I’m excited to get my Topper installed on my '22 Toyota Tundra. Thought I’d share some photos here. The plan is to build this thing out to make golf trips, but internally at the household it’s strictly family trips!
Things we’ve done here:
GFC Topper. I went with the front and back window, mainly to see through the back when driving forward and I’d have to say this is nice but not that nice as each window gets to have it’s say in reducing visibility. Sort of a toss up if I’d get windows again but for now I say it was worth it to have some visibility. All the doors function seamlessly, and I love opening the whole thing up.
Decked Drawers - I’d watched a few review of these and found them to add an element of storage to allow for me to keep my shtuff in the truck at all times. Specifically: Golf clubs. I use a smaller half set Sunday bag and with that set up there can be two in each drawer, no problem. Larger stand bags like the utility Jones fit as well.
Rhino stepper things - Nothing special about these. I think they are rock slides but I liked how my whole foot can go on it. The left one has a bit of a gangster lean but I think it’s my weight stepping on it.
I didn’t add any lights in the bed, it actually has a couple of nice lights there.
Next things I’m noodling -
Suspension - Do I need to make an upgrade for all the weight in the bed? So far it seems to be riding pretty nice but who knows when I throw a bunch of stuff back there.
Fridge - Nothing better than having a tasty or refreshing beverage available in the parking lot. Anker the battery maker has a sweet looking battery powered fridge that lasts some 40 hours that is compelling. There’s also just sticking with a Yeti for simplicity. I’m so deep into this build that it may need to wait till a few paychecks clear.
Bumpers and other heavy metal objects - I’m continuously fascinated by the Baja bumper, but it may be a little too aggressive when pulling into Waverley or other fancy country clubs as a guest. Or - it could be cool. There’s no reason for me to have it other than night driving to Silvies Ranch when there is a real chance to hit a mule deer on the way.
Tires and Wheels - Between a lift and tires and wheels, I see a lot of upgrades going here first. I like the under the radar look and want to avoid it as much as possible.
Anyhow, take a gander, I’d be happy to answer any questions. Very happy with the GFC customer service, I was the dumbass that asked to have it installed in Montana, but then decided to have it shipped for arm, leg and first child to Beaverton, Oregon’s Iron Rig for install. They did a great job with the install being the first time. Needless to say, I’m jacked about this set up. Its a dream rig and I’m very grateful to have had the help from the GFC customer service to get it accomplished, much love and thanks to the team.
Nice build! On the fridge, I put some solar panels and a Dometic CX45 fridge in my old truck. It was one of the more transformative choices I made. It’s awesome to have fresh food and cold beverages anywhere. Last night I went to the grocery store, and threw my steak&raspberries in the fridge so they wouldn’t warm up on the way home. Refrigeration is a game changer in my opinion - and totally different to use than a cooler and ice. I don’t know how it fits your usage, but I love mine.
Nice! I got mine, only the camper topper, this spring for 3 things. Backcountry skiing, mountain biking and trail building, and golf trips. Sounds like you’re not staying in the vehicle so that implies you aren’t traveling very far (or are staying in a hotel) so stick with an insulated cooler. There’s something added when your drinks are on ice! The other stuff, suspension, bumpers, etc. are cool and all but if you’re driving mostly highways or it’s going to be a pavement princess, save your $$$ and put it towards tee times!
My usage will mostly be pedestrian, the idea of going to Costco and leaving stuff in the truck with no worry is one case. Most probably I will be making use of this feature when performing long road trips, I love the idea of not having to worry about keeping the cooler cool, but also when we get to spots we’re often with other families trying to load all our stuff into a single fridge which doesn’t always work.
How long can the solar set up keep the fridge running? Does that set up require a battery?
Those greens fees add up! Thank you for the thoughts, I’m packing the cooler for our next trek but am always fascinated by ways to blow money on my truck. It indeed is a pavement princess, albeit occasionally for work I wind up driving on more rugged future golf sites - which I can’t wait to do later this summer.
UPDATE! I have made the first pilgrimage to Bandon Dunes using the Golferlander and it was a great success. We played 4 courses in one day, a total of 28 miles of walking for the Summer Solstice Event. In between rounds we raced from course to course, and it made a ton of sense to have access from all sides as each of us tore into a new pair of socks / shoes, but also each got our own area to keep our stuff in the back. Love the GFC! And people think I’m a legit camper because of it, which makes me feel cool despite the fact that I’m a total poser.
This is awesome. When was the first tee time and when did you guys finish the last hole? I’m guessing you had to play under 4 hour rounds? What courses did you play?
We swung by Brandon Dunes just a few days before the Brandon Solstice on our Oregon Coast road trip. Had a few drinks at Sheep Ranch and chatted with a few of the folks signed up for the event. First time hearing about it. That many rounds in a day is an effort, especially walking. Great work finishing. Hands and legs had to be barking.
Yes, you will need a second battery if you want the fridge to run nonstop.
I have a 200 watt solar panel on my GFC roof that charges an SOK 100 amp hr lifepo4 battery. I have a Redarc BCDC1225 that functions as a solar charge controller but it also switches to the truck alternator when the engine is on.
This setup allows me to run my Iceco VL Pro 63 quart fridge non stop, even with my truck sitting for 4-5 days at a time (outdoors).
The first tee times were 5:20 but ours was 5:40 out on Bandon Trails, which we finished in 2:35. After trails we headed to Old Mac, Bandon and finished at Pacific Dunes where our last putt dropped around 7:20 pm. After Pac, we decided to go get after another 13 out at the preserve, making it a total of 85. There’s others that somehow crushed sheep ranch too! But I can’t hang with those athletes, we started embibing in the coors lights sometime in the fourth round!
