Go Fast Camper for R1T Announced

[seanocono]

Yeah, I honestly cannot wrap my head around this.

I've been looking for a solution for some time, and at this juncture, need a bathroom (no two ways about it). I've found some really nice tow-behinds that cost just over $25k.

I really...really don't understand this niche of product. I'd sooner purchase a tent I can pitch somewhere (I mean, how many REALLY nice Yurts can we probably buy for $10k and make a tent city!!).

But I also don't want to yuck someone's yum. I guess this just speaks to how deep the pockets of some Rivian owners are.

Yeah, you are having a difficult time understanding other people’s perspective. Some people don’t want to tow trailers. Very few charging stations are built for them, and there are compromises on the trails. Some don’t want to sleep on the ground, and appreciate the standup space and quick-pitch convenience. $10K is priced very competitively for this kind of camper, but it is obviously expensive compared to a ground tent. A Rivian is more expensive than a Maverick.

GFC makes quality products, and everything is made in the USA. All of their parts are replaceable, so if something breaks, you can just order a new part. They also have excellent customer service, which you can already see from their engagement on this forum. How many rooftop tent companies can you say that about?

I’m happy to see more options out there for Rivian owners. This benefits us all. As you eluded to, “to each their own.”

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[R1Thor]

Very defensive group. Sorry for the interjection. Carry on everyone!

Whatever you're doing to enjoy your lives and your Rivians, I wholeheartedly support!

 

[jjswan33]

Very defensive group. Sorry for the interjection. Carry on everyone!

Whatever you're doing to enjoy your lives and your Rivians, I wholeheartedly support!

Not defensive. You said you didn't understand the product so explained it to you.

A trailer is a great choice for some but not my niche.

 

[Team_GFC]

Interested in the product. Is there an installer in GA?

Raleigh, NC would be closest. https://gofastcampers.com/pages/locations

 

[Team_GFC]

Camping season is 5-6 months here and we then we switch to snow season (-30°C and 7.5ft of snow). We'd be doing two switchover's a season as taking the efficiency hit with camper and topper doesn't make sense for the season we're not using it. So a few more questions:

- how is the camper mounted to the topper?
- if we left the topper on the truck, would it be fairly easy to mount/unmount the camper, and use a hoist to manage it seasonally? and then mount crossbars and winter gear racks to your topper+crossbars?

We're based in Montana, short camping seasons and long winters are our things too. Most truck owners in snowy places prefer a capped bed, to keep piles of snow off their stuff.

The camper and topper are two separate products, not something you combine.

And yes, with our Beefrack cross bars you can mount all sorts of winter gear racks.

 

[Team_GFC]

Will there be AC and diesel heater hose holes? I saw a lot of reviewers of your tents complain about the top of the tent allowing a lot of heat out and condensation build up.

You can easily run a heater hose in through the tent windows, as many of our customers do.

One of the quirks of our product is that we provide fully closeable vents (I'm aware of no other tent that does this outside of mountaineering designs). As much as we can shout YOU MUST OPEN VENTS TO ACHIEVE VENTILATION, inevitably some people won't listen. Once those vents are open, condensation clears just fine.

 

[HighVoltOverland]

@Team_GFC : will OC be an instillation option or is vista the only SoCal choice for August?

 

[Team_GFC]

Does the Rivian version come with some extra options over the standard models? I spec’d out a Ford Maverick, which has a similar bed size and the total came to just over $9,000 including a $175 factory install. Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma, which would be slightly larger, are the same price as Maverick and $1000 less than the Rivian.

It's a substantially different design due to the unique dimensions and shapes of the R1T. The wing on the back of the cab and the shark fin both represent some unique challenges due to the incorporated sensors and antenna, plus their prominence. Those are things we've created some really clever solutions to solve for.

 

[Team_GFC]

@Team_GFC : will OC be an instillation option or is vista the only SoCal choice for August?

We're closing the OC shop and moving our California HQ to Vista. Basil's Garage is just a much nicer location, so it'll be a better experience for customers.

 

[HighVoltOverland]

It's a substantially different design due to the unique dimensions and shapes of the R1T. The wing on the back of the cab and the shark fin both represent some unique challenges due to the incorporated sensors and antenna, plus their prominence. Those are things we've created some really clever solutions to solve for.

Will those clever solutions accommodate a low profile roof rack?

 

[RCBUKnowMe]

Hey guys, Wes from GFC here. Hope this is ok with forum mods, just want to be a resource for questions, no hard sales pitch!

Let's dive in:

- "I assume the GoFast has a full size bed in width?" The tent interior measures 50 inches wide and 90 inches long and includes our new TurboNap mattress. We benchmarked Hest, and think we matched that brand's comfort in a pad that's just three inches thick (so you can leave bedding upstairs with the roof closed) and which is compatible with our modular floor system. That creates 8 feet or so of standing height room inside, and allows you to climb upstairs through the truck bed, and transforms into a bunk bed or standing height desk, too.

- "Just not sure I have 15k to justify it since I don’t camp that often… plus I don’t have the garage door clearance to keep it on top pulling in." Price is $9450 for the camper or $4999 for the topper. The camper is low enough to fit into standard residential garages in most (non lifted) trucks. The topper will add ~ one inch of height (so you can carry long objects on top).

- "So the topper option excludes the extended portion with the bed correct? Interesting I didn’t see any photos of that. That would be the first R1T topper?" Grabbing you a photo. Yes, the topper is just the bed cap (names for these things varies by region). It'll sit just proud of the cab and has a dynamic roof load of 800 lbs. So it's the strongest topper ever made, and the first developed for the R1T. Should have almost no measurable impact on range. Plus, like the camper, it turns your truck bed into a cabana with all the panels open.

Wes, Thank you for this post. I'm extremely excited to see this announcement and have admired your product for some time. Beautifully engineered and built.

Can you respond to some of the issues that folks bring up in regard to the platform tent and topper:

Locks: There seems to be consistent complaints about having to have two locks per panel and issues with dirt and ice making them trickier to deal with. Are you looking at going with a single locking mechanism?

Tent ventilation: There are several complaints of the lack of ventilation in your tent design, esp for colder weather camping when the tent is buttoned up. Have you made modifications over the years to allow passive ventilation (so folks don't cook in the Sumer or create tons of condensation I the winter) with air vents.

Wiring: For those of use interested in solar or interior lighting/charging,can you explain how you handle wiring in the frame.

Sleeping pad: It sounds if if you have made modifications to the pad. How does it compare to earlier versions.

Finally, as you work through final design, I would advocate for slightly bigger rear glass for visibility both when driving and when inside the topper. Not sure if it's possible, but given the GFC design, which is sharp, making the glass less rounded on the edges would also create a sharper design aesthetic that matches the GFC design.

thx much!

 

[HighVoltOverland]

We're closing the OC shop and moving our California HQ to Vista. Basil's Garage is just a much nicer location, so it'll be a better experience for customers.

Great thanks!

 

[Team_GFC]

Whoa, $15,000+ for this setup? Yikes. Seems pretty pricing. Definitely has a Rivian premium attached to it. There are travel trailers that can be purchased for close to that amount and they have kitchens and bathrooms!!

Total price for the camper is $9450. The $4999 Topper (bed cap) is a completely separate product, not a component of the camper.

We're not trying to compete with travel trailer and giant luxury campers or RVs, we're making a product that:

- Works just as well in daily use as it does on an adventure. The camper and topper both double your secure storage space, allow you to permanently attach accessories like lights, recovery gear, awnings, or whatever, while also creating the strongest roof rack that will ever be offered for the R1T. So if you want to carry a boat, boards, or similar, these products give you that capability.

- Won't slow you down. The camper weighs 275 lbs. IIRC, the topper will be ~135. (I'm getting you guys an image of this week) It's not a factor on the unibody R1T, but on body-on-frame pickups, a ton of energy waves and vehicle movement propagate through the truck bed, causing all sorts of issues. Our space frame and billet bed clamps combine to brace those beds, so ICE trucks actually handle and ride better with a GFC attached. On the F150 lightning, customers are reporting a 6-7 percent impact on range at highway speeds with the camper. The topper has no substantial impact. R1T camper sits even lower (unibody, yay) so should have even less penalty. We'll conduct transparent range tests this summer and get them on video.

- Provides about 8 feet of internal standing height space, and a level of versatility you're just not going to be able to find in a 4.5-foot bed any other way. Standing height desk, bunk bed, enter and exit through truck bed (way easier and safer than ladder), etc. All in something that sets up and takes down instantly, and which will never stink, rot, stain or fail.

- Stands up to any weather condition. I "slept" (well, lay there in terror) in 70+ mph winds a few weeks ago. It wasn't fun, but it didn't hurt anything but my sanity. The wedge shape and robust construction just work, and will be your faithful partner through heavy snow, hail, muddy trails, big rocks, scraping branches, etc etc etc. Then when you get home you can just pressure wash everything but the mattress to bring it back to new.

Totally get that some people prefer porcelain toilets and jacuzzi bathtubs. We do not offer that camping experience.

 

[Team_GFC]

Wes, Thank you for this post. I'm extremely excited to see this announcement and have admired your product for some time. Beautifully engineered and built.

Can you respond to some of the issues that folks bring up in regard to the platform tent and topper:

Locks: There seems to be consistent complaints about having to have two locks per panel and issues with dirt and ice making them trickier to deal with. Are you looking at going with a single locking mechanism?

Tent ventilation: There are several complaints of the lack of ventilation in your tent design, esp for colder weather camping when the tent is buttoned up. Have you made modifications over the years to allow passive ventilation (so folks don't cook in the Sumer or create tons of condensation I the winter) with air vents.

Wiring: For those of use interested in solar or interior lighting/charging,can you explain how you handle wiring in the frame.

Sleeping pad: It sounds if if you have made modifications to the pad. How does it compare to earlier versions.

Finally, as you work through final design, I would advocate for slightly bigger rear glass for visibility both when driving and when inside the topper. Not sure if it's possible, but given the GFC design, which is sharp, making the glass less rounded on the edges would also create a sharper design aesthetic that matches the GFC design.

thx much!

Happy to help! I'll work through these one by one.

Locks: right now it's two locks per panel, and is going to be that way for a minute. They're just normal keyed latches. Nobody likes them much, but they're no better or worse than anything else out there. Keeping them lubed and not trying to shove the key into them at odd angles combined with Superman strength will avoid issues. We also sell 3d printed covers for crazy cheap if you're still worried. FWIW, I've used my GFCs for like 7 years now in everything from -44 F in Glacier National Park to months long trips through Baja (where I am now, photo attached), and have never had a single issue with the locks or any other component.

Tent Ventilation: GFC sometimes errs in favor of more experienced users. The tent component is a single wall design like a mountaineering tent (albeit made with much more robust fabric), and like those, has vents you can close fully. If you close the vents fully you have no ventilation. Unfortunately, some newer campers think that closing vents on a non insulated tent will somehow make them warmer. It will not. With the vents open, ventilation is great! I've never had an issue with condensation, but then this isn't my first camping trip. Future product iterations will solve for less experienced users. Don't tell anyone I said that.

Wiring: I've got solar panels, all the LED strips, etc etc in mine. I also charge my Yoshino solid state battery from the alternator, wired back to provide bed power. Lotta wires! I just use zip ties and duct tape to manage mine, because I don't care about looks. Others have added stick on conduit to neatly run hidden wires. Everyone seems to bring power from and to different places in different ways. If you check out the owners forum, you'll see a ton of different solutions and products. Start here:
https://forum.gofastcampers.com/t/what-have-you-done-to-your-gfc-this-week/10822

Sleeping pad: we benchmarked Hest and designed something we think is more comfortable, that's only three inches thick. You can close lightweight bedding inside the sleeping area with the roof closed and it's built into the modular floor panels, so you can easily do all the access/desk/bunk bed stuff. I'm in the middle of a three month trip, and my very fancy wife is totally comfortable.

Glass: thanks for the feedback. Bigger glass also has downsides for privacy in camp and the greenhouse effect in direct sun. Some owners for those full time rear view camera gadgets for better visibility backwards while driving forwards.

 

[Team_GFC]

Will those clever solutions accommodate a low profile roof rack?

Possibly in front of the camper, but certainly not under the cabover.

What would you use one for? The GFC itself is an incredible roof rack.

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