Scout Olympic 1 Year Review | The Mortells

[@TheMortells]

Thanks for watching! Make sure to check out our new Scout Kenai tour video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5_dZ413bbCsmNk

[@exploringquests]

I greatly appreciate your update video! I’ve been researching truck campers for over a year now. We too had looked towards pop ups to get to the back country. For reasons you mentioned and others, we decided a hard side was what we wanted. I came across the Scout a few months ago, but didn’t give it a whole lot of thought, but intrigued. I came across this video last week and went down the Scout rabbit hole and fell in Love. I showed my wife every KZbin video I could find on Scout and she fell in Love too. After speaking with Ryan via email and then on the phone, we decided to put in our order! I just wanted to Thank You for the videos you posted. It helped us FINALLY find the PERFECT RV for us! I’m looking forward to your adventures in the Kenai while we wait on ours to be built. Have a Great night!

[@TheMortells]

Hey Michael, thanks for the message and we are glad we were able to help you make the decision to go with a Scout! Hopefully the lead time goes quickly for ya and you can get out camping in it soon!

[@milanboskovic9618]

Have you seen Hiatus Camper?

[@exploringquests]

@@milanboskovic9618 I have not yet.

[@milanboskovic9618]

@@exploringquests It's a pop up with hard sides. Insulated, looks alright to me. It is my favorite anyway, giving best of both worlds...:)

[@exploringquests]

@@milanboskovic9618 Thanks for the info!

[@waynedyer3475]

Thank you. Best to you both and the pets. Safe journey. Look forward to videos of next scout.

[@TheMortells]

Thanks so much!! :) Hope all is well with you too.

[@FlynPig911]

Congrats FULL TIME!

[@TheMortells]

Thanks Avery!

[@johnhuff393]

Good morning from Godley Texas, I haven't been back to your channel since the first video. I'm pleased to see the camper has met your needs. Wishing the best with your new setup. Thanks for the honest assessment. Stay safe 😎.

[@TheMortells]

Thanks for the message and for coming back to check in!

[@ScottSharpe2121]

Great review, I can’t decide on a rig for my FIRE vehicle (2 yrs away and counting) but the Scout is a leading contender. Look forward to seeing more on your next adventure.

[@monsiuersmartypants3391]

Another option i would look at is hiatus campers. They’re under 500 pounds and are 4 season hard sided pop up campers. They would probably be better for hauling all your gear without overloading your payload.

[@TheMortells]

Thanks for the comment! Best of luck making your decision! I don't think you would regret going with the Scout but there are a lot of great options out there.

[@woolengrappler]

I’m on the FIRE journey too. I’m considering this Scout and a pop up from Supertramp Campers, but I need to fit 2 adults and 2 kids!

[@annag467]

hey thank you for bringin up the propane heater. i've been doing vanlife with a chinese diesel heater, had to fix this thing 3 times although i'm forever grateful for the warmth it's given me on past trips. i don't know what resistance i have left regarding non-diesel heaters...but this is the third recommendation i've heard for specifically this Dickinson heater.

[@TheMortells]

No problem - we have loved our Newport Dickinson heater!

[@pala4833]

+1 on all your points. Congrats and good luck on your next phase.

[@TheMortells]

Thanks Pala!

[@N556ND]

Really great video! Granger steals the show.

[@TheMortells]

Haha yep she always steals the show everywhere we go!

[@kylegrozelle7737]

Granger is the best

[@padronianful]

super helpful review guys, thanks for taking the time to go through everything!

[@TheMortells]

You're welcome, glad you found it useful!

[@MaddizonDannie]

I'm very excited to see your next setup

[@TheMortells]

Thanks Ariatti! Hopefully we will get a video out soon of our set up once we pick up the Kenai in a couple of weeks!

[@MaddizonDannie]

@@TheMortells let the hype begin!! :D

[@jmarley3839]

Lol, when y’all said you were getting the new truck, the dog popped up like “what?!” 😂😂

[@TheMortells]

Hahaha she likes to play an active role in our decision making...

[@bajabethy]

I've had mine for a year. It started out with a huge water leak, rain and melting snow outside on the roof caused water to pour out of the corner of the skylight. I had to make 2 round trip, full day trips to Yakima to get it fixed. It just rained hard 4 days ago and there were drops of water along the ceiling trim over the bed - an area that had leaked before.

[@TheMortells]

Sorry to hear that - I heard a handful of people were having issues with the skylights and thankfully Scout has switch to a new brand moving forward so hopefully that isn't an issue. Hopefully they sort out the leak above the bed for you as well.

[@nealamesbury1480]

@@TheMortells I’m hoping,really hoping, that leaking issues are resolved b4 getting mine.for this kind of money,of course,no brainer,..they should not leak.

[@stokerjoe4734]

Thanks guys for the video info and thats going to be great to see a flatbed with a scout.

[@TheMortells]

We are pretty excited as well!

[@curtisturney3467]

Thank you for your review! In the research phase, great info that will help me. WE ARE!!!

[@TheMortells]

PENN STATE! No problem and feel free to reach out if you got any other questions!

[@Paintbl99]

Love that camper. I think when I eventually move to a camper this will be the one for me. Love the seasonality of having a hard shell camper and the fire setup seems so nice!

[@TheMortells]

These are great campers and honestly we love winter camping now because we are so cozy and most places are empty!

[@mundodebandeirante]

very good your videos. I'm building a camper and the information is very important.

[@TheMortells]

Glad it was helpful!

[@JeffKendallWeed]

Great video thanks guys! I’m debating an F150 or 2500HD… this has helped!!! About to check into your other videos about your truck!

[@TheMortells]

Glad the videos were helpful! There's always a lot to consider when making these decisions!

[@truhawkfan509]

Nice update!

[@TheMortells]

Thanks!

[@yooperdog]

We have a Dickinson in on cargo trailer conversion, love it.

[@TheMortells]

They are pretty amazing!

[@gtrance3567]

Very cool! Question, how do you get power to the camper? Thank you.

[@TheMortells]

Thanks! The Scouts come with a Portable Goal Zero Yeti 1500X Lithium Power Station and a 175W Renogy Flexible Solar Panel on the roof.

[@derekthissen6626]

I saw in your winter video that you're in Colorado. How do you find the dickinson heater above 6000ft elevation? I have the same heater in my camper but in vancouver Canada I haven't used it above 2000ft yet. Just curious

[@TheMortells]

Hey Derek, we have camped at over 11,000' multiple times and have had zero problems with the Dickinson heater! The only time we have some issues with it is in high winds, sometimes the flame gets blown out, but that has only happened twice to us.

[@lamarwilliams185]

Thanks for putting the names of items that are in the video. I don’t know how many times I saw something in a video and wish I could find the name!!!

[@TheMortells]

You are so welcome, glad it was useful!

[@briansoule1002]

Thanks for this honest review. I just got word that my Olympic will be arriving soon and super stoked. Was wondering how well the GZ works in the cold. Thanks!

[@TheMortells]

Hey Brian, the GZ will stop accepting a charge when the battery gets too cold. This isn't a GZ specific issue and will be the same with all lithium batteries. Even when it is cold it can still use the stored amount and that actually helps heat up the battery some. We only have issues with charging when the truck sits for a couple of days without us using it. If we are actually camping and living in the scout then it tends to stay warm enough to keep charging!

[@bfed2831]

Great content and informative!

[@TheMortells]

Thanks - glad you liked it!

[@1984bmartin]

Thanks for the honest review. I have a few questions. First, does the Goal Zero charge from the vehicle when driving or can you only charge it with shore power and solar? Would seem to be important when travelling in cloudy weather. Second, seems to me that the Olympic could really use a Fantastic fan near the sleeping area to ensure good air circulation when its hot. What have you done to ensure good air circulation into the sleeping area when its hot outside? I assume there isn't a problem when its cold and using the fireplace with its fan though you said the floor gets cold so maybe a fan is needed to pull warm air down to the floor area. Third, if I wanted to run other 12 V appliances (fans, etc.) off of the Goal Zero, does it have a port that I could wire to a fuse panel? Fourth, do you find that the Dometic stove is kind of large and bulky on that small counter top? Fifth, have you gotten any confirmation on new options coming for your 2022 Kenai? Sixth, have you gleaned any tips on how to attach brackets etc. to the blank areas of the walls to add more storage? Thanks much.

[@1984bmartin]

Hoping to hear from your experience with the above questions.

[@exploringquests]

These are all great questions. I’m about ready to pull the trigger on the pre order for the Kenai and had similar questions. Thanks for taking the time to share your video of great info!

[@TheMortells]

Hey - sorry for the delayed response. The Goal Zero can charge from the alternator while driving if you purchase the Expansion Module which is roughly $400. We were only seeing roughly 100 watt charge rate so we didn't find it super useful but it was better than nothing. The sleeping area does get pretty warm in the summer time, we used two 12v fans to help circulate air and it worked pretty well. I don't think there is enough room in the Olympic to install a fantastic fan with the roof top tent option, but if you didn't get the roof top tent then the roof vent would probably help a decent amount as well. As far as a port to wire a fuse panel from the goal zero - I am not quite sure. Our 12 volt fans had USB plugs so we used that, I am not sure how to hard wire to the goal zero though. The Dometic stove does take up most of the counter top but overall it didn't bug us to much. We would use the dinette table and the top of the Dometic fridge as prep space as well while cooking. We are keeping our Kenai pretty simple - just getting the roof top tent & Dometic fridge & Newport Dickinson heater so we will be coming up with some other solutions for the kitchen/clothes storage. For attaching the the walls, you can use the 3m command adhesive strips to mount smaller/lighter items. For anything heavier, the walls are structural so you can drill holes and mount heaver items, you just need some sort of backing plate to spread out the weight.

[@pala4833]

Bradford, I use the 12V cigarette adapter charger when driving to charge the GZ. After about 3 hours of driving it usually tops me back up from what I used the previous day.

[@overlanddaddy]

Excited to see the next build!

[@TheMortells]

We are too! Haha :)

[@strayamericans]

very nice video guys! We really appreciate it! We are considering getting one now and it is us and a dog full time. Looks great!

[@TheMortells]

Thanks PJ and Mandy! Best of luck with the camper purchase and moving into it full time - it is worth the effort for sure!

[@cookiecracker6266]

Did you figured out how to keep the condensation off the edges?

[@TheMortells]

We've dialed in our airflow setup to help a lot with condensation. We always have at least one window vented and the vent on overnight. We also put some neoprene tape along the metal trim, which helps a lot too. I believe Scout is installing the neoprene tape standard these days.

[@jonathanrunciman5676]

This is been in extremely informative video and I always love watching them. I do have a quick question if you don't mind, with most RVs and truck campers there is some prevented of maintenance for leaks do you guys have to do the same thing? like caulking joints?

[@TheMortells]

Thanks for the comment! Our camper actually had the incorrect caulking installed from the factory but Scout fixed it back in July. We haven't had any issues since and so far I don't think we will need to do any maintenance on it for a couple of years.

[@dhol267]

@@TheMortells Would be interested to hear more about this incorrect caulking issue if you have any more details. I have a leaking Scout Olympic currently. Thanks

[@andrewh1053]

Did you use the tent during colder temperatures? Does the fabric hold temperature well? Thanks!

[@TheMortells]

We haven't really used it in very cold temperatures, so it's hard to say. We really only use it occasionally when friends are traveling with us.

[@chelseab5467]

That was very informative thank you!

[@TheMortells]

Thanks for the nice comment!

[@8thirty2]

hey question...I'm 6 feet tall...I'm wondering if I'd fit in the bed going sideways as it looks kinda tight...but you look taller than me. Hows the fit for taller people sleeping sideways in that bed? Thanks!

[@TheMortells]

Hey there! Yep you would fit with no issues in the Olympic and Kenai camper. I am 6'5" and fit comfortably in the bed and standing straight up in the camper! The Yoho is shorter and narrower so that would be a tighter fit.

[@8thirty2]

perfect thanks!!!@@TheMortells

[@trisp6848]

What foam bed topper did you get? We’re in the market for one for our Scout! It’s also been a challenge to find sheets that fit the mattress dimension! Thank you!!

[@TheMortells]

We got ours off of Amazon, we got the queen size one and cut it down to fit! Here is the link: amzn.to/3Blfbdx

[@Mormonsharing]

Hi Danny & Mike; did you replace your Newport P9000 for a diesel heater? Thank you. Enjoy your videos.

[@TheMortells]

Hey - sorry for the delay! We have not replaced the Newport but have considered it. Possibly at some point down the road, but we're not sure. We LOVE the fireplace, but a diesel heater has its advantages too.

[@Mormonsharing]

@@TheMortells I installed the Newport..do enjoy it. I was informed @ Adventurer Guide that you were replacing yours. Thank you.

[@RAMtrails]

Wish you would've talked how sleeping in the bed is. why isn't the interior width listed on the website?

[@TheMortells]

The stock beds from Scout are a bit firm so if you like a softer bed you might need to add a thin foam layer. We added 3" memory foam and love how comfortable it was. In our new Kenai we decided to get a custom made mattress mainly because we were going full time. The interior width is roughly 77".

[@aneisinger]

What kind of truck are you getting for the Kenai? How did you like the Ram? I know the Cummins is a good engine, though have heard people talk about having issues with the transmissions. My wife and I are looking for a truck and camper, or overland trailer, for us and our twins. I really like the pop top, though my wife was curious about on board water for showers? First world problems, right?

[@TheMortells]

Hey Andrew - we got another RAM but switched to a 3500 Hemi to allow for international travel. We loved the Cummins but it is tough to find ULSD and DEF in central/south America. We tend to find campsites/truck stops to shower in every once and awhile but our Kenai does have an inside shower option, though we didn't get the Rinsekit but might look into some other set ups.

[@jamiegodman715]

I'd like to get a scout olympic. But there's a long wait time on a build. And no used ones on the market. I'd be interested in buying your rig?!

[@TheMortells]

It is still for sale! Here is the link to our posting: expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/2020-aev-prospector-laramie-2021-scout-olympic-camper.228306/

[@KB-yn2pc]

Late to the party here. I'm looming to purchase a scout. I really don't like the water situation. How had that worked for you? I've had a 4x4 van with 20gal water capacity. The 5 gal really doesn't seem to be a whole lot of water. Also the lifesaver (which I have) is pressure driven and can lack pressure when the water is low. Does the gravity feed with the scout that really help with that?

[@TheMortells]

As you saw in the other video - the dometic upgrade has been great and has made life much easier for us. The 5 gal jug and rotopacks worked great for us for weekend trips but not the most useful for longer term use.

[@walkersmooth]

Great video! I've owned a Northstar SS and it was heavy... Looking at Scouts. Have you ever taken the Scout off as a stand-alone camper (off truck). Assuming no... Some truck campers allow for this.

[@TheMortells]

Hey Walker, thanks! We haven't used our camper as a stand alone camper without the truck. It can be a bit wobbly when just on the jack stands and also you probably would want extra support on the bunk area to make sure it doesn't tip on you. Happy Jack does make some additional braces but we haven't looked into them too much.

[@TheLaboy9999]

Good job billies

[@TheMortells]

Thanks!

[@elizabethtaylor3016]

Like the Scout, which model has a bathroom?

[@TheMortells]

The Kenai does have an option for a built in cassette toilet and the Olympic & Yoho both have portable cassette toilet options.

[@kracky22]

Do you have any issues with condensation build-up? Also, heat rises so is your floor freezing cold? Is the plywood unfinished? How is that holding up?

[@TheMortells]

Hey Katie - We only have minimal condensation that builds up around the metal trim at the top of the camper. It is easy and quick to wipe down in the morning if needed. The floors do stay fairly cold in the winter time, so Granger (our dog) will sleep up on the dinette bed where it is warmer. The wood has held up great and haven't had any issues so far!

[@karlrandolph4775]

Which bunk do you use @ 6'5"!!! Not wide enough to sleep crossways? Or is it.

[@TheMortells]

Both the Olympic and Kenai are wide enough to sleep crossways even @ 6'5"! If I fully stretch out I can barely tough both walls but since I don't sleep that way it is super comfortable!

[@dwhoel]

Hello Mortells, great videos. I have a Kenai on order and am looking to eliminate any non-essential weight. What are your thoughts on the Batwing compact awning? Did you use it much? I'm not sure that it offers much shade or rain shelter, so maybe I would be fine without it.

[@TheMortells]

Hey David! We actually didn't get the Batwing compact awning on our Olympic and aren't getting it on the Kenai either. With our truck being lifted and larger tires that awning would be pretty high up in the air. We actually made a makeshift awning out of a tent fly, suction cups, and extendable poles (check our Montana video to see it). That worked pretty well for us but we are going to try out the moonshade awning on our Kenai.

[@dwhoel]

@@TheMortells Thanks! Same truck config here. I am going to delete it. And now looking at the thumbnail photo, I can see why you never talked about it... lol.

[@kjames8299]

Excellent info.You guys seem want similar things as I

[@TheMortells]

Glad you found it useful!

[@andypaskmack9309]

I really liking the Olympic. Anyone able to actually track down a dealer?! Also, scrap the stock tent and get an alu-cab.

[@TheMortells]

We loved our Olympic! Scout has upgraded the RTT to the Roof Nest Falcon XL and it is a pretty great set up!

[@eugenewilson9677]

How much do they cost?..I'm very interested in one!

[@TheMortells]

Hey Eugene - all the prices are listed on their website scoutcampers.com, you can even build out the camper with the options you want and it will tell you the weight as well.

[@dougw9224]

Congrats on the move up. You must like your scout enough to buy another one. Does these campers have anyway to hook up external power, more specifically from a generator? I ask because where we camp is usually in the trees, so there isn’t usually enough direct sun to charge and the camper would be off the truck. Thanks

[@TheMortells]

Hey Doug! We definitely loved our Scout Olympic and are very excited for the Kenai! The Goal Zero Yeti 1500X does have regular 110v plug that you can plug into your house/regular outlet so you could plug that into a generator as well if needed!

[@woolengrappler]

Have you had any issues or limitations as to where this truck and camper combo can go?

[@TheMortells]

Nope - we have been able to go everywhere we have wanted to go. We try to get out to some pretty remote areas to camp and have had no problems, but we aren't big into rock crawling/off roading so we don't purposely go out and run 4x4 trails.

[@graymatters6155]

They definitely need to offer a tiny 12 V air conditioner system option

[@TheMortells]

We ended up adding a 12 V AC unit in our Kenai but it requires a much larger battery system as well so it gets pricey quick. Scouts main design is simple and light weight but the nice thing is they are easy to modify if you want.

[@BD-pf8fm]

hmm I wonder if a ford ranger xlt would be able to fit this

[@TheMortells]

It would probably be better to go with a Scout Yoho on a Ranger. The Yohos are designed for midsize trucks.

[@amirkazemi2517]

what do you do for wifi

[@TheMortells]

We use hotspots when we have cell service or go without it. At least for now... That'll be changing soon! (Hint: ⭐🔗)

[@dontask7898]

How does the power wagon do with the camper?

[@TheMortells]

We actually had a RAM2500 Laramie with the AEV Prospector package. It handled great, but I know the power wagons have lower payloads so you might have to keep that in mind.

[@enislive]

Being able to sit up straight on the bed is important to me. I haven’t heard anybody talk about if they can or not. I can’t believe nobody else cares about this

[@TheMortells]

We can't sit straight up unfortunately but make it work with out much issue.

[@jnmaher1967]

Is there an air conditioning option

[@TheMortells]

Currently there isn't an A/C option for Scout, but we are going to look into potentially adding something later in the year!

[@VeronicaHillCalifornia]

Sorry for the dumb question, but what do you do for the bathroom/shower?

[@TheMortells]

Hey Veronica, that is definitely not a dumb question! For the bathroom, we currently use the Clean Waste GO Anywhere toilet seat and wag bags (amzn.to/3F29frB). For showers we will try to book a campground/RV site with a shower once a week or try to find a truck stop or friend's house every once and awhile.

[@VeronicaHillCalifornia]

@@TheMortells Thank you!

[@djkenny1202]

Outdoor or indoor shower equipped?

[@TheMortells]

We didn't install a shower on the Olympic, but on the larger Kenai model, you can add on an indoor shower option through Scout.

[@djkenny1202]

@@TheMortells will it fit a Tacoma?

[@cc-hc1dr]

The bed area should have windows on both sides

[@TheMortells]

There are definitely pros/cons to having windows up in the bed area. We have thought about adding them but as of now we are unsure if we will.

[@kersonperez1003]

Anyone who owns the bigger Kenai having issues with the heating of lower part of the camper

[@TheMortells]

Hey Kerson - the trick is to have a small fan mounted up high to help push the air down to the bottom of the camper. We got a cheap 12v fan and mounted in on the gear hooks and it made a world of a difference!

[@thirtysixverts]

Just found your excellent channel after having recently placed an order for a Yoho! As for your challenge with solar power/shade - one thing you could do is put another solar panel on top of the rooftop tent shell. That could easily double your solar collection capacity, even in partially shaded areas. Another thing you might consider, that I'm for sure going to do on mine - Yeti makes a vehicle integration kit that connects to the alternator and puts ~750 watts into your pack whenever the engine is on. Obviously only works when the engine is running, but would be a good get out of jail free card, especially in winter or during storms.

[@TheMortells]

Hey there, thanks for reaching out! We have some plans to add additional solar to our Kenai and will put out a video on it once we are done! As for the goal zero expansion module, we got it but it unfortunately only charged at roughly 100watts. It is better than nothing but wasn't as useful as we were hoping for.

[@austinfranks9527]

Walker knows best

[@TheMortells]

Yes he does ;)

[@georgemartin4963]

That cab over bed looks really claustrophobic.

[@TheMortells]

We don't find it claustrophobic at all but I am sure some people might.