DaveInDenver said:
[rant]
That was a heady time for OHV campers, WilderNest was kickin', these guys, Toyota was making rugged, simple, decently priced trucks. There was even Toyota 2L diesels around for a few years in the mid-1980s... Now what do we get? Pickups with carpet, power windows, lots of plastic and $30K+ pricetags. Blah.
[/rant]
Yeah, Don't get me started on that...
Back in 1985 my Toyota 4x4 with a 5 speed and the 22r (carbureted) engine could routinely turn over 25 mpg in the city and nearly 30 on the highway, all without compromising off-road ability.
Then the 90's came along and gas was cheap, so buyers kept saying "more power, faster, more doodads and toys!" and so we got the Tacoma, which is bigger, heavier, and thirstier.
My personal pet peeve is the demise of the panel truck, which, in its 4x4 configuration, made a perfect off-road camper. Of course, panel trucks were replaced by vans in the 1960's, because vans had a more "efficient" design (i.e. they could haul as much stuff but took less room to park.) Unfortunately, this also increased their size vertically, which made them much less viable as off-road platforms (which explains why no manufacturer ever offered a 4x4 full-sized van from the factory - all 4x4 vans are aftermarket conversions.)
Imagine what you could do with a Tacoma (or any other small truck) - based panel truck with a fabric pop-top. You could even put removable passenger seats in the back so you could carry more than 1 other person while driving and still not compromise the camping ability of the vehicle.
Below: Great example of what I'm talking about (shamelessly stolen off of
Collector Car Trader Online)