Having it all - JTRD sun buggy, trail rig and overlander

[John in the Woods]

I took the little legs off the fridge and it fits fine now with 1/4-1/2" to spare.

I envy you. I got the Iceco VL60D for the space and the good compressor for a less expensive option, and didn’t think to check height. It’s way too tall for my tonneau cover, so it gets a seat on the Goose Gear platform in the cab.

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[wachuko]

That’s the OVS Nomadic 270 awning. I saw some positive reference from other forum folks, and the price is on the lighter side (as far as these go). There’s a smaller “LTE” version, but I went with the larger one. Closed up the case rides over about half the back door, but when it’s open you get 20 feet of front to rear coverage and plenty out over the gate to keep you out of the rain or sun when cooking at camp. The mounts are beefy too, although I’ll need to add some height due to my 3/4 rack. Once I get the tent up there, I’ll get that done. The pick was just a test fit and chance to check for any issues. It’s very stout.

Thank you!! The LTE looks perfect... and I really like the price!

Nomadic 270LTE Driver Side 270 Degree Awning

 

[mx5red]

I took the little legs off the fridge and it fits fine now with 1/4-1/2" to spare.

I forget if you said, did you secure the fridge somehow?

 

[Fcmalie]

I forget if you said, did you secure the fridge somehow?

I didn't, was hoping a drawer would work, but it doesn't look like it will.

 

[John in the Woods]

Starting to size up the Roofnest Condor Overland. Very good product, but I definitely learned a few lessons already. I still need to mount the awning, so things might shift a bit. But the game’s afoot.

I’ll be testing this out for a few week later this month around Florida, before a return to base for any needed adjustments and a big run from Atlantic to Pacific.

 

[wachuko]

Why so shifted to passenger side instead of centered on the bed rack?

 

[John in the Woods]

Why so shifted to passenger side instead of centered on the bed rack?

It’s probably over too far, but when the thick box roof opens it takes up all the space up to the inside of the awning mounts. I’m hoping once I have the awning up I can shifts the mounts to their maximum and tighten the spacing up a bit so I can shift the RTT over a few inches, but the only way to get it over further would be to push the awning out more, which increases strain on the mounts and the chance it bounces on the trail.

Like I said, I’m hoping having it all up there let’s me adjust it a bit, but I think I’m stuck with an off-center tent. I think it’s a collision of the very high tent box, and the reality of the 3/4 rack height. Unlike a full height rack, the awning has to rise above rack top rather than drop below it — so it ends up in the same space the tent lid wants to occupy.

That’s what I mean by learning a few lessons. I didn’t anticipate how much the tent and awning would collide. Live and learn. In addition to shifting the tent a little back to center once the awning is in place, I’m hoping having the awning out there on the driver’s side will balance the look and the weight a little better.

 

[wachuko]

Ahhhh the awning. Got it

 

[mx5red]

Could you mount it on a stand-off or riser spacing it out a few inches?

 

[John in the Woods]

Could you mount it on a stand-off or riser spacing it out a few inches?

That’s the direction I’m going. I’ll extend the very heavy-duty mounts for the awning as far out from the rack as I can without losing room to bolt it tight, then add some aluminum or steel c-channel to raise the awning so it clears the top of the rear door. That big RTT cover will still keep me off center with the tent, but I’ll steal back as much space as I can.

Even as it is it drives well and sets up right. When open, it looks centered. It just when it’s closed it clearly off.

I think even if I realized this would happen, I would have still gone with the same setup. The Roofnest Overland Condor has a tough shell, thick bedding, lots of space when open and sets up fast. The OVS 270 awning shades from the front fender all the way 20 feet back, well behind the open gate and over to the passenger side. And, most importantly for me, nothing covers the soft top so I can still run open to the sky. That was a must.

Of course, we’ll see how I feel after a few months living in this setup, but that’s one of the best parts of this life — the adventure.

 

[mx5red]

That’s the direction I’m going. I’ll extend the very heavy-duty mounts for the awning as far out from the rack as I can without losing room to bolt it tight, then add some aluminum or steel c-channel to raise the awning so it clears the top of the rear door. That big RTT cover will still keep me off center with the tent, but I’ll steal back as much space as I can.

Even as it is it drives well and sets up right. When open, it looks centered. It just when it’s closed it clearly off.

I think even if I realized this would happen, I would have still gone with the same setup. The Roofnest Overland Condor has a tough shell, thick bedding, lots of space when open and sets up fast. The OVS 270 awning shades from the front fender all the way 20 feet back, well behind the open gate and over to the passenger side. And, most importantly for me, nothing covers the soft top so I can still run open to the sky. That was a must.

Of course, we’ll see how I feel after a few months living in this setup, but that’s one of the best parts of this life — the adventure.

Top notch kit.
It would probably look even more weird, but you could attach brackets to the t slots in the shell (if they’re strong enough) or the cargo rack that hold the awning at an angle, so it would be vertical when tent deployed… though then you couldn’t use the awning if you had the tent folded.

 

[John in the Woods]

Top notch kit.
It would probably look even more weird, but you could attach brackets to the t slots in the shell (if they’re strong enough) or the cargo rack that hold the awning at an angle, so it would be vertical when tent deployed… though then you couldn’t use the awning if you had the tent folded.

I was actually kicking around the same idea, but hit the same wall you did — no awning when the tent is closed.

I’m going to mount the awning today. It will be lower than the final position because I don’t have the metal to raise it yet, but it should give everything up there a final position. I’m hoping I can tighten things up and it all balanced out. I’ll post a few pics when it’s all in place.

 

[wachuko]

Top notch kit.
It would probably look even more weird, but you could attach brackets to the t slots in the shell (if they’re strong enough) or the cargo rack that hold the awning at an angle, so it would be vertical when tent deployed… though then you couldn’t use the awning if you had the tent folded.

That would be awesome! You can have the brackets holding it with different holes so it can be set at a different angle if the tent is close and you still want to use the awning... pretty cool idea!

The support has to be across the whole tent for strength. Can't see a bracket, just on the edge, having the strength to hold the awning... The adjusting bracket can then be just on the edge of the assembly...

 

[John in the Woods]

Tent shifted about an inch back and a half inch to the driver’s side. Awning is on, but about 6 inches lower than it will be once my vertical bracket extensions are on. When finished, the height will match the closed tent box. Until then, I have just enough headroom when it’s open and an economical three usable doors.

The gap between the awning and tent will be something I learn to live with. The lid on the Condor Overland is 9 inches tall and swings almost vertical to fill that gap when it’s open. I guess now I have my space to strap down extra awning poles. I’ll see if I can squeeze a few fishing poles in there too

 

[John in the Woods]

Catching up once again.

I got out in mid February and was on the road around Florida until early March. Did some camping in central Florida at Highland Hammock State Park, where there were some very nice primitive sites, and lots of alligators. Got some beach time with a local friend outside of Coral Beach, did more than 150 miles of trails over a few days in Ocala National Forest, then headed down the Atlantic coast through Sebastian Inlet. A nice run of about 1,500 miles total over three weeks, and a good local loop to test out some of the new gear.

Definitely a few lessons and observation, and I'll add some detail and share of few pics as soon as I can. For now, a few overall thoughts ...

• The @KB Voodoo rack was solid, even with a fairly hefty RTT up there and a long awning. I never saw an ounce of flex and nothing worked loose. Still, there's a few small places the system could improve.
• The Roofnest Condor Overland was pretty easy to use, very nice to sleep in, stood up to high wind, and took the beating in the tight brush of Ocala that I bought that aluminum box to withstand.
• The rack-side mounted traction boards that stick out a few inches past the bedside provide the added bonus of becoming a fairly effective brush guard when squeezing down tight trails. Worth the price of the mount right there.
• Maxtrax mounting pins worked perfectly with my ARB Treadpro boards. Maxtrax also gets huge bonus points for immediately shipping a new pin when the small screw on the end of one rattled loose and fell off. No argument, they had a new one at my door in 2 days (and I only asked for a replacement screw).
• Iceco VL60 continues to be a schizophrenic power consumer. Most of the trip it was easy to manage, but a few days or overnights it just ate the EcoFlow River Pro battery. I tried to track it to find a pattern, but I didn't see a clear one. It's a good fridge, but it definitely makes essential a house power system that charges faster and stores more juice.
• Having an awning mounted to 3/4 rack without some extra lift was worse than a waste of time. Not only did I smack my head on it on multiple occasions, but it blocked the rear driver's side door, which became increasingly annoying as days went on. If you're adding an awning, remember to factor in rack and mount height relative to the cab.

Beyond that and a few other things, I was reminded how versatile and impressive these rigs are. It made for a heck of a base camp one some days, and had no problem pulling all that gear through deep sand, tight trails and mud holes. Didn't even break a sweat.

As it went out this time, here's the rig in camp mode and trail mode:

Highland Hammock

Ocala National Forest

Tread Lightly / Jeep BoH trail at Ocala.

Since this trip, I raised the awning, so it provides more protection for the soft top and the tent (and clears my head). I didn't really get to test it out the way it was (my fault, not the awning) but I can say the cover on that thing took a dang good whupping at Ocala and stood up to it all. I was impressed.

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