True, true… just a typo, nothin to see here.
Feel free to nuke my joke-y post.Really appreciate this post as well as the one about finding places to camp.
I met one of the GFC guys in Santa Monica late last year. He said something that stuck with me, it was “You know, I just keep all my camping shit in a big tub and throw that in when I want to go”. That really stuck with me and helped me make the decision to buy.
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Another benefit to packing light. If someone steals your sh**, you aren’t out much.
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Although camping for our family of 4 (two in GFC, two in ground tent) doesn’t quite fit two bags… the inspiration is similar. We generally walk a line between weightier (yet small/simple) backpacking gear versus light car camping gear. Whereas a lot of the overland/exped RV-style built-ins really violate the go-light spirit of GFC.
Regarding cooking sanitation, our approach isn’t low-carbon but it works well. A 2-burner 1950s era Coleman liquid fuel stove (suitcase style) with extra bottles of white gas. After every cooked breakfast/dinner, we rinse/break the cookwear and such with a small pot of boiling water, then soap/wipe, then rinse in another small batch of boiling/steaming water. This takes longer, but it’s a family camping treat to cook real food and have fairly clean kitchen kit each day. YMMV
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Going light is an art and I appreciate this post. When we use the Go Fast Camper on our pickup we generally go with 4 small bins and one larger case that houses everything we need for a night or 2 week run. We keep this in the garage, ready to go so we can pack for a trip in just minutes by throwing these cases in the back of the pickup and one bag with clothes and personal effects and we are off.
Overpacking is an enemy to be avoided and I think that the best GFC “build” is just an empty truck box below a GFC.
My personal opinion, worth at least 2 cents.
Nice post GFC.
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Agreed! One of the main reasons for me going with a GFC was to get my truck bed back. The only things I have hard mounted are a fridge on a slide, 13 gallon water tank and an awning. All my camping/recovery gear and any extra goodies go in a 108qt Plano trunk and a smaller tote for all the kitchen stuff when I wanna get fancy with my meals. Pillows and blankets up in the tent. Then a small duffle each for my GF and I. That leaves plenty of room for firewood, gas can and gear bag for the dirt scooter, surfboards, gun case, etc. depending on the trip and where were going. Damn!.. That’s still a lot of Sh!t lol
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Solo camping is a light pack for me but when the family comes out I bring the kitchen sink. Keeping the wife and little ones comfortable means we get to do this more often as a family. Fortunately the sink and most of the extra stuff for the family lives in the trailer.
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Sounds like you need to let the wife do the packing for you still.
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We’re pretty true to this with the addition of the fridge/solar. Everything camping related is in one Rubbermaid tote that’s probably older than I am, and our clothes and toiletries go in a backpack or bag in the cab. The fridge changed the game as far as what we can pack and feel safe packing. We typically meal prep all our foods so we can either eat them cold or heat them up on the stove (also a Coleman from ages ago like mentioned above…still turns on every time so no need to replace). Packing like this leaves us room for bikes, skateboards, tools and general area to move. We talked about a four wheel camper for a long time but the GFC is the best choice for the way we roll, and much easier to care for.
do you have any more pics of the trailer? too much for me but still curious
In these inflationary times, that’s worth at least a dime. 
Lots of good tips here for where to start being more lightweight, however over time your camping style will change and your skills will adapt to your preferred level of comfort on the road. One of the best tips I’ve found for maintaining your lightweight packing over time is if there’s something you’re packing that you haven’t used in the last 2 trips to take a hard look at whether it’s a “need” or a “want” and if it’s a want, then try going without it. If you don’t miss it, then leave it home. This will keep your baseline gear to just the essentials. Then you can ask yourself if there is anything different about this trip that means you don’t need to take something you normally would, or maybe there’s something special about this trip that means you do need to take something you normally wouldn’t.
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I say take whatever you want or need.
But, man, I’d love to know the packed weight of that rig + trailer with the family loaded as well. Have you regeared and added bigger brakes? My tacoma is a slug with even a light load.
Peace.
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The duffle per person is the only way to get around for multiple days if youre also carrying fun stuff like gear to play at your destination, such as MTBs, skis, paragliding gear, or whatever. I usually travel with a passenger or 2 so it gets kind of tight if you have someone rolling with too much. Add in fridge for frosty beverages and cold food and you have a winning set up.
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@blackhearse there are more trailer pics in my build thread
@GFC706, the trailer weighs 2,500 dry. With water (30gallons), food, and gear we are under the 3,500 max weight. My truck is armored up and on 285/75/16s with stock 3.73 gearing. I haven’t run it over a scale since the GFC and bed build but it is a pig. I have upgraded rotors and pads but stock brakes otherwise. I make sure to stay on top of brake fluid changes every other year.
The trailer tows really well behind the truck and doesn’t feel like it’s pushing the truck around, even off-road. Prior to this trailer I had about 10k miles towing a 23ft 5,500lb trailer. Certainly didn’t win any races with that trailer but I could maintain 55mph over the passes around Tahoe and the eastern Sierra. With the current trailer +65mph isn’t an issue over the passes.
While I’m certainly not winning any races, the 4.0 has decent grunt down low to get things moving. I have a supercharger and supporting mods that I plan to install this spring which should get me around 300hp/300ft tq to the wheels. Next year I may regear and it’ll be time for a suspension refresh so I’ll be weighing the truck to get fresh axle weights.
I have to say my Dometic+Solar combo has given me a ton of mental freedom. I know I’m going to eat well, the food is going to be safe+cold+clean, no ice mess… the list goes on. It’s essential for me. It was a bet, I’ve never had one, but it was a really, really good bet.
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I use 4 front runner bins that I put these homemade plywood cushions on top of. They are:
- Recovery things
- Clothes for me and travel companions
- Dry and non-perishable food + kitchen stuff
- Adventure gear (bike, fishing, climbing, etc. stuff)
Blankets and sleeping bag in the catch and hitch winch under the removable cubby in the middle. I can get everything out in less than five minutes when I need the whole bed. I tried to keep a balance between simplicity, modularity, and fun.
Because after all, it is fun to tinker with this stuff when we’re not camping.
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Nice work – love this setup. I’ve been trying to come up with something along your same lines of thinking (simplicity / modularity / flexibility balanced with comfort). I like the idea of being able to quickly adapt the bed for camping but being able to revert back to a simple bed so I can continue to use my truck as a truck. Also like the “gear hammock” approach at the front. Btw, what type / size of Frontrunner bins did you go with?
the front runner wolfpack. and upholstery foam for benches on top of 3/4" wrapped in vinyl and stapled to the baseboard. outdoor carpet from lowes to wrap all the exposed 3/4."
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Insanely clean. Love it.
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