First Night Camping in the New Truck

How's it going everybody? I'm Nikki Delventhal and these are my dogs, Rodney and Camper Delventhal. For over three years we lived in a Toyota Prius, but now we're in a 4x4 Sprinter. And we're here to take you along on the wild ride. So fasten up your seat belts and let's have some fun. Don't forget if you like what you see, like, subscribe, comment, share with your friends and turn on notifications. We would be so thankful. I recently just built out this truck bed camper. In case you missed it, here's the highlights. It's a strong base with a convertible bed and a ton of functional compartments. There's heavy sliders and so much more. But here's the thing, did we actually do a good job? You never know until you use it. So before we get in any deeper, we need to test out the base. See what we like, see what we don't like, and what needs changing. We're gonna set up the back here. Seats are up, dog beds in. Eventually I do want to turn this into some type of shelving unit that could have the dogs on top. I've decided on this spot for the fridge. Reason being is this will be the easiest spot for it to be powered while driving. For now this is set on a piece of plywood so it is level, but eventually for when I am off-roading I want to have some type of tie-down system so it doesn't shake around and it stays nicely. This is going to be powered by my Jackery portable power station. We may need to get another one just for the truck, but for now we're gonna share. So how this is gonna work is I'm gonna have my station plugged into the car charger so it's always charging while I'm driving, and then the fridge is gonna be plugged into the power station so that way it's always gonna charge even when the car is off. I think I'm a little too excited about how I'm gonna get into this truck every day. That's gonna be my favorite part of this truck. But my other favorite part is that this area is one big bed, but it can also convert to a more homey livable space. That's it. Yep, I like that. Actually, I take that all back. We're turning this into a couch. Now we have the option to sleep in a massive bed. I like where this is going. Bear with me, we're figuring this out together, but I think this is the optimal setup. By the way, all these cushions are custom made by RoamRest. They are the best. We've got our clothing from the van, bedding, coffee stuff and essentials, and another power station. Oh, that fits perfectly. Can't forget food. Forgetting food would have been rough. All right, load up. Good boys. Here we go. Let's go camping. I feel like I'm usually sitting there waiting for it to start, so that was a nice change. Let's go. Who's excited to get off road? All right boys, here we go. So for this adventure, I wanted to take the truck on a pretty easy dirt road to see the difference, because next week we're doing a full upgrade on the suspension, wheels and tires, and yeah, it's kind of fun to see the difference between stock and when you go big boy with it. This road is a little rougher than I remember, but nothing the F-350 can't handle even with how it is right now. Well shoot, someone's in the spot we were thinking about staying in. I feel like it's a race to see who can get the lakeside camp spot. It's an all already taken, which let's be real, it might be. All right, let's check this out real quick. So none of this is really level at all, and I forgot my leveling blocks. What else is new? So I think we're just gonna have to make do. Maybe right over here. How deep is this? All right, let's see what we can pull off here. Oh yeah, this is a massive slam. What are we gonna do here? We could utilize that to even out the back a little bit and come up this way. It's not the worst idea. That just got a lot worse. What are we gonna do? Back up onto there. All right, let's check out how we did. All right, it's not totally even, but it's not bad. All right, let's shut her off. Home sweet home, boys. Let's check this place out. We've got our own private beach. Oh, I love this. Camp is wasting no time here. Hopefully, we'll catch us a fish for dinner. How about that? All right, boys, let's get set up. Somebody's got the happy zooms. He's just gonna be circling for hours. This one, on the other hand, he's a wanderer now. Okay, got some water. I brought my mini jackery instead of the big one for the back because we don't really have that much to power yet. Let's open this side. Honestly, I am so obsessed with this build out. It is so good. Let's get the sink out. Now, we're ready to rock. Oh, man, you guys, the wind is picking up. I gotta get a sweatshirt once this goes on. Love that. All right, let's get through all this craziness. Excuse me, Rod. All right, I put my clothes under here. Nice. Even though this just looks like a huge platform, it's actually a massive storage unit. Each compartment has area underneath for my stuff. We did a really good job at utilizing space here. All right, now let's get back to cooking. Getting in and out of this with everything set up is dangerous, but we can do it. Shoes back on. Oh, yeah, that step is a game changer. All right, that's better. Now, what were we doing? That's right. Here you go. Let's see. What are we going to do? What are we going to do? We got mushrooms, mushroom drink, tofu, zucchini. We're trying something new tonight other than the good old bag salad. I just realized what my next big project is going to be. It's going to be how can I cook inside the truck shell when it gets this windy out, for sure. Here we go. Wow, you guys, I actually really enjoy cooking outside. I feel like having this rig might actually get me to do more fun meals other than salads. This is so cool. Let's spice it up. We got some garlic, paprika. Let's do it all. While we are waiting for this to cook up, let me circle back and tell you about my main source of power in this rig and really most of the rigs I've had from my Prius to other trucks I've been in minivans galore. We already talked about how the fridge is being powered by the Jackery, but on this trip I also brought my Explorer 100+. There are a few different ways to charge these babies. One is directly through an electrical outlet while you're driving through the car or through one of their many solar panels. They have all different sizes and wattage. I just got this new one that fits in my backpack so I can travel with the 100. Plus, it's also amazing for in a home in case you have any power outages and need to be back up and running. Again, if you do need one, please use the link in my description as it really helps out Camper and I, but also I have a link is what helps us out. All right, I think dinner is done. Now, here is the trick to camping when you have a limited amount of water and you forgot your camping chair. Limited amount of water because we're low on it so we can't do as many dishes. First, we're going to find the perfect rock. I like this one with the perfect view. Cheers. I'm just so happy. This is what life is about, just slowing down, having good food, going to really beautiful places, and also not getting upset when your neighbors are blasting techno music, which they're doing right now. I just have a really good mic set. Here, I'm going to take my mic out so you guys can hear. It's actually kind of calm and peaceful right now, the music. But still, point being, when you come out in nature, maybe be mindful of your neighbors because I would say most of the people I know don't want to listen to the music that you're playing. So, maybe save that for at home. Or, you know, just have a positive attitude and we just deal with it. And here are all the dirty dishes. I think we did pretty good. Normally, when I'm living in vehicles like this, my method of washing will be using white vinegar and just wiping everything down and then doing a really big, nice clean when I get other places. In this truck, we do have this wash bin, but I really think that today, the ticket is going to be just wiping it down and then doing a big wash at the end of the day tomorrow. I love simple rigs like this so much more. It forces you to really disconnect and connect with nature and everything around you. It's really special. But while we wait for the sun to set, I think we're going to get cozied up with the boys here. This is nice. We have an eight-foot bed here. We have so much room. I'm debating if I want to turn it into a full-size bed now or a little later tonight. What do you guys want to do? Why do you always put the hard decisions on me? Wow, you're so helpful. Thank you. Separate beds for now. All right, I get this side. Oh, you want this side too? You can't decide which side you want? Oh my gosh, you guys, I almost forgot. I have to tell you about this blanket right here. This took me four months to design and get it perfect. I'm so excited about it. If you guys have been watching for a while, you know that I am very involved in dog rescue, especially since rescuing my dogs, Camper and RV. The story of Camper was we were out in the middle of the desert, my mom and I, and he followed me down this dirt road, jumped in my car, and then pursued to follow me on a four-mile hike. And ever since, he's been with me. So that inspired this camping blanket called All Roads Lead to the Perfect Dog Blanket, where proceeds are going to go towards the Camper Cares Project that goes straight to nonprofits and rescues all over North America helping animals in need. I am so excited about this design, not only because it has its own little pouch that it can go in that compresses it and makes it smaller, but it is a high quality material that is stain resistant, water resistant, and of course, fur resistant. I love the colors. If you would like one for yourself, all you have to do is go to shop.nikkidelventhal.com. I put my heart and soul into this. It really means so much to me. So if you do get one, thank you from the bottom of my heart. And of course, let us know in the comments. Oh yeah, and one quick note, this blanket is only available for two to three weeks, and then it will be gone forever. So make sure you act now. And if you have any ideas for other merch that you would like to see us design, literally anything, let us know in the comments. And then maybe if you have some ideas how we can get our RV involved here. All right, let's take a little nap and wait for the sun to set. Take a boy. I forgot to mention, you can actually use the blanket in its compressed sack as a pillow, and I'm also adding a little hook on it so you can hang it from stuff. What a view. Both this one and this one. One hour later. We slowly migrated from our napping area to the water to just enjoy watching the sunset, but also mostly because our neighbor's music was keeping us up. But look where we are. Can't really be mad about anything. Sun's about to drop behind the mountains. Let's go watch from there. Uh-oh, the sun just dropped behind the mountains, and all the bugs came out. You guys want to snuggle, huh? Don't you? All right, back to the truck. Let's go. Look who's already trying to make his bed. He's going to do this for like 10 minutes. He'll circle a few times, and then he'll lay down, and then we'll have to make the bed, and then we'll have to move. I'm not feeling brave enough to jump in the water tonight. I think that's a morning thing, so we're going to do a good old-fashioned washcloth shower with a little bit of water. Honestly, there is not much better than a washcloth shower. Boys, you ready to get in bed? All right, come on, Red. One. Hang on. All right, get in there, good boy. The question now is, do we make this one huge bed? I think I'm going to be happier if I do, so we'll do that real fast. Back to the center. Okay, so I haven't totally figured out how to close this from the inside. Let's just try it. Okay, I can't put pressure there. I should have watched some videos to see how other people do this. You're going to have to get like a... How do they do this? All right, got it. Oh, wow. Okay, we got one side. Close this up. Actually, you know what? It's a little bit hot. I think we should get a little air in here while we figure this out, but we definitely need to make like a bug screen or something right here. Writing that on the list of things to do. Bug screens and blackout window covers, of course. How did I not think of that sooner? Excuse me, camper, can I make the bed? Thank you. All right, we got pillowcases. We got a big comforter. Sheets, that's what we need. I like the idea of having sheets down to keep it clean. I think maybe we'll have to make like slipcovers for this. That'll probably be smart. We are so close. All right, now the bed is almost made. This could be yours. Good boy. Does it get much cuter than that? It does not. I don't even want to move you. This gives me access to the heavy slider. Let's see what we got here. Yes. Wow, I'm so glad I added that function last minute. So necessary. Now I have my toothbrush. I didn't have to get out. It's also great for when you're at like rest stops and places like that where you don't want people knowing who you are inside, assuming you have blackout window covers because right now everybody can see in, but we're figuring it out as we go. All right, let's lock her up for the night. All right, I'm gonna tuck the baby in. Good night, camper. Good night, Rodney. There's nothing like waking up to two lovey dogs. All right, you guys ready to party? It's not, I didn't mean that kind of party. There it is, okay. Camper free. There he goes. Excuse me, sir, you're too small to be jumping off stuff like this. Oh yeah, we need coffee. Oh no. I don't have any filters. How are you gonna make coffee? How are you gonna make coffee? Let's try the paper towels. Maybe these would be a good filter. I have no idea. I've never tried it. Hope all this work grinding this coffee isn't for nothing. We're gonna get fancy here with a little preheated mug. Here's to hoping. I'm a little nervous to even try this. Okay. We could have a third right here. One, two, three. Named Winnie, like Winnebago. Look at that. Worked great. Honestly, you guys, it doesn't get much cooler than this. I am so proud of this and I am so proud of you two. Where's the other one? Where'd you go, Rod? Oh, he's way over there. Let's go enjoy our coffee, boys. Excuse me. Make way, Rod. All right. First full night in the truck was a success. I am glowing. Like, that was one of my favorite things ever and definitely cannot wait to do it again. But I do have some thoughts. This, especially after three plus years full-time in a Toyota Prius, I have gotten used to the luxury of my van for long-term. If I wasn't full-time, I probably wouldn't have my van, but because I spend most of my time traveling, the van is great. I think that this truck will be two weeks or less trips to start and the van will be the long-term one for now as after over five years on the road, it's nice to have the luxuries and not have to figure things out every second of the day because it can really take a toll on you mentally. So I'm really lucky that I have the luxury to do that now. We're gonna hang out here for a while, have our coffee, maybe go for a swim. And in the meantime, as always, we love you. Thanks for being here. We'll see you next Friday, noon Eastern Standard Time. Have a good one!