Looking for Veteran Advice: Sell/Modify my Truck

Hi everyone,

I'm battling with the decision to sell or modify my truck. I (think) I need something I can sleep inside and my 5ft bed makes that troublesome for my 6'2" tall self. ANY ADVICE IS SUPER HELPFUL. Below is a description of my truck and my problem. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE

My name is Rusty and I work in Wildland fire for a contract engine. I'm a nature dude and have thoroughly enjoyed my 2016 Tacoma TRD Sport 4X4 Double cab (Photos below) for the last 4 years. I've traveled all over the states rock climbing, canyoneering, and chasing powder and have put 92,000 (mostly highway) miles on my truck. Along the way I upgraded my suspension to Fox coil-overs, installed a Diamondback HD bed cover (to keep my climbing gear secure), and bought a winch and mount after biting off a bit more than I could chew in the eastern AZ wilderness. I've really fallen in love with this truck and its done (almost) everything I could ask of it. I've taken care of the important stuff. Changing diff/transmission/transfer case fluids, spark plugs, and breaks before they become an issue. I really want to drive this car until it's simply too expensive to fix, but the problem I'm running into is figuring out a way to sleep in the vehicle.

After 20+ multi week road trips, I realized that I need to sleep in my vehicle. I tend to get burned out when I have to stop, find cell service, go on freecampsites.com, to find a free dispersed camping area along my intended route. These campsites are often hit or miss and it really sucks trying to sleep next to loud neighbors or ending up in sketchy areas. Being able to camp in my truck would not only simplify my traveling process-just pull into a Walmart. But would also enable me to enjoy winter car camping when forest service roads are closed due to snow. I'm an avid skier and have been limited in my ability to chase powder to places I have friends. I can't afford lodging and again, dispersed camping is not an option in the winter.

I'm 6'2" and my bed is 5ft. I need more than just a camper shell to be comfortable in the vehicle. I've considered Go Fast Campers and AT summits but new they are pricey and lead times mean I won't be able to get one by ski season. They also eliminate the stealth aspect of camping and I'm wondering how important this is for ski season. I'd also assume they would be colder than sleeping in the back of a 4Runner. If anyone has an experience using a RTT or pop up camper in ski towns, let me know! I'm assuming its better to be under the radar in the city.

I've found a modified 4Runner with 120K miles and tons of upgrades for 28K on expedition portal. I'm thinking it would be better for my skiing situation, but I don't know if my modded out Tacoma will fetch 28K. If any of you know what my car would price at, I'd love a discussion about it below! If anyone has any other suggestions about cold weather car camping in ski cities, lets talk about that too! Again I really appreciate any feedback and if there is a better way/ different place to ask these questions on here, let me know!

Hope everyone is staying safe and keeping the adventure alive in these confusing times!
Best,
Rusty

 

Welcome to TW!

 

Welcome to TW

 

Welcome---- I don't need my truck for sleeping in like you but I have same problem if I want to. I'm 6' 2" also and would have to add a bed rack and a roof tent to sleep "in my truck"-- How many people do this in the snow on a regular basis? Is that even doable in freezing conditions? Or some sort of extension off the bed with a tent? I dunno seems like a lot of hassle (selling and trading or modding too much) to sleep. But depends how bad you need it.

 

Thats originally why I got the bed cover to support a RTT system. I agree with you, I thought it was a bit of a hassle to have to take it down every time I want to move my car I would have to take apart my entire camping setup. I think for winter camping in ski towns, I need a vehicle I can sleep in.

 

Thanks for the suggestion! I'll check them out this morning.

 

Welcome to TW!