Simple Cozy No-Build Truck Camper Setup for Life on the Road

This week I "build" out the truck to include a simple, cozy camper setup for future camping trips and travels on the road!
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[@rvboondocker2559]

Don’t ever forget that basic camping may or may not include a tent. Anything more than that is an upgrade! It looks great!

[@lambtri]

Your power station can be powered from the truck trailer connector. I did that for my power station powering my refrigerator. It worked great for my travel. I did unplug the connector at night to prevent draining the truck's battery.

[@becausehelivesministryintl6841]

I have heard that if you spray peppermint oil in your engine department it should get rid of the mice problem. Spray on the inside of tires or underneath were a mouse would climb up. Hope it helps you.

[@campingwithsteve]

nice and simple is the way to do it

[@hopeheavenonplanetearth1417]

Your photography and music is why I subscribed and stayed for the last 4+ years. I started with you when you converted your NV-200, because I have one… Didn’t leave because you have a lot going on 🙏

[@paulj9801]

just an idea if you don't want to drill holes in the topper you could raise the height of the topper by adding a piece of pressure treated lumber or even get some other material such as aluminum and putting holes in that

[@mrchitlin6255]

Best cheap solution for camping with the rising prices of small camper vans and class B campers. Love it good luck with it!!!!

[@jessicastreet2922]

Shoe holders could be a easy storage solution, they come in all sizes and can be adhered in many ways. They will also double as a privacy block.

[@jensing89]

I think there should be some type of fan you can put in the window to get a good cross breeze and ventilation without cutting a hole for a vent fan.

[@ElementLife]

I just took a short trip with the new setup and opening the windows/ using a small USB fan worked really well!

[@JoshMcGehee]

Bro...the telescoping is a great overlanding activity. Idk why didn't think of that.

[@georgiacorey954]

Keep it simple always works. Love the night sky so awesome.

[@TravelingTroy]

That’s certainly a basic build. Enough to get started. I’ve kinda gone the opposite route, been building on my truck camper for a little over a month. It’s coming along great! Will be better than my previous Astro van build. More stealthy for the city and has 4x4 when out in the mountains. 👍 Have fun with your truck setup.

[@llorylloyd]

Loved the night sky. Great simple build. Before you put a roof vent add a layer of insulation to the top to keep the heat to a minimum.

[@tykuhn22]

A day in the life videos are good sometimes too. You don't always have to have a theme. 😝

[@thomaspaine6682]

I've done a fair amount of truck camper camping over the years. The biggest downside IMO is the inability to use the truck's AC and heater to condition the camper compartment.

[@knownbarkert6153]

Get a camper top that has a sliding window that goes against the cab (as long as yours has one too) and then duct around the space between them. That way you can have either without any changes to the truck itself

[@matthewmatzner4930]

That and a heated blanket ran off of a deep cycle battery

[@fratdaddy7434]

One thing I did instead of carpet was these square interlocking padded carpet mats and they are nice!

[@JohnMiller-zn9pf]

im only 5'9 so i was able to do a simple set up like this in a 95 ranger. sometimes simple is good

[@SMC4117]

Yep, I lived in the back of my Ford F-150 off and on for years… be it working construction for the summer at Lake Tahoe, being a cook at a surf camp every year for two months, 6 months in Tennessee helping my buddy start a construction business, or just camping in Mexico, the mountains or at the beach fishing and surfing for months at a time in between work! The only building I did was build a platform over the wheel wells to store tools, surfing and fishing gear. A basic solar shower for washing up and cleaning dishes etc. Good times for sure🏄🏼‍♂️🎣🏖️ 🏔️🤙🏻

[@verygerry3719]

I really love your photos of the night sky…beautiful…

[@noras.5355]

You've done it again, Nate! Enjoy your camper!

[@cowboy6591]

That cooler has a heat vent if it's a "Powered" cooler. It looks like its pointing at your head which will make those sultry summer nights worse for you unless you sleep with your head facing the tailgate.

[@mooreoutdoor]

I like simple and easy!!

[@clarkleakins879]

If you winter/cold weather camp, that truck bed will sweat and be very cold. Especially the floor, and side walls. Consider shatter proof 3M film on the shell rear window. That window will be a mess if it breaks, by you, or a thief. I replaced rear glass with tougher plexi/poly carbonate, custom cut at TAP Plastics. Find some foam/design to seal that tailgate from dust!

[@popapoco]

The pics of the cosmos Awesome

[@i_come_in_peace4726]

i love the way your mind works

[@jimmy4766]

Dust will be a major problem. I’ve tried lots of things but few work around tailgate. Good luck

[@carolpadgett8618]

Minimalist life stay demonstrated with all the things you do. Recycle, repair, reuse!!!

[@mikefussell8991]

I had keys made for my topper for 20 dllrs at locksmith easy no problem

[@KingSolrac]

Such a chill vibe, hope to do this one day!

[@bonniepwtf]

Great thumbnail 👌 So glad you took the time to share some night sky with us, I really enjoy seeing that. What a scourge those pack rats are! 🐀 Especially after the hours you two put into detailing the Element from top to bottom. Truck camper set up fits like a glove, really looking forward to some on the road videos. ✌️

[@tjfm59]

had a 1986 f-150(8ft bed), put wheel well cabinets into it. leaving the middle open. used a queen size air mattress. this is what i used for years. got the canvas tent enclosure for the back so on summer nights i could leave the back open for ventilation.

[@Kralphrn]

Wow, your astral photograhy was excellent!!

[@PerryFarrell1]

I have the exact truck and setup as this, love it. I just pulled a single mattress out of the house! Sleep better in here than at home! I have a few other tricks for it

[@freedomdove]

Looks like a great weekend camper rig. 👍

[@olebloom1641]

Good cheap build. When I was a kid we had an old dodge truck with a club cab. Us Kids took two heavy dowel rods that were laying around and laid them on the jump seats then took a bunch of quilts and laid over the dowels. Nice comfy bed.

[@mrjeff2396]

My 2 cents worth: Next trip to neighborhood grocery store, ask the Cake Dept for any 3.5 to 5 gal empty food grade buckets with lids. Clorox wash, potable water rinse, these buckets make great potable water supply buckets. Amazon also sells the 5 gal water shower bags that I place (2x) on each side of the truck between the truck roof and the shell roof. Great for that warm water wash up/shower! For your portable fridge, you could easily run a hot wire from the fuse links (Accessory, engine running only) to the rear! Install a 12v adapter for the fridge. My ride: 2019 F150 SPORT SuperCab w/ ARE cab-high shell covering the 5.5 foot bed. Side to side 24” platform for sleeping. Blankets are mostly Harbor Freight moving blankets. Home Depot sells the thin lightweight aluminum insulation held in place with strategically placed velcro strips. I use the hook only since the whole back is lined with BedRug! Privacy and warmth! Boondocking is a fun get away! Harbor Freight Predator 2000 Inverter Generator for power and Setpower AJ50 portable fridge! Couple of good books/magazines, me and the dog, ahhhhhhhhh!

[@53.5_droffats]

great job on your setup

[@louisr34jones]

I think I'm in love with Shannon.

[@lukekao8136]

In terms of power, there is a device call "blueetti" you can charge multiple devices on it, I saw it on another channel. You can hook it up to solar panels outside if you're not going anywhere then you don't have to drill holes, I think that person claims it takes about 5 hours to charge that devive then you're good to go.

[@KatieRaeRae]

I think Nate and Shannon had one of those in the Japanese camper they had.

[@BrokerBarbara119]

Back in the day, my parents had a truck camper too. We're from Michigan but the family took a trip out west. I remember my Dad removed the back truck cab window and the camper window while we were traveling. He installed a truck cab window that popped in and out. For camping tips he removed it. This allowed us to move between the truck cab and the camper. I noticed many of the newer campers have such small windows it's not feasible but your truck top has a big window. So perhaps it's something you could consider? This way you might be able to move freely between the cab and the bed of the truck in the event you needed to exit stage left quickly. You would also have easy access to the 12V in the truck or for a quick warm up or cool down using the truck's AC and heat if needed.

[@jonathanbmBen-Menachem]

Greetings from faraway Denmark, Europe. Beautiful setup and at a low cost. The most important thing is a comfortable bed, a fridge and a place to store things - you have it all! The truck has a better sleeping setup that the other smaller car and this is by far the most important. Another bonus is the ability to empty the camper setup and turn back to a truck mode once needed. This is a portable design - a no build design - very versatile! I wonder about insulation and hope you can talk a bit about it. Maybe a solar with a roof fan, compromising on only one hole in the roof. Take care, both of you and be well and happy.

[@gshufelt09]

Very nice. Wouldnt you want the fridge closer to the door so you can access it easier? Thinking grabbing a drink while outside at the fire, filling it after getting groceries, etc?

[@staceygiometti9680]

Great Episode.😊

[@bodyzoasispersonaltraining9186]

Glad to see u evolvong. I went from element to toyota tacoma

[@rickr5927]

You got me at the 'no build'..... love it ! It can indeed be THAT simple ;-)

[@wattsline52]

Unbelievable video - great content !

[@lazyassian]

Great video. Did I miss something? Maybe you mentioned in another video...why you aren't using your new truck camper top (that pops up)? Was it because it's not stealth or reduces the gas mileage? Thanks for sharing your adventure with us. Love your new easy no-build.

[@ElementLife]

Thanks! Both of those reasons. I get about 10 mpg with the Rogue and 16-17 mpg without it. Also love that this setup is more stealthy.

[@elflordsjourneys]

I think the ability to stand up and creature comforts of the pop up would be worth the loss of a few mpg.😊

[@123456789062959]

I had a bad rodent problem in my car after 2 years of having bought it new. We had to replace all the wiring under the hood and I’ve since avoided this problem by using peppermint oil on cotton balls in different spots of the engine compartment and other spots throughout the vehicle. I saw this on KZbin and tried it and we haven’t had any rodent dung in our vehicle or the engine compartment since. Rodents cannot stand the smell of peppermint oil but our vehicle smells nice. I personally do not water it down and spray it, as seen on some videos, I believe it’s best to give ‘‘em the full effect and it seems to continue to work. I just pour a few drops on the cotton balls about every two weeks and problem solved. I know some will say that it’s a little pricey but I consider it cheaper than paying close to $10,000.00 dollars for a new wiring harness and other assorted electrical parts and labor, especially since my vehicle is not under any warranties anymore “ food for thought”. Good luck hope this helps you or someone else out there.

[@123456789062959]

I apologize for not being clear, I’ve not had any more rodent problems and my vehicle is now six years old. Peppermint oil! I swear by it.

[@alvinmousseau1100]

Great video

[@joansidor5191]

You and Robin are very likable. Joan Not pretentious.

[@thexxit]

Youre fortunate to be in an area with low light pollution! Perfect to see the sky. I hope you're able to properly clean out the Element. If not, you'll have to get a mouse/rodent proof stealth vehicle for Shannon too!

[@connormurphy6837]

Nice setup! You'll be able to go almost anywhere with that. Have you looked into no-drill corner bracket solar panel mounts? I'm going to try those on the TPO roof of my class c. You won't have to drill holes to mount a rigid panel. Might want a drilled hole somewhere for a secure wire tho as recommended by Will Prowse (I'll use a ladder or existing mount on my rig).

[@ElementLife]

I'll have to check this out! Sounds like a great solution

[@edwardeighth1948]

Stealthy. Thats a compliment!

[@noelbaca3028]

Nice video. Thanks. Have you thought about running the wires through the holes in the bed of the truck?

[@zachpacer3295]

Nate, how do you do your offgrid water system at the cabin? I see it’s rainwater harvest but a video on the details of the system would be sweet!

[@TimmyCramer]

Get out to San Diego....I was out there last week....kickass!! Timmy C Arizona

[@corypalmieri7508]

Black ice air fresheners work surprisingly well with deterring rats

[@joycemaurer3588]

Love the night sky shots. Question, this is the first of your videos I've watched so this might be dumb, but why wouldn't you use that Rogue truck camper?

[@TXMEDRGR]

Keep it simple and have fun.

[@fulltimecasualnz]

Nice. Sticky velcro always comes off and leaves horrible sticky glue. Tried that 🤣

[@brianleonard6885]

Bravo

[@joeskinwalker7628]

How did you seal around the tail gate. That's usually where all the dirt road dust comes in and makes your sleeping are all dusty. Great video though. Simple is sometimes best then over thinking a project.

[@MyFriendlyPup]

Respect

[@clarkleakins879]

The pad/shed in front of the trailer hitch? What if you need to move the tiny house? Are the wheels/tires on the tiny house? Time/sun/rodents may destroy the tires. Do you regularly (monthly) spin the wheels on the tiny house? Keep the bearings free, brakes free?

[@CHEFKAYAKPHOTONEWT]

Hobotech could also assist with mouse problem deterrence

[@Mary-yu3sn]

spring loaded shower rod for holding curtain's up

[@rajanikumari3672]

Are the pack rats an issue with the truck itself or the big truck camper? I don’t remember if they were a problem inside the tiny houses, but they seem to keep reinfesting the Element every time you clean it.

[@warrenscorner]

Nice! Looking forward to your travels. I forgot, why aren’t you just using the truck camper?

[@ApteraPioneer]

Perhaps you could drill the hole for the solar wires in the front wall of the camper top instead of on the roof?

[@RycastFitness]

Nice. I noticed you had a Rogue camper. Any reason you didn't go that route? Downsides?

[@laurajphillips]

Why don’t you try Butealtape for the solar panels it’s supposed to be fantastic for securing things Also Gorilla double sided tape, just a thought!

[@luigivampa9895]

Wow looks nice! Where is that?? 😮

[@TheKajrak]

So are you happy with that mattress thingy? Havin a hell if avtime deciding if i should buy a set-up or build. Broken back. Crohns related arthritis... more. 2 adults and a 6 yr old. Ram 1500 6.5 ft bed. $$$ is always the issue

[@benjamincase109]

It doesn’t look like it 🌧️ rains there.

[@dimitriwaardenburg4631]

I missed a lot of vids, but why not use the brand new rogue camper 🤔? I remember 1 episode of you saying that stealth factor is out of the window with it but you've must of spend a lot of money in it so why not just re sell it ...?

[@librab103]

Two questions. I am looking to buy some land in Northern Mexico, Southern Colorado and the land looks like yours. What do you do to clear the land so it is usable? How old are you guys?

[@patgaff2536]

Does your cap window open to the truck and truck window open in order to crawl through?

[@user-zi7ov4dz6i]

nice ideas. Do you have leaks? If not how did you get rid of them

[@user-zi7ov4dz6i]

leaks between the cap and the truck

[@hatrick316]

Can you post a link to that tri-fold mattress?

[@RippSnortin]

Don't you have a slide in camper?

[@michellethiesen7972]

You need to hem the edges of those curtains!

[@joerambo4977]

Would camper parks allow you to rent a spot with a set up like this?

[@louisr34jones]

And well, I reckon that's about it for Billy..

[@user-hv4pu1zi8k]

Where did you get the covers for inside windows?

[@steelcarnations2207]

What's the measurement from truck floor to cap ceiling?

[@leroysmith8203]

What happened to your camperShell that you had?

[@David_11111]

yay

[@louisr34jones]

Just slightly, just a bit, just a notch.

[@danieldixon4831]

What brand of power station do you have

[@hatrick316]

It's not low cost if you already owned the stuff. Pre-purchased stuff still has a price. Include that in your total.

[@sebastianguzman3845]

Are you in Albuquerque still ?

[@christophermatthews9692]

Link to the foam trifold bed?

[@robertwilson1827]

How would the filter upset people??

[@karronlaneNOLA]

link to bed? or name of product? ty.

[@RicardoLopez-is8nx]

I thought collecting rain water was illegal ?

[@Mary-yu3sn]

roof racks for truck solar there..

[@shac9131]

2 hour drive just to do laundry!? Yeah, you need a laundry system. That's insane

[@atpgarageatl]

Hey, What is your setup for astrophotography?

[@ElementLife]

Hey! I currently use the Sky Watcher Star Adventurer tracker and an astro-modified Canon EOS M50. I recently sold my scope but I use a Canon 70-200mm F4 lens for deep sky targets.

[@atpgarageatl]

@@ElementLife thank you!

[@GQ-jr5ro]

Docyou have chicken at your place of residence

[@renemedina8026]

👍😎👍😎👍😎👍😎