Tacoma Trailhunter Composite Shell Ideas

[Willard27]

We are thinking just a canvas / soft material to start. An integral-foldable-composite hard panel is the end goal. Need to keep it it as warm as possible. I'm tired of PNW camping in the rain and cold in my moldy roof top tent. I'm going to add an insulated panel when raised to double up on the canvas to start.

It has to be under 10K to compete. 16.5K gets you a Scout, and 7.5K gets you a GFC. Once we get the prototype done we can put in an order for the next batch. Should be cheap pricing for the founder runs.

It's just a bare bones box. I'd love to have a community where DYI'ers could design and share / sell solutions to build it out.

 

[plainjaneFJC]

We are thinking just a canvas / soft material to start. An integral-foldable-composite hard panel is the end goal. Need to keep it it as warm as possible. I'm tired of PNW camping in the rain and cold in my moldy roof top tent. I'm going to add an insulated panel when raised to double up on the canvas to start.

It has to be under 10K to compete. 16.5K gets you a Scout, and 7.5K gets you a GFC. Once we get the prototype done we can put in an order for the next batch. Should be cheap pricing for the founder runs.

It's just a bare bones box. I'd love to have a community where DYI'ers could design and share / sell solutions to build it out.

I think your pricing targets are correct. Best of luck!

 

[rruff]

It's just a bare bones box. I'd love to have a community where DYI'ers could design and share / sell solutions to build it out.

If your shell is solid and under $10k it will appeal to many. Have specs for the materials been thought about?

I wondered about the "basement"... what was the thinking that led to that?

 

[Dave in AZ]

No one knows until door stickers get posted. Supposed to be 1700lbs on the new Taco but my guess is that will be max for any trim/drivetrain and the trailhunter will be like 1100lbs. The new Tundra was supposed to have a higher payload and on real world door stickers it's been around 1300-1400lbs.

Published numbers are basically BS ha. Even on my XD Pro4x published numbers are around 2240lbs but reality is 2000lbs on even a base package Pro4x.

My conclusion was that basically every non HD truck with any sort of slide in is over payload and any mid size truck with even a topper camper, two people, and any gear is close to payload with the exception of the extended cab Ford ranger.

THIS!! Virtually every internet review of gen3 Tacoma says the payload is 1600 lbs, blindly quoting some BS Toyota marketing. Never has anyone ever seen an actual door sticker even close! Best out there is basically 1150 lbs!

Folks often feel this is just guidance... true, except it is published as "do not exceed" by manufacturers, so Toyota will bail on liability, and insurance companies are well aware of it. If you have an accident they can blame on parts not built to exceed GVWR, you can bet they will and you'll be on your own. Sure, every person who ever built out a Tacoma exceeded it probably, but best to be aware of what risks you're taking when you take them.

 

[plainjaneFJC]

THIS!! Virtually every internet review of gen3 Tacoma says the payload is 1600 lbs, blindly quoting some BS Toyota marketing. Never has anyone ever seen an actual door sticker even close! Best out there is basically 1150 lbs!

Folks often feel this is just guidance... true, except it is published as "do not exceed" by manufacturers, so Toyota will bail on liability, and insurance companies are well aware of it. If you have an accident they can blame on parts not built to exceed GVWR, you can bet they will and you'll be on your own. Sure, every person who ever built out a Tacoma exceeded it probably, but best to be aware of what risks you're taking when you take them.

A loaded out limited 4wd tested today showed 1200 for payload.

 

[Dave in AZ]

A loaded out limited 4wd tested today showed 1200 for payload.

Is a Limited one of the gen3 Tacoma styles? Maybe it was the 4 cylinder and/or 2wd. The 2wd 6cyl model was 1200 lbs.
However, all the 6cyl 4WD produced in 2021 for example, top out at 1150 lbs payload.
The lightest 2021 model, the sr5 4 cylinder 2WD, was 1500 payload, the largest. Absolutely not the truck any overlander or offroader would get. But you can be sure that 99% of all websites claimed a 1500 lb payload for the 2021 Tacoma!

Here is the owners manual for 2021 showing every single model made and payloads. Note the popular DoubleCab 4wd are all in the 900 lb payload range!

 

[plainjaneFJC]

It was a 2023 crew cab 4wd fully loaded- it’s the trim that would typically have the lowest payload.

 

[Dave in AZ]

It was a 2023 crew cab 4wd fully loaded- it’s the trim that would typically have the lowest payload.

Wow, cool. Sounds like maybe Toyota has improved that weak payload since 2021! I was so dissappointed when I found my payload in my access cab trd off road 4x4 was only 1150 lbs... then I saw it was the very best of the 4x4 and felt better.

I sure wish I had 1500 lbs payload to play with! But I CAT scaled mine last week, nothing in it or on it new at all, even tood out the rubber matt that came in bed. Just me and my 130 lb kid. Came back pretty accurate at 990 payload remaining. I guess it knows my kid is 130 lbs and I'm 30 lbs over their "standard driver" lol!

 

[SDDiver5]

Cool idea and good price point for what you're making. I dig it.

Are you planning on doing this just for the Trailhunter or for the Tacoma in general? Over the last year so many people have been ditching their Tacoma for something bigger and upgrading to 1/2 ton or higher. Why limit yourself to a small truck and a questionable/unproven payload?

I feel like I am the only one on here not praising the Tacoma and calling it out for being lame and underpowered.

Check all the build threads from the last year or two. Not many Tacomas.

 

[Dave in AZ]

@SDDiver5 lol, my 2 posts right above you are literally about how low my Tacoma payload is...

I was pointing out to OP that new Tacoma payload estimates can't be trusted, and that Tacoma is too low a payload for a slide in build really.

 

[SDDiver5]

@SDDiver5 lol, my 2 posts right above you are literally about how low my Tacoma payload is...

I was pointing out to OP that new Tacoma payload estimates can't be trusted, and that Tacoma is too low a payload for a slide in build really.

Right, I saw that. And then piggy backed off your comment asking the OP why he is focusing on an unproven payload.

I'm calling out Tacomas in general. Everyone already knows the payload is low.

 

[plainjaneFJC]

Right, I saw that. And then piggy backed off your comment asking the OP why he is focusing on an unproven payload.

I'm calling out Tacomas in general. Everyone already knows the payload is low.

The payload is low- but from a business standpoint- it seems like every other Tacoma has a shell or something on it- so this is a good market for it.

 

[tacollie]

While this Toyota has lost popularity on this forum they are still extremely popular. The OP will get more interest on tacomaworld despite payload concerns. I don't think most midsize and half ton trucks buyers think about payload.

I honestly don't see how they can be profitable for $5k but that's not my problem.

 

[crazysccrmd]

A loaded out limited 4wd tested today showed 1200 for payload.

Was that the actual door jamb sticker? I find that number hard to believe since Toyota hasn’t changed anything with the third gen production and no double cab 4wd yet has had a payload that high.

 

[rruff]

Folks often feel this is just guidance... true, except it is published as "do not exceed" by manufacturers, so Toyota will bail on liability, and insurance companies are well aware of it. If you have an accident they can blame on parts not built to exceed GVWR, you can bet they will and you'll be on your own. Sure, every person who ever built out a Tacoma exceeded it probably, but best to be aware of what risks you're taking when you take them.

Right, it's manufacturer liability and warranty. If over GVWR and something breaks, you'll have trouble suing or collecting from Toyota.

Insurance companies exist to cover your screw ups. Every driver is legally required to control their vehicle and not run into things... and when they don't (for whatever reason), insurance steps in. They even pay when you cause an accident when you are drunk. That doesn't mean that if it's a big $$$ case, they won't try everything imaginable to weasel out... welcome to lawyer land.