Phoenix L2 Flatbed Pop-Up Camper Packs 460 AH of Lithium and More

If you attended the recent Truck Camper Adventure Quartzsite Rally you probably toured David and Jenney Kiel’s Phoenix flatbed camper during the truck camper open house. You probably also attended Jenney’s superb truck camper cooking class. David and Jenny are long-time contributors to Truck Camper Adventure and are avid enthusiasts of the hobby. They are also long-time devotees of Phoenix Campers. Thus far, they’ve owned two Phoenix campers with their latest beauty unveiled at the 2025 Quartzsite rally. Their customized Phoenix L2 flatbed pop-up has it all from an expanded layout, loads of lithium, an indoor shower, a composting toilet, and lots of other amenities not found in most pop-up campers. To learn more about their amazing build, David took some time to answer some questions.

Thanks, David, for talking with us. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your wife, Jenney?

David Kiel: Jenney and I have been avid truck camper enthusiasts since mid-2012. Before that, we were enthusiastic backpackers and campers, but we typically camped in tents or travel trailers. After transitioning from the Navy to a Navy civilian job, we took a month-long trip to Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in our 22-foot travel trailer. It was meant to be our long-term retirement toy. However, once we arrived, we quickly discovered the significant limitations of travel trailers for remote, western exploration. We noticed these cute little pop-up truck campers everywhere. We soon realized that was what we truly needed—a camper that is lightweight, easy to drive, able to go anywhere, and stable compared to hard-sided truck campers, and convenient to park in front of our row house in the heart of Washington DC.

So, we conducted our research and chose a Phoenix pop-up. We cherished and used that truck camper for nearly 13 years, camping every month of the year and making annual multi-week trips along the East Coast and the Western Rocky Mountains. We made significant upgrades and converted it to a flatbed when we purchased a new pickup. This greatly enhanced our storage capacity to bring more equipment. However, it retained the basic sub-optimal interior layout of slide-in truck campers. When we retired in 2024, we began the design process to incorporate everything we wanted in a go-anywhere truck camper.

Can you tell us about your truck camper and why you chose that particular make and model?

David Kiel: Our first experience with Phoenix Campers was great. Phoenix is the only pop-up truck camper builder that will create nearly anything you desire. Our new camper is a heavily-customized Phoenix L2 flatbed model. Our new design was quite different from the less-than-ideal standard slide-in camper designs and, to some extent, flatbed interior layouts, too. Hence, Phoenix was the only company we considered for our new truck camper. Since we purchased our first Phoenix truck camper, Phoenix has significantly improved by constructing its camper shells without wood and ensuring better sealing, resulting in very low maintenance. We are on our three-month maiden trip in the heart of winter, loving every minute of it and never felt uncomfortable.

What is unique about your Phoenix L2 flatbed camper?

David Kiel: A lot, especially with the internal layout of the main cabin area. After nearly 13 years in our previous Phoenix, we knew we wanted more internal floor space to move around the main cabin without squeezing past each other. We also wanted a way for both of us to lounge on a couch and provide a place for two grandkids to sleep. Additionally, we wanted a wet bath that didn’t require being a contortionist to take a shower. Finally, we wanted a long kitchen counter and plenty of pantry space. We started planning for the new camper about a year before we placed our order. Our mantra was “a place for everything and everything in its place.” We can get up and go without moving boxes from the place where they “live” to the place where they “ride.

We met these requirements with Jenney’s unique L-shaped bench seat concept, a shower in the doorway, and counters that are only 19 inches deep. Our architect-daughter-in-law refined the concept to make sure all the dimensions worked. Rob and Cari at Phoenix executed the design with a few fine-point changes to the L2 flatbed model to make the design fit together perfectly. We also had the queen bed extend 6 inches into the main cabin area so we could have a large pantry set of two shelves, 5 feet long and 6 inches deep. They are made strong enough so we can use them as a ladder when we are older, and it is hard to climb into bed.

Even though we are both short, we like a lot of headroom in the cab-over-bed area. After years of sea duty in the Navy, I never want to sleep with a navy-style bunk rack a foot directly above my face. So, we have a 30-inch soft-side instead of the usual 24-inch in many pop-ups. We had this 30-inch rise on our old Phoenix, which turned out to be a good selling point. People enjoy the open feeling the extra height provides.

To make the drainage work for the shower in the door, we extended the back of the camper 8 inches so the shower could drain outside. This makes the camper stretch about an inch beyond our rear bumper and barely moves the center of gravity since all our heavy stuff is up front. This more than made up for the loss of 6 inches in the main cabin to make the five-foot wide pantry on the front bulkhead and the 7-foot, 3-inch long kitchen counter.

Your Phoenix L2 flatbed design is very clever. What are your favorite features?

David Kiel: We have so many, but the layout is our favorite feature. It provides a roomy feel, and there is loads of internal and external storage. We can be up and about or lounge on the L-shaped couch. We also love the large 75L Dometic DC refrigerator that can store fresh food for well over a week and allows for a few luxuries, like ice cream. We also like the Fogatti on-demand hot water heater that has a safety feature that prevents the water in the heat exchanger from freezing during the winter if the heater is on and not winterized. The IRVWPC2 water pump controller that makes the water pump nearly inaudible is also a favorite as is the super-quiet Suburban furnace. Since we camp in winter, the extra insulation on the walls that includes an additional layer of AZDEL and soft closed-cell foam insulation on the soft is great for our winter camping adventures. Probably our favorite feature, however, is the Epoch 460 amp hour battery with a built-in battery heater that is less than half the cost and size of five 100 amp hour Battle Born batteries.

Have you made any modifications to the flatbed camper that are worthy of note?

David Kiel: Since the camper is brand new and the design is based on our 13 years of truck camping, it is very close to what we want—at least for now. There are a few very minor things we will modify shortly. The first is a remote switch for the 2, 000 watt Victron inverter. The second is redesigning the table. Phoenix made exactly what we asked for on the table. But two weeks before we were to pick up the camper, we saw an interesting concept of a swing-out table that would be more flexible to use. Third, we need to add a few shelves to some of the cabinets to utilize the space more effectively.

Can you tell us about your camper’s electrical system?

David Kiel: We wanted to keep it simple. We think the complex and expensive electronic “whole system controllers” are overkill for controlling your power needs. Most batteries come with a good BMS with all the protections for LFP batteries, built-in battery heaters, and shunts/state-of-charge monitors. It is simple to know the state of charge, cell balance, etc. We use a combined 50 amp solar controller and DC-DC charging from the alternator. WFCO Converters do nearly everything else, shore power battery charging, AC-DC conversion, and AC distribution, and they are affordable and straightforward. Finally, we have a 2,000 watt Victron inverter and a simple automatic switch to control shore power or inverter AC distribution.

We use the Redarc BCDC1250D, a combined solar charge controller and DC-DC charger. Although it is expensive, it is still cheaper than purchasing separate comparable solar controllers and DC-DC chargers. We had the 25 Amp Redarc version on our old camper, and we never had any problems with it in the over seven years we owned it. The Redarc system is designed to work with both the solar panel and the alternator, maximizing solar use and minimizing alternator draw to save fuel. So far, on our maiden trip, we seem to recharge an overnight load in about one to two hours of driving or four to six hours of solar charging.

Do you have any plans for future upgrades or modifications?

David Kiel: Give us time, and we’re confident we will discover a new “need.” Our new design incorporates everything we have learned over the past 13 years. Our aim will always be to travel anywhere that a truck without a camper can go, but with a truck camper to ensure our camping comfort. The idea is to explore and play, not to bring our home along with us.

Can you tell us about more about your truck?

David Kiel: In 2017, we bought a SRW Ford F-350 XLT 4X4 with the off-road package, heavy-duty alternator, rear axle locker, and front anti-sway bar. Our only modification was installing an expensive Norweld Flatbed tray to convert our old truck camper from a slide-in to a flatbed and support our plans for the true flatbed camper that Phoenix just built for us.

Have you made any modifications to your truck to carry your camper or improve its ride?

David Kiel: Not yet, but we continue to think about it. We have no issues with the ride on all roads except for washboard and badly rutted roads. Even airing down the tires on long stretches of road doesn’t significantly help with the high-frequency vibrations we experience from washboard roads. We are thinking about simple things like elastomer springs from Super Springs or Timbren and Torklift Stableloads. Any suggestions from the readers would be greatly appreciated.

What kind of mileage are you getting?

David Kiel: On our old camper, with a dry weight of 1,500 pounds, we averaged about 11.5 mpgs in our Ford F-350 over 90,000 miles of truck camping trips. With the new Phoenix camper, which has a dry weight of 1,900 pouns, we are only getting about 10.6 mpgs over the 3,000 miles on our maiden trip. So far, it has all been winter driving on mountain roads and many hours on rough dirt roads. All the estimates are from the automatic MPG estimator built into the truck.

What tires do you have on your truck, and what inflation values do you typically run when driving on and off-road?

David Kiel: Our last three sets of tires have been Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLTs. When we went to buy our current set last fall, no dealer could find them because they had been upgraded to the Cooper Discover Stronghold AT. Supposedly, this upgrade improved their handling of snow. So far, I like them, but I can’t tell any difference. The tires are E-Series, and I follow your guidance several years ago for inflation values on different types of off-road driving. On pavement, I follow Ford’s recommendations of 60 psi front and 80 psi rear.

Where have you taken your rig thus far?

David Kiel: We are on our maiden voyage with our new camper. This three-month journey includes visits with family and friends, the 2025 Truck Camper Adventure Quartzsite Rally, and many other stops.

After picking up our new camper in Denver in mid-January, we visited Mueller State Park in Colorado at 9,000 feet with single-digit temperatures; Great Sand Dunes National Park; Wild Rivers National Recreation Area near Taos, NM; snow-covered forest roads in Cibola National Forest; Canyon de Chelly; and spent three days exploring Monument Valley, the Valley of the Gods, Gooseneck State Park, and Muley Point.

We also visited the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, explored the Sedona area in Arizona, attended the Quartzite Truck Camper Rally, and traveled to Joshua Tree National Park, Trona Pinnacles, and Death Valley. Following this, the remainder of the trip will involve camping along the east side of the Sierra Nevada and heading back across the country, likely through southern Utah and I-70. Apart from three stops with specific dates, our truck camper has allowed us to be flexible with our plans for what to do next.

What are your plans for the future?

David Kiel: Loads of places. Being retired, we are on the road about 40 percent of the time. High on our bucket list are Alaska and the Canadian Rockies; the Northern US Rockies; the far Northeast, including New England and Nova Scotia; and the Pacific Northwest, including the coast and the remote and rugged Owyhee Canyonlands. Since our last three trips have been out west, the next few trips will stay nearer to home in the East.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about your rig?

David Kiel: We believe in KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) principle. We don’t want to be full-timers, but we enjoy long trips to hard-to-reach, beautiful places. Even with a 9-foot-high pop-up, we’ve scraped low tree branches. We have visited primitive campgrounds in great locations that are so small that there’s no way to open a slide-out truck camper. We aren’t sure how the heavy, hard-side truck campers on F-450s and F-550s can match the utility of a small, nimble pop-up that can go anywhere. As long as we can stay warm and dry, have a bathroom, and the ability to cook warm, fresh food, we are happy campers.

Your photography is amazing. Do you do any professional work related to the profession?

David Kiel: Not really. I never want to engage in the challenging “promotion” work required to sell any of my pictures. However, I am willing to volunteer to promote the preservation of America’s stunningly beautiful public lands, which are increasingly under threat. This holds true even though the National Parks alone generate nearly $100 billion annually for the parks and their surrounding communities.

I am willing to donate any of my high-resolution Fine Art Nature Photographs to the National Parks, National Forests, Bureau of Land Management, State Parks, or their supporting Non-profit 501c support organizations to help them protect and preserve America the Beautiful. I have already worked as a volunteer photographer for Shenandoah National Park. I hope to be selected as one of their “Artist in Residence” this summer. So maybe I should bite the bullet and create a website!

We think you should. Do you have any social media channels where our readers can follow you?

David Kiel: Not really. We use Facebook for family and friends. I am a serious amateur nature photographer with a Flickr account where I post my best landscape pictures.