Learning From Previous "Mistakes" - A 2012 Tacoma Build Thread

ah ok. I also decided against white for mine. Didnt want to look like a contractor truck

 

Funny how easy it is to slip into that category. I've gotten a couple of questions before from people asking why I put a "cheap" aluminum topper on my truck thinking that it's a baseline one-size-fits-many thing instead of the Alu-Cab beauty that it is.

 

The V2 is really nice

 

Don't make me drool too much, the install is still a week and a half away and I'm crazy giddy with excitement.

 

Well, the truck is packed, cleaned, and ready for 9 days on the road! The GFC install is tomorrow and then we head for Canada to camp and ride our hearts out.

 

Well, it happened! The GFC is on and the break-in was an 8 day trip following the pickup. We began in Denver and made our way to BC and hit Kelowna, Kamloops, Pemberton, Whistler, Squamish, and Vancouver along the way. What amazing camping and biking we got to experience, it was a heck of a trip. Now that we've got some time in the camper under our belt, we are very happy and look forward to refining and improving the setup inside (without bed interior build out stuff - I like an open bed when I'm not camping).

There are so many reasons I went with this setup and not a roof top tent (I've had hard shell and soft shell ones in the past), along with ditching the topper setup. I wanted the bed to have the option of being enclosed and lockable, to have interior space for sleeping and living alike, while not doing too much to disrupt daily drive-ability of the truck when it comes to weight and aerodynamics. Of course, there are always compromises to each of these things when it comes to any setup, but the Go Fast Camper blends many of my criteria effortlessly.

 

More pics! More pics!

 

Got the truck out for another run last weekend in the Crested Butte/Gunnison area! Slowly learning the way things work and how I want to begin to tune the setup. Still loving how the truck drives and how the setup works!

 

How bad is the milege hit due to the GFC?

 

I'm still trying to figure that out. Daily driving previously with my Alu-Cab topper got me to 18-18.5mpg. I was seeing lots of 16mpg tanks during my big road trip to Canada after picking it up, but it was also fully loaded and long days in the car had me pushing the truck to higher highway speeds than I would normally run (75-80mph vs 65-70mph). Because gas prices are where they are, I've been commuting to work by bike a lot and haven't had a "normal" gas tank yet.

Long story short, I think my real MPG loss will be between 1-1.5mpg, as I've seen better fuel economy on trips where my speeds were more reasonable, like my time in Canada and my recent Crested Butte trip during which I didn't have much, if any MPG loss from normal.

 

Have you had any issues with dust or water in the bed with the GFC?

 

Water - no.

Dust - only as much as could seep in through the gaps here and there in the bed. Nothing that I can tell was a result of lack of sealing on the GFC, so no complaints here! A quick hose down seems to keep it all clean inside after a dirt filled trip.

 

Not too much to report as of late. Since I consider the build 90% done, I've just been enjoying her lately. Sure, there are other smaller things here or there that I would like to do when the money presents itself (OEM TRD Pro headlights, ditch or upgraded fog lights, etc) but I'm really happy with where I am. A couple pics below from a recent trip into the Eagle, CO area to camp and ride, along with the first glamor shot post-camper install.

 

I spent nights 10 and 11 in the GFC last weekend in the Frisco, CO area. Got in some riding, camping, and time at Outer Range Brewing - not a bad way to kill a weekend. The more I get to drive the truck, the more happy that I am with the setup. The suspension feels so solid for the off road driving that I use it for, the camper elevates the experience significantly, and having a truck fridge is just so freaking sweet.

 

Nights 12 and 13 in the GFC! Really enjoying it thus far, just trying to work through a couple of small issues to get everything dialed. The GF and I spent some time in Steamboat Springs camping and riding last week - all fun except for the intense thunder and lighting storm that sent us into the cab late Friday night just as we were trying to go to bed.

 

I may have missed this in an earlier post but what suspension upgrades do you have for your setup?

 

See post #8 on page one. It is a Fox 2.0 F+R setup with Dakar leaf packs and some other misc. parts to round out the package.