2019 Colorado ZR2

We took a little time this weekend to get some yard camping in because the weather was beautiful. The mrs. was a little under the weather with a sinus infection (she got the side eye a lot every time she sneezed or coughed) and we couldn't go too far away. So, I spent the better part of the weekend fiddle farting around a backyard campfire and cleaning the rooftop tent.

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I'm not sure how much longer we'll keep this tent setup. The tent & trailer combo has been great the last three years, especially when we lacked space in the Jeep. However, as with the Jeep the tent is getting a tad small for the four of us and the dog. That and I'm not too keen on climbing a ladder at 3am for to return the rented beer. A Kodiak 10x14 tent is in our future, which also means we can keep everything in the truck. Not having the trailer means we have to pay more attention to payload, and we avoid carrying a ton of extra "what if" gear. That kills the Boy Scout in me, but it makes the challenge of fine tuning our gear needs fun.
 
I'm a little late to the party...

Nice truck. The answer to the sleeping solution is easy - get a teardrop. You and the Mrs in the teardrop, kids and dogs in a tent. And, no ladder to climb.

The best part is the kitchen setup. It's always there, and easy to cook in. ;)
We've been fairly taken with the Hiker trailers and have talked about the possibility of doing that at some point. We remembered your teardrop and have talked about something like that ever since we camped next to you and Michael at Appalachian Rendezvous a few years ago.

In other news:
This weekend was the first of several shakedown trips we plan to take before we go on a multi-week trip out west this summer. This was the first trip with the new truck, new tent, and new organizational system. We also brought 2020's mascot, Murphy, and his damnable law along.

Rather than listing all the ups and downs, let me just say we learned a lot. Of note:
  • Things we like - ARB chairs are LEGIT! Wolf Pack boxes soothe my inner neat freak, and we love our Kodiak 10x14 tent. We even put the tent up and took it down without any damage to the marriage. I'd call that a success
  • Meh - cots are great, but they need sleeping pads in cold weather
  • Things that sucked - 12v amazon air compressor, damp firewood, flat tire, garbage stock tire changing accoutrements
Upcoming mods:
  • Still waiting on our Relentless Fab rear bumper. We sure could've used that tire carrier this weekend.
  • Switching over the last of our gear to Wolf Packs because I'm not a huge fan of overland tetris.
  • 18v Milwaukee impact wrench for automotive work and driving lag bolt tent stakes
  • SafeJack accessories for my bottle jack
  • A new 12v air compressor

Some pics of the good:
7E3BF4FE-76D0-4084-A3D2-CB7ADB648905 3.JPG
64459EA3-E147-4C94-860A-DBAB5E72163C 3.JPG
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I'm looking into the Viair onboard air with a tank at the moment.

I talked to my buddy who owns a tire shop today. The verdict on the flat? Sidewall puncture at one of the shoulder blocks. I hate these Duratracs and don't want to throw good money after bad to get a replacement tire I already don't like. If It will get cut on the unpaved highway that is Tallulah River Rd, then I have no faith in them for a little jaunt out west.

So, I'm likely ordering a 5 tire set of Falken Wildpeak A/T3W in 265/70r17 tomorrow am and getting the truck some new shoes put on tomorrow afternoon. Nothing like cutting into savings unexpectedly.
 
We've been fairly taken with the Hiker trailers and have talked about the possibility of doing that at some point. We remembered your teardrop and have talked about something like that ever since we camped next to you and Michael at Appalachian Rendezvous a few years ago.

In other news:
This weekend was the first of several shakedown trips we plan to take before we go on a multi-week trip out west this summer. This was the first trip with the new truck, new tent, and new organizational system. We also brought 2020's mascot, Murphy, and his damnable law along.

Rather than listing all the ups and downs, let me just say we learned a lot. Of note:
  • Things we like - ARB chairs are LEGIT! Wolf Pack boxes soothe my inner neat freak, and we love our Kodiak 10x14 tent. We even put the tent up and took it down without any damage to the marriage. I'd call that a success
  • Meh - cots are great, but they need sleeping pads in cold weather
  • Things that sucked - 12v amazon air compressor, damp firewood, flat tire, garbage stock tire changing accoutrements
Upcoming mods:
  • Still waiting on our Relentless Fab rear bumper. We sure could've used that tire carrier this weekend.
  • Switching over the last of our gear to Wolf Packs because I'm not a huge fan of overland tetris.
  • 18v Milwaukee impact wrench for automotive work and driving lag bolt tent stakes
  • SafeJack accessories for my bottle jack
  • A new 12v air compressor

Some pics of the good:
View attachment 53410
View attachment 53411
View attachment 53407

If you have any questions about teardrops, or want to ours up close, just ask. I can tell you more than you'd ever want to know!

Us North Georgia folks should go camping one weekend this fall. Not an ARV, but close.

I also have a Kodiak tent - it is really nice, and quick to set up /tear down - except for the 247 stakes that must go in the ground first.

I am also running a Viair 400P. I added a tank when it was in my Ranger, but sold the tank when I moved it to my Tacoma. It seemed I was spending a lot of time airing up the tank, not the tires.
 
265/70r17 Falken Wildpeak A/T3W

This size will fit on a ZR2 without any need for trimming, lifting, leveling, etc. Bone stock it works. I went with this size because I didn't want to mess with any lifting, diff dropping, brake line extending, and such. Also, while I have warranty on these ridiculously expensive DSSV shocks, I didn't want to go finagling with the suspension. I'm trying to keep this truck simple and functional.

Moreover, I'm growing my own little shire of Hobbits, and they can't get in super tall vehicles. I'll have to live with a measly 1/2" of additional ground clearance, but I do get an extra inch of sidewall.

Why Falken Wildpeak? Well, I really liked the BFG KO2 that I had on my Jeep. The Falkens won out in the end because it saved me about $100 and my tire guy could get them sooner. Win win.

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If you have any questions about teardrops, or want to ours up close, just ask. I can tell you more than you'd ever want to know!

Us North Georgia folks should go camping one weekend this fall. Not an ARV, but close.

@Scott B. that sounds great. On all accounts!

I'm in, let's go!

Ya'll say jump, and I'm asking, "How high?" When and where?
 
If you guys want come and stay at our property, we are about 40 minutes from Uwharrie and have room to spread out on. Camp in the woods, camp in the field... I am booked for the rest of October but open after.

I appreciate the offer. However, as much as I enjoy camping in NC, I was thinking something in North Georgia.

Unless these guys want to take more than 2 days - then NC would be great!
 
That is a really kind offer. It's next to impossible for me to get time off right now because I can't get a sub to cover for me. Schools already had a lack of subs, who tend to be retirement aged folk, and we lost several subs who just don't want to work in schools with Covid going around. Hopefully the spring will open some of that up and we can take you up on this.
 
South African ammo boxes, aka wolf packs, make me happy. I found that OK4WD had some of these under the Camp Cover brand that were about $7 cheaper than the Front Runner offerings. Over $100 and you get free shipping. Camp Cover will also sell them with the tall lid without making you buy the tall lid separately for only $7 more than the standard box. I snapped up two standard boxes and two boxes with the tall lids. I think OK4WD got wise to the prices and have since priced them on par with Front Runner. Dang.

Based on the advertised dimensions, I would've only been able to stack two high in the back of my truck. Three high wouldn't clear the rear window opening. However, I did not account for the lego like quality of these boxes. Three high, once they interlock, gives me about a 1/2" clearance. PERFECT

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Now I can fit nine boxes on that side of the cargo tray if I were so inclined to do that. Each person could get their own wolf pack to pack clothes, jackets, shoes, etc. and we'd still have five boxes for gear and tools. Now to start building my Wolf Pack inventory.
 
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South African ammo boxes, aka wolf packs, make me happy. I found that OK4WD had some of these under the Camp Cover brand that were about $7 cheaper than the Front Runner offerings. Over $100 and you get free shipping. Camp Cover will also sell them with the tall lid without making you buy the tall lid separately for only $7 more than the standard box. I snapped up two standard boxes and two boxes with the tall lids. I think OK4WD got wise to the prices and have since priced them on par with Front Runner. Dang.

Based on the advertised dimensions, I would've only been able to stack two high in the back of my truck. Three high wouldn't clear the rear window opening. However, I did not account for the lego like quality of these boxes. Three high, once they interlock, gives me about a 1/2" clearance. PERFECT

View attachment 53533

Now I can fit nine boxes on that side of the cargo tray if I were so inclined to do that. Each person could get their own wolf pack to pack clothes, jackets, shoes, etc. and we'd still have five boxes for gear and tools. Now to start building my Wolf Pack inventory.

Very nice storage solution. Now you've got me thinking...
 
They're a little over six pounds each, and can store most things. Their size also keeps things real manageable weight-wise. For larger items - sleeping bags, pads, cots, chairs, pillows, etc - we'll use one commander tote from Lowes/Home Depot.
 
Are you getting a shell?

Everything is on the table at the moment: AT Habitat, traditional shell, low profile bed rack with roof top tent, RSI or RLD Design shell...

I like the idea of being able to keep the truck and truck, and not permanently filling the bed with anything. However, a drawer system isn't out of the question if I go with a traditional fiberglass or RSI/RLD shell. In the short term though I'm sticking with the BakFlip cover and need some boxes that are shorter than the Husky rolling tool box I have been using in past vehicles/trailers.
 
@Gallowbraid the Alu-Cab canopy is a whopping 125 lbs, which really appeals to me. The RSI has my attention because of the build it yourself nature. I have a love-hate with my cap, and it's really only tolerated because it was free.
 
@Gallowbraid the Alu-Cab canopy is a whopping 125 lbs, which really appeals to me. The RSI has my attention because of the build it yourself nature. I have a love-hate with my cap, and it's really only tolerated because it was free.

A good shell is worth its weight in gold! At least, that's my opinion! :p

A not-so-nice one, not so much. I'm on my second one - the first one had some design issues that I tired of dealing with.

Another really nice (and expensive) option is Tradesman Truck Tops. Check their web site, and there is a thread on TacomaWorld. I would consider one, if I was to ever replace my shell.
 
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