Small camper advice/leads

[SK1]

Hello all,

I have been on a search for an aluminum framed camper for a '98 4cyl regular cab tacoma. This forum seems to have many dedicated members, so I thought I would put the word out here.
Besides something light weight and durable, cold weather performance is most important. I do need a sink, but can do without a stove and fridge. I've been focusing on four wheel campers, but would be open to other quality brands and to hard side campers. This would be used on plenty of dirt roads, but no serious four-wheeling.... and as a crash-pad when I can't get home from work due to snow storms. I live in North Lake Tahoe, CA.
Any suggestions or leads are appreciated, feel free to send me a message, thanks.

 

[Skeeter]

Hi and Welcome,
I started with a 98 Ford Ranger with a 4 banger and it got the job done, but if you plan on carrying your camper up and down Lake Tahoe, you might want to consider something more powerful. The FWC are light weight compared to most campers, but they push mini trucks to there limits if you load them up. Your not going to break any speed records but this setup can get you to your destination. It is important to drive defensively and give yourself plenty of space in case you half to stop, performance is greatly reduced.

As far as cold winter use goes, these campers do not insulate well unless you have some kind of liner to stop heat loss. I have camped in 17F without one, but used a portable propane heater called the "buddy". It really warms up the interior pretty good. I lived in my camper for some extended time, and I was really happy with the setup.

A positive note is that you can get some really good gas mileage with a small engine, I could easily get 28 to 30 mpg with a manual transmission. Enjoy!

 

[gandhii]

I recently put an 83' fleet model fwc on my 2007 tacoma 2wd 4 banger, regular cab/bed. Only thing I did to the truck was add timbrens and it seems to handle pretty well. I went from 21/22 mpg to 18/19 mpg with the camper on. So far it hasn't been enough to bother taking it off for normal use. You certainly feel it more going up hill... but in the mountains I'm still going faster than the semi's while keeping it well under 3k rpm's.

 

[SK1]

Thanks for the input. Gandhii, so your older fleet fits ok? I thought they were bigger back then. Were they all aluminum then too, or does it have some plywood?
Skeeter, you're talking about the arctic pack insulation for cold weather? Is that something they do aftermarket, or does it have to be on the original camper? And I've learned to drive defensively after years of playing bumper cars in the snow.

 

[gandhii]

It sticks out the back by about a foot and rests on the tail gate. It isn't any wider than my truck, although probably a bit wider than a ranger. I have about 3 inches of boards below it to keep the jack brackets from sitting on my rails. The current version of the tacoma is a bit larger than earlier versions.. as well as the ranger. Not sure if it would fit into a ranger or not.

The older ones like mine are aluminum from the truck rails up, but 0.75" plywood below. Holds up pretty gold. Only real rotting issue I have is along the back edge of the floor pack piece of plywood. It is pretty solid except for right at the back edge. Shouldn't be too hard to cut away the bad parts and replace with another board when I get around to it, but it isn't a problem now. Not bad for something almost 30 years old that has been out in the elements all that time.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Hello all,

I have been on a search for an aluminum framed camper for a '98 4cyl regular cab tacoma. This forum seems to have many dedicated members, so I thought I would put the word out here.
Besides something light weight and durable, cold weather performance is most important. I do need a sink, but can do without a stove and fridge. I've been focusing on four wheel campers, but would be open to other quality brands and to hard side campers. This would be used on plenty of dirt roads, but no serious four-wheeling.... and as a crash-pad when I can't get home from work due to snow storms. I live in North Lake Tahoe, CA.
Any suggestions or leads are appreciated, feel free to send me a message, thanks.


Welcome. Have you looked into a shell model Bobcat from ATC? These are about 4" or so wider than the eagle that would fit your Tacoma. I find the advantage of the Bobcat over the stock Eagle is the extra width and the standard extended bed over the cab. I'm partial to the ATC line of campers. They have the same quality as FWC but have less frills just a basic camper and less in price. You might check them out .Before we bought a camper we went to both makers and saw the differences both in price and a simple basic camper. I have been very pleased in my choice of the ATC Bobcat. It has served my needs very well and would encourage anyone looking for a quality camper to also check them out.

Since you live close enough to both manufactures you should make a visit and see for yourself.

Frank

 

[Skeeter]

SK1, The arctic pack is exactly what I meant to write. My Ranger II is a 98' and It did not have one, but I'm sure that they can be ordered after market from either FWC or ATC. Some guys on here have made their own with a foil bubble wrap with good results and a lot cheaper. Let us know what you find!