How I Built My Ultimate Hunting Truck for Chasing Spring Turkeys

As a turkey hunter, there are tools I’ve come to depend on—my shotgun, a good headlamp, the right calls, and my truck. Living in Idaho, my truck is the most valuable tool I have. It gets me from point A to point B and unlocks new areas to target birds. While my factory F-150 got the job done, I quickly realized that the right setup could unlock new access and new potential for my rig.

This past fall, I started making a list of what I needed to maximize the potential of my truck. In the spring, I would be covering thousands of miles and spending a month chasing gobblers on the Road Dog Tour. To get the most out of my truck, I carefully selected the gear needed to build the Ultimate Turkey Hunting truck.

Every piece of gear selected serves a purpose. Whether it’s storage, convenience, or off-roading capabilities, the gear, parts, and accessories that make up my truck build must improve my hunting and traveling experience. With the Road Dog Tour wrapped and a successful turkey season in the books, this build has been thoroughly tested in Wyoming, Oregon, Idaho, and more. I’ve covered thousands of miles on pavement and hundreds of miles on trails. This rig is the ultimate turkey hunting truck.

Storage

The first thing I solved with my truck build was storage. As hunters, we have a lot of gear. This means figuring out ways to maximize the space we have and minimize the clutter. From food storage to gear storage, this is everything I added to my truck.

Super Pacific X1 Camper

The first thing I did to solve my storage issue was to double the storage space in my truck bed. There are many great caps available for hunters looking to add storage, but only a handful also offer a camper. I opted for the Super Pacific X1 Camper. This setup gives you a full truck cap with a pop-up walk-through camper. In doing so, I not only doubled my bed storage but also gained comfortable sleeping quarters for camping in the woods and on the road.

The X1 Camper gives you easy access to all your gear. Three doors, a rear, and two side doors swing open to grab gear anywhere in your truck bed. In addition, vertical panel mounts are available to add more storage along your side doors. This is great for strapping down small gear, keeping it out of the way but ready at a moment’s notice.

The pop-up tent is also beyond comfortable. It comes with a memory foam mattress and has ample room to sleep two guys, or my dog and me. I also opted for the insulation kit and propane heater. With the two combined, I’ve slept in temperatures below freezing with no issues. In fact, it was almost too warm at times. Not a bad problem to have up on the mountain.

Dometic CFX5 55IM Electric Cooler

After adding the camper, food storage was my next priority. Living on the road means being out in the middle of nowhere, and safe food storage is a must. I originally planned on using a hard cooler, but the need to constantly restock it with ice in the backcountry means spoiled food and overall inconvenience. I opted for the Dometic CFX5 55 Electric Cooler. This “cooler” works like a fridge/freezer and is all controlled via a smartphone app. With it, I’m able to control the temperature from 68 degrees to -7 degrees.

Best of all, not having to add ice to the cooler means I gain space for more food. This means a full 55 liters of food and drink storage. More than enough for a week on the road.

Decked System Gen 1

Rounding out my storage is a Decked Drawer System. Now, I’ve had this system in my truck prior to adding the camper, but have never been able to use it to its full potential. My issue with the Decked system as a stand-alone product is that it takes up roughly half the bed space. With the Super Pacific Camper, I’m able to put any gear I need in the bed of the truck while keeping smaller gear organized in the Decked Drawers. I’m currently running the Gen 1 system, but if you’re looking to buy one for yourself, the Gen 2 system comes with more usable storage and a better overall layout.

Accessories

With the bones of my ultimate turkey hunting truck built out, it was time to think about accessories. For me, this meant pieces of gear that aided in my hunting and off-roading experience. Crucial pieces of gear included recovery equipment, cooking equipment, and pieces of gear that improved the overall comfort of my time on the road.

Gunner G1 Kennel

If you’ve followed along on the Road Dog Tour, you know my dog Quinn goes everywhere with me (hence the series name). With that, keeping her safe at all times is a must. In my opinion, there is no better kennel on the market than the Gunner G1 Kennel. This rugged kennel is 5-star crash-tested, and the build quality reflects that. I’ve opted for the intermediate size, which fits Quinn, a medium-sized yellow lab, perfectly. In addition, Gunner makes accessories like its orthopedic dog bed and fan kit to improve overall comfort for your dog.

Kammok Crosswing Awning

After a hunt in the backcountry, relaxing at the truck is a must. I added a Kammok Crosswing Awning to the side of my Super Pacific for added shade. This awning is easy to deploy and has no vertical supports. Meaning, setting up with one person is a breeze. I opted for the 7-foot model to gain added coverage from rain or sun. It’s also worth noting that the design is more than capable of handling windy conditions without fear of it blowing away.

Uncharted Supply Recovery Equipment

Venturing into the backcountry means you run the risk of getting stuck. To combat this, I outfitted my truck with a full lineup of Uncharted Supply Co. recovery gear. The first piece is The Zeuss Air Jump Starter/Inflator. This is a multi-purpose piece of gear that gives me the ability to inflate tires, jump my truck, and charge phones and other gear on the road.

I also opted to add a Uncharted Supply Co. tow strap in case I got my truck stuck. The last crucial piece of gear I added was the First Aid Plus kit. This fully stocked first aid and trauma kit has everything you need for when things go south in the woods. While it’s always important to carry first aid gear, when you’re away from service on a hunting trip, this is an absolute must-have.

Cooking Equipment

Staying well fed on the road requires a basic kitchen setup. To keep weight down and save space, I did most of my cooking with two pieces of gear. The first is a basic Coleman stove. While nothing fancy, this gets the job done and is lightweight and compact enough not to be a burden on the road. The next piece of gear I rely on is a Jet Boil paired with Peak Refuel freeze-dried meals. This combo allows me to prepare quick and nutritionally balanced meals between hunts or in the woods.

Power

When I’m off the grid chasing gobblers, powering my truck is important. With so many accessories, a well-tuned power system was crucial. I broke this down into two main categories: powering the camper and powering everything else. Here’s how I set up my ultimate hunting truck.

Goal Zero Yeti 1500X Portable Power Station

To power the camper, I chose the Goal Zero Yeti 1500X Portable Power Station. This power station runs on a lithium battery and is more of an electric generator than a battery pack. It enables me to power the Super Pacific X1 Camper, the lights, the power plugs, and the heater. In addition, the added plugs that the Goal Zero comes with can be used to charge camera gear, laptops, and other gear I may need.

Dometic PLB40 Battery

I power the rest of my truck accessories with the Dometic PLB40 Battery. This little battery packs 40 Ah of power, impressive considering its size. Accessories like Dometic Cooler and Zeuss Air Jumper kit can be powered and charged with this battery. I also paired it with the Dometic Zamp Solar panel. This portable solar panel allows me to recharge the PLB40 when I’m off the grid and away from a reliable power source.

Turf for Flooring

If you’re running a camper shell on your truck, this is essentially your home away from home. To make things more comfortable and reminiscent of an actual living space, I installed a basic turf mat on top of the Decked System. While not essential, it really ties the “living room” together and adds a nice touch.

Hunting Essentials

My hunting truck was built and ready to hit the road. The next step was packing my hunting essentials for the turkey woods. These are the pieces of gear I won’t leave home without.

Weatherby Sorix

First and foremost, every turkey hunter needs a gun they can rely on. My gun of choice for spring turkey and waterfowl in the fall is the Weatherby Sorix. It’s the newest flagship autoloader from Weatherby and operates off an inertia system. I opted for the 20-gauge model. It’s lighter in the woods and has plenty of knockdown power with modern shells. The rugged reliability, premium feel, and consistent patterns are fit for any turkey hunter who demands the most from their guns. Check out Road Dog Tour Episode 3 to see where and how these guns are made.

Maven B.3 8×30 Binoculars

Living on the road and searching for new birds means constant scouting. I’m always looking for new areas and fresh birds, and doing so requires premium glass. I’ve been running Maven optics for years and love them. For turkeys, I prefer the B.3 8×30 binoculars. These binos are smaller than what I’d use for waterfowl scouting, but are perfect in the turkey woods. They have plenty of power to identify birds and pick out the one you want to shoot, all while being light enough to carry all day comfortably.

Migra TSS Turkey Load

Modern shells deliver the hard-hitting power and consistent patterns that turkey hunters demand. This season, I hunted with Migra’s TSS Turkey Load in 20-gauge. These are stacked loads, meaning Migra precisely stacks shot sizes to increase pattern consistency. I hunted with the 7/9 shot blend. This load had ample knockdown power as well as the range needed to kill wary birds hanging up. This is a TSS load or Tungsten Super Shot—translation, this shell hits hard.

Dave Smith Decoys Breeding Pair

The last piece of essential hunting gear I pack in my Road Dog Rig is the Dave Smith Decoys Breeding Pair. Known for their realistic poses and exceptional detail, every decoy is meticulously crafted in Oregon. The Breeding Pair features a breeding hen and a jake. Compared to other DSD decoys, these are moderately sized and easy to pack in the truck and on a hunt. If size is still an issue, you can bring just the breeding hen and still hunt with confidence knowing it will pull even the warriest gobblers.

Final Thoughts

I built my truck to fit my style of hunting and traveling. Every piece of gear I carefully curated to get the most out of my time on the road, my main concerns being comfort and utility. With that said, every hunter has their own needs. You don’t need to build your truck the way I built mine. Think about the style of hunting you do most and go from there. You don’t need to spend an arm and a leg, either, to build your ultimate hunting truck. If you want a chance to win some of this gear, enter the Road Dog Tour Giveaway.

The Ultimate Turkey Hunting Gear Guide

Road Dog Tour: Spring Turkey Episode 3 Now LIVE!