Wedge Campers & Assorted Oddities

I think part of the roof load limit is also going to be the strength of the Tacoma bedsides. I have seen 500lbs thrown around before as a limit for those. From what I have seen I think the bed of the Tacoma is going to start deforming before the DOM space frame of the camper.

 

The struts have a lot to do with the weight rating as well. Correct me if I’m wrong but those struts have a weight range of constant load. Meaning that (for example) if they have a range of 100-150 lbs, then they have to constantly be holding up that much weight for it to operate efficiently. That also means that I wouldn’t want 200-250 lb rated struts if I’m only going to have 150 lbs of weight up there or else it would be difficult to close and possible be more apt to opening up on you if not secured properly.

 

I just checked vagabond outdoors, 916tacotruck, mjongas32, bcmedelin, thewolfmobile, & overlanerd. Phil had one from the tailgate, but that was it, there were otherwise no other interior shots . Why is it an Easter egg hunt to find pictures? Who else am I missing?

 

If you have 500 pounds on the roof, we recommend you drive carefully. After all, there is 500 pounds of weight super high up on a mid size truck, and offroading would be dangerous, in addition to probably breaking your bed. The heavy weight limit is more for a trip across town to the hardware store, steel yard etc.

I wouldn't hesitate to drive in a spirited manner with a normal operable load on the roof, like bikes, skis, thule boxes, etc. 75-100# would be no issue.

Also this. If you put a really heavy strut on it for carrying a big load, its going to be really hard to close without that load. Our gas springs can comfortably lift and hold 75-100 pounds (assuming the weight is properly located on the roof). If you ran a spare tire hanging halfway off the back of the roof, its probably not going to hold open and stay open, so considering where the lifting force is applied is an important consideration.

 

There isn’t much to look at yet since none of them have built it out yet. It looks like the truck with a shell on it. Mj does have some videos of the interior of his on his ig account.

I’m sure we’ll see more pics and specs soon. I’d consider all of these are beta models since they’re not quite released to the general public yet so that’s why there isn’t as much info we all want to see just yet

 

What are people planning on doing as far as building out the bed?

My plan was to use my fridge/stove slide on one side and a tall/skinny set of two drawers mounted flush against the side in front of the wheel well. One drawer would hold kitchen stuff, and the other would hold misc/camp items.

I was going to take the top off of the fridge slide and put it on a hinge (so I can access contents from inside the camper), and make the drawers work as a char so I can use the stove as a table.

Anyways - got the stove/fridge slide mounted in today and I'm not sure I have enough room to put a drawer on the other side and be able to get in the bed between the two.

I'm 6'2 so not sure getting in on top of a short/fat drawer would work.

 

I’m doing something similar in mine. Fridge slide in roughly the same spot with water storage behind it. I’ll have a narrow drawer on driver side with storage behind it with a hinge top for access. Leaving as much space open as possible in the middle is the goal for me.
Don’t really have much for inside pics, but here’s something.....kinda.

 

Question: How mildew resistant (or not) is the fabric? I.e. you have to pull up camp with wet fabric.

 

Anyone have creative ideas for a handle to pull the tailgate up from inside?

 

The 18 oz vinyl coated polyester is mildew resistant. Any fabric, or hard surface for that matter, will attract mildew if subject to prolonged moisture. Not an issue if you’re camping in the rain and have to pack up. And because we use keder rope and awning track, water will not seep into the camper while packed. Because of the hard roof and waterproof fabric, it’s a good idea to popup the camper when you get back from a trip, even if it’s still raining.

The fabric is also abrasion and UV resistant, and tear & puncture resistant.

Like the rest of the materials in our campers, it meets the NFPA 1192 “Standards for Recreational Vehicles”. We checked the flame spread ratings (ASTM E 84) and made sure we were compliant with each material.

Bummed that shag carpeting wasn’t compliant...

 

The nice thing with wedge campers is you can pop them up part way and let them air out a bit that way. If you have a fan installed...even better.

 

We have an L-track circular mount on the ceiling (attached to aluminum tubing that’s welded to the roof and hidden under the ceiling panel) and a quick release fitting. A nylon webbing pull cord is attached to that. It’s used to pull down the roof, but you could quick-release the pull cord and attach another L-track mount to the tailgate. Dual purpose pull cord.

US Cargo Control 2" Round Anchor Point Tie Down Kit - Black

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00S...36_SY340_QL65&keywords=l+track+tie+down&psc=1

 

I attached a short length of webbing to one of the tailgate liner screws. Works great.

 

Awesome! Doing this. Thanks!

 

@dman100 No issues with that? Nice, simple solution. It’s been a while since I added the metal cap replace the but I think I remember the bolts thread into plastic inserts.

 

I have a short bed and cab-high shell so rarely sleep in back, so I maybe have only 5 or 10 pulls on the strap, but it’s holding up fine.

 

I have been very curious about water maintenance with your campers. Could you please elaborate a bit further on your design detailed above?? What will happen to the water once a wet tent is packed up?? Won't it all drip down onto what's beneath it (ie... Bedding, gear etc). Thanks!!

 

When the top is up, it’s not that difficult to keep rain water out of the camper with a hard roof and waterproof fabric. When folded down, water seems to seep into open spaces between the camper and fabric. With the 4wc’s, the fabric is sandwiched between an extrusion and the body. No open spaces at that attachment and no water penetration when the roof is down.
The keder rope is non-wicking and, with the awning track, creates a continuous fabric to camper connection with no gaps. And the awning track sits below a vertical section so water won’t travel upwards.
If the seal between the roof sections is not water tight in the closed position, just driving at highway speeds in the rain can force water into a non-continuous fabric connection.
That’s just my experience and there are many design factors that can influence this.

TL;DR: The water stays outside whether the camper is up or down.

 

Thanks so much for your response. I appreciate all the details. Got any pictures to illustrate your setup??

 

I just found this DIY pop up camper that's an actual hybrid lumber rack. Lol...not a bad DIY home made weekend type project. It definately looks DIY Home made on the weekend though.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Out-West-Truck-Camper-With-VW-Camper-Van-Inspired-/