Taco for expedition living quarters

[Dave Bennett]

Any year/model of Tacoma can be made quite comfortable given time, money and imagination. I just spent 10 days on the road living in mine.

All the comforts of home.

 

[Chris Cordes]

You can find a lot of campers on craigslist for not too much money. I looked into a lot of these but my hummers bed dimensions don't fit anything right I would defintely say for that long this would be the way to go. The first ones really nice and 1500. Im sure the second 800 dollar one will need some work but I have seen some go for 300-400
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/rvs/2518089880.html
http://denver.craigslist.org/rvs/2487564987.html

 

[TangoBlue]

My home for a month... this location on Victoria Island, BC. That or sometimes the passenger seat, too. When you're tired you can sleep anywhere.

 

[haven]

Watch your vehicle's overall weight when you add a camper. The cargo capacity of a Tacoma is not much. With camper, gear, supplies and passenger, it's easy to exceed the GVWR. While new springs or airbags can help support the extra weight, they don't address issues of frame strength or braking power. Keep it simple and you'll be OK.

 

[007]

My home for a month... this location on Victoria Island, BC. That or sometimes the passenger seat, too. When you're tired you can sleep anywhere.

What TangoBlue illustrates here is the importance of a good camera, which of course he lacks :shakin:

 

[RR1]

I would do an access cab, run out of room right quick in the regular cab. I have owned both, that extra storage space is awfully nice right behind the seats. I'll never go back to regular cab pickup, well maybe the latest Tundra, it has about the same room behind the seat as an Access Cab Tacoma.

I used to sleep in a regular fiberglass topper, that gets old real quick, jostling gear and what not, even with a sleeping platform...lack of headroom makes it like sleeping in a coffin.

As the others have stated...I would look for a Wildernest, Flippac or a topper with a roof top tent. Quite nice to change clothes in a shelter standing up, than on your back on top of sleeping platform.

As Chip was saying, I would stay away from a full on conventional camper...weight adds up quick! Go light go fast!

I use Search Tempest or Jaxed Mashed to do mass craigslist searches...

http://www.searchtempest.com/

http://www.jaxed.com/cgi-bin/mash.cgi

Nice video of a RTT.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75SgD8jG2us

AT Flip Pac

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTZ2-o5kmKE

As for suspension, I like to tinker and adjust it to fit my (ever changing!) needs. Good set of coilovers such as Fox, Camburg, Icon....and custom Deavers or Alcans in the rear with emulsion shocks from said manufactures. While it might be overkill, it is a step up over Old Man Emu. Lets say in the future you want a bullbar and winch, all you have to is swap out coils and adjust the valving. Plus they are rebuildable...money is saved in the long run...where something like OME you have to replace the entire thing if it fails. And given enough time...everything will fail.

In the end it all comes down to how much money you want to spend.

 

[PHXtaco]

Just to 2nd (or actually 3rd or 4th), look for an access cab, you will thank yourself for the inside storage down the road.

 

[TangoBlue]

What TangoBlue illustrates here is the importance of a good camera, which of course he lacks :shakin:

Feel the love. Who knew you can't get fil-um cassettes for the Insta-matic in Canada.

 

[Jeff Wanamog]

I love my rig. I have no problems with weight or braking and I could live out of it for as long as I needed.
Jeff

 

[rsbmg]

We had a 2007 4x4 TRD TACO and luved it.

FYI: there is also another option soon to be on the market from Marc who designed the XPCamper. XPC V2 is designed to fit on a TACO Big bucks but ohhhhhh, what a rig it would be!!

best wishes on your adventure.

20k?:Wow1: Thats either a typo, a joke, I read it wrong or someone has spent way to much time in a closed paint booth. Cut that price by 50% and there may be a buyer for it.

 

[RR1]

20k?:Wow1: Thats either a typo, a joke, I read it wrong or someone has spent way to much time in a closed paint booth. Cut that price by 50% and there may be a buyer for it.

That is about right there with the competition Four Wheel Camper, All Terrain Camper, and The Phoenix.

It takes a lot of $$$ to manufacture something like that, profit margin is still going be tight. Try building one yourself at the same level
of craftsmanship that Marc does, and report back on the money spent.

http://www.xpcamper.com/


Some of you guys are funny, try being in the boat or aircraft "hobby"...overland toys are child's play.:ylsmoke:

 

[TangoBlue]

20k?:Wow1: Thats either a typo, a joke, I read it wrong or someone has spent way to much time in a closed paint booth. Cut that price by 50% and there may be a buyer for it.

So... are you still enjoying life in the 1960's?

 

[Dave Bennett]

So... are you still enjoying life in the 1960's?

:coffeedrink:

 

[sooperdooper]

Looks like I wont be returning to the US until mid-September. I see so many deals going online for nice trucks! Ahhh! I just hope I can find the one whenever I make it home.

I am leaning to an access cab or double cab. The extra interior space is a great spot to secure gear, a fridge, etc. The single cab just wouldn't be suffice.

As far as the bed area. I would prefer a regular A.R.E., Snugtop, or Leer type camper. I would still like the have the "stealth" ability. I'll always have a tent with me if I need to have more room to stand up in.

 

[RR1]

Looks like I wont be returning to the US until mid-September. I see so many deals going online for nice trucks! Ahhh! I just hope I can find the one whenever I make it home.
.

There are always going to be trucks for sale....and heck with the way the economy is going, might find some better gonga deals when you return.