Custom Flatbed - Work Truck & Camper

As she stands of April 2019:

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Hey Everyone - long time listener first time caller.

I'm working on a new project that i wanted to just preview here....In a few days I will be the proud owner of a 2012 Tacoma 4x4 access cab! I'm looking to do a lot of camping so I thought I'd build a hard top / utility top combo.

I started with a lot of sketches - and tonight I made a foam prototype and then brought it back into the computer.

Initial idea:


Working it in foam:


A more final version of this idea: [Here you can see two LED bars on each side, mounted to a roof rack, a spare + RotoPax fuel can mounted on top, recovery shovel and the long rectangular portion protruding under the window is a utility body style storage compartment. *Note: You are looking at the back end.]


A few of my considerations are:
1. Weight / Strength
3. Storage
4. Aesthetics
5. Convertability

The last point is a big one - in 2018 my girlfriend and I are planning a cross country trip SO I want to be able to take what ive build and fairly easily convert it to a pop up camper.

I'm thinking of getting a crappy hard top to build on, seen a few on Craigslist. Any way - I'm super excited about this and would love to get everyones input!

-Jon

PS I have a few other Tacoma projects that I'll include in a build thread soon.

 

Seems similar to an ARE MX series, but with side compartments and a roof rack.

Looking forward to what you come up with, love the design.

 

Check out this guy's build, it might interest you. http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/137366-Tacoma-aluminum-Pop-up

 

@WhiskeyTaco - Thanks! I do like the ARE MX and even had one priced out....but it would come in at over $2500. I am a bit cash poor but labor rich. I'm a fine artist by training but do carpentry/woodworking/renovations mostly these days.

@Bajatacoma - Thanks! That was a super inspiring post...I keep going back and rereading and checking out all the details. What a wealth of information.

I've been doing more work on my camper body model. Incorporating some new ideas. Also managed to track down a cheap hard top that should fit my Tacoma! Hoping to get it next weekend. Now onto the sketches...

I woke up and had an idea after looking at various other peoples solutions to camping/living short term in a hard shell. I got thinking that you need less space near your feet when you sleep than near your upper body. I figured it would be a good place to put some upright storage for things you use more regularly...cooking stuff, clothes, reading materials, etc. They would follow the contour of the door, too.



In wireframe you can see more of how I imagined the placement and fit.



Some other thoughts I had about the drawer set up. I think one side would definitely work well as the 'kitchen.'

I'm thinking of keeping a water tank in one of the spaces next to the wheel well, also.

Let the compulsion continue...

- Jon

 

subd

 

Hey everyone,
I was lucky enough to get the $60 A.R.E top this weekend and have started to turn this plan into a reality! Got some QST tonight after work and began to mock up the utility compartments. Just trying to work out the large shapes and overall feel of the boxes. Using scrap 1" rigid foam and scribing it to the side of the shell. From here I will probably keep refining the design and when I have something that I'm happy with I'll transfer the location and pieces to some 1/2" ply and build an armature for the fiberglass.

In the meantime I need to take out the windows, sand the whole thing down and and glass over the old openings. I plan to fit a piece of 1/4" ply in there and glass over both sides.
Got a bunch of sketches for other elements in the build I should upload soon, too.









In the meantime I made a little more eye candy...needed to see how this thing would actually look on the truck! Saturday she becomes mine.



Thanks for watching-
-Jon

 

Interesting.

Couple of random thoughts (not criticisms):

Probably just the way it looks in the design program, but that long, irregular-shaped window on the sides is going to be hard to replace if it gets broken, I'd try to find some sort of standard shape.

Are you planning on a stich and glue type construction? Just curious how you’re going to secure the side compartments so that they’re strong enough to carry weight without adding a bunch of weight during the construction.

With a pop-top it won't matter but for longer than a weekend I do not like raised platforms under a regular camper shell- just my personal opinion. I've gotten a little claustrophobic as I've gotten older (no idea why since I used to enjoy caving and stuff) but the main reason is that I like to be able to sit up and move around in the back. It makes it easier to stretch, change clothes and generally live out of, especially in inclement weather. When you get stuck in camp for a day or so it’s nice to be able to heat up tea or coffee, sit up and watch a movie on the laptop, read, play cards or whatever. You’re starting out short of space, making it even more cramped is just that much more restrictive. Yes, you lose some storage space but you’re making up for it with the exterior storage plus you have the area behind the front seats.

 

Sub'd

 

@Bajatacoma - Those are good points. Do you have any sources for windows? I've been trying to find something but with no success. I was considering junkyard but it would be annoying to use something that isnt being produced anymore and be stuck. As far as the side construct and connection, I made a drawing to show the details. As for camping for extended periods - I totally agree, this Im thinking will be just for 3 or 4 day trips at the most.

I plan to build the box separately and skin it inside and out before attaching it to the shell. Once its bolted on I'll glass the seams (you can see the pink putty fillet there where the two meet.) The support ribs will get glassed in.



- Jon

 

@ecliff5

 

This is awesome. Good luck with the project!

 

How did you get an A.R.E top so cheap?! Been looking for something under $500 forever and can't find anything decent...

Build looks amazing so far! Looking forward to seeing how it turns out, good luck!

 

I bought one on CL for $450. You gotta look all the time and be patient.

 

Cool design! I have lightweight camper build 1/2 done, its on this site. Far more basic than yours but similar ideA

 

Subbed! Awesome project!

 

No good ideas on finding windows other than places that cater to van and rv customizers.

I like the rib idea. How do you plan to deal with a possible future pop-top? Boxing it in?

I've been thinking about doing something similar for a while now so I'm watching how you figure out the issues. My fiberglassing skills are not very good though so I don't think I could do what you're doing.

 

Subbed!!

 

@Bajatacoma, I agree with some of your thoughts. Especially vertical space inside the shell. A cab high shell will not cut it, not even close. You will be kicking yourself later with all the work you put in including a drawer system. Great find on the ARE shell, but from your drawings, you will need to do a ton of addition and modification to get it as high as you are looking for. Might be better off starting with a heavy duty aluminum contractor cap. Not only will it offer rigidity, but maybe more ease to create the space you are looking for?

What about deleting the drawer system and introducing some under bed/bench storage similar to what the thread on Expedition Portal had featured?

As an option to still maintain storage access at the tailgate for cooking and such, use your side storage cabinets that follow the door (awesome idea), and put them on a beefy hinge on the inboard aft corner. That way you can swing each one individually toward the tailgate and access whatever you need. While traveling, it can latch up securely in its normal position as you have it on your drawing.

 

Welcome!! Looks like an interesting idea, subbed for sure!!

 

Styx- I was just passing on some info I’ve found and some ideas. My truck still has a cab high ARE CX series on it but I’m in the planning/dreaming stages of what I want in a camper. Right now I’m leaning towards an aluminum frame with structure panels of maybe nidacore- something that looks similar to the Tacoma Habitat from Adventure Trailers but with a pop-up top and sleeping area like a VW Westy. I’ve owned several Westys and have been pretty happy with the layouts and space utilization. I want to be able to stealth camp in it when necessary but open it up when possible. I also want to be able to remove the cabinets/shelves and utilize the truck as a daily driver. Currently the bed of my truck has a carpeted plywood floor on top of the truck bed with a cabinet down the driver's side; it's a compromise I started using on my '95 Tacoma but it allows me to sleep in it comfortably and still load junk in it. I have a utility trailer if I need to haul larger stuff.