Basic camper shell setup

Hey All, super stoked to be in a double cab tundra with a 6.5 bed now. I had a rigged out Tacoma previously and wanted more bed space. I am starting with a simple camper shell with sleeping platform setup. My build objectives are to maximize mpgs, make it a bit more off-road capable, avoid bed sag from build out.

About 50% of my mileage is on blm / dirt roads. Blessed for so much public land in NV. what is needed for a tundra setup like I mentioned above.

• bed stiffeners still necessary on tundra? Scared to drill into a brand new truck.
  
• What kind of mpg would I expect from a 2/1 lift ?
  
• AAl setup still best for shell / platform bed setup on dirt roads. (New to having options for shackles)
• Anyone notice the point of diminishing returns off-roading ? Good balance between mpg and off-road benefit. Looking for function over style . (Regarding lift size and tire size)

Thinking some sort of bilsteins/fox/elkas for the 2 inches in front and an aal in the back for 1 inch ish to have a similar lift as a pro with a bit of rake. My build in the shell will probably be around 500 to 600 pounds with battery setup etc.

Appreciate any insight. Old taco setup.

 

• bed stiffeners still necessary on tundra? Scared to drill into a brand new truck. I added them, went with total chaos, not sure they actually do anything. On the taco they were a must.
• What kind of mpg would I expect from a 2/1 lift ? I went with icon icon stage 3 with DJ Uca. 295/70r18. It’s about 3/1.5 I am going to drop the front a little, worried about the cv angle. I get 11/12 city 15/16 highway mpg.
• AAl setup still best for shell / platform bed setup on dirt roads. (New to having options for shackles) not sure on this one. Let me know what you go with, on 580 through the concrete sections on the new bridge my rear end bounces like crazy. It did it before the lift too but with the stiffer aal it got worse. I added a decked system to maintain some weight and that helped quite a bit. If you have your weight dialed and it won’t change a full pack might be the best option. With the shackles you may have a harder time fitting a full size spare underneath.
• Anyone notice the point of diminishing returns off-roading ? Good balance between mpg and off-road benefit. Looking for function over style . (Regarding lift size and tire size) I think 295/70r18 is the sweet spot on this truck in my opinion. No BMC and they make the truck look proportional to it’s size without over doing it. The trucks still pretty new and looking forward to testing more.