Anyone haul a 4wheel camper?

Hello tw! Curious if anyone of you avid outdoor folk utilize a in bed pop up camper (dosent have to be 4wheel) in your adventures? Curious because I have tent camped for 20 years now and really hate cooking outdoor when my good is cold by the time I eat it and baja seasoning dosent help ie sand bugs etc. interested in feedback on how the v6 tacos handle the weight both on and offroad, also power wise. Any pros or cons on this subject and a few pictures or sorties would be greatly appreciated. I have allpro expos with timbren bumps in the rear just FYI. Thanks for reading!!!!

 

Sports/Hobbies/Interests forum: http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/sp...ind-rv-travel-trailer-camper-do-you-have.html

 

Deff not the camper I was asking to hear about but good try. They are in bed truck campers.

 

We had a class C RV. We didn't like having to put everything away everytime we went somewhere. We much prefer setting up camp once
IDK if they make that style camper for a Tacoma? You're definitely going to have some suspension upgrades in your future if you find one.

 

I hauled one with my 96 Tacoma for well over 10,000 miles.
Worked great in the truck, the 05+ with a V6 would be much better.

 

Nice old rig shawnd2. Those old sun lite are a bit heavier than the campers nowadays. The model I'm looking at is either an eagle or fleet from 4wheel camper. Dry weight is about 800lbs wet with water propane is about 950-1000 not including camp gear. What kind of suspension did you have under that 1st gen?

 

Go here http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/forums/75-Pop-up-Truck-Campers and here http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/

 

Yes sir, I have an FWC Eagle on my '10 DCLB. We just got back from a trip out to CA and back with no problems. The V6 pulls it fine. You've already done the suspension mods so you shouldn't have any problems there. I'm running OME Dakars w/AAL and Ride Rite Air Bags w/Daystar cradles. You'll want load range E tires. The braking is a little weak but I changed over to SS brake lines and that helped quite a bit. I'll be doing a front brake upgrade (rotors/pads) soon.

As mentioned above checkout the Expedition Portal and Wander the West, tons of information there. Let me know if you need anymore information. Good luck.

 

I had stock suspension with airlift airbags. Lots of guys use the firestone bags which I'm sure are good, but I must say the Airlift brand bags didn't give me any trouble at all over the 10+ years I had them.
The truck rode great, the 2.7l could have used a bit more power as my foot was to the floor in 4th gear most of the time, but again I can't complain as I think I have a photo of my truck turning. 400,000kms without any issues over 3000kms away from home in NewFound Land.

Shawn

 

I found a 1990 Scamper in great shape a few years ago, these were built for S10s/Rangers with a 6' box. The seller had used it for years in his 1st gen Tacoma. It sits on a frame in my box that raises it the 1.5" needed to clear the box rails. It's snug but I can close the tailgate (and still use the back up cam) when I'm hauling it. It runs about 1000lbs so Ride Rite air bags were needed to support it.
I've used it in both my old 2009 DCLB Sport and now my 2013 DCLB SR5. As another poster mentioned Load Range E tires are a good idea for this application. Last year I took the 2009 with camper to western Montana (no trailer) and it handled the trip very well. I did notice more wear on the rear tires than the front after I returned (not Range E tires, Geolander HTS). The truck had to work hard on a couple freeway mountain passes but otherwise cruised along with a couple mpg loss. Nine nights were spend in the camper and I slept very well even at rest stops.
A camper this size would not be good for serious off roading. I take it on fire roads with the occasional partial washout and it does fine but with 30-40lbs in the air bags the back is pretty stiff.
This is the only shot I have so far of the camper in the new truck. We're about to head off for a long 4th of July weekend trip. The trailer is nice for totting all our gear (2 kids, 2 adults). I could have packed it all in the camper but prefer to spread out the load when possible. The truck did fine but you do notice a little more downshifting on the hills but nothing to slow the trip.



When I get all the pictures rounded up I'll be doing a write up of my new and improved system for mounting the camper to the truck.

Here is a photo of it in use from last years trip:

 

Thanks for the stories and info. Yes I am a member of both sites above and they are both very helpful. I figured I'd ask on tw because this site is filled with more avid off-roaders it seems. I'm not gonna be doing hard core 4wheel driving but always could come across a challenge in baja since that's where I go most the time

 

Roundhouse reminded me of why I eventually got rid of mine is that without a trailer I found you had very little space to store things and I found I was constantly loading and unloading things like BBQ, cooler etc. and had no place to pit the stuff once out of the truck.
Whereas with a tent trailer most of that kind of stuff could stay in the back of my truck until needed.

Shawn.

 

Very true, this setup works best with two people. With two people I fold down the back seat and use it to pack all the extra stuff. For longer trips and rougher roads I don't want the trailer along.

 

We just did the rear seat mod from this guys build thread over on EP, scroll down to post 66 (the whole thread is great). It worked like a champ for our trip out west.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...enity-an-08-Tacoma-DC-overland-build-up/page7

 

If you want to save on weight and maintenance try a fiberglass camper like the northern lite 6-10. You lose a lot of clearance but the difference in fuel economy is pretty minor and the things last forever. Power-wise, I had probably 1500 lbs at times on a recent trip and it was pulling yup the hills like a champ. No concerns with power. You'll be fine with the v6.

 

It seems whenever I go camping everything comes out of the truck and on to the ground anyway. I hate having to climb in the bed or lean over the side to grab something. I was thinking it would limit a lot of crap I normally bring and focus on the needs instead of want. One of the major reasons is long trips it's a mental game changer to get out of the elements other than just laying in your tent. I'm looking into these model campers for the space and comfort. Yes I know not that much space but you know what I mean anyone have any pics of you wheelin with a camper?

 

No pics I prsume

 

I haven't done any wheeling yet. Just decommissioned forestry roads and open fields. Nothing that warrants photographing.

 

There's a Four Wheel PopUp Camper for sale over on the Expedition Portal. Real good price.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...2-Four-Wheel-Campers-quot-Eagle-quot-For-Sale

 

Round house, I made the same trailer out of my '98 extend cab S-10 years ago and actually have it for sale for $500, just need to get it out of my driveway. I only use it for storage now and need the space. Mine is titled as a trailer which was a pain in the ass to do in Pa. which from what I understand you can't do anymore. I've had a couple different caps on it over the years.