plainjaneFJC
Deplorable
The truck has an all new frame- same as the tundra and LC250.
Tacoma Trailhunter Composite Shell Ideas
- Thread starter Willard27
- Start date
tacollie
Glamper
A friend's '21 is 1200lbs per the door jam. It's V6, Auto, and CCSB. I don't remember what trim. I just remember 1200 seemed a lot higher than I expected. Either way she's pulling trailer that's way too big in my opinion 🤣
crazysccrmd
Observer
That’s the 2024 then, not a ‘23. The ‘23s are still the same as they’ve been since 2016 and largely identical since 2005.
plainjaneFJC
Deplorable
I’m sorry if I had the numbers crossed- I meant the all new Tacoma.
rruff
Explorer
A couple comments...
The design makes it inherently taller than the typical pop-top when down. And yet it is not tall enough to do without another element to fill the gap when raised.
You could make it tall enough to stand in (say 76" interior height) and sleep in if the cabover was just a little taller than it is now, with no canvas needed or extra piece like the Alaskan has. You'd probably need to lose the basement but I think that is good idea anyway. Another good idea would be to make the front of cabover more aero. This can be done with an additional molded element that is glued in place. The 2-piece door is something that you'd have to build and provide in addition.
I'd favor non-popup personally. Simplest that would be attractive would probably be with roof facets like the Tern camper, only with a less pointy cabover (the sleeping berth seems very tight to me), and again a molded aero nose.
Willard27
New member
We are working with a Canadian composite panel company. Thin wall fiberglass with a foam core is the plan. Light and insulated. They can add a rubberized material to the floor or walls as desired.
The basement idea grew out of an idea for a stand alone drawer system. I made one for my 4Runner that I love. Integral stove. Works great tailgating. Want my Tacoma to have something similar. Built sturdy and connected to the box properly it should act as an easy way to connect the upper camper. Want to avoid connecting to the composite bed side walls on the Tacoma. I hear they crack.
It should also work to store water and grey tanks if needed. Keep the weight low.
Willard27
New member
It will definitely scale up. Just trying to hit a niche with lightweight that the others can't. I think the hybrid Tacoma is going to have a very low payload, and maybe the OME suspension on the Trailhunter will give a bit more margin. And I guess I'm a Tacoma fan boy. 😀 Tying in to the hybrid batteries for power and the onboard air for blowing dirt out sounds like a cool challenge.
This is getting very close to what my wife and I would like after living for months in a converted Transit 350 HD XT. Since I drive it almost daily... a smaller truck camper is very appealing. A solid wall pop-up is high on our list, but we need a bigger truck with all the gear and kids. I can't wait to see where this is going and with some luck, you'll make a bigger size for an 8ft bed Thundra or one of the big 3 trucks. We wish you the best in this endeavour.
Dave in AZ
Active member
I just bought a Tune popup for my Tacoma. Spending a lot of effort to order insulation and insulate it. If there was an ACTUALLY LIGHT composite with hard wall popup, I would have bought it. Problem is, with my 1150 lb payload, I need camper to come in 450 lbs or less to work. And I really want sleeping in a large cabover. So Tune was the best there, but... no insulation. So the idea is of interest...
Willard27
New member
Thanks for the 1150lb "wet weight" target and 450 lb dry. The Total Composites Campers out of Victoria use panels similar to our planned path - and quote a 540lb dry weight for the 5'. I'd buy one of these if they were 10K cheaper, and would fit under the 8' garage door!
The Tune M1 is a great looking camper. What did you use for insulation? Love to see your build thread!
The Tune M1 is a great looking camper. What did you use for insulation? Love to see your build thread!
Willard27
New member
The team wanted a more aero look as well so we chamfered the front. Tried to match the windshield slope, but it is all compromises. I like your idea of a bubble nose attachment. Fontaine sells similar for box trucks. Should have 15" of space in the lowered position. Kind of coffin like for sleeping. Really want to keep it under the 8' Garage door height though.
We did iterate the 76" no basement / no canvas path. It's a great idea, but we ended up over the 8' garage door height, and heavier. It would also get in the way of the aero chamfer on the front when nested.
Thank you so much for your feedback (everyone!) Please keep it coming. Hoping to get the prototype built this spring.
Likely a 2023 Tacoma with a 5ft bed since that is what my buddy had until my Trailhunter order shows up!
Last edited:
Dave in AZ
Active member
Still awaiting install in Jan. Just planning still. However, I did do an insulation thread here, and a good bit of research. Basically I will use the 5mm foam with foil sides "Duct wrap" that US Energy makes. They say it is R8 but I've never seen any specs or rating system for it. However, it is flexible and thin enough to velcro over the tent material, and will provide a bit of vapor barrier if sealed. Also good heat reflection outwards for AZ summers. Probable also use for truck bed due to ease of fit.
In the lower hard sides of camper, I expect to use the same thing, overlapping the structural aluminum posts with velcro, to help defeat the thermal bridging there while still be easily moveable to access the t slots. However, I might also but foil sided polyiso on the large flat sides.