Truck Camper Cribs!

WELCOME TO MY CRIB. I did no cleaning for this episode.

I had a hard crush on the idea of a truck camper for a while. Sprinter vans are outrageously popular and outrageously priced.

#onelesssprinter

I built my TC out very simple.

Amenities:

- Dedicated battery / electrical system (only DC available, no AC unless plugged into shore)

- Propane for cooking

- Fan

- Electric Cooler Fridge

Lightweight, low maintenance. More money and time to adventure.

FAQ's:

Where do you poop? - Trailheads, gas stations, restaurants, hotels, or 6 inches in the ground.

How do you shower? - I bought a solar gravity shower. Will splurge $5 at rec centers.

What about water? - I have two 7 gallon water containers. Just like you take camping.

Internet? - Newspapers, books, unlimited Verizon data plan. I'm here to enjoy mama nature. But, I'm stealing Wifi outside of a closed Starbucks right now.

Air Conditioning and Heat? I'm usually staying above 7,000 feet. It's plenty cold at night. I bundle up. I'll be chasing warmer weather as the seasons turn and eventually crashing at Chloe's place in SLC once winter arrives.

Are you concerned you're showing the contents of your house to the world? No, Ruger 1911.

Here's a tour and some things I learned.

I drove to Bozetucky, MT to get this Capri Cowboy installed. They manufacture them in TX and have a cult following in the rodeo market.

It's reasonably aero. I lost 2 MPGs. About a 10% drop.

It's only 5 ft tall inside. Good thing I'm short. I end up doing a lot of things using the bed as a chair.

Drive Mode - I put a Rocky Mounts Backstage Swingaway rack on it.

Beer Mode - Swings away to prevent groin gymnastics.

45 sq ft of backcountry bliss. A lady's touch on the comforter. Chloe pawned it off on me, score.

Fire extinguisher next to the spice rack. Hahah Dad jokes.

Demonstrating paper towel conservation.

Not a walk in pantry.

Dometic CF 40 - 12V compressor cooler. Super low power draw. My only continuous electrical draw.

Futon mode to accommodate the zero friends I've made on the road so far. Cushion work by my friend Courtney Starr.

Sleep mode. I added a 2" memory foam topper.

Battery compartment and storage under the bed. Should be doing more (any?) yoga.

The Dometic Fantastic Fan extracts farts and intakes fresh air.

The camper battery charges off the engine. I haven't dropped below 60% yet. Glad I returned the solar panels.

I removed my back seat. This is the "smell" zone. Thanks to Dave King for lending me his tools so I could build the grey panel where the seat was.

Chef Boyardee. I'm now cooking with the big propane tank off the camper after some troubleshooting.

Now we're cookin' with gas.

Give Capri a shout. I talked to their president at least 5 times on the phone contemplating layouts.

Why I wanted a TC:

For a backcountry-oriented build I had non-negotiables:

1) Park it anywhere / sleep anywhere

2) Offroad capability - National Forest Service Roads can be chunky

3) Lower power consumption (Off Grid)

4) Lightweight - limited payload of 1/2 ton truck

5) No winterization

This ruled out anything to be towed. Rooftop tents seem like a PITA.

DIY Shell?

I looked at the idea of building out a DIY camper shell. The cost of a shell, spare battery, electrical, lights, insulation, cabinetry, etc...came in at $6,000 I estimated. Plus, the time poured into it. Lastly, shells are made to fit specific trucks, so good luck selling it.

DIY builds might make sense on newer vehicles, but at 200k miles I didn't want a $3,000 paperweight once my truck croaked.

Payload Issue:

My '06 Sierra has 1,500 lbs payload. Most TC's come in at 1,300 lbs dry weight if tricked out with amenities. Add in water, food, clothes, gear and your wet weight is pushing 2,000 lbs. I wanted something at 1,000 lbs dry weight or less. I kept the Capri build minimalist and it came in at 890 lbs. I have 600 lbs of additional cargo weight to still be legal. Insurance companies looks for any reason to deny claims.

Unnecessary Amenities:

This is a personal level of dirtbaggery you prefer. For me: toilets, sinks, fridges, showers, microwaves all jack up the cost, weight, electrical consumption and maintenance issues.

Limited TC Options:

Tooling around for a match on the internet left only a few choices. Most of them included the amenities I couldn't and wouldn't afford. I bumped into Capri Campers and my eyes perked up because of the a-la-carte build options. I was sold on one pretty early . This Capri Cowboy ran me about $8,000. Equivalent big brands or pop-top styles you're looking at $15,000.

I'm sure I will find something I want different with this TC, but it hasn't happened yet.

Time to go find a stealthy campsite.

- Nick