Tacomarin’s Chubby Unicorn Build

That is a great job on the new platform! You validated several ideas I’ve been floating around in my head as I plan out my build.

 

Cheers! Let me know if you have any questions as you go.

 

Hey man awesome build! I have two questions. What is the measurement from the floor of your bed to the top of your drawers? And with the mattress in couch mode can you sit up fully? I am in the process of spec'ing out my tradesman topper and I am not sure if I should go with the 26" height or slightly taller. My biggest issue with my current setup (drawer system/sleeping platform with a softopper) is the height. I built my drawers a couple inches higher than the wheel wells so I would have more usable drawer space. Once you add mattress and bedding I have just enough room to crawl in there and barely enough to sleep on my side. Would love to be able to sit up and hang out back there. Thanks!

 

My drawers are about 1/2” higher than the wheel wells. I don’t recall the exact measurement at the moment and am traveling right now otherwise I could measure it for you. One of the reasons I like the new sea to summit air pad we got is because it’s a bit thinner and easier to move around which makes hanging out in there a bit easier. I’m just under 6’ tall and I can sit up comfortably in the back, but not perfectly upright. We don’t spend a ton of time hanging out in the back typically though, if you anticipate doing that a lot then going to the next size up might be a good idea. If you’re in the Bay Area I’d be happy to meet up sometime so you can check it out and get a feel for it.

 

I think my drawers are an inch over the wheel wells, work has me a couple times zones away from my truck right now so I can't measure either. However I think I will just have to mock it up with some wood and play the with different heights until I find the perfect height. And I don't anticipate spending a ton of time back there but having the option, without putting it too high over the cab, would be nice. I appreciate the invite but I actually live on the East Coast. And again awesome build! I looked through your entire build thread as well as @Toynado for ideas on the features to get in my Tradesman.

Edit: One more question if you don't mind. What is the approximate thickness of the shell with insulation and carpeting? I guessed about an inch and half based on pictures of the ribs exposed

 

Thanks for the kind words. For me the 26” option is the perfect compromise to make it easy to maneuver in the back without being too tall.

I would estimate the thickness to be a little over an inch. I think the skeleton/frame of the cap is 1” box tubing and they fit the insulation within the framing panels and skin directly to the frame, so it’s probably 1 3/16” with everything added together. You might try posting in the tradesman thread if you need a more exact measurement.

 

Looks like we have the same taste in outstanding rigs Blevin! LOL. This truck is the epitome of badassery. I'm so impressed of how it's all coming together. Nice work again @tacomarin......
Zim

 

haha cheers guys!

 

Been a long time since I updated. Not a ton of new stuff.

A couple months back I wired up some chase lights. After an unfortunate rear end collision (not me) ended our Death Valley trip last year, I put them on the short list of mods.

I found some UTV chase lights on Amazon with a bunch of pre-wired options like strobe and reverse. They are either knock offs of the Rigid chase bars or the other way around, but they are like 40% of the cost and seem to do the trick. I wired up the reverse lights to the cargo light switch via a relay and the strobe chase lights to a dedicated switch, also via a relay.



CH4x4 now has dual switches for the large size Tacoma switches, with a custom artwork option. So I took advantage of that to separate my bumper and roof light bars on their own switches instead of being wired to one. If I were doing it all over again I might do one of the knock off S-Pods but I didn’t really feel the need to undo all of my previous work.



I also recently did something I never thought I would, and got a fridge. It’s totally excessive, and not sure if it’s right for me, but I’m gonna give it a go because I would like to not fill a cooler up 1/3 of the way with ice. We will see. I got a really good deal on a Dometic CFX3 55IM and a Goal Zero Yeti 500x. I also picked up a

$299 Jackery 100w Portable Solar Panel for Explorer 240/300/500/1000/1500 Power Station, Foldable US Solar Cell Solar Charger with USB Outputs for Phones (Can't Charge Explorer 440/ PowerPro)

Jackery 100w folding solar panel to use if we are parked for multiple days.

So because of all that I decided to install a 12V outlet and USB ports on the back of the center console. It’s a fairly easy install, especially following Meso’s video for removing the center console trim to run the wiring. I used some fuse taps for the power for each. I ended taking the seat bottom off of the rear driver side to give room for the fridge and battery, so it’s semi permanent but very movable which I like.



The last thing I’ve done is installed some Seat Jackers. I never thought I would do it, but my back has been giving me more and more issues recently, especially on longer trips so I figured what the hell. They are expensive but I must say they are exceptionally well made. I also added a Molle panel to the front to hold my old 4 Dcell mag lite head banger that used to roll around on the floor and drive me nuts. Jury is still out on if this helps. My head is annoyingly close to the roof, but if my back does better then it is worth it!



That’s all for now, and probably for a while. Here’s some random pics from some fall adventures.

 

I made a pretty nasty discovery not too long ago, the sheet metal near my radiator core support was self destructing. There's some pretty hefty threads on this, and theories on the cause of it range from Toyota sucks to it's just a consequence of off-roading. I think it's more the latter, but there seems to be a strong correlation between this happening in trucks that have 'upgraded' from the OEM body mount bushings to poly bushings. I did the same thing after chasing some nasty squeaks and finding my passenger side bushing was thrashed. My suspicion, and some others agree with me, is that the additional flex from the OEM bushings reduce the amount of energy that is transferred to the sheet metal. When you use a more rigid bushing, more energy transfers to the sheet metal due to frame flex, and the sheet metal gives out. My most compelling evidence is that @RangerComa and I have basically the same setup, go on a lot of trips together, and generally have a very similar use pattern. He has OEM bushings and more miles, and no cracks.

Sooooo.....

Installed new OEM bushings and patched up the cracks and voids with some 22ga sheet metal. I used 3M DP420 epoxy to adhere the patches instead of welding given what I’ve read about other people’s luck with welding on that. Those are epoxy drips by the way, my quick spray paint job isn’t THAT bad

I also took a closer look at those body mount bushings. There is a lot more engineering than I had considered before. It seems they are specifically tuned for a certain amount of compliance given the different diameters, asymmetric lengths, and different material durometers.




On the Tradesman front... repairs there as well. I hopefully have finally resolved my battle with keeping the driver side of the rear hatch from splaying open. I added a piece of 10 series 80/20 extrusion between the cabinet and rear hatch, bolted to the cabinet and rear hatch using two 1/4-20 rivnuts. Then have it bolted down to the top bolt of my bed stiffener with another 1/4-20 bolt via the 90 degree brackets so that I can actually compress the cap on the seal. I put a sleeve over the bolt to help resist any potential bending/side to side action. I really hope this is enough to keep it from moving around. It finally feels rock solid so hopefully I can stop monkeying around with it!


And in a piece of not fun news, we said goodbye to our sweet Calvin on Monday. He had a rapid decline over the weekend with what appears to have been congestive heart failure. He was only 8, so we weren't expecting to have to go through this for a few more years, but I don't think there's ever a good time for it. At least he went quickly, he had gotten to see all his favorite people last week, and we were able to make him as comfortable as possible.

 

Rest In Peace Cal!

Although I can say for sure I was not one of his favorites (neither was Angela), I always felt like he’d have my back if I ever needed him.

Sorry for your loss buddy.

 

Rest assured he pretty much disliked everyone when they were in his home

 

It's been a minute since there was an update worth posting. A couple weeks back a BAMF dual swing out rear popped up on CL and I just couldn't pass up. Honestly, a bumper was pretty low on my list, and doesn't solve any problems for me at the moment, and in fact only creates problems for me right now! But I do plan on a pop up camper at some point, at which point being able to carry fuel on the swing out will be helpful. Plus, overland points! I also scored a 2nd hand dual jerry can holder for it which I was stoked on.

I've got a little clean up work to do on the bed cuts, but overall I'm happy with how it turned out, thanks in big part to the help of @RangerComa and Ewaugh. Of course now I have to mess with my leaf pack again for the hundredth time . I'm working on a drop down camp table for it and still need to hook up the reverse lights to my other reverse lights. But not before we take it out for our first trip in months this weekend.

 

Camp table done! Mostly. Need to get another 10-32 screw for the latch and am waiting for a replacement black extrusion to use for the mount. Pretty pleased with how it came out and it's a bit bigger and little bit cheaper (until you factor in all the time I spent) than the one offered for this swingout.


Small update on this. I built a second table for the passenger side. A lot of the bolts rattled loose when going through the desert so I added blue thread locker to everything and tightened it all down. My quick VHB attached latch did not survive the trip, so I ordered some different latches and printed up this little mount for it. So far it's been solid w/off road travel!

 

Nice taco buffet table Amigo. I might need to make one for the other side.

 

I've got all the deets. Pretty easy build now that I have it mostly figured out. I might add one to my driver side too when you do yours since the shipping is the worst part of it!

 

Nice build really digging that shell!

 

The Chubby Unicorn camp setup is for sale! We're moving into a Drifter setup and all of Chubbs' camper setup needs go to ASAP.

This setup is structurally in very good condition, but it has also been used for its intended purpose. I am by no means OCD with my gear. I build it to be used, I use it, but I absolutely do not beat on it. Everything is in very good working order, just some scuffs, scratches, and blemishes, and a little dirt from our trip this past weekend. I tried to capture good images of the current state of the setup, but if you need any other information please hit me up!

Here's what I'm asking for the setup. Remember, everything in life is negotiable!

AccessMfg Tradesman 26" High Cap (sadly went out of business during covid), fully insulated, skinned and carpeted, security screens, interior lighting, USB and 12V charging ports, tool cabinet, paint matched cement gray (looks good on every color!), 3rd brake light, front cab slider, sliding windows (New: $6,xxx): $old
Drawers and camp table (New: Priceless): $old
Prinsu Top Rack (New: $810): $old
Ironman 15L Water Tank (New: $119): $Sold
Sea to summit double sleeping pad (New: $279): $old
Amazon special chase lights (New $80ea): $Free
The whole damn thing: $old

I will be in LA next week, 4/20-4/22 to pick up the Drifter. So if you're down that way, we can work something out!

If you're interested, send me a DM and let's talk!







Some dings from my handle bar ends from when my bike rack came loose while off roading


Amazon chase lights... not the best sealing but they get the job done






Some paint wear. I fought some cap movement for a while but finally got it sorted with a new mounting bracket. Unfortunately not before it wore through some paint. It's fully covered by the hatch now when closed.




Chase light wiring is RTV'd to the front of the cap. Unfortunately clear RTV looks kinda crappy when it gets dirty.


Vent paint started pealing this winter in all the crazy weather we got. It's galvanized steel, so no real concerns, but it was on my list of things to touch up this year.


The roof settled slightly at the front when I first mounted the water tank. I talked to AccessMfg about it and they said they use foam between the ribs and the skin, so that just settled with the weight. That was 4 years ago and it never moved or showed any issues with hundreds of miles of off roading.


LED camp lighting on all the hatches. (White cords limit the travel of the doors when deploying an awning)




I freaking love this drawer setup. Of everything that I'm selling, this is the hardest. I put a lot of thought and energy into these and I think they are just about as good as it gets (for me). Two massive drawers that slide directly on the bed floor, a quick access hatch, side panel access into all the cubbies, and an integrated camp table that extends all the way to bar height. The drawers are made from 1/2" birch ApplePly (best damn plywood you can get), and the frame is 5/8" Baltic birch. In my opinion, this is just about the lightest and simplest drawer setup you can make from an all wood construction. I've thought long and hard about keeping these drawers but I just don't think they'll work well in the new drifter setup. Or maybe I'll always regret selling these. There's more detail on this construction further up in this build thread here.



Quick access hatch (velcro keeps it in place)


Camp table works as a shelf or is fully removable and free standing with extending legs


Peel and stick vinyl top wasn't quite as robust as I had hoped, but it gets the job done.


Huuuuge passenger side drawer. Extends all the way out. Inserts are removable.



Driver side camp drawer. Configured specifically for our camp setup but all the inserts are removable



Back of cabinet organizer for all the stuff you might need quick access to.


Switch panel and charging ports.

 

How’s the core support “fix” holding up?

I’ve welded mine once and it is now ripped right next to what I fixed and need redone.

 

So far so good. I'll be giving it some proper offroad challenges next month so I can report back then.