Full timing: keep my Tacoma and get a nicer camper, or trade for a Tundra and get a beater camper?

[dole]

I own a 2006 Tacoma and I’m planning on moving out of my apartment in the next couple months to start living full-time in a pop-up truck camper. I’m pretty much trying to decide between selling my Tacoma to spend about $25,000 on a used newer-year tundra and then like $3000 on an old beat up camper, versus the other option of keeping my tacoma and spending $25,000 or so on a really nice FWC camper, and then a few thousand on upgraded suspension. The payload issue concerns me with the tacoma, but there are so many people carrying those around on tacoma‘s that part of me thinks I am over estimating the issue and should just use what I already have. In either rig, I will be sticking around one town working my static job in an office and driving up pretty tame dirt forest roads for the evenings and weekends. I don’t intend to do any kind of limit pushing in my rig as far as offroading goes.

So basically it just comes down to

A. Older tacoma that I already have with lower payload but a really nice camper

B. Newer tundra that I have to buy, with better payload and a dumpy fixer upper camper


Of course if it was all in the budget I would buy a nice truck and a nice camper, but I have to compromise on one. Which would you do in my situation?

 

[Buddha.]

Aren't you in the west where 15 year old trucks still exist? Just get an older full size anything.

 

[dole]

Aren't you in the west where 15 year old trucks still exist? Just get an older full size anything.

even a 15 year old tundra with 200,000 miles on it still demands around $15,000 where I’m at. The market is absolutely ridiculous. And then I am out of my budget for getting a nice camper, and have a gamble of a truck. So I don’t think going halfway on each is the way.

 

[BajaSurfRig]

I have been here before with a first gen Tacoma + Callen Camper which was severely overweight. Realistically a Tundra doesn’t have the payload to carry a camper either. Full timing is much more fun (and safer) in a domestic full size. I’d sell the Tacoma and get a 2011+ F250 6.2 gas and cabover camper…. I am full timing in this now and wouldn’t want to have any less space or payload…. Bought the truck for 25 and the camper for 6. If you can find a package deal you can get an even better price. Buenas suerte!!!

 

[dole]

I have been here before with a first gen Tacoma + Callen Camper which was severely overweight. Realistically a Tundra doesn’t have the payload to carry a camper either. Full timing is much more fun (and safer) in a domestic full size. I’d sell the Tacoma and get a 2011+ F250 6.2 gas and cabover camper…. I am full timing in this now and wouldn’t want to have any less space or payload…. Bought the truck for 25 and the camper for 6. If you can find a package deal you can get an even better price. Buenas suerte!!!

I do sometimes consider the F250 but the used market on those is even more absurd than the tundra currently. there isn’t a single one in the 6.2 V8 gen i’d consider for sale around me that isnt on a shady car lot asking more than new MSRP for an older high mileage used model. i see you have a 6.2 V8. how has reliability been on it?

 

[BajaSurfRig]

I do sometimes consider the F250 but the used market on those is even more absurd than the tundra currently. there isn’t a single one in the 6.2 V8 gen i’d consider for sale around me that isnt on a shady car lot asking more than new MSRP for an older high mileage used model. i see you have a 6.2 V8. how has reliability been on it?

It has been just as reliable as by first gen Tacomas that I had (both the 2.7 and 3.4). My first gen Tacoma way overweight got 12-14 mpg. My f250 with the camper gets 11-13 mpg. This gen also came with a rear locker from the factory. It is more capable than I am willing to push it. I owned multiple Ford 7.3’s and the 6.2 gas is far far more reliable, cheaper to maintain, better suspension +turning radius and puts out similar power with a better transmission.

 

[dole]

It has been just as reliable as by first gen Tacomas that I had (both the 2.7 and 3.4). My first gen Tacoma way overweight got 12-14 mpg. My f250 with the camper gets 11-13 mpg. This gen also came with a rear locker from the factory. It is more capable than I am willing to push it. I owned multiple Ford 7.3’s and the 6.2 gas is far far more reliable, cheaper to maintain, better suspension +turning radius and puts out similar power with a better transmission.

oof you’re gonna make me buy one

 

[sn_85]

I can empathize with you. Been looking over the last year for an HD rig at a reasonable price and they are definitely hard to find. What I often find are 5 year old trucks with 200k miles with an asking price of $40k. There are also plenty of 1-2 year old fleet/corporate vehicles with 20-40k miles on them for essentially new asking price. I've come to the conclusion that it actually makes more sense to buy a new HD truck than a used one since most 1-3 year old used HD trucks are fleet vehicles that are abused and beat to ******** on the jobsite. I'd skip any used lower trim HD truck as again they are most likely fleet vehicles. Pandemic, chip shortage, inflation, and lack of used personal use HD trucks have definitely made navigating the market difficult.

If I were you, I'd keep the Tacoma and ride this truck market out for another 2-3 years. Yes I get that you will be over payload and that an HD truck is safer, carries the weight better, and will be more efficient. Yadayadayda, I get that. If you bought an HD truck right now you will be buying at all time high prices and all time high gas prices. My suggestion would be to upgrade the Tacoma to handle the weight better and get a light weight camper for it. Get an HD leaf pack, a big brake upgrade and regear. Get a lighter weight camper like a Total Composite camper and keep the interior minimal. OEV is also going to make shell models of their campers. So you could get a gutted out Camp-M at a cheaper price and build it out lightly.

There's also this and it's dirt cheap. Not sure what it weighs though

FS: 2001 Six Pac camper SLC Utah

I recently picked up this 2001 Six-Pac SC100. It is in really good condition. I wouldn’t mind keeping it, but I am slightly too tall (6’2) to fully stand up inside so I thought I would see if there is any interest out there -Fits midsize trucks with 6’ beds (Tacoma/Frontier) -King bed -Fan...

expeditionportal.com

Wait out the crazy truck market until it somewhat goes back to prepandemic levels and then upgrade to HD when you financially can. Housing prices are already starting to adjust and lower where I am at so I think the truck market will as well. Either that or sell the Tacoma and get a van for the next few years.

 

[Over The Silent Planet]

I’ve been watching several models of vehicles on CarGurus over the last couple of months. Everything—including >2 year old HD trucks—has dropped in price by thousands of dollars. It seems that inventory has all but stopped moving, and prices are correcting to reflect that. Nothing is a good deal yet, but it is trending in the right direction. Repossessions on new vehicles (and recreational toys) are way up. I think it might actually become something of a buyers market in the next 6+ months.

Regarding payload, I’m regularly at or slightly over GVWR in my Tundra, and the truck doesn’t skip a beat. It never feels bogged down, and it handles and stops fine considering all the weight in the bed. That said, I’d probably stick with the Taco and get the best camper I could afford instead of trying to make two purchases right now.

 

[tacollie]

We moved to a Tundra from a Tacoma because we rented a camper. It gives you more space in the camper. Tundra gets you bigger axles and brakes. Then I moved up to a 6.2 F250 for more payload. It was a high mileage fleet truck. We have over 100k Mike's on the F250 and it's been flawless. I wish we would have bought a F250 in the first place. I say either keep the Taco or skip the Tundra and get a 3/4.

Can you fly and buy? Buying outside of Colorado saved me $7k. I'm assuming California is also high priced.

 

[AggroCrag]

I agree that you should hold what you have until this market cools off. Why not buy a little travel trailer? $10K could buy you a nice camper that has more room than any truck camper could offer. With you staying in one area, you don't really NEED the mobility of a truck camper. You could use some of the saved money to buy a mid-high camper shell for the tacoma that could serve as a weekend camping setup. Done, son.

 

[jmmaxus]

A used Tundra 2021 and older the payload capacity isn’t much more heck it is less than a midsize Ford Ranger. Even the new 2022 doesn’t compete with domestic trucks. If you can hunt down a F-150 with the HD payload package you can get a light duty truck with twice that of a Tundra. Downside to midsize truck campers from what I’ve seen is they seem small and me being 6’2” the beds aren’t long enough e.g. Fwc fleet (74”) scout yoho (72”).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[billiebob]

Keep the old... period...

agree that you should hold what you have until this market cools off.

really....
this is retarded,,,, sell now.... when, if the market cools off.... buy.

 

[Oscar Mike Gulf Yankee]

2017 for $32995 Springfield, Mo. Craigslist. Just found some clean 250s, under 14K, F-250, 4x4. 2021's in the 40's



If I were full timing I'd be in something like this with a box camper and I'd pull a small cargo trailer with toys.

 

[Mickey Bitsko]

According to the interweb, the two MOST AVAILABLE USED trucks are ram 1500 and the toyota Tacoma, in that order, they're all over craigslist. kinda makes you wonder.
Anyway, Sell the Tacoma, people are out of their minds right now.
Is your Tacoma cool looking, that demands even more money.