I need some cargo help..

I have a roof top tent on top of the shell, but I have considered moving the bags to a roof rack over the cab, and buying a decked system for the bed. I THINK that might get it done, but I'm not certain.

Regardless, I'd need the cargo hard case or pelican type cases to rain proof the bags. It's just money....

 

You've got to be way over payload already; I would not be adding more stuff onto the truck (especially not on top).

 

Friends don't let friends drive Chevys.

 

It depends on the year and model. I've owned several chevy's including one that was traded for the Tacoma.

 

I'm going to agree with the folks suggesting a small trailer.

 

Pics of the bed loaded, please. There might be packaging tricks that will get you the space back.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/i-need-some-cargo-help.850584/#post-30390113

He did post them?

 

Okay, seeing them now. The photos didn’t load for me the first time. Thanks.

 

I had a family of similar size and ages that used to do multi-day trips with same-size camper shell on my 5’ bed.

Some thoughts:

I see a lot of space between the top of your gear and the roof. Consider taking the sleeping bags and pillows out of the bin-don’t bring the bin. We keep our sleeping bags in the large storage bags and they get pressed in at the very top of a loaded bed. Also, you could keep the pillows between both kids in the backseat of the cab. Keep a small cooler bag in the truck for snacks, which allows you to slide the heavy cooler back with the water to improve how the truck carries the load. My inflatable thermarest air mattress is the size of a Nalgene, so you can get a lot of space back by buying the kids’ future backpacking mattresses instead of big camp mattresses (I have them too, so I understand). I would ditch the hi-lift.

 

Probably. But I'd say most of us are, right? I see lots of Roam cases, giant Yetis, RTTs, roof racks, Jerry cans, etc.

That's not to say that since everyone is doing it, it's OK, but I think it goes with the territory to some degree.

 

I have BamBeds with plastic containers underneath. And apache roof cases. Because I ran out of room and did that to address it.

my first dream would be Decked and rear seat delete.
My better dream would be copying the overlandingunderbudget Ute build.

 

Ended up finding a Decked System in Facebook MP for $700. We'll see how it goes. I figure if I don't like it, I can sell it for nothing lost.

 

The new style for $700? That’s a steal

 

I thought so. It doesn't include any of the tan boxes, though. I didn't intend to use them anyways. I plan to build "cubbies" out of 1/4" plywood.

 

Unfortunately, as your kids get older, their space requirement will only increase. You *could* make use of a trailer-hitch cargo carrier. I know they have some that can tilt down etc. You can store your water and other hard items out back. Get a few water tight Plano storage bins and you've got a ton of extra space!

Another thing is to consider a 12V fridge, like an Iceco 45 VL. This will free you up from having to lose all of your ice-chest space to ice (which is usually around half of the cooler capacity). But, you will need to consider how you will power it. Those 12V power stations are stupid cheap these days. It used to be that you had to spend about $1,000 for 1kWH of juice. But I see them around $500 now for a decent unit like Bluetti and Jackery.

Also, consider those newer sleeping bags that are super lightweight and pack down really small. Don't be fooled by their size in the store. A lot of times they will pack down very very small. We've been eyeing the Nemo sleeping bags. We still use our old Coleman bags that are about the size of a boulder!

My wife and I love to go wheeling and camping. We pack HEAVY! Our 4Runner is loaded to the gills!

 

Somehow I grew up camping with my family of 8 plus a dog for 2 weeks out of a station wagon and a tarp covered load on the roof rack.
But I suppose it all depends on what you need.

 

I bring a ton of gear between ski guiding, climbing guiding and living part time out of the truck. I combined the AT Overland Habitat with a decked drawer system because the AT camper shell portion is taller than a typical shell. If you want to stick with the taco. Something like a taller shell, with a decked and cargo slide may help make the space more usable.

 

I bought these Ryobi Link crates at Home Depot for $19 each. The drawer can fit 4 crates perfectly. Almost like it was designed to work together. This allows me to pull an entire crate when setting up camp rather than opening the drawer 500 times for every little item which also means I can still use my tailgate as a workspace.

 

I like this idea! The Plano cases I have are great and can consume a lot of the bigger, taller items, but since they're so big, I find I put too much into them and wind up digging thru all of the gear to find things. In the future, I'm going to pare down to slimmer cases like you've got. Easier to find things and keep things organized. I'll probably get a rifle case from Harbor Freight (don't hate), and start sticking stuff up top that I don't need to access every time I stop and make use of that roof rack I've got.

 

Heads up: For anyone needing cargo storage in their vehicles for their camp stuff (or anything else for that matter), Harbor Freight is having a pretty smokin' deal on their Apache line of cases. I like the rifle case ($99 down from $149) and the 4800 X-Large case starting next friday.