Tradesman camper shell

There's a very lengthy thread about these campers in the Tacoma forum, but I couldn't find one here, so I wanted to share my experience with you.

These are made in Winters, CA. It took about 3 1/2 months for them to complete my totally custom shell, which is made of aluminum. I received it about 6 weeks ago, so I've spent the last 6 weeks doing the build-out inside. I am so happy with this camper shell. The build quality is top-notch and totally exceeded my expectations. I had seen several photos of their products online (including the Tacoma forum) and Tradesman had sent me many other photos, but I hadn't seen anything like what I was envisioning. It took me a while to configure all the dimensions, but they absolutely nailed it and it came out exactly how I had envisioned.

I opted for the full insulation and interior carpet. This added about $2,000 but I need the insulation for winter Baja and the carpet gives it a finished look. No offense to those who have a topper with a bare aluminum skeleton, but this isn't a shell for weekends in the desert. This truck and camper have been configured for 2-3 month trips in the middle of nowhere Baja. So, essentially, it's like a home away from home. I had planned to do a nice build-out, so I wanted the interior of the shell to be nice and homey too.

And for anyone out there who wants more of a camper shell than a topper/cap, I strongly recommend giving Tradesman a look - especially if you're considering a Callen. Years ago, I had a Callen, which wasn't the best experience. They failed to build it to my specs, they had an arrogant, elitist attitude, and the thing was absurdly heavy because those are made of steel. Tradesman estimated that mine weighs between 400 and 450 lbs., which sounds about right. Before the camper, I once had 450 lbs. of compost in the back of the truck and it sagged more than now with the camper.

I have no affiliation with Tradesman other than being a very happy and satisfied customer. They were all very friendly and tremendously helpful ... and I totally appreciate them not getting annoyed with all my questions and requests! Feel free to ask any questions about my camper shell or build out. I'm not a carpenter, but I still had a lot of fun creating it.

 

Looks nice but is the framing between the shell and interior wood or aluminum too?

 

Between the interior and exterior skins of aluminum sheeting, there's an aluminum-tubed frame that is welded together. The welds are "heavy duty" so they are supposed to endure really bad offroad driving conditions.

 

Yeah I have been reading the site,looks really nice overall but what did this end up costing I wonder?!?

Love the idea for sure!

 

with the 2 surfboards inside, looks like you are ready for some epic Baja waves

 

Awesome I'm trying to get an order for a similar one going with them. What is the height of the shell from the bed, and the interior size of the cabover? How much clearance did you need between cabover and roof?

Lastly those bars with the hooks, what are those and did tradesman install? Thanks in advance for your help!

 

That is a really cool setup!!

 

I understand from Baja Explorer's post on a Tacoma site that the Tradesman Truck Cap by Access Mfg in Winters, CA is no longer making these truck caps and went out of business as they could not get supplies these past couple of years.

Quote from Baja in March this year in Tacomaworld;
Fellow Tradesman enthusiasts, I hate to break the sad news ... but I learned today that the company that makes Tradesman campers is calling it quits. Apparently, since COVID they have had extreme difficulties getting the required parts to make the campers.

Last Fall, I spent 3 1/2 months in Baja and absolutely loved my camper. They made such a high-quality product with superior attention to detail ... and the staff was super helpful. For those of you who might not know, the company that owns Tradesman use to also own Six-Pac, which were full slide-in campers built in the same facility as the Tradesman. http://six-pac.com/

If I recall correctly, Maria told me that some of the employees making Tradesman campers had worked in the same facility decades ago building the Six-Pacs. Anyway, I feel very fortunate to have been able to purchase one of their custom camper shells, as I'm sure some of you feel as well. Sorry to those who had not yet pulled the trigger. Although I had spent hours researching, I was unable to find any other U.S. company that makes a similar fully-customized high-quality aluminum-framed camper.


If anyone knows another company making a similar quality product, please inform. Thanks.