Cab Over Camper Thoughts

Check your owners manual it has all the camper info you need. sweet camper!

 

either its dragging ass loaded up or its a shitty rough ride unloaded. or you put bags on it.

 

If you want to stay at stock height

 

wut?

 

Air bags are a good answer for hauling and staying at stock height , if you are lifting you have more options

 

air bags are adjustable


im not quite following you.


the air bag set up will allow the truck ti be lowered to make it easier to load a trailer or the OTC camper. But the air bags will have to be fillled to the proper weight for the cargo he is gonna carry.

so say you put the psi up by 20lbs to cover the 1,000 lb camper once yoy utake the camper off wouldnt leave the bags set to 20lbs casue with no load on the chassiss the truck will be riding on a jacked up high bac end and it will hanle like crappola

 

I know how air bags work

If he was lifting his truck and wanted to add rear lift capable of heavy loads he could go with Dakars or AllPro Expos , but unladen the truck would still be lifted

Air bags are good for hauling and you can maintain stock height

 

Here's a couple of pics of mine in my first Taco.
You will definently need airbags, but they are cheap and easy to install.
In order for my truck to sit level I had to have the bags at 100 psi (max pressure).
I liked having the slide in as it was great for quick stops, however I hated the fact that you have very little spot to put things once you stop. All your gear (BBQ's, bikes, boards etc.) has to be pulled out and put somewhere were it will hopefully not get stolen or wet.
I much prefer having the truck bed and cap to store and lock things and a seperate trailer to sleep in.
Since you already have this, and it was a great deal, you could always do the opposite and pull a utility trailer.
Anyways, just my experience.



Shawn.

 

I was pretty dead set on getting a used fourwheelcamper Eagle model for my tacoma to use for extended camping(months). Dry weight is 800lbs not including added options. Gear+water+food and extras would be at least 3-400lbs I estimated. Top off the gas tank and your looking at 1300lbs minimum in the bed. I plan on keeping this truck for awhile, and I believe that the added stress to the drivetrain would greatly reduce the Taco's life. Especially for extended periods and miles.

So I said to hell with it. If I want to do it comfortably I need a full size. Plus you can get pretty decent campers for full size trucks at very good prices.

If I was going to use a camper on my Taco, I would get airbags or Dakars and beef up the front suspension as well. No way would the stock suspension ride decent with a camper on it.

 

Before I would use that thing I would load it up with your gear, propane, water,beer and food an take it to the scales. I will say you'll be well over 1400# and if you take that thing off road it will floop around like a fish. Your center of gravity will be much higher that is reason the small truck campers are pop tops, lighter, less wind load and lower center of gravity.

 

to the poster that said it was "nasty"..how? yes it is dirty, but hardly nasty. and we only saw the outside.

for $200 that is a really great deal. buy airbags, and have a great time. if you hate it, i'll give you $250.

 

I saw a guy with a Lance camper on a flat bed utillity trailer...he said he couldn't fit it in the Tacoma but it pulled just fine...I will try and find the picture..he had it fixed up pretty nicely!

 

i didnt see anything about the OP wanting to lift his truck AND use the camper.

this is pretty cut and dry.
if you put stiff leaf springs/shocks in the back to support 1,000+ lbs of cargo once the truck is empty it will be a rough ride that you will not like.

either go full air bag suspension or go with helpers.


if youre only using the camper once in a while and it doesnt justify installing them, just buy a tent.

do it once, do it right.

 

I'd like to maintain stock height. So I'm leaning towards a Firestone ride-rite set up in the back. I don't "regularly" haul stuff, but I have motorcycles, pontoon boat, and now a cabover, so I can "justify" it.

Question is, would airbags be enough? Would I also want an AAL / Overload Spring?

Also thinking about Timbrens in the rear with Wheelers super bumps up front (Might do wheelers up front regardless).

That's a sweet little pop-up. I was looking for one for a while but gave up about a year ago. Then this one fell in my lap.

Did that taco have the 2.7 in it? What other mods besides the airbags did it have?

Agree with the storage issue Shawn, but it's better than my current set up.

The weight will be an issue. But I think it will be fine. The more I look at expedition portal and other Baja sites I'm pretty sure the Tacoma can handle it.

This cabover was built in 1987 for mini trucks. Even with beefed up suspension most of those trucks had less than 1/2 the horsepower and torque we have in our 4.0's. I'm also glad I have a 6-speed (regardless of what people say about the T/O issues) It gives me a chance to have better control of RPM's.

I'll def be doing a few smaller trips before Baja in June. My GF would kill me if we didn't take a few weekend get aways with it before I take off with my 12 buddies for a week in Mexico.

I'll also hit the scales with it to see exactly what I'm dealing with.

Which suggestion by Pete are you referring to?

I couldn't have said it better myself. I know it's a little used, but it's $200! I could buy 60 of them for the price of a decent FWC (if I could even find one for 12k)

I'd love to see whatever pics you have of it!

I don't want to lift my truck (at this time). Once the stock TRD suspension is shot then I might be going towards something aftermarket with minimal lift (~1.5"-2").

I don't have the TSB leafs but don't mind them under normal conditions and want to maintain as close to a stock ride as possible when not loaded down.

That being said what would be the most efficient route to go (cost and effectiveness?

• Firestone Ride-Right Airbags in the Rear
• Timbrens in the Rear?
• AAL / Overload leaf:
• Wheelers Super Bumps? (I think I want the front super bumps regardless, but am unsure of the rear).

Any input is welcome. First hand experience is even more appreciated. And Pics are a plus.


Thanks for all the input!!!

 

all my buddies that have cab overs use airbags. most of them have bigger trucks than our tacomas tho.

and FWC are so last year..the owners old the company and opened PHOENIX campers..which is so much cooler than the old FWC's. google them and watch/listen to your wallet shriek in fear!

 

for 200bux...it could be fun, if you are 20-somethin' and into camping & beer drinkin' w/ buddies.

although at my age...I'm more a room at a resort and a good bottle of wine kinda guy.

 

Wow! I was already so obsessed with FWC that I hadn't even seen the Phoenix line!

They are the 3-leaf pack (non-tsb) not sure how worn out though. I've had it for a little over a year and the girl I bought it from NEVER put any weight back there.

It seems like the general consensus is airbags... I'm thinking super bumps up front too!

I like to pamper myself every now and then too! But I am twenty something and still have that adventurous itch!

I look at this as a good home base for surfing, dirtbiking, etc!!!

 

Got a response from Lance with some specs and info (pretty quickly too... within ~48hrs). Unfortunately not the clearest scans but it gives me some ideas.

Apparently this thing weighs 910lbs.

While that might not be the lightest thing out there it isn't bad for a hard-sided cab-over from the late 80's.

I still have some work to do to the camper. I plan on cleaning it up and "lighten it up" it wherever I can.

Also have some work to do to the Taco (I plan on going the Firestone Ride-Rite route)

A few questions now:

• Does anyone know where the best deal is on these?
• Any recommendations for securing / tie-downs to keep this thing on the back.

 

ok..love how you play hardball.

i'll up my offer to $300! damn, you are a shrewd business man

j/k,,good luck. you got the smoking deal of the century. i hunt alot, and that camper would hamper my hunting style..but i love it!!

i still sleep in tents, and my brothers trailer..