Thoughts on overall height of your set up. How tall is too tall for the backcountry?

[wackyhacky76CO]

We are trying to determine our next set up and while I really want the 4 season capability of a hardwall camper, I am very concerned on keeping the height down. We are moving to a 2nd Gen Tundra and my preference was a flatbed/side entry set up. Most of our camping will still be exploring & boondocking, therefore off pavement driving. I am not doing hardcore wheeling, but things like traversing the Cinnamon Pass, etc. is still something I want to be able to do. My current thought is we have to keep the overall rig height at 10' or less to be even close to the capability we had with our Tacoma/Alu-cab set up. Or am I fooling myself and just need to accept a pop top is simply better for us? Any input is appreciated. There are trades offs w/ everything...Boo. ha ha.

 

[calameda]

I think you may have a hard time getting a hardside that combines desired capability with adequate cabover room under 10 ft mounted. say total exterior height of cabover section is 38” minimum (v snug inside), plus at least 3-4 inches clearance over the cab. So 78” max from ground to top of truck cab on a high clearance truck isn’t much, though doable. Roof mounted solar and vent fans going to reduce that by 4” easy.

An angled roof line like on the ATO Aterra can help mitigate (not eliminate) side ledge and tree branch clearance issues. It also reduces top heaviness by eliminating the elevated storage compartments. But you’re still going to feel more top heavy than w your Alu cab. On top of that a flatbed will be higher than your stock bed, making it worse.

Though im sure some would try cinnamon pass w a hard side, i wouldn’t. Very narrow track, off camber sections w steep drop offs, likely encounters with unexpected obstacles. No thanks. Id want a firmly planted rig that i can readily maneuver in v limited space. YMMV.

 

[Trail Talk]

We're at 10.5 ft and, although we have roof rails to deflect low branches, I generally find trail width more an issue that overhead obstructions. But I still carry a pole saw ;-)

 

[GR8ADV]

We're at 10.5 ft and, although we have roof rails to deflect low branches, I generally find trail width more an issue that overhead obstructions. But I still carry a pole saw ;-)

Would like to see your roof rails. I would like to do something to protect the solar panels

 

[Trail Talk]

 

[deserteagle56]

All depends on where you will be driving the rig. If in the desert southwest then tall isn't much of a problem. But any road with tree limbs hanging over the roadway can stop you cold. The outer shell of a cabover camper is fragile - whether it is aluminum or fiberglass/plastic.

My setup - Bigfoot camper on a Dodge dually - is nearly 13 feet tall. And that's with no AC unit on the roof.

 

[klahanie]

How tall is too tall? Size parameters...

If this is an existing thread, please point me to it... So I am interested in peoples experiences using tall trucks for national or international trips both on and off road. Some of us live in climates where fabric pop-tops wont cut it, and hard sided trucks are a necessity. At what point does...

forum.expeditionportal.com

I've only ever owned a pop up but hope to be in a hard side next year.

No way, no how that extra 2' height or more won't make a difference to us.

It's the height as well as the rock and roll from weight up top - at least that's what I've observed following (and driving a few) hard sides.

Not saying it's a showstopper as many folks go that route, many will have no issues and of course there are pros to a HS. All depends on your deal.

If you can keep that deck height as low as possible and avoid a basement model camper that will obviously help.

For us it will be about doing "different things" rather than "can't do the stuff we used to"

 

[calameda]

There are more than a few trails in desert SW with rock walls that overhang or angle into the trail. Like white rim trail and hole in the rock and similar in sw utah.

Our hard side height is 10’6” with a sloped roof. Having that extra 12-18” of side roof clearance has gotten us past overhanging obstacles quite a few times in last 2 years. I can’t imagine going much higher. We wouldn’t have gotten to some of our favorite places. And if you get above 12’ I think its going to be an issue for more than a few rural underpasses and some bridges.

Since we only occasionally camp in the snow much below freezing (maybe 12 nights in last 2 years), the decision to go hard side was based on other considerations. Specifically SLEEP. The wind can really howl in many of the places we love, and I don’t sleep well if constantly buffeted by flapping sidewalls through the night. And when I don’t sleep I’m no fun to be around. Or so I’m told.

If I were a better sleeper we would have gone with something like the OEV pop-ups. Their material is well insulated, and my sense is relatively efficient (for a pop-up) to keep warm. Or maybe you can find a deal on a used Nimbl/XP?

 

[rruff]

We are trying to determine our next set up and while I really want the 4 season capability of a hardwall camper, I am very concerned on keeping the height down. We are moving to a 2nd Gen Tundra and my preference was a flatbed/side entry set up.

Mine is just under 10' tall with a flatbed style, and 35s. The interior height is 76". I don't have anything on the roof, and branches haven't been an issue yet in the west... I just let the camper knock them out of the way. A polesaw would be a good thing to carry.

Aterra could be an option, but they are expensive and insulation isn't great vs a foam core. They use PP honeycomb. On the other hand, the PP honeycomb is a strong core material, and I'm pretty sure they have aluminum angle on all edges.

I think you may have a hard time getting a hardside that combines desired capability with adequate cabover room under 10 ft mounted. say total exterior height of cabover section is 38” minimum (v snug inside), plus at least 3-4 inches clearance over the cab. So 78” max from ground to top of truck cab on a high clearance truck isn’t much, though doable. Roof mounted solar and vent fans going to reduce that by 4” easy.

The 2nd gen is 76" tall, and with a lift and bigger tires, mine is ~79", plus 2" clearance (which is plenty), 34" berth height (which I also think is plenty with a NS bed), and 1.7" walls x2.

10' is just a number though, and these are all going to be pretty tall.

 

[kmacafee]

There are more than a few trails in desert SW with rock walls that overhang or angle into the trail. Like white rim trail and hole in the rock and similar in sw utah.

Our hard side height is 10’6” with a sloped roof. Having that extra 12-18” of side roof clearance has gotten us past overhanging obstacles quite a few times in last 2 years. I can’t imagine going much higher. We wouldn’t have gotten to some of our favorite places. And if you get above 12’ I think its going to be an issue for more than a few rural underpasses and some bridges.

Since we only occasionally camp in the snow much below freezing (maybe 12 nights in last 2 years), the decision to go hard side was based on other considerations. Specifically SLEEP. The wind can really howl in many of the places we love, and I don’t sleep well if constantly buffeted by flapping sidewalls through the night. And when I don’t sleep I’m no fun to be around. Or so I’m told.

If I were a better sleeper we would have gone with something like the OEV pop-ups. Their material is well insulated, and my sense is relatively efficient (for a pop-up) to keep warm. Or maybe you can find a deal on a used Nimbl/XP?

I've got a Bundutec Odyssey pop up on a flatbed and height is just under 10 feet. Neither Hole in the Rock or White Rim were a problem.

 

[klahanie]

10' OAH would be great goal. And narrow !

Our rig will prob be 11' tall which is 6-12" taller than I'd like.

Anyway for 120".... Say, 30" load height (pick up) 84" for camper and 6" for the flat deck penalty. The Tundra might be lower.

Are you planning a custom hard side with side entry ? Finding one is going to be the trick.

For stock campers, North Star used to make a few non basements and ~84W" units.

 

[rruff]

I've got a Bundutec Odyssey pop up on a flatbed and height is just under 10 feet. Neither Hole in the Rock or White Rim were a problem.

I don't know if yours hugs the cab like this, but I do like that feature! I've noticed that a lot of flatbed models are too far above the cab... like FWC for instance.

 

[rruff]

Anyway for 120".... Say, 30" load height (pick up) 84" for camper and 6" for the flat deck penalty. The Tundra might be lower.

My floor height is ~40" from the ground... and the base/floor is "notched" on the outer edge of the 2.3" thick carbon-foam floor/base/flatbed for articulation. The 35" tires (actually 34.5") with sag are about 33" tall, so there is ~6.5" clearance when articulating, and 4.7" straight. It's tight but no rubbing so far. If it does I'll just raise the rear end a bit, no big deal.

 

[IdaSHO]

We sit at 10'3" and spend 90+% of our time in the PNW.

In the past 10+ years with this setup, only a handful of times was height a problem.
In those instances, only once did it result in turning around. The others, it was simply a matter of ratchet strapping a limb out of the way, or cutting.

We are narrow though, with helps tremendously. Camper is just a few inches wider than the cab. We dont even need to extend the mirrors.

Here is one example of how we travel.... This particular trailhead (backpacking trip) was at the end of a 30+ mile long dirt access road.
The last 6-8 miles was a single track, traversing the side of the mountain. We were scrubbing branches/bushes, whatnot for MILES.

Had we had a "traditional" width camper, it would have been a no-go. But if the front bumper fits, and we can sneak under.... here we go!

And the looks we get at trailhead like these from Jeep and Toyota guys.... priceless

 

[deserteagle56]

I don't know if yours hugs the cab like this, but I do like that feature! I've noticed that a lot of flatbed models are too far above the cab... like FWC for instance.

That will depend on how much flex is in your truck's frame. I had to make a platform for my camper to raise it ~3" above the cab of my Dodge. Otherwise, when I got it in a good twist (to where one front tire and one rear tire just about come off the ground), the cab and the camper would make contact.