Kimbo Camper BS and Mods

Hey Voltron - thanks so much for the hook idea. I just tried rigging up a rack (I also found for $40 on Craigslist!) and was having a time trying to get skis in there by myself. What are you using for the attachment from the rack to the ladder? The rack I bought came with clamps that fit the Subaru bars but they’re obviously too big for the ladder and it will move around when driving.

Thanks for any thoughts you have!

 

How did you end up fixing the windows? I had the same issue with forgetting to lock it and the struts blowing. I just ordered two new struts from tern, but the window seems to have shifted down a bit not allowing it to shut all the way. Big window too, not ideal for driving.

Thanks for any insight you have!

 

I ended up using hose clamps from a hardware store and wrapped them around the ladder and the ski rack themselves. In all honesty, this is will be my first season using this method, but it seems pretty secure. I took a test drive with my skis in the rack and it seemed to hold up just fine.

 

So I had some left over silicone sheets from the wood stove install and just used some pieces as spacers.

 

Hi Kimbo Fam,

1. I am planning to spray the bottom of the truck with fluid film soon to prepare for winter. Voltron, I think you do this annually. I watched a video on it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exH6yXex0sg&t=896s Seems pretty straight forward, but always happy to hear any tips people may have.

2. Might be leaving the truck and Kimbo in long term storage in the spring. Looking into trickle chargers. Looks like Noco makes the genius 10, which should work well for the truck and maybe a genius 1 for the Yeti 400. I plan to put a lot of air in the tires and store it close to some family that might be able to take it for a spin once in awhile. Let me know if you all have advice about storing long term.

3. I have been thinking about Starlink for the Kimbo. Not sure about mounts or whether anyone here has gone for it. If I did, then I would probably upgrade the Yeti 400/800 see https://www.thenomadexperiment.com/yeti-goal-zero-400-1200w-review/ If I do upgrade, I am thinking about going with an Ecoflow Delta. Has anyone out there gone for the Starlink setup?

4. In other news, we've done some fun boat rips out in Arizona and some surfing and MTB in Santa Cruz. As always the Kimbo worked great. Happy Travels!

 

The stuff is great. Looks like after a few years of doing this there is a nice layer of the stuff that has built up with some of the road grime, nothing a little Simple Green and wash could take care of later. I try and focus on the bolts and joints I see first then hitting as much of the frame as I can.

We have used the Starlink for about 2 months while on the road, you only need to turn on the service when you need it. It has worked great with about 50-70 mbps when in use in CO. We use the the RV version with the stand. With the stand version, you can park where you want without compromising Starlink's view of the sky and leave it all at home when not in use. I would also recommend drilling another hole in the Kimbo on the side where you will be setting it up. I put in a bulkhead similar to the shore power plug that way you're not having to come through the door or window with the cord. We have a 200amp hour Lithium or 2400 watt hours. You could probably get by with a 100amp hour or 1200 watt hour battery, but after 2 days of Starlink use it will be tough for the batter to recover unless you have more than 200watts in solar panels. I recommend unplugging when not in use instead of putting it to sleep. We woke up one morning and it had drained about 30amp hours during the night. It uses about 5amps when connected and in use. Depending on how much you plan to use and how much reserve you want to have, the Goal Zero 1200w may be enough.

 

Has anyone replaced their ratchet straps that hold the Kimbo on the truck? Mine are toast. Any reason to go with turnbuckles or anything else?

 

Haven’t replace the straps yet, but did make the switch to hd steel hooks. Makes the process much easier and quicker.

 

What type of steel hooks did you buy?

 

I believe these are them. Can't find the order email though. They are pretty burly. Keeps you from having to thread the ratchet every time, Just loosen and hook.

https://www.shipperssupplies.com/2-inch-extra-heavy-duty-wire-hook

Break Strength — 10,000 lbs
Work Load Limit — 3,335 lbs

 

would it be possible to see a picture of your strap set up with those hooks? This is a great idea and I’m trying to wrap my mind about how to go about it.

 

Made a hitch mount step that extends past the tailgate and added a simple rear view mirror back up camera that I can run all the time on the highway.

 

Looks great! May want to store the step when on the highway though (or paint it red and put some reflective tape on it).

Did you use the wireless camera?

 

No worries. Instead of threading the loops in the bed every time, you just loosen and hook. Pull up the slack and tighten as usual. You don’t have to pull the end out of the ratchet. I just feed the tail back through the mount on the Kimbo.

 

When I first bought insurance, the agent made it sound like having a woodstove would be absurd and a definite deal killer. But after mulling this over I decided to call him up and ask him take a serious look at how a woodstove would affect my insurability. Turns out it's about $20 more a year! I'm so glad I followed up. I'm not living full time in my rig, so I don't need to worry about being stealth in the city. I feel so much better about the cost, the independence from electricity, and the simplicity of a cubic wood stove. Thanks so much for your encouragement.

 

That’s good to hear. Excited to see what you do.

 

Picked her up today, just in time for cooler weather. Shipped with Blueti AC60 batteries. Testing the heater out in South Dakota today, cold and windy for sure. Two month wait wasn't nearly as bad as what some of you guys had.

 

Yikes! South Dakota will deliver a good stress test for the heater. Your rig looks really nice and I hope you'll have lots of fun in it.

 

Two months is crazy. Try 9 months back during COVID times!

 

First thing I did to my double cab '18 sport with the automatic tranny, was a regear and tune. Had both front and back diffs regeared to 5.29, and then got the 5.29 specific tune from KDMax. I found a vender in my local area (Reno, NV) from the Tacomaworld forum. The regear isn't cheap, but it's also something I wouldn't do by yourself unless you are a legit mechanic (but that's just my opinion). With that said, I don't know how people on this forum don't regear, it makes a world of difference. Also in case you go this route, I got the KDMax tune with the least aggressive throttle response. It's much more comfortable IMHO, especially with the kimbo strapped to the truck. Let me know if you've got any questions!