Truck Camping: Tips To Winterize Your Topper
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- čas přidán 20. 09. 2018
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Hey Everyone! TGIF! I wanted to share some tips on how I winterize my topper for cold weather truck camping. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment in the section below. Thanks!
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Electric blanket as a floor heater. Never thought of that. Great idea! Thanks!
Per your recommendation, I've installed a bulb-type weatherstrip seal around all 3 sides of the tailgate. This just about eliminated the dust out of the inside of the topper when driving down dirt roads.
Hey Brian, glad the tip helped to cut down on dust getting into your topper!
Watching this while freezing my ass off in my truck camper...
Hope the tips help for your next cold weather truck camping endeavor!
Great channel...I appreciate the content and comments. My "weakness" in winter camping is cold morning get up and go. My "hack" is based on my Tacoma and Leer cap having the small opening windows between cab and cap. I use a section of foam pipe insulation and duct tape to make a "square gasket" that is friction fit between cap and cab. In the morning...the dog and I get out, do the AM wiz, and I start the truck and turn the heater onto high heat-fresh air intake and open the two windows. Then we get back into the cap and get ready to get dressed, get organized for breakfast, etc. This takes only about 10 minutes and in that amount of time the cab heater will heat up the cap area very nicely. I doubt if 10 minutes of idle time uses even a 1/4 gallon of gas, the truck engine is now preheated for when we get going and the morning routine is done in heated comfort. If you can start your day warm...the rest of the day is much nicer!
10min of idle would do nothing to a gallon of fuel let alone use a quarter gallon.
USE A BIKE TUBE AND INFLATE IT TO OWRFECT PSI AND FIT IT BETWEEN THE WINDOW AND CAB !
I have camped in the back of my 0'12 Tacoma. I love it. I just can't seem to stop water from getting in. I think it's getting in at the seal between the cap and the bed towards the front where it steps down. I've removed the cap a few times now and tried different foam type seals including doubling up on them. My next step is to apply a release agent on the truck side, and then use some real HD silicone caulking. Clean up the squeeze out, and if I did it right the silicone will perfectly mould to all the gaps and if I need to remove the cap (topper some call it) the silicone should stay with the cap. If that doesn't work I'm driving my whole truck into a swimming pool of flex seal...
Great video! I miss having a truck. The A.R.E. Toppers with the insulation are great way to get started. This is the setup I’m going to use for my next Ram 3500.
Can’t wait to do some truck camping and winter fishing.
exactly why im going to build a sleeper topper set up!
Best of luck with the build out in your next Ram 3500...those are really nice trucks and I can see myself going in that direction once the Tacoma dies on me. Have a great New Year!
Electric blankie.
Works great.
Good job.
Gettin.colder.
Peace
Another alternative to the carpet bed liner is a plywood bed liner. 3/4 inch ply has almost an r1 rating which will help keep the chill off and is a little more durable and easy to clean if you’re not a full timer and need to use your truck for truck things
Definitely! Great suggestion, thanks for mentioning that in the comment section so others can incorporate this method.
The carpet does more than just insulate. It helps to maintain condensation and prevent it from dripping on you in your sleep
Hey Brian, thanks for your video! Great info. I need to do more sealing on my bed for sure. My wife and I have gone the propane route - and it made me kinda lazy on putting the time in sealing.
We have the Big Buddy Heater. If I was just using it in the truck I’d probably get a smaller version of the Buddy heaters, but we also use it in our tailgating tent and such. If the heater is moved or tips, it shuts off and is supposed to shut off for harmful gasses. We also carry a separate monoxide defector as a back up. Additionally, we got a 20’ hose for the propane line so we can have the gas outside, just in case the tank were to leak.
The Big Buddy heats the back of our truck so hot you have to turn it off in about 3 - 5 min. Typically, I get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. I turn it on for 3 min or so again while I do that. Then, I also turn it on right before getting up to make life a lot more comfortable changing and whatnot.
Overall the heater runs for 10-15 min and makes camping in single digits not too big of a deal.
Hey Nate! Thanks for the comment, sorry for such a delayed response. I agree, using a monoxide detector is the way to go if you're using a propane heater. Great info for those who are wanting to use something like this, thanks for mentioning it in the comment section so others can incorporate this safety tip into their cold weather truck camping endeavors. Hope you have a great New Year!
I have also been using a propane heater by Mr Heater. I've been using the little buddy which puts out about the same as yours on low and it does a decent job. I just definitely would like to have an overnight sleep-safe heat option. probably going to have to incorporate the electric blanket floor idea
great video and great tips! i'm looking to get a 2016 or 2017 F250 and completely set it up for overlanding/camping so i will take any tips you have :) thank you for your video.
I saw a guy on CZcams that custom cut a aluminum can for his uco candle lantern to make it into a heater since they are 1900 btu for the little one. Great tips Brian
That's a great tip! I'll try that out.
Great tips! I plan on boxing in my truck cap with layers from foam board insulation and then ply thus creating a box thathat is sealed to the outside world and my body heat will be sufficient enough to heat that space! :)
When it's that sealed carbon dioxide becomes an issue. You NEED to have a small source of fresh air.
Saw a vid on youtube where the couple bought some pink foam insulation from a home improvement store...they used a sheet about 1/2 inch thick......Made patterns of their windows, then cut pink foam to patterns.....Their rig had pull down shades they used to hold foam.....cut down on cold air a lot.....
I am of the less hair on top club as well. I found that a BUFF worn over my head and covering my eyes at night does a fantastic job of keeping heat on my head without requiring an actually noggin cap that tends to slip off easily while you are sleeping.
Haha I have hair and agree with this!!!
Hey Insaynbcr, I actually just picked up one of those BUFFs per your recommendation. Thanks for the tip, it works great! Happy New Year!
You actually loose most heat thru your head...which is why hats were always worn to bed in old times...i wear one...and get hot with the dogs...whose heat making ability is outrageous
@@OffGridBackcountryAdventures can you point me in the right direction for a Buff?
Man those leaves are already looking nice out there! Can't wait for the temps to drop down here in Georgia 🍑 It was 93 today, so sick of the heat. Awesome setup and tips man! 💯👍
I hear that I'm in Oklahoma it's been a rough summer here
Camp Hard it was 93 here in Rome ga again today...where is fall???!
I'm headed to KS in two weeks...not looking forward to the hot temps!
@@thatramguy9413 heck yeah, we're neighbors, I live up here near Rosedale, GA 🍑
Heat Index over 100 here in Baton Rouge today - have plans to retire to CO in 2 years - can't wait! Thanks for all the great tips Bryan - plan to spend a lot of my retirement camping in a Tacoma
great tips!! I love winter camping! just waiting on my shell?
Looks like you trimmed back the Bedrug rather that installing it behind the bed rails. Great tip on the tailgate seal. There are several different ones available that make a big difference in cutting down drafts!
Tea candle and a terracotta pot up side down over it works great .look it up on u tube, many different ways . works great.
When you said it was cold at 27 I realized I probably shouldn't try this in -40.
Yeah, it would be rough in those temps. I've had overnights into the negatives and it's more of a hassle than it's worth.
You can, don't be a puss
Appreciate the info
have you tried using a Dometic fridge? One of the upsides to using one is they warm the air around the cooler, so it basically warm your truck while keeping your milk cold. I have slept in the snow with no tent, so the real answer is a great sleeping bag and layers, but keeping out drafts is good so your breath can keep the shell warm
Good Morning Emery, yeah I actually picked up the CFX28 a few months ago. It's awesome and I love having the ability to keep food for longer periods without needing to swap out ice. Total game changer and I like the warm air the compressor kicks out. I completely agree with you regarding layers. That's absolutely the best way to stay warm in frigid temps. Hope you have a great day!
~ Brian
I have the same truck. I've thinking I going to make a mold to form fiberglass tubes. The tubes will fit over the tabs and completely seal any air from coming in. No need to do all that inside. Will keep dust out too.
Why do you people use thumbnails that have nothing to do with the video?
Look into an espar diesel fired heater. We use them in out big trucks in the winter and they work real good and don't use alot of power.
Hey Brad, thanks for the tip. I've been looking into these and they seem to be very effective.
My daughter has a little diesel heater in her van, seems to work really well, I swear by a hot water bottle, or two if it is really cold:) don’t seem to have a problem with cold in my tiny house, now I have my wood burner, but I did two winters in a caravan (travel trailer) and that was cold, brrrr
Nice info..thank you
Thanks for watching, have a great weekend!
Amazing set up my friend love it. You have some great ideas Nd love how the truck turned out.
Also i like what you did with your channel. You have my subscription,would love to have your support as well.
Thanks again for sharing.
ATB Joe
😎
👊🏻
Try putting balloons in those little compartments to keep aur out... Put in holes and glue around area and able to put little doors into spots instead of useing windshield visor
Wool underwear! :-) Nice video. I like your channel. Greetings from Norway!
Hi Freedom in Nature! Hope everything is going great in Norway! That's a country I would love to visit. Yes, wool long underwear is the best, I forgot to mention that in this video. Thanks for tuning in, have a great day! ~ Brian
I'm actually rigging my topper for a trip to Montana in 2 weeks. Organization means a lot to me and I really like the shelf over your window and the stretch cord that holds the reflectix. How did you fasten it? thx
Hi Calisdad3 - I made a short video on how I set up the drop down shelves and the stretch cord to store my window shades. Here is the video if you'd like to check it out. Let me know if you have any questions, thanks! - Brian czcams.com/video/5AdVK5PoTiU/video.html
Zippo hand warmer inside the sleeping bag, works great.
Mine isn't carpeted. Been considering a thin layer of closed cell spray foam. Open cell would be better for condensation, but it's impossible to spray an even or thin layer.
For now I use a down throw inside my sleeping bag.
What is the blue hanging lamp does that take batteries?
I stay in my van coldest I stayed is 27 below
Alcohol heaters work great! No explosive propane to deal with! And I think they produce very little CO. "Dometic ORIGO 5100 Heat Pal - Non-Pressurized Alcohol Stove & Heater"
That's a good idea, I'll look into it! Happy New Year.
and take the same carpet lining to match the size between the truck topper and the truck with velcro on top and bottom that should stop the cold
If you're serious about cold weather truck camping get a Propex hs2000 and call it a day. hook it up to propane, 1.9amp power consumption, externally vented. Moisture free, fume free air, thermostatically controlled for well under 1k. I'm thinking about putting one in my westy.
It’s it worth getting the bed rug I’m planning to road trip from San Diego to Miami and New York
try a small diesel heater... or heated waistcoat too.. like a motorcycle under coat
You can buy 12 volt electric blankets at truck stops and those do not require an inverter inverters use a lot of electricity just a converted up to 1:10 so you could use it in in in a blanket and you want the sea in your electric blanket because AC long term affects your immune system so I would suggest you look into 12 volt electric blankets think they go 50 Watts and that way you know any inverter that you're going to get is going to be much much higher than that because there's a certain percentage of you just operated any I'll take a look at that otherwise it's a good video
Which ARE Truck Cap are you running?
Electric blanket idea! Great stuff. Where did you get the reflective material and/or make, brand?
Hi Andy, this is reflectix and you can find it in rolls at almost any hardware store.
In a video of yours I watched earlier you said you hauled firewood. How tough is that bed rug when it comes to loading it with firewood and similar stuff? Do you protect it?
I think he carries firewood on top of the truck on a cargo rack.
A nice small wood burning stove would be money in there. They even have ones with a smoker oven attachment
Yeah, I've been thinking about a small backpacking stove. I love camping in my 4 season tent with a wood stove so having one inside the topper would be really nice!
@@OffGridBackcountryAdventures you could do the cubic mini if you have space.
Get a roll of Velcro and use the sticky side to cover the gap between the cap & bed.
Would mold build up between the felt liner and the fiberglass topper? I am looking to build a truck camper out of the topper I have on it and this is a concern of mine. Any advice would be appreciated.
In the 70s i had a.cat save my life..the electric blanket.caught on fire..Cat jumped on my face
..proba ly.scar3d her when it burst into flames....woke to a three foot flame on my hip..i didn't.get burned luckily....but it sure quickly turned into.a.death trap...had the thing for 2 years...and back then i was told they cause more fires than coffee makers.
Which were notorious for fires even if turned off..
..hopefully they are better made now...but i would get a new one every year..i wont sleep in a house with one tho....it was traumatic
Thanks for sharing! Cat saved you. Perhaps a rechargeable hand warmer would be a better and safer option.
Nice
How does the Yeti 400 hold up in -10-20ish temps or more importantly at elevation?
Hi Kelly, my friends who use the Yeti 400 in cold temps say it holds up very well but I've not had any personal experience so I'm just going off of second hand info. Hope you have a great New Year!
I’ve camped in 0 degree weather with a few feet of snow the on ground in a traditional tent. That looks like a great set up, but I think nothing will prepare someone better than the right equipment and knowing how to stay warm.
Layering up at night is the wrong answer unless that’s all they have. Most bags are designed to prevent the need of laying up on blankets or clothing. There are plenty of creators on here that demonstrate the importance of layering vs delayering when in severe weather conditions.
Thank you for watching and for sharing your thoughts but I'm afraid you've been misled. I learned the art of effective layering from my friend Eric Larsen, the Polar Explorer based out of Boulder, CO. He explained to how to layer in all conditions and I used these methods to winter camp full-time on Mt Antero for the 2015 and 2016 winter seasons. Speaking from personal experience, layering up is the only way I was able to stay comfortable in extreme cold conditions in my sleeping bag. This article from Outside Magazine quotes Eric as one of the "Layer Uppers" and I 100% agree based on my own experience of both layering up and layering down while living outdoors full-time in the Colorado Rockies for the last 3.5 years.
www.outsideonline.com/2271191/how-experts-layer-sleeping-bag
Colorado Backcountry Adventures great article, but a biased one. I read that earlier in the year when it was published. I don’t disagree with layering as a method to stay warm, but I do agree with the science that layering in a sleeping bag is counterintuitive.
I would just encourage anyone to do the research and find what works best for their setup. Suggesting I was misinformed is a gamble of a statement, especially when that article demonstrates points from those who have debunked layering as a concept in bags.
But if you read the article in full, there is no debunking of layering in bags. Speaking from personal experience, layering in a sleeping bag is the #1 most effective way to stay warm. Getting naked in a sleeping bag doesn't work.
Your worst enemy isn't the cold. It's sweating in the cold. When I was in the army , I slept damn near naked in our sleep system bags in cold weather. I agree it's more about the sleeping system and less about layers. Staying dry is more important than staying warm. Layerimg is fine but you have to be careful to not sweat. Sweating in the winter is more dangerous than the cold temps.
I'm looking for ways to insulate my fiberglass topper however it came carpeted. The R factor with carpet is pretty bad and I'm not going to cover it with reflectix or anything since it looks so nice. I watched so many videos but no one mention adding a layer to the outside of the topper. I'm looking for something I can roll or lay on top for the night and remove in the daytime. Sounds like a wacky idea but just thinking.
Just throw a heavy weight blanket. Or insulation blanket. Maybe a tarp over the top to keep it weather proof
@@andrewk8636 What I ended up doing is leaving my hard-shell fiberglass carrier on top that has tarps and blankets inside. I'm sure it gives some R value
I wrapped a tent trailer with refectex (radiant insulation) glued to a tarp about 7 years ago camping in 100+ outdoor with a window AC (75° inside) can't imagine it wouldn't work for cold weather.
The queen size heated matress pad I have pulls 75 watts per side for a total of 150 watts. I'm guessing a twin size pad would be 75-65 watts and would work all night on 2 6v golf cart batteries with a solar panel to top them off during the day.
What’s the added weight of the extension?
Hi Nick, I used aspen wood for the majority of the build which is very lightweight. The biggest addition of weight came from the vinyl wood flooring which was 36lbs. All together, the extension including the portion inside the truck bed was 102 lbs. The part which extends out over my truck bed is 37lbs. Pretty lightweight, it's help up very well so far.
What trails are these in the beginning of the video?
Hi Jason, these are trails over in the Fourmile North Trail System just outside of Buena Vista, CO.
put reflects in the cube holes then
4;31 duct tape ? great info TY !
How did you build those shelves above the long camper shell windows?
Hi Kevin, here is a video explaining how I make these shelves. czcams.com/video/5AdVK5PoTiU/video.html
Socks, hat, thermals, 0 bag and make sure you eat a candy bar before bed
The Buddy Heater doesn't put off any Co2.
It's not that it's puts out, it's that it sucks the oxygen...
Yes it does. Less than the allowable amount for 8 hour shift but over time the carbon monoxide dissolves into your blood and causes problems as it builds up
Just buy an external power bsnk and run a 12 or 110 volt electric heater. No deadly fumes and you aren't using your truck battery.
❤
I too am part of the follicular failure club.
:D
Isn’t a Toyota bed 5 ft long? Seems kinda of tight with a dog.
Toyota bed is 6' long
It's 6 feet if you have an access cab, or 5ish if you have a quad cab if I'm not mistaken.
Put tape on the outside 9f the holes
A Long bed would be a lot better for camping and everything else a truck is used for.
Except for the decreased turning radius on extremely tight 4x4 trails in Colorado. You have to keep in mind the majority of 4x4 roads are old mining trails which are extremely narrow and the switchbacks can be troublesome for any long beds or full size trucks. Thanks for watching.
Let’s talk about how the topper is never coming off😂 liquid nails man cmon dude that shit is strong AF😂
You must have misunderstood, I only did this for lower section of the bed rug. I can easily remove the topper.
,
Hot water bottle ok last for hours
Yeah, that's one of my favorite backpacking hacks. However, in a topper the hot water bottle will only keep your bag warm. If you want to hang out in a warm topper then you'll want to add some more heating elements to the mix. Thanks for watching, have a great weekend!
Leer has a tailgate seal - www.leer.com/?d=35&dt=120
at 4:27 duct tape! and again at 5:03 duct tape inside and out...
Park up high as you can , cold air sinks !
Yeah but you also get more wind. Sinking air is just one part of it.