Vagabond Drifter Camper Buildout and Mods

Sounds like 650#'s is what you need (I've had 650# springs + the drifter w/ no weight up front, was perfect)

 

I ordered some custom sheets for my Drifter mattress from Custom Mattress Factory.com They have a 25% off sale going, so they were $105 incl. shipping. Sale is going through 12/15. I didn't realize they would be shipping from India, but they arrived in a week from when I placed my order, which is pretty fast for custom sheets. They are 600 thread count Egyptian cotton, and after washing and drying, they feel really nice. Solid colors, no patterns. The ones pictured here, that I ordered, are the light grey. Quality appears high with the stitching and they fit great. I replaced the original Vagabond foam with my own slightly softer 3" foam mattress plus 1" of memory foam. The least dimension they offer for the fitted sheet is 4" but based on the one I received, I think it would work just fine on a 3" deep mattress. I have to say, it is SO NICE to have perfectly fitted sheets without a bunch of extra material to deal with. And the pillow cases aren't baggy which is nice.

Here is the just the mattress with the Vagabond stitched canvas cover over my own 3"+1" mattress setup.


A couple up close of the tag and stitching on the sheets



Fitted sheet installed.



This gives an idea of the slack on the flat sheet. Should be enough to cover two people.



And the complete setup. Fits great.

 

PM’ing you

 

Are you boondocking full time?

what are velcro shelves?

 

Really like the cold weather liner. Does it affect the way the Drifter closes? I keep 2 blankets with 2 pillows up there full time, So dont want any issue with closing the top lid with the extra fabric.

Also, what 1" memory foam and 3" mattress are you using?

 

I made my own tent insulation pack and it does not affect closing at all. I also keep two blankets and 2 pillows up there all the time. I was stoked when it all worked just fine!

 

I like the liner, too. I haven't had a chance to try it in any cold weather yet... High pressure dome locked down over the southwest and we have had no winter weather yet. Record breaking high temps. One thing I have noticed about the insulation liner is the webbing strap and stow-buckle that is attached to the middle of each window panel is no longer usable with the insulation attached. It would be cool if they stitched a new buckle onto the insulation window panels so you could attach the straps when the windows are closed. It's just a little more tension on the walls and also a place to put the strap so it's not loose. (see pic for what I'm talking about).

The insulation does add more material and it does take slightly more (but not much) attention when closing to push the last bit of bulging material inside of the bulb seal before fully closing and latching it. I have doubled-up fleece blanket and a couple pillows I leave up there and it's no problem. But I'd say that if a person is already maxing out the closure with thick bedding / pillows then the insulation could potentially be an issue. I stow my pillows about mid-way down the mattress to allow more room at the rear end of the platform for the largest tent wall areas to fold in and bunch up, so that helps.

 

Who makes the insulation?

 

Thanks for the explaination!

Two weeks ago I camped out in 25F degree. Usually I am warm inside my Drifter without the optional insulation. I want the insulation more for condensation purposes then keeping warm, of course keeping warm is a big benefit too.. Might be camping out next week in the teens. Really wish I can install the insulation package onto my Drifter and see if it will close properly with my bedding.. Anyone live in SoCal??

I keep two of my pillows at the very wedge portion. When I slide the mattress back it creates a little pocket that two pillows fit directly on the Drifter metal frame.

 

Vagabond.

 

You'll still get condensation - it will just be mostly between the tent and insulation layers. Gotta air it out to prevent mildew/mold.

 

Vagabond does. It's not listed on their site. If you have a newer Drifter/Nomad, it comes with velcro and attachments pre-installed. If you have an earlier one, you'll have to buy additional velcro to install ("adapter kit").

Here's more details from the past, re-quoted/posted:

All the details (well except R-value) are in the Instagram post. You need to click through to see the text, so I pasted it below in a quote:

 

Got it. That shouldn’t be a problem. Usually I turn on my fan on high for an hour while making breakfast outside etc. the insulation makes the Drifter seem more ‘homey’. Touching the moist cold Drifter walls in the very cold morning is not very pleasant.

 

Has anyone put a rheostat or other resistor on the Fantastic Fan circuit to reduce the fan speed? Sometimes the lowest setting seems like too much.

 

No, but I think I will now, haha. Good idea.

 

Sorry, I forgot to answer... I got the 1" memory foam from Kohl's. I don't recall the brand. The 3" medium density foam is one I had from my previous camper setup and I also used it in the OzTent. I got it from a local foam and fabric store on 4th Ave. in Tucson, AZ. https://fourthavenue.org/listings/a-foam-fabric-place/

 

No, my girlfriend took me off the streets. If she hadn't, I would be in the Drifter full time.

Heres the shelves. I just attached 4 to my wall.

$7 Universal Mesh Cargo Net Car Storage Net Wall Sticker Organizer Pouch Bag Storage Mesh Net for Car Trunk Storage Add On Organizers for Car Truck,15" x 9.5"(2 Packs with one Side Velcro)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071K8KZZC?ie=UTF8

 

@georginclay04 what collapsible sink is that? And would you recommend it?

Thanks
-Edsel

 

Yea it is actually very very useful! When it's cold, rainy, or I'm already comfy in the drifter I use it to brush my teeth and spit in. Then the next day I just wash it out and dump it. Way better than having to go back outside and brush your teeth or just not brushing your teeth. For $15 worth it. I've used it for other things as well but that's its primary function.

$20 SAMMART 9.45L (2.5 Gallon) Collapsible Tub - Foldable Dish Tub - Portable Washing Basin - Space Saving Plastic Washtub (Grey/Black, M)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08DY2J1WX?ie=UTF8&th=1

I use all natural grease kitchen wipes to clean my dishes. No water/soap no fuss. The brand is Method.

 

We tried and failed with the megamat - got a hole it in and then none were left at REI so exchanged it for a Nemo which also got a hole in it and we returned that as well. The NEMO was high maintenance to inflate too. Have considered trying the megamat again, but worried about puncturing it. It's a tight squeeze on the sides. So, on that front, do you put a bottom sheet on it or just sleep in your bag or without anything on it? Do you deflate before closing the lid or leave inflated? I think the hole may have come about while trying to put a bottom sheet on it wrestling with it maybe too inflated and it scraped along the side metal, but never found the hole and not sure. Also, we never found a good way to fold it - do you just deflate the whole thing? Most of our last summer was spent on two mattresses deflated by 2am and while we'd like a more comfortable mattress and the megamat was more comfortable before it got a hole in it, I'm worried about its durability in this use case. Insight would be great.