More scrapyard aluminum finds. Made a roof rack with the same type of profiles I built the bedslide with. Found a locking pin to lock the slide in fully open and fully closed positions.
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Im at the exact point you are. I can’t decide if i want a drawer with the fridge on top or to build and enclosure around the fridge so i can store stuff above it. I also can’t decide what I want to do with the dead space behind the fridge.
The one advantage about building a drawer is by mounting the fridge on top you can now mount it closer the the bedside because its above the wheel well giving you possibly more room on the bed floor depending on how big your drawer is.
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I decided I want to build a single drawer beside the fridge. I’m also moving the fridge closer to the tailgate which will allow ‘more’ room for storage behind (towards the cab) it. I do plan to store a secondary/house battery in the space behind the fridge. Aside from the battery storage area, I will split the area for ‘other’ storage. Against the cab wall, I plan to mount the Victron MPPT, possibly inverter, fuse block, etc. We’ll see what room I have.
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I opted for the fridge on top of drawers. The drawers are 42” long and I have an 18” compartment behind thise which I access via a lift-off panel. I have my battery and recovery equipment there which hopefully I rarely need access to. Drawers are 15” of useable capacity tall and there is only an 1” of clearance between the fridge & roof, but it works perfectly.
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For us it depends on how you want to access the fridge: standing on the ground outside or from inside the camper or both. The height of the top of the fridge relative to the ground and the bed floor then becomes the critical set of dimensions. I have seen those tilting slides and they are cool…but might not be for everyone. I also like the idea of being able to lift the fridge out of the truck when at camp. Makes for an additional seat, side table, or even an ottoman if not too tall. One thing is for sure, planning around the fridge is the key to a successful overlanding build.
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I’m at the exact same spot you are. Just cut the template, trying to offload the snugtop, sooooo many options.
I ended up up building my setup in two halves split N/S. It makes it easier to remove and I can take out the one half if I need some extra space and still have my main drawer and fridge.
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Are you able to open the fridge while it’s inside the camper/not tilted on the tailgate? My IceCo fridge is pretty tall but I have the advantage of lifting the lid completely off if needed.
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I’m probably going to have to figure out a way to make my base 2 pieces because the way it is cut now, I won’t be able to build the complete setup and install it into the truck without removing the camper, which is not feasible. Still have some planning to do in order to figure out if I can assemble it inside the bed/camper area.
I’ve been looking at the Alu-Cab Canopy Camper. It looks like a fine product. A good $4.5K+ more than the GFC and at least 100 lbs heavier dry. The removal of the tailgate basically eliminates any work usage opportunities and the door access makes it next to impossible to have an outdoor kitchen that extends out the back (you can add a small GP Factor flip-down table to the door for a “galley”). I’m also not a fan of the straight sides compared to the more streamlined angles of the GFC. It does appear to have a nice double-wall tent with a simple latch/lock mechanism and rainfly that GFC might want to emulate.
It’s a good example of an overlanding solution not planned around the fridge.
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They look like cool products for sure. I think I like the bedding set up better on the Alu-Cab than the transformer floor. The opportunity to easily add a heater without having to worry about cabon monoxide or cutting holes in my bed is nice. However, when you look into the actual cost with full install… You might as well be buying a used four wheel camper. I like that the aftermarket support for them is so strong with many “ready made” solutions.
However, too expensive for primitive overlanding/offroading, not luxurious enough to compete with “real” campers like FWC.
The GFC while not perfect is in the sweet spot for me still. I will likely upgrade to a FWC or similar when my daughter is older, but only to accommodate more winter ski parking lot camping.
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@OhaiJonny looks like our long lost cmds pins found a home.
Dude sick junkyard finds! Is the pin a way of quick removal when you wanna strip the bed?
I could not agree more. For people who see themselves hanging out in the bed portion of the camper (or doing a LOT of winter camping), the Alu-Cab may be the better solution. But if you are planning to be outside most if not all the time, the GFC is much better. Plus less costly to buy, less impact on fuel mileage, less weight, and frankly much better to look at. I also really like GFC’s commitment to building in America and creating jobs for Americans. Alu-Cab has an eco-system…not only their branded accessories but also what is available from their partners like Goose Gear and GP Factor among others. GFC’s ecosystem is getting there…we can build anything Goose Gear can at 4WD-Mod.com (for less money) and we don’t use 80/20 to do it. And we are proud to support GFC and help GFC owners get the most from their overlanding rigs.
You make a great point about the Alu-Cab being comparable to a used 4x4 camper van/pop up. I’m guessing their target for the Canopy Camper is people who, for whatever reason, are less interested in a van and more interested in a 4x4 truck platform, but still want van-like amenities…just not a full pop up camper with all the furniture already built-in (like FWC). The GFC buyer and the Alu-Cab buyer are two very different people with very different approaches to overlanding.
The FWC M Topper also looks interesting. Closer to the GFC but again a lot more money and most likely a different customer target.
You could go Alu-Cab Explorer Canopy for $3.4K, but the RTT would need to be purchased separately with no access from inside the canopy and no standing headroom. That’s a deal-breaker.
This has got to be one of the most legit bed buildouts I have ever seen! Wow!!
These are great Southco compression latches and a definite improvement on the lower cost Southco option. Really nice cover too!
Love everything about this build. Great bench and that custom molle panel…fantastic.
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I’d like to see GFC offer a slightly smaller optional mattress rectangle so that the square mattress section(s) can be replaced with something that allows heat to better enter the tent from the camper.
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