PapaDave's pullout got me thinking, but since it’s not available anymore, I decided to DIY from the ground up, taking inspiration from the love of his design. Inspired by my Dometic CX75, I jumped into making my own setup for my Ram, diving in without much in the way of guides or measurements from the 18 pages of PapaDaves post I appreciate the ingenuity/cowboy (yee haw) approach. So kudos to the project.
Dodging the hassle of climbing into the truck bed to rearrange gear was the goal – chalk it up to either aging or laziness. I figured I could design something and list out all the materials needed for an 8020 setup. The whole thing looking to set me back about $2,000 for 8020 parts alone. The deal's pretty solid - many companies will send you pre-cut and pre-drilled parts, you just snap it together like Ikea furniture or like (might date myself a Construx set). But, having access to a large-scale CNC, I could slash the costs by cutting my own panels. Ended up with a setup weighing around 171 pounds, a good deal lighter than a wooden one, which could easily hit 300 pounds. This beast could stand up to a hurricane with all the fasteners in place.
Expanding on the setup, the Dometic is designed to slide out right to the tailgate's edge, making it accessible from the passenger side of the truck. But given how this whole system fits together it's flexible enough to be mounted from the opposite side if needed.
Next, the Blackstone stove/burner combo finds its spot exactly where it's meant to be, adding a slick cooking setup to the mix. Nothing like pulling it out and getting to business right ;-)
I've also carved out a dedicated section for a cutting board, ensuring that prep work is as seamless as the rest of the design. And to top it all off, the lid is engineered to cantilever open, transforming into a convenient tabletop like we have all seen and been inspired by.
Anyway hoping to get any comments or suggestions based on prior builds.
Dodging the hassle of climbing into the truck bed to rearrange gear was the goal – chalk it up to either aging or laziness. I figured I could design something and list out all the materials needed for an 8020 setup. The whole thing looking to set me back about $2,000 for 8020 parts alone. The deal's pretty solid - many companies will send you pre-cut and pre-drilled parts, you just snap it together like Ikea furniture or like (might date myself a Construx set). But, having access to a large-scale CNC, I could slash the costs by cutting my own panels. Ended up with a setup weighing around 171 pounds, a good deal lighter than a wooden one, which could easily hit 300 pounds. This beast could stand up to a hurricane with all the fasteners in place.
Expanding on the setup, the Dometic is designed to slide out right to the tailgate's edge, making it accessible from the passenger side of the truck. But given how this whole system fits together it's flexible enough to be mounted from the opposite side if needed.
Next, the Blackstone stove/burner combo finds its spot exactly where it's meant to be, adding a slick cooking setup to the mix. Nothing like pulling it out and getting to business right ;-)
I've also carved out a dedicated section for a cutting board, ensuring that prep work is as seamless as the rest of the design. And to top it all off, the lid is engineered to cantilever open, transforming into a convenient tabletop like we have all seen and been inspired by.
Anyway hoping to get any comments or suggestions based on prior builds.
