Chevrolet Colorado - Short Bed (5.5’ bed), 2015 - 2022
Windows: Front and Rear Windows
Panel Color: Black
Tent Side Doors: No
Tent Fabric Color: Tangerine
Weight: ~250 lbs
Comes with interior LED lighting installed, with remote control
Configurable colors, brightness, and animated modes
Power source: 110v AC
I opted for no side doors, because they don’t zip fully (bottom edge) which can allow rain, snow, cold air to enter.
Any idea if this would fit a 2020 Silverado 1500 w short bed? Have any trouble with windows in bay area? If originally planned on excluding them but maybe adding a metal grill would suffice.
I’m in Mountain View, so there’s that haha.
Best,
Michael
This is for the Colorado. If it fit a Silverado, that would be amazing because I have a Silverado… the Silverado bed is significantly wider.
Yeah, for the Bay Area, I had a temporary black-out window covering to hide any contents. I had six break-ins during my time in the bay over 12 years, so about 1 every other year. Generally, it’s really helpful to be able to see through the camper via the front and back windows… the rearview mirror does work well with them.
I recently discovered that the Colorado v1 is compatible with the Tacoma bed dimensions, and the v2 might be compatible with the Tacoma. Does anyone have more confirmation regarding the v2 Colorado → Tacoma?
GFC will advise not to do it. I have seen posts that some people have done it though. I think the Tacoma bed is a couple inches wider, so the base rails of the camper will be a bit inboard on the top of the bed sides. I have not seen an actual photo / evidence of what the final result is for v2 Colorado → Tacoma.
A few people who are newer to the GFC campers have been asking questions about it, so here are some thoughts below. Many people also ask “why are you selling?” – The answer is that I upgraded to the Silverado 3.0L diesel for fuel economy reasons and I’m looking for a GFC for that truck.
THOUGHTS ON THE V2 PLATFORM
I think my favorite things about the camper are that you can use the interior as a standing desk to work, AND it’s super durable. I’ve been on some gnarly trails and washboards that have shaken other campers to pieces. The GFC is just rigid and doesn’t care.
With the 3.6L V6, I took a loss of 1 mpg, from 18 mpg to 17 mpg average. I was also running oversize AT tires and living at 6000’ elevation.
Side Doors vs. No Side Doors
In my view, it’s an oversight that the side door flaps don’t fully zip across the bottom edge… this allows rain, snow, and cold air to come in. That’s why I don’t have the side doors.
Fixes for Ventilation
One issue people have is condensation overnight… to fix this, in my next GFC I will install some wool felt lining to some of the roof interior surface. I would also install a fan in the roof or some side vents cut & sewn into the top corners of the tent fabric… the hot moist air needs somewhere to go if you are camping in a cold or humid environment.
Solar
I made the mistake of mounting a flexible solar panel directly to the roof, which caused a lot of heat to be absorbed into the interior. I now realize that you need to create an air gap between the solar panels and the roof if you plan to camp in hot areas.
Orange vs. Grey Tent Fabric
Some people like the grey but I noticed that the orange makes the interior brighter… it seems to transfer sunlight better and this helps when working during the day and not wanting to feel like you’re in a cave.
Low Profile Antenna
I used a Cadillac CT6 shark fin style antenna to replace the whip antenna (for clearance under the camper) … it worked great.
