Pros and Cons: Tacoma w/FWC vs. E350 Diesel

[BC in CA]

Hi Folks,

I'm new to the expedition scene, really most interested in boondocking in and around SoCal and Arizona more than anything. Wanting to explore BLM land out in Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Imperial counties and maybe into Arizona as well. Not looking to cross the Gobi Desert anytime soon but might do an occasional urban stealth boondock on the way to someplace more interesting.

Trying to decide which kind of rig would best suit me. I've read through several build threads for both. I wondered if the cognoscenti would care to impart any morsels of wisdom gleaned from your r collective experience.

Can you guys tell me the pros and cons of both a Tacoma with a popup camper ala FWC or Palomino versus an extended Econoline Cargo van with a raised roof and 7.3 Diesel engine? Not sure if a 4wd conversion is needed on the van.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!

Kind regards,
BC in CA

 

[Tundraexplorer]

For me the reliability of the tacoma along with the fact you can take the camper out and run down to Home Depot for a project, and the size of the aftermarket would win it over. Cargo van might have more room but to get a 7.3 you are looking at 2003 at the newest, and it's not going to ride great. The 7.3 does not get great gas mileage, one of my good friends has a 7.3 super duty and however rarely it gets driven it only manages about 14-15, and I believe it might be one of the lowest mileage 7.3 left, 31,000 miles on it and it's a 2002 I believe. 7.3 is also pre emissions problems, but when something goes wrong with those engines, it gets pricey. Tacoma won't have as much room and can't pass between the sleeping area and the driving area. E locker in the tacoma is nice, and I would recommend trying to find an off road package one if you end up going with the tacoma.

Since it sounds like you are looking used, might want to check out a first gen tundra. I used to have one and got really good mileage even with the v8, over 20 and on the freeway only could hit 25. Not as reliable as a land cruiser, but very reliable and will handle the weight of a camper better than a tacoma(I've driven a second gen, and own a new third gen, neither come close to the power in the first gen tundra). Only thing I didn't like about it was the electronic transfer case.

 

[calicamper]

Tundras and sequoias with the 4.7 v8 do 15mpg around town and 18-19 highway in CA. Nothing close to 20-25. My 4.7 typically returns 17-18 on CA road trips. The Tacoma advantage is smaller size and that could be a bonus in Socal regarding parking. All depends on were you plan on being and how much parking you have. We take the Subaru to Socal because parking is easier vs with the Sequoia. If my 4.7 ever hit 20-25mpg it would be a miracle of epic porportions. Though my 15-18mpg is way better than the 13mpg my landcruiser got.

 

[Tundraexplorer]

I had a 2002 tundra for about 40,000 miles and with careful driving and street tires got about 20, and on road trips would hit 25 on the freeway. All about how you drive it. Agreed on the land cruiser, my 100 series rarely improves much over the eps rating

Should state this is with no ethanol added gas(I'm lucky to live near a station) and with 65 mph on the freeway. Drive 80+ and I'm sure you can bring it down very low.

 

[gallinastrips]

I have Tacoma and it can get overloaded very fast, has a 1,200. payload. I believe putting anything more than a shell with camping gear on these trucks is overloading them. You can put thousands of dollars into suspension to hold camper but your still putting a lot of weight on the drivetrain with any camper plus girlfriend, food, water, tools, gear, girlfriends stuff!!! Great truck for driving around in with light loads and light camping, could tow small trailer.

Have you thought about a Dodge Cummins??? Expensive used but so is Tacoma. Gets as good if not better mileage than Tacoma, can hold twice the weight, used campers for them are half the price, diesel is cheap right now.

Don't buy a non Cummins diesel!

 

[CabinFever]

Tacomas are small and maneuverable and are reliable (from personal experience and hearsay). They are also good off road in all types of terrain. You will need to get something like an OME suspension to support a 4wc. They are pretty cheap suspensions though just over $1000. You could get away with a Flippac and stock suspension if you dont have a ton of gear. Tacoma leaf springs do sag after a while though so eventually you'll probably want to swap out to something better anyways.

Disadvantage of Tacomas if you are trying to buy one used is that they keep their value. Do not buy one without looking at the frame for rust.

The diesel you will get better range but youre not in Africa where you need 1000km range.

 

[ChrisWH]

You're comparing apples & oranges here.

If you plan to use the vehicle has a daily driver & only camp occasionally, get the Tacoma.

If you need a full time camping, expedition, utility vehicle, then get the van. You'll have much more room & be much more comfortable living out of a van than a Tacoma with a popup. While unwieldy, it is more useful than the Tacoma in that it can tow a *lot* more & it'll be able to carry a lot more things inside than the bed of the Tacoma ever will.

The Tacoma is a great little truck, but hauling a camper is not really what it's made for. Once you weight it down with a camper, upgraded suspension to handle the camper & utilities, its gas mileage & drivability is going to suffer a lot.

Now, if we had the Hilux...

 

[chaingangster]

I had a 2002 tundra for about 40,000 miles and with careful driving and street tires got about 20, and on road trips would hit 25 on the freeway. All about how you drive it. Agreed on the land cruiser, my 100 series rarely improves much over the eps rating

Should state this is with no ethanol added gas(I'm lucky to live near a station) and with 65 mph on the freeway. Drive 80+ and I'm sure you can bring it down very low.

I have an '03 Tundra 4x4, always drive conservatively, and have never gotten better than 19mpg. Usually around 15-16 w/mixed city/highway. Granted, I do have 33" AT tires and a canopy. 25mpg is impressive, almost unbelievable for a 4wd Tundra. However, if you throw a FWC or ATC on a Tundra or Tacoma, I think mileage would be similar to the Powerstroke, ie poor. And I don't think I'd put a Palamino or anything similar on a truck smaller than a 3/4 ton. Payload is poor on Tacomas and Tundras.

All that being said, I think a Toyota 4x4 with a lightweight popup camper would be an excellent setup for the OPs intended uses. Reliable, low maintenance costs, good on/off road performance, easy to drive, and the functionality of a pickup if/when needed. Stealth mode in a popup camper is missing though, a high top van definitely has the advantage there, along with passenger pass through ability. Overall I'd try to see a couple setups in person and see what they feel like for your needs!