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hobo
climber
PDX
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Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 28, 2007 - 12:00pm PT
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I'm thinking about getting a Tacoma and puting a bed setup in the back. Im looking for ideas, pros/cons etc about the whole thing. Feel free to give me ideas, post pics, advice, etc of your experiences.
Alex
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WBraun
climber
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Aug 28, 2007 - 12:10pm PT
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Throw a pad on the truck bed and go to sleep.
Simple!
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Moof
Big Wall climber
A cube at my soul sucking job in Oregon
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Aug 28, 2007 - 12:11pm PT
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I went for the over the cab camper for almost a year. It worked for me, but is much more conspicuous than the simple shell w/false floor.
Camper vs. Shell:
1. Cooking: Camper. You usually get at least a 2 burner with a 5 gallon or larger propane tank. If just cooking you have a 3-5 week supply. Also great in the wind (red rocks for example).
2. Gas mileage: Shell. I dropped a good 20-30% in mileage. At the time gas was 1.50, so it was much less of an issue than now.
3. Under the radar: Shell. You won't stick out much at all. Dropping into any random parking lot for a night is a good probability. With a camper you are branded.
4. Food: Camper. Propane fridges are grand little beasts, and let you keep fresh veggies, milk, etc. Downside is that witht eh fridge going you get about 1 week/tank.
5. Price: Shell. My used shell was $600, my used camper was $1200. Over the span of a long trip it really isn't a big difference. You also need to figure out what to do with the camper at the end of the trip (sold mine), while the shell is simple to store on the rig.
Overall if you are going for a few months do the shell. For longer term comfort, especially in colder weather, get the shell.
Not really what you were asking, but my $0.02.
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maldaly
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Aug 28, 2007 - 01:08pm PT
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I've had both and am back at the shell. We had a pop-up camper on the back of a long bed 3/4 ton chevy and while it was a good place to hide out from the wind, there just wasn't enough storage space. With the top down you couldn't even slide a bike in the back. Here's what I use now:
The over view. The tall shell in a bit nicer for moving around.
I put a bed in at the level of the top of the pickup bed. This leaves enough room underneath for full-height containers. In foul weather I can also sit in the lower bed and use the shelf for cooking. I split length-wise so I can get 2 bikes in the back.
Here's what I sleep on. The extender just sits on top of the fixed bed.
The whole thing is held into the truck with 2 cam straps. It takes less than a minute to remove it.
Mal
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Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
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Aug 28, 2007 - 01:24pm PT
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Hobo,
Tacoma with a camper shell and a carpet kit in back is the way to go. I use to sleep just in the bed of my old tacoma withour a carpet kit, but if you have a lot of gear (i.e. Big Wall gear), then it becomes a pain in the ass unloading everything before you crash. With the carpet kit you can sleep on top of a lot of your stuff.
Mine is similar to a Les Anderson kit, but was homade, I bought it off a guy for $100 bucks. It takes about 10 minutes to put it in the truck. And it has 6 compartments. Biggest drawback is that it weighs about 100lbs total and I can feel the extra weight in the back, so I only use it on road trips.
Good luck! Tacomas Rule!
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/f61
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crusher
climber
Santa Monica, CA
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Aug 28, 2007 - 02:04pm PT
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Hobo,
We have a set up similar to Mal's with a camper shell on our Toyota SR5 4WD with a built-in platform for the bed. My husband (is a builder) put drawers in (with dividers) under the bed platform so we store all our food, stove, climbing gear, etc. in there and we put 4" foam on top of the platform for the bed. I have Princess and the Pea syndrome so the extra padding is needed!
We don't have a lot of head room - if you get claustrophobic you wouldn't like this. We're thinking about getting a taller or pop up camper shell for more room, or possibly getting a van and forgetting the shell altogether.
However this set up is convenient and we're used to it. Cooking does have to be done outside so if it's windy it can be a drag. Otherwise we use the tailgate and we have camp chairs to sit in (which fit in the drawers). We take a cooler (no fridge set up). So we do deal with some loading/unloading but the long drawers (they run the full length of the truck bed) help.
The whole set up did add some weight - so we're super slow going uphill and probably not getting ideal gas mileage.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Aug 28, 2007 - 02:53pm PT
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Crusher, do you have pics of your rig?
When I get the new 4x, gonna need to redo my carpet kit rig, something more like Mals.
I'm probably going to go with a shell that is just a little bit over cab height. But not too much since the garage door ain't that big.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Aug 28, 2007 - 05:36pm PT
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Tall shell helps with that 'sleeping ina coffin' feeling on the raised bed. Probably doesn't affect the mileage terribly.
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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
Fresno, CA
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Aug 28, 2007 - 05:39pm PT
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"it weighs about 100lbs total and I can feel the extra weight in the back, so I only use it on road trips. "
You don't like more stability in the rear of your truck? Like doing fish tails (who doesn't)?
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Chaz
Trad climber
So. Cal.
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Aug 28, 2007 - 05:55pm PT
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The bottle opener on the support in Mr Daly's truck is especially cool. Complete with the old chalk bag to catch the caps.
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maldaly
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Aug 28, 2007 - 06:17pm PT
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Sharp eyes Chaz. Further to some earlier posts, a lot op people will put the bed at the level of the top of the wheel wells. I don't like this because of the lack of space underneath but it does result in some good head room. The drawer concept is great but I'm too lazy to do it.
At cam I set up my parawing and back the truck underneath it for a plush covered porch. Here's the parawing without the truck:
BTW, the parawing is the best piece of nylon I've ever bought.
Mal
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Euroford
Trad climber
chicago
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Aug 28, 2007 - 06:28pm PT
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agreed, these tarps are awsome. i have the kelty version, dirt cheap and has served me well. this thing has stood unatended and unaffected through some seriously gnarly weather.
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crusher
climber
Santa Monica, CA
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Aug 28, 2007 - 06:32pm PT
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Hi Munge!
I'm at work so no pictures on me at the moment but I'll try to post some later. The platform is above the wheel wells (Mal mentioned) so we have a bit more width. We call the truck "The Crypt" - we really ought to bite our tongues! Camper shell height is about the same as the roof of the cab. Oh and we have bike racks on top of it (the camper shell).
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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
Fresno, CA
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Aug 28, 2007 - 06:57pm PT
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My sleeping loft is at the top of the wheel wells (Toyota T100), well, maybe a bit higher. It's kind of a pain to get some things in and out of the drawer, but I really like the extra room when sleeping and since my son is a 95lb Greyhound (read as small horse) it makes it infinitely easier for him to get in and out and maneuver.
I slept in my friend Blaine's truck this past weekend, as he was in a tent with his girl, and MAN was that thing claustrophobic! Kept hitting my head on the top of the shell, etc. I'm thinking I may add about 4 more inches of height to my drawer/loft as a happy medium.
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slobmonster
Trad climber
berkeley, ca
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Aug 28, 2007 - 07:37pm PT
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or you could buy my 1991 toyota previa minivan...
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s_mestdagh
Trad climber
Between Boulder & Crestone, CO
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Aug 28, 2007 - 08:34pm PT
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I use the on top of the wheel well setup but w/ a Ram 2500. This gives me plenty of room for my wife and 5 yr old daughter also. It's a bit wider than queen size. Here's sleep mode w/o the foam pads.
The truck has indentations in back for boards to position the cross boards (1-2x10, 1-2x6 and 1-2x8) which hold up the plywood bed support panels.
Depending on what I'm carrying for the trip, I slide one, 2, or 3 panels over the other panel. Here's a pic of travel mode.
The vertical member is just to stop stuff from sliding around. It's not load bearing.
That said, the setup is far from perfect. In the future, I'm going to get/build a topper that's higher and that I can stand on.
I'm vehicle agnostic. I've had 2 Toyota's, the last a FJ60. This time the Toy choices didn't work for me. Also I love the Cummins diesel engine. I don't sweat 100 extra pounds. Even w/ a 1000 pounds extra, I fly over the passes in 6th gear. I think it gets better mileage than a Tacoma also. BTW, the Tacoma WAS my 2nd choice.
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s_mestdagh
Trad climber
Between Boulder & Crestone, CO
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Aug 28, 2007 - 08:46pm PT
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I forgot to mention if I'm just climbing w/ a buddy, we just throw the crap in the back of the quadcab and sleep on the bedrug (a reverse corrugated foam liner to match the truck bed).
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vegastradguy
Trad climber
Las Vegas, NV
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Aug 28, 2007 - 09:54pm PT
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i've got a shell on my tacoma- a +4" from Snugtop. I highly recommend this one (or one like it) should you choose to have a bed in it like Mal's...mines the same way, and that thing would be a coffin if you go cab height.
my setup is a little different- i have two planks that run side to side that rotate in and out and rest on the lip of the bed. this allows for 100% of the space under and above to be used. on my long road trip, it was perfect.
that said, i like the look of Mals...thats pretty sweet!
oh, btw- if you get the newer tacoma, go with the Leer shell, the snugtop doesnt come down over the lip of the bed, which means it tends to leak a tiny bit in rain storms. no big deal, but you have to remember to put your ropes (or anything else you dont want slightly damp) in the middle. the beds no biggie, as it sits above the bed.
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s_mestdagh
Trad climber
Between Boulder & Crestone, CO
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Aug 28, 2007 - 10:05pm PT
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vegastradguy. I've had problems w/ leakage on one side window of my Leer. I've had it fixed once. Still have leakage. I'd go w/ another brand.
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