Alphamacaroon
New member
Wanted to share an idea I've been throwing around for a few months and see what you all think.
Why?
Probably the first question that comes to mind is, why? There are plenty of great camping solutions out there— trailers, roof tents, sleeping platforms, etc.— why would you build something entirely new? Here are the issues I have with those solutions individually:
Trunk sleeping platform
This is generally my go-to when I camp in my FJ, but honestly I'm just tired of not having enough room. I'm a big guy, 6'2", and it's always just uncomfortable. Plus it's a pain in the ass to get in and out (unless I modify my tailgate), and difficult to ventilate and keep warm at the same time. I've done it enough to know it works, but it's just not an enjoyable night of sleep.
Roof tent
I just really have a hard time accepting anything that uses fabric to protect from the elements. I know the materials these days are pretty amazing, but I want something I can keep insulated in extremely warm and cold temperatures, and I just never want to worry about rips, tears and leaking. I want something that is going to hold up in extreme weather. Plus I don't like the idea of climbing up and down a rickety ladder at night to pee.
Trailer
The majority of my off-roading exploration is often on very primitive logging roads that sometimes dead-end without any notice, and turning around with a trailer is not going to happen without a lot of time and cussing.
Buy a truck and real camper shell
I love my FJ and will never get rid of it! But besides that, I like the idea of maintaining the ability to safely carry 5 people in the vehicle for everyday use, without the extended wheelbase of a crew-cab truck.
So given all the issues I have with the various options out there, I thought I might try to design something that would work for me.
Design Constraints
Here are the overall design constraints I kept in mind:
There is no such thing as a perfect solution, so there are obviously some issues that I'm going to have to deal with.
Loss of Tailgate Access
This is the biggest issue by far. Yes it will be a bit of a pain, but I think it's still easy enough to pull stuff out from the side doors when you really need it. Plus you can also store a few things in the easier to access camping shell.
The other solution to this problem is one of my design constraints— make it easy to detach/attach. If you could completely detach the shell in 5 minutes or less, you eliminate most of the pain of needing to get into your tailgate when you settle down for the night.
Weight & Center of Gravity
The second biggest issue is weight and balance. The design adds a lot of extra heft to the roof and tail-end of the vehicle, so there are some concerns with what this will do to vehicle handling. But I think there are solutions.
First of all, the shell has to be extremely, extremely, light. My calculations right now show that I could probably build it to weigh less than 400 lbs, maybe lighter, by using aluminum and composite materials. At this weight I think it probably starts to look similar in terms of a teardrop trailer's tongue weight on the hitch receiver. If anything, having more weight in the rear may actually increase traction for the rear tires.
In terms of having a higher center of gravity and the possibility for a rollover on an extreme trail, I don't think it will be much worse than a rooftop tent. Most of the weight for storage and other stuff is concentrated lower beneath the roofline in the seating area in the rear.
Other Stuff
Why?
Probably the first question that comes to mind is, why? There are plenty of great camping solutions out there— trailers, roof tents, sleeping platforms, etc.— why would you build something entirely new? Here are the issues I have with those solutions individually:
Trunk sleeping platform
This is generally my go-to when I camp in my FJ, but honestly I'm just tired of not having enough room. I'm a big guy, 6'2", and it's always just uncomfortable. Plus it's a pain in the ass to get in and out (unless I modify my tailgate), and difficult to ventilate and keep warm at the same time. I've done it enough to know it works, but it's just not an enjoyable night of sleep.
Roof tent
I just really have a hard time accepting anything that uses fabric to protect from the elements. I know the materials these days are pretty amazing, but I want something I can keep insulated in extremely warm and cold temperatures, and I just never want to worry about rips, tears and leaking. I want something that is going to hold up in extreme weather. Plus I don't like the idea of climbing up and down a rickety ladder at night to pee.
Trailer
The majority of my off-roading exploration is often on very primitive logging roads that sometimes dead-end without any notice, and turning around with a trailer is not going to happen without a lot of time and cussing.
Buy a truck and real camper shell
I love my FJ and will never get rid of it! But besides that, I like the idea of maintaining the ability to safely carry 5 people in the vehicle for everyday use, without the extended wheelbase of a crew-cab truck.
So given all the issues I have with the various options out there, I thought I might try to design something that would work for me.
Design Constraints
Here are the overall design constraints I kept in mind:
- I want a bed that can sleep at least two people comfortably.
- I want to be able to completely stand up in it (at 6'2").
- I want two people to be able to sit comfortably in a seat and prepare/enjoy a meal when the weather outside is horrible.
- I don't want it to drastically alter the off-road capabilities of the FJ (like departure angle). Of course anything you do is going to alter it some, but I want to minimize that.
- I want it to be as easy as possible to attach and detach in the field with only one person.
There is no such thing as a perfect solution, so there are obviously some issues that I'm going to have to deal with.
Loss of Tailgate Access
This is the biggest issue by far. Yes it will be a bit of a pain, but I think it's still easy enough to pull stuff out from the side doors when you really need it. Plus you can also store a few things in the easier to access camping shell.
The other solution to this problem is one of my design constraints— make it easy to detach/attach. If you could completely detach the shell in 5 minutes or less, you eliminate most of the pain of needing to get into your tailgate when you settle down for the night.
Weight & Center of Gravity
The second biggest issue is weight and balance. The design adds a lot of extra heft to the roof and tail-end of the vehicle, so there are some concerns with what this will do to vehicle handling. But I think there are solutions.
First of all, the shell has to be extremely, extremely, light. My calculations right now show that I could probably build it to weigh less than 400 lbs, maybe lighter, by using aluminum and composite materials. At this weight I think it probably starts to look similar in terms of a teardrop trailer's tongue weight on the hitch receiver. If anything, having more weight in the rear may actually increase traction for the rear tires.
In terms of having a higher center of gravity and the possibility for a rollover on an extreme trail, I don't think it will be much worse than a rooftop tent. Most of the weight for storage and other stuff is concentrated lower beneath the roofline in the seating area in the rear.
Other Stuff
- The windows will be double-paned Arctic Tern windows for insulation.
- The roof will have solar.
- There will be storage and plumbing for an EcoFlow WAVE 2 air conditioner and heater.
- The "kitchen" will consist of a folding table with cutouts for a small sink and a place to put a stove. I'm also trying to figure out a way so that you can slide the kitchen outside if you want cook outdoors.
- There may be a way to add another small sleeping area (for kids) by folding down the seats in the back.
- I'm still figuring out the attachment/detachment mechanism. But in general it will connect in two general areas— the roof rack, and the trailer hitch. I'm designing self-centering latches that will allow you to back it in and get "close-enough" and still be able to attach it.
- Not sure what I'm doing yet for the jacking/stabilizing system, but my goal is to figure out a way to do it all with a single hi-lift jack. More ideas welcome here.
