How to Use These Guides
Each gear guide covers the same things in the same order: how to size for an M1 build, what M1 owners are actually running, payload and power-draw numbers you can plug into your spec, and the trade-offs each option asks you to make. The guides assume you've already read the payload guide and know your truck's sticker number. If you haven't, start there.
The categories below match how owners think about gear: power systems first (because they cap everything else), then climate (because comfort is the difference between a fun weekend and a miserable one), then everything you do inside the camper day to day. Open whichever category you're working through next.
Every gear item below has a weight and many have a current draw. Add yours to the M1 Builder payload calculator as you decide. The calculator shows your remaining margin after the truck, the M1, your build, water, and passengers.
Power Systems
The single biggest decision in an M1 build. Battery capacity sets a ceiling on every other thing you can run: fridge, fan, heater glow plug, Starlink, lights, charging. Solar replaces some of what you draw each day, but only if you size and orient it well. Get this right and the rest of the build gets easier.
Batteries
How much capacity you actually need, LiFePO4 vs AGM, weight tradeoffs, and the batteries M1 owners are running. 100Ah vs 200Ah math for typical loads.
See battery picks →Solar Panels
How many watts you really need, roof-mount vs portable, the panels M1 owners run, and how solar choice affects your roof load and payload budget.
See solar setups →Climate Control
The shortest path from "nice idea" to "I camp three seasons a year." Heating extends shoulder season and unlocks winter. Cooling is the difference between summer use and summer storage. Both are battery-aware decisions because both can drain a small house bank fast if you pick wrong.
Heaters
Diesel heaters compared by size, fuel consumption, and noise. Which units fit the M1's interior space, what M1 owners are running, and cold-weather setup tips.
See heater picks →Cooling & A/C
Portable AC options, 12V fans, ventilation strategies, and what M1 owners in hot climates are actually running. Battery cost of each approach.
See cooling options →Daily Camp Life
Once power and climate are settled, the rest of the build comes down to how you actually use the camper. Sleep quality drives whether you come back. Cooking method drives condensation and how you handle weather. Water capacity drives how long you can stay out. Connectivity is increasingly the question of whether the trip happens at all.
Mattresses
Exact M1 sleeping platform dimensions, thickness limits for headroom, and the mattresses M1 owners are sleeping on. 4-inch foam to premium picks.
See mattress picks →Cooking
Propane vs electric in the M1, camp kitchen setups, stove options, and why propane cooking inside the camper causes condensation issues.
See cooking setups →Fridges
12V compressor fridges sized for the M1's cab-over space. Power draw, brand differences, single vs dual-zone, and payload considerations.
See fridge picks →Water Systems
Tank sizing, weight math (water weighs 8.34 lbs/gal), fresh vs grey, pump options, and what M1 owners actually run for week-long trips.
See water builds →Starlink
Starlink Mini for the M1: power draw on your battery bank, mount options, service plan sizing, and when it's overkill versus the right call.
See Starlink setup →After You Spec the Gear
Gear decisions and payload are connected. Every battery, panel, heater, fridge, and water tank has a weight, and the M1's appeal is partly that you keep enough payload for everyday truck use. Once you have a draft build, drop the items into the payload calculator and check your remaining margin. If the math gets tight, the payload guide walks through the full budget from sticker to gear, and the Buy Direct page lists where to source each item without going through marketplace markups.