Hardside Camper? Is it a go?

Agree with this statement and really wished Toyota had offered an heavy duty truck or at the very least a heavy duty payload package to the Tundra like what Ford does with the F150 and Nissan with the XD. If I could have gotten a Tundra CM with at least 2000lbs of payload at the door jam I would have probably got it. Lack of payload and cost of the Tundra ultimately pushed me towards a Ram 2500. Otherwise I would have loved to stay with the Toyota brand.

 

Chevy is also pushing 2000lb of payload on their 1/2 ton max trailer/tow package and GVWR is only 7200lb. I sure think Toyota could do it, but Tundra curb weights are darn heavy compared to other half tons.

 

You are dead on, Toyota advertises there payload and towing ratings, Assuming 10% tongue weight when towing at max tow rating most Tundras are over payload if you have 4 people in the truck with a trailer near max rating.

I may be wrong in assuming the fuel is part of the payload. This rating might be with fuel included. Weighing a truck empty would solve this. Either way all Toyota trucks have very low payload ratings. The 4 door Tacomas gave 950lb payload ratings, 4 people and your near max capacity. I was blown away what my 1110lb dry camper actually weighed on the scale, I was at 2500lb with just me in the truck and a mountain bike/gear/camper/food for a weekend trip. So 1200lb over my legal limit.

 

https://www.peakperformancecampers.com/

https://roverking.ca/

 

These may not be your traditional slide-in campers, but they are both under 700lbs. You would just have to be ok with being a Guinea Pig.

 

Yes. Could be ending of the world if you have 3 passengers, groceries or food, gear, and firewood for camping, etc. and go anywhere steep or in inclement weather, or some other (overloaded or not) a$$4o7e cuts you off and the truck doesn’t respond to all your best collision-avoidance maneuvers. The thing is, bad stuff can happen no matter how good your skills or equipment— but your plan has you at a disadvantage from square one. And, depending on where this possible bad day occurs, you’ll be waaay liable and perhaps criminally liable if your truck was significantly overweight.

 

Yup. Half tones aren’t the same as HD trucks.

 

I get that, and I too have loyalty to Toyota. 1998 4Runner that i've cherished for years, and a 2008 Prius that saves me big bucks at the pump. However I can't let that loyalty stop me from living my dreams of towing a boat and camper over the mountains and really experiencing that truck camper lifestyle. Being able to post up anywhere with a cozy home in the bed of your truck with heat and water and a big bed sounds immaculate. Someday once I figure this out I plan to take it down to the beaches of Baja, pop open the screen door, and soak it all in. And sadly a Tundra just isn't the ticket for me Maybe Toyota will give us a HD package before they switch to EV's in 2030. hmm.

 

Don't hold your breath about the HD. Toyota doesn't want to deal with the strict emissions issues of Diesel. But maybe they'll make a 3/4 ton gasser?

Just do best of both worlds. Keep the Prius to save at the pump. Keep the Tundra for an easy to drive around half ton (or even trade for a Tacoma) and buy dealers choice 3/4 ton for your travelling excursions.

 

Towable house boat. BAM! Problem solved.

 

There are people who have done what you're wanting to do, maybe just not with the trailer. Ignoring the legal gray zone of overloading a vehicle, you're looking at extensive suspension upgrades if you want the truck to handle the weight. 1400lbs dry weight camper is easily going to put you at probably 2000lbs on the truck with you and all of your gear, then add the tongue weight of the trailer on top of that. Then add whatever bumpers/skid plates and other modifications you may want on top of that too. The Tundra is a stout truck, but that's still a lot of weight. I'd go Ford F350 or Chevy 3500 gasser and never worry about it again if it were me.


I remember reading this guy's rig is somewhere around 9000lb, which puts him about 2000 pounds over payload. He's done a ton in suspension upgrades and frame reinforcements to get the truck to handle the weight. He also recently bottomed out in a wash at high speed, bent the frame and cracked the radiator. Totaled the truck, but he beat on it hard before that without problems. I think the accident would have done serious damage to any truck, not just an overloaded one.


I think these guys are somewhere around 8000 pounds loaded up, so "only" about 1000 pounds over max payload. They seem to be doing okay.

For what it's worth, I had a 2018 Tacoma with ADS Racing suspension, 700lb rate coilovers and a OME Dakar heavy duty leaf pack. I won't say exact numbers, but I could egregiously overload that truck and then pull a trailer with it and it could still "handle" it fairly well. I was only running around of the flat interstate highways of Kansas/Missouri/Oklahoma, and not mountain passes. I'm in a Tundra now because my use case was beyond what I felt was reasonably safe for the Tacoma.

 

Basically the Tundra is a great passenger vehicle, with the ability to haul some things. Which is why the owner's manual says it's designed as a passenger vehicle.

I use mine for my family of 5. With some steel armor, I feel a whole lot safer on the road than I would with anything else out there for a "passenger vehicle".

Plus I have some decent clearance and can do decent off-roading.

You can tow a decent amount, with care, as tongue weight can't be much, but forget about carrying a lot.

 

2 Great Links! Thanks!

An interesting take on the camper/shell idea. I would like to see something like this in a hard sided cabover shell.

https://www.radicaproducts.com/moonlander

 

Been looking into switching possibility of to a flatbed for a Crewmax (prob never do it), and what would be outer limit for a campers and Crewmax outer-limit-capabilities - this must be it, so cool! Great video!

 

Anytime. I’m keeping a close eye on both of these companies. I also want a camper, but want to remain relatively lightweight. If I ever purchase one or even go see one in person, I’ll be sure to write up a full report.

 

It is capable of doing it, it will exceed the mfg. Specs of the truck.

Lots of threads with 10+ pages of opinions on the matter. Fuel economy isnt that much worse in a ford or Chevy hd gasser. Might as well move up now, that way if you out grow your needs, you dont need a different truck.


Good luck!

(FWIW- I have a 70s FWC fleet (~750 lbs, and tow an 18ft aluminum boat ~300 lb tounge weight simultaneously up and over the wasatch range with no issues. Bags, e rated tires) cargo goes in the boat over the axles.

 

Just went back and watched some of his stuff. The white truck is 9200lbs loaded up and on 37s. I'm really impressed that he wasn't destroying rear axle bearings, he drives it hard. Amazing.

 

Yea! Unreal! More fusion-power to him!

 

Weight, placement of weight, and size of the sail are all very different things. I would head back to the drawing board and start researching more options.