Something to consider with dual-cab light-duty trucks such as Rangers and Tacomas/HiLuxes, is wheelbase. If you look at the bottom right corner of the image posted above, you will see a quarter-ton truck with a small camper on the back. Notice that the front of the camper is nearly in alignment with the front of the tire. What does this mean to you? A really small camper box, a large rear overhang or a chassis extension. In most/all of those cases, you probably have the wrong truck for the application. Light duty trucks are just that. They are light, nimble, small, have small engines, light-duty running gear, low payload capacity, small tires and so on.
If you want to camp out of a HiLux or Tacoma, buy a good used truck and go camping. Four people, two dogs and a helicopter do not belong in a crew cab, quarter ton truck with a 5' x 5' or 6' x 6' camper on the back, IMO. Your capabilities are limited by the truck/camper package, e.g. power, large overhangs, gearing, overall height, etc. In a fixed top camper, height isn't much different between a van, a small COE, a Tacoma and an F-250. As soon as you add a large camper to the back of your HiLux, you have lost the, "I can fit in places most others can't" advantage.
In the US, small pickups simply do not have the frame, axles or overall capacity to handle a camper, four people, water tanks, extra fuel, food, tools and supplies and remain safely under GVW. Jonathan Hansen wrote about this years ago after putting a 4WC on a 2016 Tacoma. With the camper loaded with gear for him and his wife, both of whom are slight in build, the vehicle was near max GVWR.
Caveat Emptor!
If you want to camp out of a HiLux or Tacoma, buy a good used truck and go camping. Four people, two dogs and a helicopter do not belong in a crew cab, quarter ton truck with a 5' x 5' or 6' x 6' camper on the back, IMO. Your capabilities are limited by the truck/camper package, e.g. power, large overhangs, gearing, overall height, etc. In a fixed top camper, height isn't much different between a van, a small COE, a Tacoma and an F-250. As soon as you add a large camper to the back of your HiLux, you have lost the, "I can fit in places most others can't" advantage.
In the US, small pickups simply do not have the frame, axles or overall capacity to handle a camper, four people, water tanks, extra fuel, food, tools and supplies and remain safely under GVW. Jonathan Hansen wrote about this years ago after putting a 4WC on a 2016 Tacoma. With the camper loaded with gear for him and his wife, both of whom are slight in build, the vehicle was near max GVWR.
Caveat Emptor!
