For years, a Lexus GX470 and a Gen 3-R rooftop tent took Chase Gardner to the most remote corners of the American West. Then remote work stretched his trips from weekends into months, and the tent hit its ceiling. Four weeks into the shakedown trip of his Ram 3500 ModCAP build, we asked him what changed.
“I am literally writing this while laying in the top of the camper next to a running river on our fourth week on the road,” Chase told us when we reached out to him “and I could not be loving this camper more.”
That’s about as honest a product review as you’ll ever get. And it carries some weight coming from Chase, because he’s lived on both sides of this particular upgrade. For years he ran a Gen 3-R rooftop tent on his Lexus GX470. Now, after spending nine months building his dream fullsize truck, Chase has a ModCAP Camper on the back of a Ram 3500.
A cinematographer, photographer, and FPV pilot based in Tucson, Arizona, Chase is the co-founder of Two Track Nation. “If my friends had to describe me in one sentence,” he says, “it would probably be something along the lines of ‘a DIY jack of all trades that has an insane passion for travel and making inspirational adventure content.’”
The Rooftop Tent Years
Chase’s route into overlanding was an accident. He discovered the trail coming from the drift-car world. “I have an S13 I’ve built and re-built over the years.” Chase bought a 2WD 4Runner to tow the drift car and a mild lift and a set of 32s later, “I was hooked. I basically quit drifting overnight.”
The 4Runner became a 2009 GX470, a first real camera arrived around the same time, and the build began. With the Gen 3-R rooftop tent at the centre of it. “It was completely accidental, but I’ve never been happier travelling and living for adventure.”
His setup served him well. “The way the rear tailgate swings open to the side allowed me to create a really perfect cooking area — and with the Shadow Awning open, it’s a perfectly protected corner.”
That rig took him properly far, including a route along the southern Arizona border, roughly 130 miles of desert with no towns, no water, no cell service, and no shade.
“It’s so remote that there are signs along the way warning people trying to cross the border that they will literally die if they continue north any further. It’s unbelievably beautiful out there, but if anything goes wrong you can be in a bit of a situation.”
The Moment the Tent Hit Its Ceiling
So what pushes a happy rooftop tent owner toward a walk-in camper? For Chase, it was Starlink.
He had just gone remote with his day job and took a trip through Colorado and Southern Utah to test working from the road. “It was an absolute life-changing moment where I suddenly realized I could extend my trips and go farther, simply by being able to stay connected.”
Suddenly trips weren’t measured in weekends anymore. That same trip exposed the limit. In Southern Utah, the weather turned windy and stayed that way.
“Sitting in the passenger seat for days on end was just really not for me. I came to the realization I needed a space I could walk into comfortably to be able to extend my travels.”
Once his partner Annelise joined the picture the space question answered itself. Two people, two remote jobs, camera gear, and no end date meant skipping the mid-size trucks entirely. A Ram 3500 Laramie, with a ModCAP Camper.
“This allows us to carry camera gear, clothes for long periods of time, enough water storage to take showers, lithium battery for cooking and charging gear, and enough room where one can work in a spacious cab and the other a cozy camper if we need to hold simultaneous meetings.”
Building Around the ModCAP
Chase did 99% of the nine-month build alone.
“The philosophy for this build was literally this: GX470, but supersized. I want all the capability that I built into the GX, but with more room.”
Sticking with Alu-Cab for the new platform wasn’t a question. “I learned a lot from building the GX and carried over of course the Alu-Cab camping system, just at the ModCAP Camper level. I truly love everything about these products and have dented them in multiple places and they just kept working.”
The ModCAP became the anchor for everything else. 150-amp charging and provision for around 900 watts of solar, 32 gallons of water running through a 4-stage filtration system with a UV filter on the drinking tap and an onboard shower. “That allows us plenty of drinking water while still being able to take a couple quick military-style showers each. Filling up from random hoses is now no longer a concern of ours.”
And because Chase filmed and edited the entire nine-month process himself, you can watch the ModCAP install happen.
His advice for anyone weighing DIY against a fitment centre? “There’s nothing wrong with having a reputable shop build or install parts for you and it definitely saves you a lot of time. I would just highly recommend you take the time to understand how the suspension, electrical system, or anything else that you do to your vehicle actually works, so you know where to look when you start hearing odd noises on the trail.”
Life With the ModCAP
Four weeks of full-time living in it, what’s actually different between a rooftop tent and a ModCAP Camper?
“It has truly been life changing going from a rooftop tent to the ModCAP Camper. It’s made all of the little things that much easier, and when you’re on the road for a long time, it really adds up. Changing when getting ready for bed or in the morning, ESCAPING MOSQUITOS, hiding away from the sun… The best part is we have a literal lounge and work table inside the camper that is so, so comfortable to use. It’s made my dream of making long-term travel more accessible a reality.”
Camp setup got faster too. “The biggest change for me is no longer needing to carry a ladder. When you’re pulling in at night, it’s extremely nice to be able to just walk behind the truck, pop the top, and you’re essentially done. And we can’t forget that the bed is way bigger as well.”
The ModCAP Rear Door Kitchen has become the heart of the whole operation. “This is one of our favorite parts of the whole camper, as pretty much everything we need for most meals is stored right inside. A typical dinner consists of dropping the table, plugging the cook tops in, and in a few minutes dinner is done. The best part? The silverware roll is hanging from the table and plates are ready to rock strapped right behind it.” Morning coffee is even simpler: “Just drop down the table and boil some water, done. The organization and completeness is incredible.” And if the weather turns, “it’s all still accessible from inside the camper if you had to cook inside one night.”
The ModCAP Life
The surprise feature — the one he knew he’d like but didn’t realize how much — is the ModCAP’s gullwing doors.
“Being able to pop both gullwings and get a breeze through the entire tent is absolutely incredible. Especially when it’s raining and we have the Shadow Awning out, we can pop one side in combination with the rear door and really get some air movement. As well as being able to chat with someone easily outside the camper.”
The interior molle panels hold Pelican bags full of cables and a mini movie projector, spices live on the kitchen panels inside and out, and the water tank panel doubles as a tie-down point for the lounge cushions. And yes, there’s a Can Crusher. “I actually had a perfect can crush the other day and nobody was around to see it. We’ve mostly been crushing some beers and High Noons, and Celsius on the big travel days. It’s been a hit with everyone. I mean, who else has a can crusher?”
For all the comfort, what’s earned his respect is how much the ModCAP packs into its footprint.
“It’s big enough that we were able to create a spacious seating area while still housing tons of water and electronics. We could probably fit five people in there if we wanted while still being appropriately sized on the outside. It doesn’t stick out past the body of the vehicle too much. This is going to come in handy once we start putting her in the rocks, or on the Rubicon eventually.”
Should You Make the Same Upgrade?
Chase was a Gen 3-R owner first, so we asked him what he’d tell someone lying in their rooftop tent wondering whether the ModCAP is the next step.
“The biggest thing to think about is how you intend to use it. If you really prioritize wanting a space you can walk into, then absolutely consider a ModCAP. If you’re happy with your rooftop tent and want to be able to put the tent on and off really quick for trips, then maybe staying with or getting a Gen 3-R is the way to go.”
In other words: the tent isn’t wrong, and the camper isn’t automatically right. It comes down to how long you stay out. For Chase, whose trips went from weekends to month-plus stints the answer chose itself.
What’s Next
The build isn’t finished. Front and rear lockers, a regear, sliders, and possibly a rear tray are on the list. This is all in preparation for the Pan-American Highway, which Chase and Annelise plan to run for a couple of years, living out of the ModCAP the entire way. But first, a Baja trip is on the calendar.
Right now, Chase is exactly where he wants to be. On top of the camper, next to a running river, week four of a trip with no real end date and with Annelise by his side.