billharr
Senior Member
Your camper and truck are in great shape given the amount of use you have given both of them. ATC and Toyota do make great products.
Bill
Bill
ATC Bobcat after one year...
- Thread starter Kodachrome
- Start date
OP
OP
Kodachrome
Senior Member
I think that is what has served me well though, using the rig enough to develop systems and intervals of maintenance that stay fresh. It's a great platform, fabulous place to live and work from for sure.billharr said:
My wife took the truck for a spin without the camper on it to get us lunch and to wash it. She came back with a big grin and said it took off like a canon blast without the weight on it, LOL!
craig333
Riley's Human
I like that diamond plate. I think I'll run by Blue Collar and see if they have any.
OP
OP
Kodachrome
Senior Member
Got mine on ebay for $22, I did part of the underside too, mostly to protect the wood since I live in a harsh climate.craig333 said:
But yeah...it looks rather slick in having no wood showing, all industrial like...they even cut it for me.
craig333
Riley's Human
Ebay? Hmmmm, blue collar was much too pricey though I did pick up some cheaper stuff.
craig333
Riley's Human
You have the ebay link?
OP
OP
Kodachrome
Senior Member
So I am in week three of a month long trip, did two weeks in Death Valley, shot a ton of 4x5 black and white, likely some good stuff in there.....if I can keep my rear in one piece.
The carnage:
I was "Maching at a leisurely pace" as I like to call it down the Racetrack Playa road, about 50MPH on a nice flat section...but there were occasional shadows cast across the road. So I hit a hole pretty hard, an inspection of it days later would reveal it was about 18" deep. Boom.
The suspension greased it, but the truck torqued pretty good. Upon initial inspection, I found my left front camper elevator bolt was broke...shocker. Also bummer because it is the side that you can not easily get to being hidden by the lower pantry cabinets, I am having ATC mod that this week...I need access to *all* those E-bolts at all times, I had a damn spare. So I used the spare E-bolt on the jack bracket with a motorcycle tie down, it's been working great, still on the road.
But then the other damage revealed it self. I blew some oil out of the recently re-built front 2.5" coil over shock. Might need another re-build, might have just blown off excess oil and needs a nitrogen recharge. Now.....here is the doozy. About a week later when finally out of the Racetrack, I am doing about 40MPH up the pre-summit section of Titus Canyon Road, easy-peasy....except the ball joint on my upper A-arm comes out, makes my front wheel cave in and I come to a grinding halt. Thankfully I was in 4WD and it was all very stable. I worked on getting the A-arm put back together for about an hour when fellow colorado folks pulled up and helped, I paid them in ice cream. Once we had another jack under the lower A-arm, it was easy going. What happened here is that the goon who replaced my old ball joints a few years ago had put the snap ring in inside out and upside down. They work by pressure as a safety. If the bearing cup pushes down, then the ring expands even harder. Not the case this time, it popped out...could have been gnarly if at highway speeds on a curve on a 2 lane highway. The failing front wheel bent my sway bar in about 1/2" and ripped my ABS sensor cable apart. I soldered my ABS cable back together, will get the sway bar fixed next week.
This is about the most damage in one shot I have ever had, It's causing me to buy a second tie down and make darn good and sure I can get to all the elevator bolts if I need to...this is the second one I have had broke, it happens, I use the crap out of this truck so it probably will again at some point.
I am camped at Mono Lake, the wind is howling, the camper is cozy and on tight, see you at ATC bright and early Monday morning!
The carnage:
I was "Maching at a leisurely pace" as I like to call it down the Racetrack Playa road, about 50MPH on a nice flat section...but there were occasional shadows cast across the road. So I hit a hole pretty hard, an inspection of it days later would reveal it was about 18" deep. Boom.
The suspension greased it, but the truck torqued pretty good. Upon initial inspection, I found my left front camper elevator bolt was broke...shocker. Also bummer because it is the side that you can not easily get to being hidden by the lower pantry cabinets, I am having ATC mod that this week...I need access to *all* those E-bolts at all times, I had a damn spare. So I used the spare E-bolt on the jack bracket with a motorcycle tie down, it's been working great, still on the road.
But then the other damage revealed it self. I blew some oil out of the recently re-built front 2.5" coil over shock. Might need another re-build, might have just blown off excess oil and needs a nitrogen recharge. Now.....here is the doozy. About a week later when finally out of the Racetrack, I am doing about 40MPH up the pre-summit section of Titus Canyon Road, easy-peasy....except the ball joint on my upper A-arm comes out, makes my front wheel cave in and I come to a grinding halt. Thankfully I was in 4WD and it was all very stable. I worked on getting the A-arm put back together for about an hour when fellow colorado folks pulled up and helped, I paid them in ice cream. Once we had another jack under the lower A-arm, it was easy going. What happened here is that the goon who replaced my old ball joints a few years ago had put the snap ring in inside out and upside down. They work by pressure as a safety. If the bearing cup pushes down, then the ring expands even harder. Not the case this time, it popped out...could have been gnarly if at highway speeds on a curve on a 2 lane highway. The failing front wheel bent my sway bar in about 1/2" and ripped my ABS sensor cable apart. I soldered my ABS cable back together, will get the sway bar fixed next week.
This is about the most damage in one shot I have ever had, It's causing me to buy a second tie down and make darn good and sure I can get to all the elevator bolts if I need to...this is the second one I have had broke, it happens, I use the crap out of this truck so it probably will again at some point.
I am camped at Mono Lake, the wind is howling, the camper is cozy and on tight, see you at ATC bright and early Monday morning!
Attachments
pvstoy
Senior Member
Ouch! Bad situation but maybe good timing. Racetrack road... that brings back memories of pulling over and taking the Renuel bumper and winch off the front and putting it in the camper.... 
Enjoy Mono Lake. let me know if you run into trouble on your way to ATC going through my neck of the woods (sagebrush).
Enjoy Mono Lake. let me know if you run into trouble on your way to ATC going through my neck of the woods (sagebrush).
OP
OP
Kodachrome
Senior Member
170K miles on truck now, completely re-built super charger, installed completely new headers, exhaust, etc. Also now completely new ECU, exhaust cam gears, all new sensors, 7th fuel injector. Motor was at 236HP stock, now at 407HP. Upgraded coolant system, higher output alternator. New BFG AT/KO-II load range E tires, ready to roll!
OP
OP
Kodachrome
Senior Member
Time for an almost three years to the day update! Mileage is now 194K.
The camper is almost 10 years old now and is just a flat out critical piece of "Camera Equipment" for my work. Since my last post and about two years ago, my wife and I finally got tired of condo living and bought a good sized house about 23 miles away from Aspen where I spent 19 years. Until we bought the house, there was never any way for me to pull the camper off and do underside maintenance to it, kind of a pain. Now it has a dedicated spot outside the garage, a carport cover will go in soon.
All in all, it has been really great to have and use. For example, last year we were evacuated from a wildfire that came within 1/3rd mile of our home and it really helped to load my wife and our cat in short order and live in it for a few days at a friend's ranch nearby. And turn about being fair play, this winter was a really good one, I must have spent 45 days and nights in it while working at the ski areas, often arriving pre-dawn to avoid dangerous conditions and just napping comfortably until the lifts started running.
Everything is working really well but I do need to re-build some things. The vinyl flooring is buckling so I will likely pull the storage box / bench seat assembly and battery box out and re-do it. Another one is that the roof is leaking more now, too many days in a decade of Winter's with snow and ice piling up and being removed. I will probably pull the fans, the solar etc. and try to re-seal it at some point.
But all in all, one of the best investments I have made and I can not imagine living without it.
The camper is almost 10 years old now and is just a flat out critical piece of "Camera Equipment" for my work. Since my last post and about two years ago, my wife and I finally got tired of condo living and bought a good sized house about 23 miles away from Aspen where I spent 19 years. Until we bought the house, there was never any way for me to pull the camper off and do underside maintenance to it, kind of a pain. Now it has a dedicated spot outside the garage, a carport cover will go in soon.
All in all, it has been really great to have and use. For example, last year we were evacuated from a wildfire that came within 1/3rd mile of our home and it really helped to load my wife and our cat in short order and live in it for a few days at a friend's ranch nearby. And turn about being fair play, this winter was a really good one, I must have spent 45 days and nights in it while working at the ski areas, often arriving pre-dawn to avoid dangerous conditions and just napping comfortably until the lifts started running.
Everything is working really well but I do need to re-build some things. The vinyl flooring is buckling so I will likely pull the storage box / bench seat assembly and battery box out and re-do it. Another one is that the roof is leaking more now, too many days in a decade of Winter's with snow and ice piling up and being removed. I will probably pull the fans, the solar etc. and try to re-seal it at some point.
But all in all, one of the best investments I have made and I can not imagine living without it.
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pvstoy
Senior Member
WhooHoo... Great follow up story. Always a great feeling when your investments turn out good!
Yes, thank you for the update! And, congrats on your new home.pvstoy said:
ATC -> Built to Survive! A great company, building great campers!
Thanks for the feedback.
I was wondering if we had lost you, love to see a link to some of your recent photography.
Thanks for the feedback.
I was wondering if we had lost you, love to see a link to some of your recent photography.
billharr
Senior Member
10 years sure can go fast. Sounds like the ATC has held up well.
Thanks for the update.
Bill
Thanks for the update.
Bill
OP
OP
Kodachrome
Senior Member
Well bummer…
I am taking the camper off tomorrow and not sure when it will go back on, might not ever on this truck.
In going over my truck to get it ready to do some much needed maintenance today, I found some new rust on the frame. Then I looked all over and found it in really bad shape. In doing a search on it I felt sick to my stomach to learn that I *just* missed the cutoff to have the frame replaced under a class action suit that made Toyota recall model years 2005-2010 due to frame rot.
So far they are not going to help so I am writing letters and escalating it since I had some pretty poor luck last year that saw me missing this whole thing. I may even have to get a lawyer because we just don’t have the money for a new truck right now, especially making it work the way I need it to for working out of the camper. Used 2011-2014’s seem to go for $15-$22K depending on miles, etc and we just bought a new car in the Fall so I am not sure what we can swing.
I am sick over this, I had planned on seeing this truck go for another 100-200K, the powertrain is just incredible with this camper on it, nearly impossible to duplicate with a stock Tacoma of any year.
Speechless and really bummed right now, this is our second home darn it…
I am taking the camper off tomorrow and not sure when it will go back on, might not ever on this truck.
In going over my truck to get it ready to do some much needed maintenance today, I found some new rust on the frame. Then I looked all over and found it in really bad shape. In doing a search on it I felt sick to my stomach to learn that I *just* missed the cutoff to have the frame replaced under a class action suit that made Toyota recall model years 2005-2010 due to frame rot.
So far they are not going to help so I am writing letters and escalating it since I had some pretty poor luck last year that saw me missing this whole thing. I may even have to get a lawyer because we just don’t have the money for a new truck right now, especially making it work the way I need it to for working out of the camper. Used 2011-2014’s seem to go for $15-$22K depending on miles, etc and we just bought a new car in the Fall so I am not sure what we can swing.
I am sick over this, I had planned on seeing this truck go for another 100-200K, the powertrain is just incredible with this camper on it, nearly impossible to duplicate with a stock Tacoma of any year.
Speechless and really bummed right now, this is our second home darn it…
Attachments
oh man, that really sucks. Good luck with the escalation process. In what sense did you miss the recall... too late to bring it in, or not the right build date?
BillTheHiker
Senior Member
"may even have to get a lawyer "
I suggest you do that. My understanding is it was not a recall, rather a settlement wherein Toyota agreed to replace rusted frames, but based on their opinion if it needs it. There are rules about opting out of the settlement so you retain the right to file suit, and I would find out about that.tacomaworld.Com has posts from guys that have been in the battle.
I suggest you do that. My understanding is it was not a recall, rather a settlement wherein Toyota agreed to replace rusted frames, but based on their opinion if it needs it. There are rules about opting out of the settlement so you retain the right to file suit, and I would find out about that.tacomaworld.Com has posts from guys that have been in the battle.
takesiteasy
Senior Member
Yes, quite a bit of info on tacomaworld.com. The class suit was settled in 2016 which gave 12 years from date of first service of the vehicle to file a claim. For a 2005 that would be 2017. You are probably out of luck but it is worth trying. Good luck.
OP
OP
Kodachrome
Senior Member
I’m well aware....now.
I am trying to work with both the dealer and corporate on it, just to get even a discount on what would likely be a $12-$16K repair. I took the camper off this AM in record time, I’ll do some maintenance on it while the rig is down.
Either way I am out my work setup and probably a bunch of money.
I am trying to work with both the dealer and corporate on it, just to get even a discount on what would likely be a $12-$16K repair. I took the camper off this AM in record time, I’ll do some maintenance on it while the rig is down.
Either way I am out my work setup and probably a bunch of money.
BillTheHiker said:
OP
OP
Kodachrome
Senior Member
Update. I have done a ton of research and 4 test drives of the new Tacoma. I have also run out of options in terms of getting Toyota to help out in any way at all in replacing the frame or even discounting it.
It really came down to a choice of either spending upwards of $18K in getting a new frame and associated costs on the 2005 or just putting that money towards a new truck. So I am keeping the 05 as a project truck to maybe create my next overlanding platform or just dirty duty and will be getting a 2019 Tacoma by August. I should have most of the camper work done and will of course be putting money right away into the suspension and likely a 91 performance ECU tune from OVtune after the break in period.
It's a really frustrating thing for sure since the truck is really otherwise perfect for the camper and could be again. But for now, it is what it is and I have to get things rolling again!
Watch this space, it will keep on "trucking".
It really came down to a choice of either spending upwards of $18K in getting a new frame and associated costs on the 2005 or just putting that money towards a new truck. So I am keeping the 05 as a project truck to maybe create my next overlanding platform or just dirty duty and will be getting a 2019 Tacoma by August. I should have most of the camper work done and will of course be putting money right away into the suspension and likely a 91 performance ECU tune from OVtune after the break in period.
It's a really frustrating thing for sure since the truck is really otherwise perfect for the camper and could be again. But for now, it is what it is and I have to get things rolling again!
Watch this space, it will keep on "trucking".
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