at IBSP and set it up in the parking lot first...you'd only be 2-miles to the inlet and be driving slowly in the sand, especially if it's really blowing. Beautiful truck ~ you'll have a blast!!!
Hi, George! I bought one of these for my Tundra SR5 in 2017 with the very same hope of going to a beach to camp. Lots available because I live in Florida. I have set it up only twice because of all of the same shortcomings which you identified. Like you, I love the canvas tent. It is so pleasant to sleep in once it is set up. However, the set up by myself was just too much and I gave up after the 2nd camp out. Did I mention that I am a retired equestrian and athletic 77 yrs young? Just this morning I was looking at it and thought about selling it but you have given me hope that I might be able to camp on the beach again. I would love to have you modify my setup the same way you modified yours. Can and would you be willing to do that? I love your videos and have been watching them since you first started posting and all through the C19 debacle. I got the camping bug then. Thank you for your efficient perfectionism, integrity and most of all your lovely sense of humor. ☮️❤️🙏
@@HumbleRoad i like your truck. Cost…thats why i had the tent first. The avalanche only had one custom top option that has been discontinued. But…. i happened to find one woohoo.
The bungies at the front that extend over the door.... perhaps make a Y out of cord or bungie that also goes to the back of the cab bottom to attach, to alleviate having to adjust the cord to open and close the cab doors..
Congrats on 100K George!!! While I fully agree, the Kodiak Tent is incredibly charming, and you're "improvements" are more like essential, I still doubt this fills the bill for being "easy" and "relaxing" --- what you really need to achieve that, is a tall " vista cruiser" type of canopy/ cap (with the dual windows just above cab height) and add a topper-lift kit (or create your own version) for the "tent" portion between the raised cap and the truck bed. *Voila* -- quick and easy set-up, and a hard roof over your head for better protection from winds and the odd bit of inclement weather. Love how you found a good use for the C-clamps, Lol -- Kodiak should understand that's just a bridge too far... Cheers!...from North Vancouver
George, you need to get a TUNE M1 or a Dirtbox camper OR since you are on the East Coast, Snap Outfitters makes nice little pop up--they are in southern PA, not to far from you. As always, I really appreciate your willingness to experiment and test hypotheses! Proof of concept, baby!
I checked out those other truck tent systems. Super nice features for sure. Budget & the intended use will make a difference though as the website listed prices were $12,999 (TUNE M1) & $18,899.00 (Dirtbox) vs $459.99 (Kodiac) .
Exactly why I decided to go with a truck bed tent rather than a cap or a camper it’s a budgetary concern and also I only paid $300 for that tent on Facebook marketplace
You should design your own truck bed tents, one for a 6’ and one for an 8’, joint venture with your manufacturer of choice and sell the Humble Road truck bed tent.
@@HumbleRoad Perfect! Who needs sleep anyway, am I right? How about designing and building your own hard-wall fold-down truck camper? Once installed, it would probably take under a minute to setup. To keep it simple you could design everything around 80/20 extrusions like your van cabinets and since you already know how to use their products it should be relatively fast and easy. And the whole thing should also be much more lightweight than a regular truck camper.
Hey George! Pretty nice tent! But instead of going through all that hassle I’m gonna have a NORTHSTAR 850SC popup camper behind my cab of my 2024 GMC 2500 HD. Good presentation as always though! Have a blessed Easter Sunday! ~Jim~
Yes, a truck bed cap is the ultimate solution. I don’t want to spend that kind of money right now I’m trying to do this in a more affordable fashion. It also helps people who are into truck bed tends to think about modifications on their rigs.
Kodiak makes two truck tents for "full size" pickup trucks. 5'5" to 6'8", and one for the 8' bed. Had you bought the one for a 6'8" bed, you wouldn't have all that slop at the front. Also, clamping the rails 9 to 10" from the rear of the bed like the directions say, you won't have to adjust your rails
Mine is the 6'8' version and of course I followed the directions. Did not like the result. Do you think I would go to all this trouble for nothing? The ability to make that last tug adjustment makes assembly MUCH easier.
It's too bad the Donners didn't have THAT prairie schooner covered wagon set-up on a 4x4 truck bed like yours! They would have made it through the mountains long before the big storm, and we all know that outcome!😆
My one issue I have with straps is when they touch exterior paint. With any wind, they will rub away your paint. I made this mistake a long time ago and thankfully (?) my paint failed (failed to adhere) and the dealership had to repaint my entire truck.
Yea, I thought about that. But then looked down the side of my truck where all the inconsiderate people slammed their door into mine. 😡 At least these scuffs will be badges I will appreciate!
It would be easier to pack all my stuff in the bed of the truck and get a tall tent. I cram all my stuff in my Rogue and off I go. I can either sleep in my nice comfy passenger seat or my tent. I do set up a tent just to change clothes in or sit if it i raining. So much easier.
Any body who has spent the night in a flapping collapsing tent during high winds knows about misery. Throw in rain and snow and the misery doubles. That's why I love vans or trucks with solid shells. No fabric for me.
George, I have been wanting to do exactly what you did, but I didn't know how. I found the 8020 rails on amazon but don't know what you used to connect to the bed. Can you help me with parts description and where to get them. Finding your channel is a blessing to me. Thanks
I love your genius for the aluminum bed rails. Do you have info how we can score those same parts? And I'd never expect you to do your time for free...
My father wants to do the same thing but he can't find the mounts that you used to mount the rails too. Can you let me know where you found the rail mounts
This is just a brilliant marketing video to convince us to get a camper van which doesn’t require all this nonsense. You park an enjoy. Nothing to setup 🤣🥳
George and his wife enjoyed the "open air" lifestyle throughout their lives... he's mentioned owning boats, and different campers, coaches, etc ..... (I believe that 10 minutes of a little physical labor for the REWARD of spending time in the fresh air, and the beauty of a seashore view, can be PRICELESS ) ....... 😉😎🍹🏖🍻🌅🍉🍒🍓🍍🍏🥂
Oh dear george, you have let yourself down😕. Yet another liberty taken with amazon by a youtuber. This is why prices are so high due to returns of used products! 😔😔.
