Supercamper

[slooowr6]

Sorry to hear this but you guys are ok that's what really matters.
A bent frame like that, I would say the truck is totaled. It really sux to have a 3000miles truck totaled, it's hard if not impossible to find on with the same milage. But on the plus side the Taco are know to last a long time so a 50k Taco usually have no problem. You can get a Toyota cetified used and get the extend warrenty for a peace of mind.
Keeping CG low on a camper is a very good thing so 0" life sounds good. Maybe you can see if you can find a adjustable Rancho 9000 shocks it has adjustable damping will accomate various load condition better.
________
ipad guides

 

[detailbarn]

SuperCamperos ,

Glad to see you on the board. So sorry to hear about the accident I think I actually shed a tear watching the video on the blog. Glad that neither of you where hurt , the Super Camper can be fixed or replaced the minds and hearts behind it can not!

As for not fitting on a new Tacoma would it be possible to modify the mounting to make it work? Maybe even cut the mount of the older Tacoma and have them welded on the new Tacoma frame.

Well what ever happens I wish you two the best and I look forward to updates on the blog and here.

 

[Willman]

Sucks about your accident!!! Any good auto body shop should be able to bent that back in place in most cases. It might be totalled???? Your rig in most cases will never be the same even if they can fix it...sad....Without looking at it first hand....an auto body shop make it happen. Make sure to get a few quotes from other shops.....Thanks for the great info. on rum, smokes, and mags!!!!.....lol

:Mechanic:

And...Welcome to the ExPo!!! You have a great buildup blog!!!

:safari-rig:

 

[toyrunner95]

dude that thing is totally salvagable, well.. kinda. you can hack the frame off where the bend starts (hopefully behind the cab) and tube frame it. or box frame it, tubing is easier though.

OR

take the camper totally off the truck, fix it, and put in on another. preferably a little more heavy duty. like a tundra.

 

[Scott Brady]

I was so sorry hear of this. Having built a truck from nothing myself, it must be heartbreaking.

A bent rear frame is a bad situation, but certainly not hopeless. It is common for entire rear frame assemblies to be made, customized, altered, etc. A frame bent in the center or the front can be a real issue.

There is no question in my mind that the camper could be removed and the frame aft of the cab repaired and improved for less than the cost of a new truck. I have welded entire new rear frame members on Jeeps and they can actually be stronger than stock.

Look at this as an opportunity to improve the stock frame configuration, integrate water or fuel tanks, add HD rear bumper assembly's or even swing-out components.

An Alcan or Deaver spring arrangement will be a vast improvement. You should also consider the Donahoe remote reservoir shocks.

Let me know if there is anything I can do to help pull together some resources and assistance with this.

 

[Clutch]

Let me know if there is anything I can do to help pull together some resources and assistance with this.

That what is so cool about this forum...the comradery for the fellow tribesman.

I am finding that alot in the offroad set. We all take care of each other.

 

[viter]

very sorry to hear about your crash, but like others sad the most important thing is that you guys are alright!z

good job on getting the insurance and handling the situation so well - not giving up to the cop's persistence in not calling the insurance, etc..

like others are saying - rear frame can be fixed, just ask around for a good frame shop

just in case you need new tranny since it is leaking, you could try looking for one on www.ttora.com. somebody there just totaled a 2004 tacoma and is selling all the parts including engine and tranny (not sure if anybody has bought it yet though, but there are other similar sales every once in a while).

please, let us know if the insurance works everything out so we have more info on the reliability of this particular insurance company

good luck to you guys!
you are doing an incredible job!!!


and just for everyones info, my friend who travels to Baja all the time (10-20 times a year) truly believes that one should try not to drive there at night unless it is absolutely impossible because accidents are just so much more common at night due to bad/sleepy/drunk/crazy drivers, especially of big trucks. and obviously he says insurance is a must - he even has a yearly plan for a couple hundred bucks through some company so he does not have to buy insurance every time he goes there.

 

[Grim Reaper]

Couple things to address with the insurance adjuster. That rear axle was hit HARD. It needs to be thoroughly checked for straightness and I would at the very least have the driver side shaft Magnafluxed if not insisting replacing it. I have seen several Toyota axles break at the snap ring that retains the bearing. I would never trust that axle shaft again after the hit it took.

The frame doesn’t look too bad. A competent frame man(or woman) could pull that back straight without much trouble. It looks more like the cross members buckled and let the rail rotate when the spring side loaded it. Pull it straight and either replace the last cross member or add 1 -2 more cross members.

It’s a shame they didn’t clip you about 14 inches further back. They would have missed the cab and hit the wheel flat instead of hooking the front of it. Would have been a lot less damage.

If they total it see what the buy back is. Might be worth it to salvage the engine and transmission.
Hoping for the best for you guys.

 

[kcowyo]

I don't know if I should be posting here or the suicide hotline...

We saw the news and had another thread going here. The sentiments are genuine if all similar. Any idea how long it's going to take before you hear from the insurance company?

I know this had to ruin your Christmas. What a kick to the beanbag after two years of planning and building. I hope you won't let this discourage you from rebuilding. It was an impressive outfit and the idea should not be abandoned.

In hindsight, these disasters often make the best stories and build character and all of those other new-agey sentiments that probably don't mean much when your Supercamper is not looking so super. For what it's worth, you've got a bunch of us pulling for ya' and hoping things get worked out soon.

Hang in there -

 

[bigreen505]

Ryan and Holly, I'm sorry to hear about the crash, I can't even imagine.

A few thoughts, do with them as you will. No answers, but a few more questions to consider.

Frame -- My dad's Suburban got hit pretty hard by someone who fell asleep at the wheel and the decision was to have the frame replaced. I would pursue that route because I would not want your load and camper/cargo on a straightened frame. I can honestly say that the Suburban came back in like-new condition, but the body shop really had to go to bat for us against the insurance company.

Total it and get a new truck -- While I understand your reasons not to want to replace your Taco with an older truck, I would consider your truck an unknown quantity at this point -- you may be finding problems related to the crash for many trips to come. When you send those kinds of loads and forces through a truck, there is no way to know what is and what is not affected.

Assuming you repair the damage, what will you be keeping and what will be replaced? My guess it that frame, rear axle, transmission and drive shaft are on the list, but you know for sure. What will all of that cost in time and money and what will the insurance company get you. If you want to keep the truck, push them on replacing the frame and all else. If you get a new truck, how much time and money will be required to transplant the camper? How much damage did the camper sustain (check all your bonds and joints carefully)?

As always, make sure you get a couple of really great body shops to look at it give you an estimate. They will know what it will really cost to fix and may also look for problems in places you have not yet considered.

I hope you two can get this resolved to your complete satisfaction and get back to the beach.

Bill

 

[Rezarf <><]

Amazing build!

Truely an inspiration! I hope you can get it back on the road soon with minimal headache.

Rezarf <><

 

[Brian894x4]

I'm not an expert on frame damage, but if I had to be hit anywhere, I'd prefer where you were hit. I think rear frame is far easier than the front. YOu mentioned it was tweaked at the rear shackle. That's even further back and probably a much easier fix. I would imagine it’s tweaked at the weak C-channel part of the rear Taco frame?

As mentioned by others, I would use this an opportunity. A golden opportunity. Even if the truck was totaled, I would do everything you could to keep the truck. I don’t know how insurance laws work in your state. Sometimes they insist on taking the truck and not allowing you to keep it. But I would do everything I could to keep it. Even just for the motor/trans set up, if the frame couldn’t be fixed, but I just can’t imagine that it couldn’t be.

The trans is aluminum. There’s no surprise that it’s cracked and leaking, if it got hit. A new one could be installed by Toyota pretty easily if the insurance will cover it, as they should.

5400lbs is not bad, but it does exceed the Taco's gross weight by about 300lbs, which isn’t too bad, but if it were my truck, this is what I do with it.

1) During frame repairs, I would upgrade the rear frame, like Scott did on his rig.
2) Add the Alcan or Deaver springs. I went with Alcan and I personally love them. They are good people and if you given them proper measurements and weights, they will build them right. One thing to remember is that even though you will give them your rear weight of each wheel, you have a lot of weight behind the axle that needs to be accounted for. I would send them a picture and as much info as you can about your rig.
3) This isn’t mandatory, but I would consider strengthening the spring mounts on the axles. I’ve seen the Taco mounts bend with excess weight.
4) This also isn’t mandatory, but I would consider upgrading the rear axle to a full floating axle. I know there are several kits for old Toyota trucks. Not sure about the Taco axle though.

You’re plan to keep CG low is a very wise one. I would definitely keep your ride height stock. You might be able to add a thicker aftermarket anti-roll bar up front to help a bit, since articulation really isn’t going matter that much.

The one off road mod I would consider is a rear locker. I’m not sure if yours has the factory electric locker or not, but if not, an ARB air locker in the rear could really come in handy if you get stuck in the sand, especially since you aren’t winch equipped. I didn’t notice any sand ladders in your set up. Without a winch, but doing a lot of beach driving, that might be a good addition to your supplies. They aren’t cheap, but they are light enough usually that you can through them on top or the side of the camper.

I'm sorry this happened. But I really think it's fixable and you could be back on the road in a few months. Good luck.

 

[SuperCamperos]

Thanks for all the help everyone, we really appreciate it.

Once the adjuster gets out to check the damage, I'm going to take the camper off the truck and be able to see what's really going on. At least I'll be able to sight along the length of the frame better and see how extensive the damage is. At that point we'll either fix it or get another 2004. Modifying the camper for a 2005+ Taco or Tundra just seems like too much work at this point--it would need new frame mounts, utility boxes, and other untold mods to make it work.

With the camper off, it will be a good time to weld on the fish plate, upgrade the suspension, and get some more accurate weights on both the camper and the truck, which outta help Alcan.

Good suggestions with the buy back option on the total by the way. I'll see what they say if it is totalled. I'm curious what their policy is and how much they would charge.

We do have the electric rear locker with the TRD and intend to get it again if we are forced to get a new rig. And maybe some day we will have the pleasure of getting stuck in the sand...

Thanks again and we'll let you know how it goes,
Ryan and Holly

 

[Super Doody]

I just came back from baja myself. Sorry about the accident and the hassles. I know there are some good reviews on alcans but since Deaver is pretty much local for you guys, I would consider them. If something goes wrong or need adjusting you can take them down to their shop in Santa Anna. And they have really good customer service. Just my 2Cents.

In terms of the damaged frame, if worse comes to worse you can just do a frame swap with a brand new one. Kinda like what David Hale did with his truck.

http://www.tankota.net/Misc/Bentframe/framebent.htm


Also, bet there are some low mileage, soccer mom/old lady 2004 tacomas around. Its a toyota so a few more mileages isn't all that bad.


Regradless of what you do, good luck. There are a lot of info and resoruces on TTORA or just ask here. We'll hook you up.

 

[SuperCamperos]

Does Deaver do the full custom thing like Alcan or do they just have a few different models to choose from? The Deavers for sale on Whelers Off Road, say that "there is a decrease in gross max weight handling capability over the stock leaf packs". Will they make packs for more weight? I know we're around 5300-5400 lbs fully loaded.

Thanks,
ryan