Looking for some wisdom on camping setups

Okay so I want to build out my Tacoma so I can camp anytime but there are so many options, choices...how did you ultimately decide to setup your Tacoma?

I have a 2021 SR5 access cab with long bed. I also live in Indiana so seasons are something to consider.
I have looked at the GFC campers
Hard tops/soft tops (Ikamper, Roofnest, Tuff Stuff, Tepui and more)
Different bed racks
Bed organizers (decked)
Even small pull behinds like Taxa that could fit in a garage.

There is just so much out there I could spend my entire life watching videos, reading reviews and I would still be in the same spot. My wife is loosing her SH$$$$$T!

Seriously, any wisdom much appreciated!

 

We've beaten this to death quite hard here at TW, but here's an okay place to start:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/questions-about-overlanding-in-my-taco.655391/

Things to make a priority:
Enough space for you and your people/ critters
Staying dry
Staying warm
The end?

Find your comfort level and budget. Plan according to both of those things. When it comes to gear, LIGHTER IS ALWAYS BETTER regardless of what engine/ transmission you have. Warm can be handled with the right sleeping pad and bag. Dry is a quality shelter or properly set up tarp, even if it isn't a RTT.

My fiancé, dogs and I are short enough to use my camper shell to sleep in. Before that, I slept under my tonneau cover and a tarp in all sorts of weather. Plenty of people on here are doing the same thing with much success. YMMV IF you absolutely have to have a RTT, then go for it.

Remember, if you have a RTT, then you have to pack everything up to drive anywhere.

 

Similarly, I have some relatives that are into the Scamp camper things. They're cool and retro if you like that, or you could do a teardrop build if you are handy.

 

Greetings!
We are also new to truck camping and I have found myself going down the "YouTube overland gear" rabbit hole for many wasted hours. Our truck is a 2019 SR5 AC 4x4 V-6. We want to do road trips with dispersed camping, mixed in with occasional stops at campgrounds or towns for showers, restaurant meals, bike rentals, etc. We have no desire to get into intensive off-roading, just want to get away from the crowds and infrastructure constraints a bit. I need to maintain the ability of everyday driving, so all mods need to be either removable or dual-purpose. Here are some of our thoughts:

1. We need to actually camp a few times to really determine our real gear needs vs. cool gadgets on the internet. We can use gear we have available, and take shorter trips, to get started.

2. I've ordered a Diamondback HD tonneau cover, in smooth black. If we get serious I'll add a FrontRunner low-rise load bar kit for a RTT. Both of these items will be useful for every day, and will form the foundation should we take the next step. I'm security-sensitive, both for every day and for road trips, and the Diamondback is one of the best in this regard. With the RTT removed, the load bars can handle enormous amounts of lumber, sheet goods, etc, for daily use.

3. I'm thinking we'll soon want a RTT if we take to truck camping, for all the reasons people like RTT's. I've narrowed the choice down to the Roofnest Sparrow XL. Mounted on the FrontRunner rack, it will sit flush or slightly below the truck cab. Perfect for low C.O.G., best fuel economy, easiest ladder access, rapid deployment/breakdown, ability to leave bedding in place, 2+ person comfort, and maintaining the ability of our truck to access underground parking garages, and top clearance on tight roadways. I first this general setup on LLOD's channel and really like it.

4. Our gear will be separated by use/purpose: sleeping, eating, personal hygiene, toileting, clothing, footwear, outdoor recreational, vehicle, and communications. We'll use totes of some sort to organize things, and most of it will live in the truck bed. We'll start with totes and gear we own now, and optimize as our actual use indicates. (From boating, I know that clear totes are preferable to solid because you can readily determine what's inside). Since the tonneau can't open with the RTT in place, I will make a simple "poor man's slide" from a sheet of high quality 1/2' plywood with oval handhold cutouts in the tailgate end, and a rubber truck bed mat on top. This sheet should slide out easily on the slick factory composite bed, and the rubber mat will keep the totes from shifting. (I would install a bedslide in a heartbeat, but it's extra weight, and reduces usable bed height under the cover by ~ 4").

5. Aside from installing a set of blue Sumo Springs to help with load leveling, I'd prefer not to make any major suspension mods. The truck as it came has proven incredibly capable in moderate off road situations, and our goal is road tripping/soft roading more so than serious 4 wheeling. Too, I don't see the wisdom in trying to decide on major vehicle mods until we've actually been out a time or two.

6. For the electrical, cooking, refrigeration, toileting, hygiene systems, we will add based on our camping experience, and generally favor keeping things simple, choosing items which have non-camping uses as well. We are boaters, so gear that has marine utility will be a definite plus.

I'm writing a novel, so I'd better stop. Interested in hearing others' thoughts on how to sensibly approach getting into Toyota Tacoma truck camping.

Warm regards, Mike

 

I went with a Leer canopy, an exped mega mat and a good sleeping bag, comfy and warm no matter the weather.
https://www.rei.com/product/113719/exped-megamat-10-sleeping-pad
I did go with a yeti cooler and wish that I just bought something powered like a Dometic cooler.

 

Appreciate all the replies so far!

 

When I started looking into a tent setup for the truck, it was mainly to please my wife. I have always slept in a ground tent, but my tent had seen better days after ~15 years of use so I needed to replace it. My wife wanted something farther away from bugs, which led me to looking at roof top tents. I started by looking at all of the options you mentioned. I took GFC off the list, as well as their competitors, because I didn't like the idea of constantly having something on the truck. I took the hard-shell RTTs off the list because I wanted something light enough that I could easily store in in my house. I went with Thule/Tepui vs CVT because I got a good deal from REI. I went with the Thule/Tepui Ayer 2 because it was the ideal size for my wife and I, and the weight of it was easy to manage. As for the rack setup, I went with the low-pro bars from C4 Fabrication. I picked them because they were low enough to allow for the tent to be below the roof line. Between the room under the tent/bars and the back seat of the truck, I don't lack storage for any of the trips we do or plan on doing in the future. Additionally, the low bars make it much easier on my back to load the tent onto the truck. I have no complaints with my setup, and would have done it exactly the same if i were to do it over again.

 

I keep it light as possible and prioritize on being able to go with minimal effort. All my camping gear lives in tubs that stay in the house when not in use, none of it lives on the truck (because it has other uses). Ground tent, ground tarp, sleeping bag and full length thermarest live in one tub, cooking gear in another, and another tub for stuff that is specific to what i'mdoing that trip (kayaking, hiking, etc).

Overall, if you're new I highly recommend getting something basic and inexpensive but well researched first and see how you like it and how it goes, then tweak the setup over time. Its easy to spend thousands of dollars on gear you don't need.

 

What’s the weight of your tent?

 

It's about 100lbs IIRC.

 

Ya, the next cooler I buy will be plug in, we traveled cross country last year with a pop up camper, and our Walmart yeti like coolers did well, but being able to toss some stuff into the cooler and not have to worry about melted ice water is always a plus.

 

K, about 26 pounds lighter than my desert armor hard shell I’m getting.

 

Put a cap on it to keep gear dry and secure. Buy a tent and other necessary camping gear. All you really need are a sleeping pad, decent sleeping bag, folding table and a stove that runs on propane. Of course folding chairs for each person and an ice chest. Instead of spending money on gear use it for gas to pay for the trips.

I live in GA, but have traveled everywhere between Miami and Montana doing that. Took our kids when they were growing up on multiple trips and are now working on the grand kids.

We used a pop-up for a lot of those years on trips within a days drive. Not worth the effort for longer trips. It takes near an hour to set up at the end of a days driving and another hour the next morning. We always just threw up a tent or got a cheap motel when traveling and then set up camp at the destination.

 

Should think about what you want out of "camping". Is it overlanding (all the rage, off road focus, sleep different places every night), touring (like overlanding, but minimal off road), state/national parks, boondocking, go to one place and setup for a while. How often do you plan to go? How comfortable do you and your travel companions want to be? How long every time you go out? The more nights you plan to be out there, the better gear you'll want.

Get what's right for you, not what looks cool.

 

This is as big as it possibly gets while still being stored in a standard 20x20 garage. The truck even fits in there with it.


If I didn't own this pig palace I would have gone with a hammock setup. Cheap, comfortable, and everything you would need or want at camp could be packed into a single rubbermaid tote.

 

Every pound makes a difference when I'm tired and just want to get to bed after a trip. Especially since I store it on the third story of my house.

 

Keep your truck as light as possible. Do you really need 1,000 lbs of gear to "camp"? Costs will then stay down also.

 

My 2 cents on the rtt.... we had one but found it to be a pain to climb out at 2am to go pee. We liked the idea and the versatility of the tent though.

 

Totally depends on your use case. I think the best advice is to start with a simple setup- ground tent, basic cooking supplies in a tote. Use that for a while and then see what you like dislike and change/upgrade things from there.

A lot of people buy a RTT and use it once and sell it. I’ve done the RTT thing first with a soft shell then a hard shell. Both worked good. Both had a lot of positives and negatives. I used to camp a lot solo and do a lot of quick overnight or weekend trips and for that the RTT was great. Things changed and now the RTT isn’t optimal for my situation so I moved back to a bigger ground tent.

Moral of the story. Don’t go out and buy a bunch of overland crap right off the bat. Start simple and build up based on your needs.

 

^this

^and this

People way over think the camping thing, they end up making it more technical than it really is.