AT Habitat, Atlas, & Summit Pictures, ideas, aaand BS

And you have a brake controller, right?

 

that tacoma w/ the towing package has a max tongue weight of ~600lbs. You should just get a hitch scale and figure out how much it is and get leaf springs accordingly. You can deal w/ it by getting airbags if you don't plan on towing all the time. the issue w/ uprated leaf springs is that if you aren't towing something you're going to be in a world of pain all the time.

 

I'm going to disagree with the world of pain. I've loved the improvement the Deavers and Bilsteins have made, from nothing but the habitat and batteries/fridge, to fully loaded WITH a trailer. And these are the Stage 3 springs. So lighter could be installed if you don't normally have the 200+lbs beyond the Habitat as the constant load.

 

I was stating compared to a stock truck.

Also, wrt drop hitch.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/towing-hitch-drop-on-2016-sr5-4x4.430926/

 

And really... this is a bit of a moot point since he's about to leave with that trailer... no time for upgrades before towing it 1500 miles Looks like too much to safely tow with the truck as setup, but that's just my opinion. Might feel ok??

 

Not yet, but it's one of the top things on the list before I actually try and take this trailer anywhere

I knew there had to be something like that out there, but every time I mentioned it at the multiple trailer places I went to, everyone just looked at me like I had a rubber asshole on my forehead. I also got told at one place that tongue weight doesn't matter, but I didn't figure it would be a thing with a max load capacity if it "didn't matter"

 

PHEW* Glad you are getting the brake controller

There are some convoluted ways of weighing tongue with a bathroom scale and some pieces of wood you can lookup online. I've never tried, but looks doable if you've got some materials handy.

 

Nope nope, the trailer is staying here until I get back. I was trying to get a load of stuff moved to ID before this trip happened. This long trip is just gonna be me, my mom and the dog plus our likely minimal gear. I am planning on doing some rockhounding in TX though, I plan on bringing back as much flint and chert as the truck can handle, lol.

 

That.... looks complicated. You were right about it being convoluted, lol

 

how much black pipe do you need?

 

And so this doesn't get lost in the shuffle...

I have no experience with this either, but would love some input as well. I don't plan on seeing that much snow, but a couple inches could be possible. All I have for a heater right now is a Mr. Buddy, that we only use when awake. I know closing off the bed platform from the rest of the truck bed is a big help on maintaining body heat while sleeping. And we are currently relying on a 0 degree bag for myself, and a -30, i think, for my wife.

 

http://hildstrom.com/projects/tonguescale/index.html

Enough to cover the scale i guess, and you need a brick for hte other side too. though i'm sure a hunk of 2x6 would work, just to level things out with the scale.

 

I haven't gotten to spend a night in my Hab yet, so take my ideas with a grain of salt. Something I had been thinking about were those engine warming units you can install on the cooling system. I forget what exactly they're called, but they burn fuel on their own and circulate the stuff, so you don't have to have the actual engine running while it works. I had also been thinking of rigging up some kind of liner to put in the Hab if things get real cold. I bet a liner of those mylar blankets would help a ton, but I also imagine they'd be pretty damn loud, kind of like trying to sleep inside a giant potato chip bag, lol. My normal go-to for cold weather sleeping is a 64oz metal water bottle (single wall) like a kleen kanteen filled with hot water, inside a wool sock. You just have to be careful about how hot you get it, and make sure it's SEALED; nothing better than waking up in the winter with wet cold feet and a wet sleeping system.

 

I had been thinking of airbags mainly for the ability to level the Hab for sleeping. As I understand it, there are also shocks out there that can be adjusted for stiffness depending on what you're hauling.

 

If it's windy or a nuisance w/ rain, I keep it closed. W/ snow I pack a leaf blower.

I also have central heating, just need to install it.

propex/webasto/espar heaters do the trick and come in propane, gasoline, and diesel/kerosene models.

trillium electric blankets and electrowarmth mattress heating pads also work great.

fashy hot water bottle at the bottom of the bag is great for below freezing weather.

I avoid using mr buddy type heaters because they create condensation. An oil lamp would work to keep the interior bearable. a 9,000 btu kerosene heater would keep the interior toasty w/ the help of a fan.

 

You're thinking hydronic heaters.

the habitat has the side walls insulated, it's just the door and the wall next to the cab that's uninsulated. You can add carpet like I did or add insulation and carpet on top. Keep in mind, Mylar Space blankets and reflectix are only radiant barriers, they have practically 0 R-Value, you'll need actual closed cell foam to keep the cold out. If you put up a fabric wall on the inside of the tent to give you a second layer, that would keep in very well. The AT Summit has those quilted panels for the tent walls as additional insulation.

 

If the habitat is a permanent fixture + any camp equipment, then you should get leaf springs that account for that load. the max stock payload is like ~1600lbs for the tacoma before it sags too much to have any suspension travel. But realistically you shouldn't be running more than 300lbs in the bed w/o an add-a-leaf or full leafpack upgrade. Once you account for your permanent weight, then you can get airbags for additional tongue weight you might encounter from towing.

my rear axle weight is 3280. stock is ~1886. so I need a leaf pack that can account for 1,394lbs of load. (on order)

 

Ah that's what they were called. I read some folks thinking about adapting them to also heat the Hab, with no risk of fumes and such. Maybe even on this thread, I can't remember where I first saw them. That's what I was thinking with the mylar blankets, string them up on the inside of the tent with an airspace between the liner and tent fabric for dead air insulation, or couple them with a fabric backer and do the same thing. Mylar is most effective the closer it is to your skin/source of heat, but too close and you'll start sweating and getting condensation, in my experience with them.

 

WOW, that's a lot of weight. I'm very glad I went with the Stage 3 (700+ lb constant). I was on the fence about it originally. Figured Stage 2 (500-700) would be good enough. I woulda been wrong, but luckily both my wife and a friend of mine thought heavier was better so I went with that. I really do wonder how it'll be once I get a rear swingout bumper and load that up.