Rig V2 | RAM 2500 AEV Prospector & Scout Olympic Camper
Note: this blog post is an adaptation of an article I wrote and published through Expedition Portal in Sept. 2021: The Mortelleporter : A Cautionary Tale About Puppies and Truck Campers
the backstory
One beautiful weekend in May of 2020, we were camping with two of our friends at one of our favorite spots in Colorado with stunning mountain views, glistening lakes below, and dense Aspen trees littering the trails. We had spent the day mountain biking and were relaxing at camp in our socially distanced hammocks when our friends shared some big news—they were getting a puppy! Hearing this was literally the only nudge we needed to take the plunge into puppy parenthood for ourselves, as we had been teetering dangerously on the edge for some time.
This was a pivotal decision for our outdoor life. We couldn’t wait to have a fun-loving pup bouncing around camp with us, but we had to consider the reality of adding one to our crew. Our sleeping quarters in our first rig were already small and as you may know, puppies have a tendency to sometimes pee where they shouldn’t. It seemed unlikely that our sleeping bag and mattress would make it out of the early months unscathed.
Granger at 2 months old looking dangerously innocent
In addition to our growing family and the desire for more space, we both also had a newfound ability to work from home due to the covid-19 pandemic. The thought of self-isolating outdoors rather than inside, taking longer trips with both of our pets, and working from camp was intriguing. A truck bed camper seemed like a natural next step for us to bring this vision to life.
By the time we were seriously looking for a truck bed camper to call our part-time home, we were well into the pandemic and demand for any sort of RV or camper was through the roof. We looked into a few different manufacturers and used options, but either the lead times were way longer than we cared to wait or they just didn’t fit what we wanted. That was until we came across Scout Campers.
Scout was a new brand to the industry and their lead times were much more reasonable at the time. On paper, the Scout Olympic camper sounded like everything we were looking for—lightweight, simple, and manageable for our GMC 1500, with just a few tweaks. We placed our order for the Scout Olympic model in June of 2020 and began the countdown to the day we would pick it up in Pueblo, Colorado four months later.
the truck
Now here’s a plot twist—the day we picked up our camper, it was not in our trusty 2014 GMC Sierra 1500, but rather, we rolled onto the dealer’s lot in a new, black 2020 RAM 2500 with the AEV Prospector package and a Cummins diesel engine. To this day, I’m not sure how we went from ordering the Scout Olympic for our GMC Sierra to buying a brand new (and beefy) truck. However, if you asked Mike, he would explain that the more he considered the reality of the weight of a fully loaded Scout Olympic and the upgrades the GMC would need to support it, upgrading to a 2500 truck seemed like the better option for the additional payload capacity and power. We considered sticking with GMC but landed with the RAM 2500 because it offered greater value than other comparable options; we were able to get an upgraded model (with a heated steering wheel and all) for close to the same cost as a simpler model from other manufacturers.
2020 RAM 2500 Diesel, Limited Night Edition, pre-AEV upgrades
The Cummins diesel engine did bring the power in spades, though its hefty weight sacrificed much of the gains in payload capacity. All in all, the payload increased by approximately 500lbs from the GMC 1500 to the RAM 2500 diesel.
The decision to go with a diesel wasn’t as simple as we originally thought. Our under-researched expectation in opting for diesel was that it would be a more accessible fuel source internationally. Yes, it is powerful, more efficient, and its quiet growl lulls our cat Walker to sleep on long drives. However, merely two weeks after buying the truck, as we listened to the Overland Journal podcast, we were surprised to learn that this expectation was essentially wrong. Because of the ongoing global transition to ultra low sulfur diesel, it is not yet readily available in many countries (as of Jan 2022). Meaning our ULSD-required truck would not fare too well far from home. This would be a problem for future Mike and Dani, so we decided to let them deal with it when the time came.
Diesel hiccups and international travel implications aside, we still had big plans for this truck. Adding on the AEV Prospector package not only looked spectacular, but it also significantly bumped up the truck’s off-road capability. The 3 in. lift and the 37 in. BF Goodrich AT KO2 tires created higher ground clearance and solid traction for 4x4 trails, and the winch has come in handy a few times to rescue fellow travelers. To create additional storage space in the truck cab, we also removed the 40% back seat and built a custom shelf system, leaving plenty of room for Granger and friends to still ride in the cab’s back seat.
40% seat delete and custom storage build
The rugged look and impeccable quality of the AEV Prospector is hard to beat, and we can attest that ours had gotten us down quite a few gnarly trails where you wouldn’t typically see someone hauling a truck bed camper. In retrospect we might have made some choices differently with regards to the truck, but it served us well, and we loved it, nonetheless.
the camper
Disclaimer: As of Nov. 2021, we are official brand ambassadors for Scout Campers which involves some monetary benefits in exchange for our promotion of the brand and content creation. It should be noted that we were enthusiastic promoters of the brand prior to receiving any benefits from Scout.
In selecting our truck bed camper, our priorities were aligned with what Michael Scott and others would describe as the KISS framework—keep it simple stupid. We were looking for a lightweight option with more space than what we currently had and all season capability. The simplicity of the Scout and its innovative structure are some of its greatest advantages and partly what sets them apart from other truck bed campers—no winterization required, very few potential points of failure, and solid but light insulation for winter camping.
We picked up the camper in late October of 2020 without ever having seen one in person—even photos and videos online were sparse with this new brand—but thankfully we liked what we saw. The sleek and modern-looking Scout Olympic camper complemented our truck well. The unique minimalistic style and modular components keep things simple, convenient, and adjustable. Not to mention, it answered the call for more space. Mike, who is 6’5, could comfortably sleep on the XL full size bed and fully stand up inside the camper, which is a luxury that not all adventure vehicles can offer him.
Sedona, Arizona
The camper’s systems are simple and straightforward, just like we wanted them. For water, each Scout is equipped with the removable 4.6 gallon LifeSaver Jerry Can, which can purify water from sources like lakes, rivers, and even muddy puddles. There are no gray or black tanks built in, but there is a direct exterior drain running from the sink to the outside where you can hook up a portable gray tank. The LifeSaver jerry can and two additional 2 gallon RotopaX will usually last us about five days.
The 4.6 gallon Lifesaver Jerry Can comes standard with the Scout
As for power, the Scout came with a portable Goal Zero Yeti 1500X Lithium Power Station which is fed by a 175W Renergy Monocrystalline solar panel mounted to the roof, and we also carry an additional Goal Zero Yeti 500X. Between the two and being able to charge either from solar or the truck while driving, we typically manage to have ample power for what we need (pun intended).
Aerial view of the rig showing the solar panel mounted to the top of the camper
However, things get trickier in hotter temperatures. Winter camping in the Scout is a breeze, but when it comes to camping in the extreme heat that we has seen in the summer of 2021, we haven’t found a great solution to keeping the Scout cool. Maintaining airflow with two 12V USB fans, parking in the shade, and spending time outside definitely help. But with a cat who mostly prefers to hang out indoors, it’s critical that we keep the inside temps safe for him. Juggling staying cool by parking in shade with getting the solar we need to keep our battery powered has proven to be quite a challenge, and we’re on the hunt for better options.
Installing a pair of teal custom-built drawers below the dinette area was the only major modification we made to the Scout. This space under the dinette is sizable but awkward to access. Adding the drawers on free-standing wheels (instead of rails) transformed the space into easily accessible storage. In one drawer we stored Walker’s kitty litter, and various odds and ends in the other.
In terms of features and add-ons, we opted to get our Scout nearly fully loaded with the available options. Our favorites are the rooftop tent and the Newport Dickinson fireplace. Having the ability to add a rooftop tent to the camper is a unique feature to the Scout compared to pop-top truck bed campers, made possible by the hardshell and structural walls of the camper. Ours served as a spare bedroom for friends, a part-time lair for Walker, and an additional space to hang out indoors. And as for the fireplace, well, let’s just say there is nothing quite as peaceful as enjoying your first cup of coffee next to a cozy, open flame fireplace with a fresh layer of soft, white snow lazily falling to the ground.
View from the rooftop tent in Sedona, Arizona
This was the first camper we had ever owned, and sure, there are aspects about other adventure vehicles that we appreciate and would like to have, such as a pass-through to the cab, additional storage (always more storage!), larger floor space, and so on. But for a couple of self-proclaimed easy-going folks who just want to spend time out in nature, it more than gets the job done; it works great for what it was designed to do, which is to get folks out in the backcountry.
the adventure
One of the drawbacks of buying a camper from a manufacturer rather than building something yourself is the lack of originality in a mass-produced product. When you build something from scratch, you are making all the design decisions, building it exactly how you want it, and essentially infusing your own self and style into the final product. With a manufactured camper, we had to find one that we liked and then figure out how to make it ours after the fact. Adding some personal touches like art on the wall and a fake plant on the window mantle can go a long way in making a space feel homey, but really the biggest part of making a rig your own is what you do with it - the experiences and memories you allow it to give you.
We nicknamed our rig the Mortelleporter (or Morty for short) because it’s the vessel that transports us from one experience to another. In less than a year, we’ve put over 20,000 miles under this rig. Traveling from the West Coast to the East and back to the West Coast again with lots of detours along the way, spending nights in sixteen states while passing through many more, sleeping on public land, in truck stops, Cracker Barrels, family and friends’ driveways, campgrounds, and so on. Morty has lived up to its name, and though there are other Scouts out there, this one is unequivocally ours.
Sitting here with Granger’s head resting in my lap, I’m struck by how much joy traveling with her and Walker has brought us. Our travel needs may continue to evolve and change over time (as they did when we decided to start traveling with a dog and a cat) and so too may our vessel. What will remain constant though, is the immense value we get from following our own path and the gratitude we share for having the opportunity to do so.
