Greetings Taco lovers

Long-time reader, first time engaging with the community. Thanks to all who have shared their knowledge on here, I look forward to future banter and info exchange.

I’ve had this truck for a decade, and don’t see myself parting with it any time soon. I’m usually based in either Tucson, AZ or Bozeman, MT but particularly since the pandemic started I’ve been living a nomadic life, maximizing my Taco’s overlanding abilities to distance from society

Loaded with a tent and trusty dog it’s toured me through Canada and Alaska, then “Fred” pulled a vintage travel trailer “Ethel” around the western US for a year while I restored her, followed by a custom in-bed camper setup that I used while road-tripping around Mexico for 6 months. Now I’ve got myself an 85 Jayco pop-up camper in the back, hoping to head back to MX in the coming weeks, but looking for ideas/info on how to maximize my current setup from y’all’s with more experience.

In the process of browsing through old threads regarding cab-over camper’s, but encourage anybody to link threads that you feel would be helpful for me to take a look at. Mostly trying to figure out the best electric/solar/propane setup, and whether to upgrade the 3-way fridge to a newer 12V model. Got a Yeti GZ400, and fabricating a mobile solar panel unit. Much work yet to come, likely a full rebuild of the camper, but just getting it usable for the next trip while I aclimate with my new setup.

Doing a Raptor liner kit on the entire truck next week, then working out a few small things with the camper before I hit the road again.

Look forward to getting to know you all better! ✌️

 

Welcome to TacomaWorld

 

Welcome! I'm a big truck camper fan myself if you can't tell by my avatar.

I will say I love our 12v fridge/freezers (yes, I literally have two totaling over 120 liters). Super efficient and doesn't use up any of our propane. I need to keep as much of that as possible for our fireplace and cooktop!

 

Thanks Lila and Ryan!

That’s what I’m thinking too, Ryan. I don’t want to be refilling my propane every week, particularly in MX where it can be annoying. Installing a 12V fridge will require me to rebuild the cabinetry on that side of the camper, which I plan to do anyway when I re-do the countertops/sink area, but I feel that if I get into that project now I’ll never get on the road so I’m planning to run it as-is for a trial 6 months or so before the overhaul. Also just spent about $4k on the truck upgrades and camper so my budget needs replenishing

I’ve got the fame-mounted Torklift camper tie-downs and turnbuckles near the cab (awesome CL find) but haven’t sorted out fastening down the rear yet. The lady I bought them from basically just had 2 I-bolts on the corners of the rear bumper that she fastened the turnbuckles to, and she said it worked fine on her Taco but I’d rather go a different route if possible/affordable.

A fireplace?! Dang-o!

 

Welcome to TW!

 

Yeah, here's the Fireplace option for the Scout Campers. No thermostat, but it works AWESOME. It'll cook you out. It was designed for boats/yachts.

 

Oh that is just sweet!

 

Welcome to TW!

 

That's a sweet vintage camper

 

Thank you! It's a 1962 Oasis 15ft. Picked it up in decent condition then spent 2 years restoring it all myself. Was a very fun and simple little trailer while I was pulling it around the Rockies, good ground clearance for a canned ham too, but a nice Californian family made me an offer that I couldn't refuse after that.

 

That's worth $1.4M in NYC

 

Hahaha! Man, I should have sold it there then! I did drive my Taco through downtown Manhattan once, gave a dude a high 5 out the window while he was hailing a cab. $75 in parking fees later and I was gone, only to pay more fees on every road and bridge that came my way until I hit Kansas City.

 

Stay in KC! NYC is for broke people (or the super wealthy). There's no BBQ in nyc