My Tune M1 Setup
I think of the Tune M1 as a big backpack for my 2022 Toyota Tacoma. Whether I am living in it for four months, making a Home Depot run, or heading to the mountains for the day, I want it to be easy to fill, empty, and rearrange.
This is the setup that has worked for me so far. It will keep changing as I find new ideas and figure out what I actually use.
Wooden Shelf
The wooden shelf holds the battery and kitchen gear, with the fridge tucked underneath. It gives the main pieces of the setup a place to live while keeping them within reach.
Power
Battery
I went with the EcoFlow DELTA Pro. It is big, heavy, and has more capacity than I usually need. I chose it because I like the app and the convenience of keeping the battery and charging accessories in one system.
It is a trade-off: I carry extra weight, but I can change how I charge and use the battery as my trips change.
Alternator Charging
The EcoFlow 800W Alternator Charger lets me recharge while driving. For my usual routine, the drive to town and back can replace much of what I used the night before.
That is a top-up, not a full recharge from empty. The DELTA Pro has a 3,600 Wh battery, so even at a steady 800 W, a full recharge would take at least 4.5 hours before charging losses and any power used along the way. Check the required DELTA Pro connection accessories when putting this system together.
Solar Charging
I went with portable folding panels, or what I call "throw-out panels." I went back and forth on this one.
A permanent roof panel would charge without any setup, even while I am in the library for the day. But driving already covers much of my daily charging, and I did not want another thing to clear snow off in winter.
Portable panels let me park the truck in the shade and put the panels in the sun. The trade-off is taking them out, keeping an eye on them, and packing them away. I do not love setting up camp, so I wondered how often I would actually use them.
So far, they make the most sense when I stay in one place for a few days and use the truck as a base for bike rides. That has become one of my favorite ways to camp.
Shore Charging
I ran a long shore-power cable to the rear of the truck so it is easy to plug in when an outlet is available. The EcoFlow can charge quickly from AC power, and having the connection within reach makes me much more likely to use it.
Charging at EV Stations
I bought the EcoFlow EV X-Stream Adapter, mainly to make a video about it. It lets the DELTA Pro charge from compatible Level 2 AC stations with a J1772 connector.
I have not found enough of those stations on my Alaska routes to make this my main charging method. It is another option to have, but whether it could replace solar or alternator charging depends on the compatible stations available along your route.
Heat
I have the Truma heater from Tune and love it. I cover the day-to-day quirks in Surviving Winter in the Tune M1, and the temperature results in Tune M1 Cold Weather Performance.
Kitchen
My kitchen centers on a fridge, microwave, and electric kettle. The goal is simple meals and hot drinks without much setup.
Fridge
I use the Dometic CFX3 25L. I left it plugged in for four months straight, and it just did its thing. The size works well for my camper, and I still use it when I am home. Not dealing with melting ice is a huge improvement.
Microwave
I chose the IKEA TILLREDA microwave because it was inexpensive and had simple controls without a digital screen. If you build a similar setup, size the battery inverter for the microwave’s electrical input and startup demand, not just its advertised cooking wattage.
Kettle
I started with an expensive kettle from home and later replaced it with a much cheaper Toastmaster electric kettle. It works, and easy coffee and tea are what I want most when it is cold.
Boiling water adds a lot of moisture to the camper, so I run the fan. The kettle also draws plenty of power for a short time, which is another reason the battery’s AC output matters.
Dishes and Kitchen Tools
A dish rack keeps plates and cups beside the microwave, and the OXO Outdoor Camp Kitchen Tool Roll hangs on the wall. Keeping everything visible saves me from digging through a bin every time I make something.
Water Storage
I am on team small jugs. Large containers make sense when you have an easy place to refill them, but smaller bottles fit under more faucets and are easier to carry inside. I can refill them at a gym or ask at a restaurant while I am in town.
My usual setup is:
- Two 32-ounce Nalgenes.
- One 48-ounce Nalgene.
- One 2.5-gallon jug.
Trash
I have not perfected the trash setup, but a small lined bin works for me. Like the water bottles, it is easy to handle, and I empty it regularly in places that allow household trash disposal.
Clothes
Clean Clothes
I use an REI Big Haul 120L duffel, hung from a carabiner with the zipper facing up. It acts as a soft-sided closet that I can take out in one piece.
Dirty Clothes
Dirty clothes go in a separate duffel of roughly the same size. The brand matters less than having enough room for the laundry. That bag lives in the back seat of the truck.
Clothes to Wear Again
Clothes that are not clean but are not ready for the wash go behind the clean-clothes bag. The bag holds them against the camper wall.
Drying Wet Clothes
I hang wet clothes from the carabiner that holds the clean-clothes bag, where they catch the warm airflow. The glove hanger is one of my favorite little additions.
When the weather is nice, I use the hooks mounted on the outside of the camper instead.
Laundering Clothes
The two-bag system makes laundry easy:
- Carry the dirty-clothes bag into the laundromat, load the washers, and return the empty bag to the truck.
- Wash and dry everything.
- Bring in the clean-clothes bag, fold the dry laundry into it, and hang it back in the camper.
Tell me there is a better way!
Bedroom
I use regular sheets that I already had. No special camper bedding required for my setup.
Pillow Storage
I kept dropping pillows onto the camper floor or the ground outside, so I added a cargo net beneath the bed extension. It gives the pillows a home while the bed is packed away. Simple, but I love it.
Bathroom
The Tune does not have a bathroom, so my routine depends on where I am staying. In town, I use available bathrooms and showers and usually brush my teeth in the camper. Away from facilities, I carry toilet paper and a trowel and follow the waste-disposal rules for the area.
The REI Shower Roll - Small hooks onto the camper’s rear lever and stays there with the roof up or down. I can unhook it and take it into a shower, so it doubles as a portable medicine cabinet. I use the same bag when traveling with a backpack.
I also keep a designated pee bottle for overnight stops where stepping outside is not an option.
Entertainment
Storage
I use the same hanging-bag idea for my electronics, this time with a Patagonia 30L backpack. I can grab everything at once to charge it indoors, keep it out of the heat, or take it with me.
The side-access pocket is not my favorite for hiking, but it works well when the bag is hanging in the camper. That is why it has stayed.
Starlink
The Starlink Mini is one of my favorite additions, and I would want it on a future camper too. It makes getting online from camp much easier, though it still needs a clear view of the sky and service where I am traveling. I also use it as a backup for my home internet.
I cover the roof mount and installation in Tune M1 Starlink Install.
Outside
I wanted to keep the outside of the camper as simple as possible while still carrying skis, bikes, and fishing gear. That turned out to take some experimenting.
Skis
I wanted room for two pairs of skis without bringing melting snow into the camper. They do not fit straight in the truck bed, and storing them inside means stepping over them and adding moisture to the living space.
I went with the Thule SnowPack M. In my mounting arrangement, binding clearance limits me to two pairs. That is a limitation of my setup, not a claim about the rack’s advertised capacity.
Fishing Rods
The same roof clamps also do duty as rod holders. Reusing one set of mounts helps keep the roof setup simple.
Dipnet
The dipnet uses the same clamps too. It rides across the roof, out of the living space.
At this point, what can these clamps not hold?
Bikes
Well, a bike. That needed a different solution. I had four requirements:
- Carry two bikes.
- Open the camper without unloading them.
- Have a way to store a bike inside when I want extra security.
- Be able to lock the setup.
For the outside rack, I chose the RockyMounts Backstage. The swing arm gives me access to the camper with both bikes still loaded.
My main complaint is fork rubbing on long drives. I noticed it on the drive from San Francisco to Anchorage and had to improvise a fix on the road. A sock on the wheel holder helped in my case, but it is something I keep an eye on.
If I were buying again, I would look more closely at the AfterParty because of how it holds the bikes. I have not used that rack, so I cannot say whether it would solve the issue for me.
For the option of storing a bike inside, I mounted a simple bike fork-mount block from Amazon on the wooden holder in the camper. That covers the third requirement without adding another large rack.
Truck Backseat
I wanted to keep seating for four people, so removing the back seat was not an option. Some gear lives there while I travel, but I can rearrange it when I need the seats. That compromise works because carrying extra passengers is occasional, while keeping the truck useful every day matters to me.
Decor
I have one plant. It is fake. I bought it at Home Depot.
That is all. For now...
Gear at a Glance
Here are the main pieces in this setup, including the smaller organizers that are easy to miss in the photos:
- Power: EcoFlow DELTA Pro and 800W Alternator Charger.
- Kitchen: Dometic CFX3 25L, IKEA TILLREDA microwave, and Toastmaster electric kettle.
- Kitchen storage: Dish rack, OXO tool roll, and paper towel holder.
- Water: Two 32-ounce Nalgenes, one 48-ounce Nalgene, and a 2.5-gallon jug.
- Clothes: REI Big Haul 120L and a separate laundry duffel.
- Toiletries: REI Shower Roll - Small, toilet paper holder, and trowel.
- Pillows: Cargo net under the bed extension.
- Roof storage: Thule SnowPack M.
- Bikes: RockyMounts Backstage and an interior fork-mount block.
- Internet: Starlink Mini.
Related Articles
Surviving Winter in the Tune M1
A complete guide to surviving winter van life in the Tune M1 truck camper — 103 nights, 10,357 miles, and 56 ski days across 11 states and 3 countries. Real-world tips on heating with the Truma VarioHeat, managing power with the EcoFlow Delta Pro, insulation, propane, parking, and living on the road all winter.
