Kimbo Camper BS and Mods

Thanks! Definitely wanted to offset some of that grey.

 

Hi Kimbo Fam,

I’m looking at the new dish from starlink and a new power system. No real decision on the Starlink, they pretty much have the market. In terms of power systems I like the flexibility of a standalone power station that I can remove when camping and at the house. The Ecoflow is LFP chemistry and they have some pretty good sales but I recently found Pecron. The E2000 has 1920 wh and fits into the Kimbo shelf next to the bed, it also has all the plugs in the front and is being sold right now for $899. It works out to 46 cents per wh. I can also add their eb3000 and get 5000 wh for $2000. That seems like a pretty good deal. It has solar and ac charging at the same time and fast charging: 1-2 hours for just the e2000 and 4 hours for the e2000+eb3000. I’ll be charging off my solar which is 175 as well as my trucks ac inverter while driving which is funny but it’s simple and works. The power station doesn’t have Bluetooth and wifi connectivity, which ecoflow does, but I’m not sure I have a need for that. My main use is charging laptops and powering the starlink as well as the Kimbo fan, lights etc. what do you all think?

 

That new Starlink dish is a bit of a conundrum. Trading off a smaller footprint for higher power usage. If power is a concern, I'd consider sticking with the gen 2 dish. My gen 2 pulls an average of 40 watts.

I can't really speak about the ecoflow or Pecron, I haven't heard great things about ecoflow, but they do seem to be an affordable option.

I run a Bluetti AC200Max for my daily battery and have a B300 as a backup that I try to avoid using for a total of around 5,000WH. How many laptop charges a day are you considering? And how many hours of starlink?

I full time out of my rig and work a 40-hour remote workweek with Starlink, so to give you a rough estimate of power usage. One day of use: 2-3 laptop charges, 8-10 hours of Starlink, 24 hours of fridge/freezer output, lights/fan is between 35-60% of my AC200Max with no solar input. With a 415-watt collapsable fold-out solar panel, I could barely keep my full charge with a good day of sun. I'm now running 715 watts of solar with 3 100 panels on the Kimbo roof. The freezer eats a lot of the power, so if you're not running one, that'll definitely help!

As for the other things you've mentioned. Bluetooth/wifi can be handy for turning things off and on from outside the truck. I don't know about those brands, but for Bluetti you can get firmware updates from wifi which was a lifesaver. They had a bug in some units where they would still draw power even when turned off, but the wifi update fixed it.

 

Hi there;
Finally signed up to respond to posts. I'm really interested in the winter camping and frost build-up issues/ heating & venting suggestions. I bought my fully loaded Kimbo in September (2023)- #408. The plan is to go winter camping and skiing in the interior of BC from mid Jan-April. I live in eastern Canada and have the camper parked out near Calgary- but had to put my plans on hold as I waited for the snow to arrive in the west. The snow has now come, but unfortunately so have the -36 C temperatures (thats -32 F)...YIKES. So, I will run the dickinson 24/7 on low, direct fans in all the key areas (door latch/ sleeping loft), fire up a dehumidifier, put towels in corners of the bed to collect moisture, keep a heating pad handy, run the max air fan on low to push the hot air down and will crack a window to allow condensation to escape. I'll order a Caframo fan once I make sure I have a place to mount it and figure out how to connect it to the battery... Thanks Rollypoll, Profloundering and KimboCanuck for the winter camping suggestions. Wish me luck If all else fails, I'll book a hotel room til the weather settles down...

 

When you have things the way you like them, I hope you will share a lot more photos and explain what you've done with your build.
It looks really functional and spacious. I've never liked the chopped up look of the Kimbo kitchen. I think I go mad trying to work in such a cramped space.

 

Hi Kimbo Fam,

After much searching, thinking and reviewing I am now planning on getting the Yeti Pro 4000 from Goal Zero. 4000wh should be more than enough power for the Starlink and 2 laptops. The vehicle integration seems like a breeze with their escape kit so that I have DC to DC charging off my truck alternators while underway as well as 300w of solar off the roof. I wanted to see if anyone has any opinions on this path. All the best.

 

Hi Lakeswimmer, sorry for the delay. I finally got back on the road, but sure, here are some photos; functionality was a priority for sure. Since I mostly stay in warmer climates and cook outside 90% of the time, I use the countertop/table for an 'office.' Storage is another priority so I tried to maximize space.

Underneath the bench was just enough room for the Dometic 75L fridge/freezer which also barely fit through the door.

Also went with Timbrens SES instead of airbags since I don't plan on taking the Kimbo off much, if ever, and have been very satisfied with them.

A couple of things I'll change down the road is I need to add a wire pass-through from the outside. Right now the Starlink cable and my fold-out solar panel wires run through the window which works most of the time, but won't when it's buggy. I also want to move/add a lagoon table mount to the back of the propane tank. Oh, I never use my sink, it's easier to use my outdoor shower to wash things so I'll ditch that and use the space for something else. Other than that I've been very pleased with the Kimbo/Build. Let me know if you have any questions or want specs on any of it.

 

Sounds like a solid setup, there are so many variables when it comes to solar but for casual use I think you'd be fine. If you're looking to work and get multiple charges daily on each laptop/running Starlink for 8 hours, you may want to consider adding a fold-out solar panel (if you do, things get a little tricky adding it to the roof solar array).

 

Wow, it turned out so well. The cabinetry looks real sharp! nice that you can cook and cleanup outdoors, that saves so much space.

 

Cheers, thank you! I had hired help for it, but there's a pro fabricator in Seattle who did a good amount of the carpentry work quickly and for a reasonable price and another friend in Colorado who helped if anyone's looking for an expert I'm happy to pass on their contact information.

 

That work looks crisp, very nice. I noticed that you have a fire extinguisher in the spot that my Kimbo had a smoke detector - did you relocate the smoke detector? I relocated mine to the upper part of the door - out of the way but still in line with manufacturer recommendation (I also changed it to a multifunction detector). The upper part of your cabinet that folds down, is that for storing skis and longer items? It looks like there is an open end on it towards the bed...

 

We'll have to connect on a dirtfish event or at the Olympus Rally in Shelton (April 20-21), last year was a hoot for sure (very wet)...there's also the Oregon Trail rally (May 17-19) we plan to attend as well, it's near Hood River (very dusty).

 

I'll be at Dirtfish (for Avants Offroad) on March 9th. Where you located?

 

Tacoma/UP - I got a buddy (ThrottleGrotto) that attends that frequently, but I have yet to attend, lemme check my schedule.

 

Well, the March one is the women's specific one, so unless you are female it's off limits. But people sometimes stop by to check out what's going on. We'll have more though, I'm sure.

I help run the events, so I'm at almost all of them.

 

My outdoor solar lights were pretty worn out after 2 years and needed replacement. I sprayed behind them with isopropyl alcohol and then used a thin, plastic putty knife to scrape them off the camper. The residue from the tape came off really easy using a rubber eraser wheel and a drill. New lights were attached with 3M Bullshark bond 1/2" double sided tape. This method worked well and didn't damage the camper in the process. Also added a fourth light under the front window while I was at it.

 

Thanks! Oh, it's sort of out of frame, but it's in the original spot, although maybe Kimbo moved it from where it used to be? It's just below the fire extinguisher, although that's a great idea to move it out of the way by the door. Oh no, I traded my skis for surfboards years ago, but it is for bulkier stuff like extra bedding, an outdoor tent, and my wetsuits. The little notch is for me to use it like a nightstand and put my phone or a book in there before I go to bed.

 

Been lurking on this forum for a few years now. After a lot of long overtime filled work weeks I FINALLY got my shot at ordering a Kimbo. Just waiting for the build date now.

 

Just got word. I'm #475. Build in mid May

 

Congrats and welcome to the land of the recovering lurkers...LOL