Four Wheel Camper on new 2020 Tacoma

I realize a full size truck seems simply MASSIVE compared to a Tacoma, hell I left a 2500 Power Wagon to come back to a TRD OR.

That said in reality I think the Tundra is like 4.7” Wider (so say 2.5” on each side) and maybe 5-6” taller. Though if you’re doing a 4Wh Camper height must not be much of a concern. My only point is while a Taco might seem agile compared to a Tundra they’ve grown quite a bit since the Originals. Obviously compare dimensions for yourself but I think you’ll be surprised.

 

The 4 wheel campers look very cool and I am sure are great in the outback, but if you use your truck in the city traffic, I would consider doing something different, we have a Casita 17 ft SD travel trailer for our camping needs which we do several times a yr, its nice to just unhook when at destination and use the truck to move around with, and I have a Leer 180 shell for my Nevada outback camping outfit, I am a minimalist when camping and exploring, gold mining, metal detecting, in Nevada. I do tow a 700 Rhino behind the truck, but its maybe 2,000 lbs max, and I sleep in the Leer shell when out there for a week at a time. Maybe check into some of the offroad travel trailers. Your probably gonna be over weight with tacoma or Tundra with a 4 wheel camper, there is so much stuff we take along camping every time, even the bare essentials add up. Not sure if there would be a legal way to setup a 4 wheel camper on a truck, unless a bare minimum shell. If you decided on a Tundra I would still outfit the suspension way over stock. They do not build trucks like they used to for load bearing. Maybe there is a different brand truck with a much larger payload that would work for your 4 wheel camper? I know some trucks have over 2,000 lb payload.

 

https://youtu.be/cifmm424s2M

 

That setup is pretty cool. I recently picked up a softopper and have been thinking about buying their "tent" that lets you sleep in the bed with the tailgate down.

This guys version is essentially one that is insulated and fits under a hard canopy. Really cool actually.

 

Whichever truck you choose, the best way to dial in the suspension is to get things installed and then weigh the axles of the truck independently at truck scales. Then you can decide what suspension you need for front and back.

Basic suspension for these trucks is: front coil springs hold the front weight, with shocks inside the coils to manage movement. Leaf springs in the rear hold rear weight, with rear shocks to manage movement. You can add airbags in the rear to add more support for higher weight carry and adjustability, but it comes at a cost of more things to manage and more things that can go wrong. May be good option for you though since you are removing all that weight when not in use.

It's good to know how much weight you need to support though when figuring out springs and shocks.

Tacoma will manage just fine if that's the size truck you want. There are lots of us with lots of miles on our Tacoma/FWC rigs (I'm living in mine in so cal right now!)

But definitely make sure you pick the truck that will suit your needs and wants before building camper and suspension.

Look forward to seeing where you land.

 

Heck two people on this forum just built Tacoma FWC rigs to tour the world in! If you decide to stick with the platform keep the questions coming.

Things to decide like manual vs auto, double cab vs access, slide in vs flatbed, regearing, etc.

You're in for it now

 

Yeah, what everyone else said. Spend some money and get a nice suspension upgrade/lift. Front coilovers, rear shocks, and maybe a new leafpack. On all of them, just buy the nicest ones you can afford and you'll be content.

Given any thought to an alternative? FWC and the AT Habitat are on my short list:

https://www.goose-gear.com/products/at-overland-tacoma-habitat

 

nice rig! How many miles have you put on yours?

 

Thanks! About to hit 30k on the truck in 4 years, about 8k since the camper went on in August though.

It's an amazing combination platform.

"Home"

 

Nice, how’s the truck taking the weight? Do you have a build thread?

 

No build thread, have been meaning to, one of these days

It's a shell model that I've built out so pretty light on the weight compared to fully kitted campers. The dobinson 550kg rated leaf pack has been enough for my needs so far (I'd estimate it's around 1200lb fully loaded, I don't have a lot except tools and 20 gallons of water).

I like to go fast on and off road, so suspension and power are a must. Would like to move to 5.29 gears at some point, but the manual gearing has been pretty good so far, just need to adjust expectations on highway inclines.

I'll probably swap shocks to ADS that are custom valved for the weight at some point in the near future as the standard icons I have don't keep up even with compression adjustment. Any OEM replacement style shock kit just isn't valved right for that rear weight. Probably most people will be okay with it though.

Biggest complaint is the slide in turn buckle setup, as they groan and clunk and need to be checked frequently for loosening when run hard on rough terrain.

 

definitely the 5.29 gears are nice especially for going slow on uphill rough roads. My 0ME shocks and front springs are handling the weight great but the rear leaf Dobinsons L59-176-R which are rated to 2,000 lbs were completely flat on mine; had to go with a custom rear spring package, but you’re lighter.

I’ve complaints about the mounting system on the slide-ins as well

 

I have the same leaf pack, according to the dobinson spec sheet they're rated at 580kg constant load (1275lb), so you're waaaay over weight on them.

 

Last trip I scaled at 5980:


These trucks seem pretty capable despite the small payload ratings. My $0.02

 

you’re correct that spring capacity is 1,275lbs each. so the total capacity For both springs is 2,550 lbs which is less than what I’m carrying (camper is 1,400 lbs, flatbed is 250, and the misc gear is might be 300. The rest of the truck rests on the frame and front springs/axle. Still, they didn’t handle the weight

 

my 2010 FWC Eagle shell's name plate says 530lbs. i have roughly 245lbs of solar panels/AGM battery/wiring/fridge/yakima bars to bring the base setup to around 775lbs. driver and passenger are under 350lbs which means i can still add 325lbs of gear as my 2013 ACLB 4X4 MT has a payload rating of 1450lbs. that 325lbs does get eaten up quickly especially when you add extra water/fuel etc but its doable.

when i first bought the shell i planned to add a sink, water tank, stove, shower etc for convenience but never got around to it and after a couple years of use i realized i didn't want it and would rather stick with portable stuff and bring it or not depending on the trip. at times the options would have been nice but more often it wasnt necessary and i was glad i didn't have it on board to carry the weight and give up the space (the 6ft couch and a book is a game changer to wait out afternoon rain). i dont add permanent options for a 5% of the time need.

the Tacoma makes its money as a small & capable package and i love mine but if i felt i needed a fully loaded FWC i would be looking at a bigger truck. others run more weight than i do and say its fine but i know how mine handles even with significant suspension upgrades on and off road and running it heavier would start to really limit where i could go.

TL-DR - its totally possible to run a FWC on Tacoma and not be overweight but you gotta start with the most stripped down base setup and choose your gear wisely.

 

I don't think that's how it works. You get a total payload weight rating, which is 1275lb total for the truck.

See this spec sheet which shows quantity 2 payload 580kg.

Edit: double checked with a dobinson guy, it's for the pair, so you've been running way over weight. No wonder they're sagged out!

 

That's funny. I spent the first 5 years of my life in Inuvik, I don't remember much of that but I know dad did that trip multiple times in his 1973 GMC 1/2 ton truck when it was new. A good set of tires and drive for the conditions and dad and others did just fine (and no doubt that road was in worse shape then it probably is these days).

I live near the start of the Alaska Highway now and I see those trucks roll through sometimes, I don't know what they're idea of what life is like up there but its nothing like they seem to have built up in their head, lol.

 

If I can go back in time I would of purchased a 1st gen Tundra 2005 or 2006. V8, more payload, steel bed, not much bigger than a 2nd gen Tacoma. Wish they made a tundra in this size!