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I use this exped megamat duo for all of our car camping. Fits in the tent nicely, sleeps two and the dog if needed and it's super comfy. Have slept on this summer through the middle of winter snow camping and no complaints. Would suggest getting a powered inflator to expedite setup but the hand pump it comes with also works well
I was actually impressed that for a family of 4 you don't seem to overpack as much as I would have expected.
Hey all - just a quick report on a camping trip from over the weekend. We went to a campground near Aspen, CO called Difficult Campground (https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/231880) and stayed for 3 nights. We had some friends along, and we ate in town a few times, so the food prep wasn't too heavy of a lift, but we still did have dinner and breakfast at camp a few times. To keep the food cold we used a combo of coolers - an electric Dometic fridge/freezer (25 quarts - model #DC-25t - don't think it is sold any more) that fit perfectly under the tonneau cover
and a Dometic ice chest (https://tinyurl.com/57tmcd2z) which is nice but turned out to be too small.
We also had a little 12 volt cooler in the Gear Tunnel to grab drinks from while driving. (https://www.amazon.com/RoadPro-12-Vol...). We put it on it's back so that it opened like an ice chest.
We brought four bikes (and no we didn't use them all - shocker) and we had a borrowed bike rack using a great folding arm called the Kuat Pivot to allow for swingout (like this one: https://www.kuat.com/product/pivot-2/).
To fit everything in I tried out a new Yakima cage (the Mega Warrior- https://www.rei.com/product/670321/ya...) which was crucial. I kept the tent and the bunk beds up there so we could grab them quickly if we arrived at dark (which we did). And in the cage we added the Roam Adventure Co 95 L Rugged Case (https://www.roamadventureco.com/colle...). It fit perfectly in the Yakima cage (although it does NOT fit sideways - but VERY close), but you can't open the clasps when it's in the cage unless you are able to scoot it back a few inches. This means you'd have to pack accordingly so you can move it around a bit if you need to open it before dismounting it.
Here's a photo of both together. Note that you COULD put it on the top of the cab as well, if you''re willing to take the aero hit.
Here's a video report of the gear. Stick around to the end because we have some drone footage that shows off the truck and the landscape pretty well. Also, there's a time-lapse of me packing at the end so you can see how it all fit:
Awesome video! Thank you for sharing all these great ideas. I especially love the tunnel fridge and the storage box. For biking I have a tailgate pad and hitch rack that does a pretty good job. When towing I only use the pad, but the cross-bar rack look very interesting. Did it create much drag? A big plus is being able to close the bed cover.Hey all - just a quick report on a camping trip from over the weekend. We went to a campground near Aspen, CO called Difficult Campground (https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/231880) and stayed for 3 nights. We had some friends along, and we ate in town a few times, so the food prep wasn't too heavy of a lift, but we still did have dinner and breakfast at camp a few times. To keep the food cold we used a combo of coolers - an electric Dometic fridge/freezer (25 quarts - model #DC-25t - don't think it is sold any more) that fit perfectly under the tonneau cover
and a Dometic ice chest (https://tinyurl.com/57tmcd2z) which is nice but turned out to be too small.
We also had a little 12 volt cooler in the Gear Tunnel to grab drinks from while driving. (https://www.amazon.com/RoadPro-12-Vol...). We put it on it's back so that it opened like an ice chest.
We brought four bikes (and no we didn't use them all - shocker) and we had a borrowed bike rack using a great folding arm called the Kuat Pivot to allow for swingout (like this one: https://www.kuat.com/product/pivot-2/).
To fit everything in I tried out a new Yakima cage (the Mega Warrior- https://www.rei.com/product/670321/ya...) which was crucial. I kept the tent and the bunk beds up there so we could grab them quickly if we arrived at dark (which we did). And in the cage we added the Roam Adventure Co 95 L Rugged Case (https://www.roamadventureco.com/colle...). It fit perfectly in the Yakima cage (although it does NOT fit sideways - but VERY close), but you can't open the clasps when it's in the cage unless you are able to scoot it back a few inches. This means you'd have to pack accordingly so you can move it around a bit if you need to open it before dismounting it.
Here's a photo of both together. Note that you COULD put it on the top of the cab as well, if you''re willing to take the aero hit.
Here's a video report of the gear. Stick around to the end because we have some drone footage that shows off the truck and the landscape pretty well. Also, there's a time-lapse of me packing at the end so you can see how it all fit:
You’d be amazed at how fast the space disappears with 2 adults, 2 kids, and a dog. I just bought a Yakima Skybox for the roof of my R1T based on the trips I’ve taken so far.
Second on the MegaMat by Exped. It is like sleeping at home.
You should run the Dometic on 12V whenever possible. It is a 12V system and uses much less energy when run from 12V. Get a Yeti Solar generator and you can move it out of the truck and keep it running when camp is set up.One user on YouTube asked if the Dometic fridge can be used in the frunk. Answer, yes, but it doesn't sit flat:
Also, you'd have to have the 12v adapter, which does exist but I didn't have with us. Never mind closing it off in a mostly-air-tight space. Not sure if it can function well like that.
Thanks for the kind words! I didn't notice any drag (or even excess wind noise). I don't think any of the gear impacted the range much. I was careful to keep the items from protruding past the profile of the truck (except the bike standing up) and I think that helped.
Good to know! I didn't know the 12v system would actually use less energy.
How has your experience been with the Skybox on the roof? Wind noise? Noticeable drag or range hit?
I haven’t had a chance to take it on a long trip yet (got rained out last weekend), but so far it is not super noticeable. Definitely some wind noise at highway speed but not obnoxious. I don’t have numbers on it yet to compare but I’m super curious as well.
Kuat for the win. I’m ordering the Pivot. This is right at the tongue weight limit for the Y, but will be just right when my R1S gets here.
by the way, this is way over the recommended vertical weight on the hitch receiver. If anyone ever does this be super careful. Not recommended for road use.Kuat for the win. I’m ordering the Pivot. This is right at the tongue weight limit for the Y, but will be just right when my R1S gets here.
