Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get in touch?

Easy! Hit us up at hello@gxbasecamp.com.

Please bear in mind when you order...

GX Basecamp is a one-man (plus occasional help from the wife and pup) shop. We run GX Basecamp as a side business to our regular day jobs. 

We understand the importance of communicative and responsive customer service. We are doing our best to ensure that the site is kept up-to-date with accurate information about product stock levels, restock timing, and delivery timing. However, because this is a side-gig, it does occasionally take a back seat when our day-jobs become demanding including unexpected travel and the like. 

If you have any questions about an order, please reach out at hello@gxbasecamp.com. We will respond as quickly and accurately as possible and do everything in our power to ensure you're a happy, well-informed customer. 

Thanks for your support!

What’s your return/refund policy?

All digital downloads are final sale. This applies to all of our build manuals and any product that is delivered via email upon purchase.

Physical goods and parts may be cancelled prior to shipment or returned in saleable condition with all included hardware upon receipt. Return shipping is the responsibility of the buyer.

All refunds will incur a 4% processing fee to offset the unrecoverable credit card processing fees which we pay for every transaction. This restocking fee applies regardless of whether your product has shipped from us already or not. Original shipping fees will not be refunded.

Does the manual include information on where to purchase parts?

Yes, we can’t make it any easier! Our detailed build manuals offer:

  • One-click purchase links to a pre-filled T-Nutz shopping cart for the entire parts kit. Click the link in the manual and it will direct you to a ready-to-checkout cart with all of the extrusion parts you need.
  • Information on where to buy all of the other necessary parts, including links to our preferred suppliers.
  • Step-by-step instructions for the entire build process (including detailed photographs).
  • A list of the necessary tools to complete your build.
  • Tips and tricks, recommendations for storage bins, and more.

Let’s talk build costs…

This is one of the questions we encounter most often (perhaps not surprisingly). We’ve done everything we can to keep costs reasonable compared to other options on the market. Prices vary a bit depending on the vehicle you’re building for and the cost of materials at the time of your build (for example, plywood prices have skyrocketed lately!).

That said, prices shake out roughly as follows (not including shipping costs or any tools you may need):

  • Lexus GX470: Platform $300; Drawers $400
  • Lexus GX460: Platform $250-300 (depending on options); Drawers $400
  • 200 Series Toyota Land Cruiser / Lexus LX570: Platform $300
  • 100 Series Toyota Land Cruiser / Lexus LX470: Platform $325
  • 80 Series Toyota Land Cruiser / Lexus LX450: Platform $325
  • Toyota FJ Cruiser: Platform $280 with sleep extension; $225 without
  • 5th Gen. Toyota 4Runner (w/o 3rd row seats): Platform $325 with sleep extension; $240 without
  • 5th Gen. Toyota 4Runner (with 3rd row seats): Platform $310 with sleep extension; $245 without
  • 4th Gen. Toyota 4Runner: Platform $310 with sleep extension; $240 without
  • 1st Gen. Toyota Sequoia: Platform $375

In some instances, you can cut back on the costs by trimming features, cutting your own plywood, etc. Prices are approximate; materials costs fluctuate regularly.

What tools do I need to build a platform?

Our platforms can be built with basic tools:

  • 4mm or 5/32” Hex Wrench
  • 4mm or 5/32” Hex Head Screwdriver (optional, but helpful)
  • Tape Measure
  • Pencil
  • Sand Paper (an orbital sander is helpful but absolutely not necessary)
  • Drill with various bits up to 1/4”
  • 1/2” Countersink Drill Bit
  • Clamps (optional, but helpful)
  • Socket/Wrench (not necessary for GX470 platform)
  • Utility Knife (GX470 platform only)

You will need to have your plywood sheeting cut. We chose to have our local hardware store do this for a small fee, however if you have access to a table or circular saw, you can save some money by DIY’ing the plywood cutting.

Do you sell completed platforms or drawers?

The short answer is no, we sell the build manuals to allow you to create and customize your build for your needs.

“That’s dumb — why not just sell them complete?”
That’s a great question. If we were to sell completed platforms, the price we’d need to charge would increase dramatically, and our business model would change substantially as well. We’d need to rent a shop, stock extrusion parts, manage packaging & shipping, etc. Given the ready availability of parts from our partners like TNutz who supply the aluminum extrusion kits we use in our platforms, there’s little reason for us to pass these additional costs on to our customers.

But I saw somewhere that you had a completed platform for sale…

We do occasionally sell a completed platform when we have the need to build a prototype to fit a new vehicle. These are generally one-off builds to test the fitment and photograph the build process and vehicle installation. Once they’re gone, they’re gone!

Why should I pay for your build manual?

Each design is vehicle-specific and takes many hours of work to create, prototype, test, etc. Once a design is finalized, creating the build manual with detailed photos, links to where to purchase parts, tips on how to make use of the platform, and ideas for customization also requires many hours of work.

Yes, there are free options out there. But if you don't want to take measurements, count out all of the necessary parts, make some mistakes along the way (usually resulting in placing multiple orders for parts), wait 2-4 weeks for each order to deliver, and then figure out how all of those pieces go together — then we’re asking a small price to make use of our hard work. And we’re readily available to answer questions along the way.

But how dare you profit off the community??
We’re grateful to the community, not only for supporting our efforts at GX Basecamp, but also for helping us learn new skills and get into the outdoors. But business and community aren’t mutually exclusive. We’re aiming to support the community by sharing resources and participating as much as possible while still creating a viable (but small) business.

What is Basecamp Rewards?

Basecamp Rewards is our loyalty program. As a small business, we're incredibly thankful for our customers and the community who support us and keep us running. We created this program as a way to offer something back to the folks who continue to help us grow. Think of it as our version of the REI Co-op Member Reward.

So, how does it work?

When you sign up for Basecamp Rewards, you start earning points that can be redeemed for rewards to get discounts on future purchases.

You earn points for:

  • Signing up for Basecamp Rewards (25 points)
  • Making purchases (1 point per $1 spent)
  • Referring friends (50 points per friend after their first purchase with us)

You can redeem points starting at 50 points for $5 off a future purchase, and at commensurate increments going up from there.

The math is pretty simple here. It works out to the points equivalent value of 10% back on purchases, $5 per successful referral, and $2.50 for signing up.

How do I sign up?

You can sign up in either of two ways:

  1. Click on the black bar at the bottom of your screen that says 'Earn Basecamp Rewards'. You'll be prompted to create an account.
  2. Refer a friend on the Refer Friends page. We'll automatically create a Basecamp Rewards account for you to add points to your balance from successful referrals.

Note: Make sure you sign up and refer friends using the email address you use when you're making purchases so that we can add points to your balance from purchases you make.

How do I redeem rewards?

You can check your points balance and redeem rewards from your Rewards dashboard. To access your dashboard, just log in to your account and click on the black bar at the bottom of the screen.

When you are logged in, you'll see your points balance and an buttons for any rewards you are eligible for. Just click Redeem to redeem points. You'll receive a reward code to enter at checkout.

A few notes on points and reward redemption:

  • There's no limit to the number of points you can earn, and they don't expire.
  • If you make a purchase and return it later, the points from that purchase will be removed from your balance. Fair's fair.
  • Likewise, if you redeem a reward on an order, but later return it, we'll refund the amount you spent after applying the reward and return the points you used for the reward back in your rewards account balance.

How do I refer friends?

Easy! Head over to the the Refer Friends page. Enter your Name and Email. You'll get a unique referral link and quick links to send it to your friends via email, SMS, and What's App.

After you refer friends, you'll see a tab added to the Refer Friends page. You can check the progress on referrals you've made there by your friends' email addresses. It's a successful referral, and points will be added to your Basecamp Rewards balance when they've made their first purchase using your referral link. Note that they'll need to complete their purchase using the same email address that you used to refer them so that the system can verify and track your referral to completion.

I have more questions...

Just give us a shout at hello@gxbasecamp.com