I had a 2016 F-150 Lariat and Leitner Designs rack and Decked drawer setup that I really liked. I kept both when I sold the truck. I was planning on selling them, but never got around to it. Good thing, as I really missed a truck and took the plunge when the 5.0 was available on the 2023 Tremor. I re-installed both systems on the Tremor and am very happy that I kept them. I can't recommend those two companies enough. Both have top-notch products and support. The Leitner rack welds are a work of art. Make sure to compare specs on other racks. The Leitner classic that I have is 250 lbs off-road, 500 lbs on-road and 1,000 lbs static. The newer forged rack is even a level up from that. The Leitner crossbar in the back is movable, so you can slide it to the front and load up a motorcycle if you want. Other racks usually don't have that capability. I have the gearpods on the driver side - one empty for flexible storage and one with a custom ARB twin compressor mount that I did. I have the Leitner Maxtrax mounts on the passenger side, a universal mount with a custom fire extinguisher mount that I did (Kidde), a Rotopax mount, etc. I'm not a big fan of Rotopax - vertical mounting is ok - avoid anything horizontal. I will probably go with an Ark jerry can mount and mount it to the Decked platform. I also just recently got a couple of Rhino Rack Stow It mounts that I use for a shovel. I have those on the Jeep and they work really well for that and also have an alternate slot for a fishing rod.
Both Leitner and Decked are made in the U.S. I have communicated directly with Bernhard Leitner on a couple of occasions when I first got the rack and he was very helpful and responsive. The packaging, instructions and build quality on both Leitner and Decked are outstanding. The Leitner rack looks brand-new after a number of years of use. The Decked drawer center section had a couple of screw holes that didn't do so well after I re-installed it. I contacted them and they sent me a new one, free of charge, years outside of any typical warranty - without even asking. I was willing to pay and they sent the replacement free shipping for no charge for the center section. Their new Decked drawer system, like the new forged Leitner rack, is even more capable than the original ones that I have, but I am in no hurry to change out. Anyhow, great support from both companies any time I have needed it.
For a ground tent, I recommend the Gazelle T3X. Those Shiftpods are cool, but pricey. Brad (Trailrecon) recently made the switch from Shitpod to Gazelle. I have a Boreas XT camper for the main sleeping solution, but the T3X is available if there are others coming along.
I have an ARB Elements fridge in the Jeep - overkill, I know. I was planning on mounting it on a slider on top of the Decked platform in the truck, but figured it would be a theft magnet. It's been going strong for years and I really like it, but went with a Dometic CFX3 45 in the Tremor. It fits behind the passenger front seat and allows me to still fold the driver's side rear seat down or take the fridge out and put in the bed if I needed to, worst-case. I have a Goal Zero Yeti 1500 that powers the fridge in the Tremor - both just strapped down for now.
My overlanding setup is more suited for travel out West, but works in N GA and as an everyday vehicle for now. I still take trash and recycling up the road to the local center in the bed of the Tremor, along with the dog in the back when I need to, so it's no stranger to getting dirty. I could talk for days about gear, off-roading and overlanding, so I'll wrap up for now. I need to get some pics up.
it never stops……
