Custom adventure vehicle dilemma

[rossiter78]

I wanted to buy an adventure vehicle, but I’ve never seen or found what I really want, so I think it will need to be a fairly customized build. I am seeking some advice from some fellow adventurers like you guys for some advice. This vehicle will be used in the Colorado and Utah areas for the purposes of everything from camping and motorcycling to music festivals.
Here are some requirements for my vehicle:
1. Must be able to seat 4 people.
2. Vehicle must be self-contained – no trailer.
3. Must be able fit at least 1 motorcycle. (Optionally I’d really like to be able to fit my snowmobile which is about 10.5’ long.)
4. Passengers should not be exposed to fumes from fuel while driving.
5. Must be 4 wheel drive.
6. Must be able to sleep 2 people.
7. Must have the ability to support 4 people on some sort of roof top.
8. Must be able to travel in on single lane forest service roads.
9. Needs to be around or under $25k.
10. Does NOT need any fancy camping stuff like climate control, stoves, tables, etc. - I would rather use camping stoves and tables and such as needed.

Ideas I’ve considered so far:
1. I currently have a Toyota Tundra 4x4 with camper shell. I love my truck and I love camping in it, but I dislike towing a trailer for my motorcycle or snowmobile (camper shell is too short to put a motorcycle in the back). Plus, I really want to have some sort of roof platform to climb onto so that I can a) see the stars when I’m camped and b) look out over other vehicles when I’m truck camping at a music festival 
2. I’ve considered a cargo van. Pros include easy cargo area for a bike, easy to make a roof platform, and has a profile that can make it through single lane forest roads. Cons include adding a 4x4 system is pretty costly and passengers (esp if more than 2) may be exposed to fumes if I were to have a motorcycle in the back.
3. I’ve also considered a truck with a box. Pros include ease to put in a motorcycle, easy to camp, easy to put on a roof platform, and easy to find in 4wd. The biggest con is the profile – it would be difficult for it make it down a single lane forest service road. Many of the places I go to camp/adventure require traveling some rather nasty roads.

This is leading me to think that my best bet is a custom made box like thing on a 4x4 truck chassis (may need a different truck though). That way I could maintain a reasonable profile, and add all the features I want like windows and such. I have no idea what something like that would cost – for all I know that is way more expensive than putting 4wd on a van.
What do you all think about this type of project?

 

[snowaddict91]

I'd ditch the idea of a custom vehicle as I just can't imagine putting something together that's water-tight, comfortable, and handles well without spending a ton of unneccessary money. I think you need to prioritize your wants if you need to fit down tight trails but I would go with a CCLB 1 ton in the flavor of your choice. Throw on a high rise topper and it will do everything you want. If you want something smaller for tight trails buy a cheaper truck and figure keeping your Toy in your budget.

 

[rossiter78]

Snowaddict,
Do you think a high rise topper will support the weight of people on it? Or is that what you meant about prioritization? A CCLB is long, but it should be fine - it doesn't need to travel nasty "trails", just needs to get to trail heads that can get nasty and have only a single lane.

Another idea that I tossed around in my head was to use the high rise topper like you suggested, but build a customized frame that went over the topper - something like those ladder holder things on work trucks. Slap a wooden deck, water seal, and some non-skid tape for traction and my platform concept is complete.

Oh, I forgot to mention. I'm also a rafter. The top deck would also be used to strap down an inflated raft. It will be really high off the ground, but that would prevent me from having to tow a flat bed trailer. Height clearance shouldn't be an issue for the raft as it will only travel like that for short distances.

 

[pugslyyy]

I'd start with something like this.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-E-Seri...5e5c6afb7&item=231488270263&pt=US_Cars_Trucks

 

[rossiter78]

That's awesome pugs! That one even has the 7.3L diesel. That is a serious rare find.

This is getting closer:
http://belairshells.com/work_shells
High rise fiberglass with integrated rack. I bet I could get those guys to customize something for me

 

[snowaddict91]

Some ladder racks are built to fit around a shell. Not sure if there's one out there to fit a high rise or not, forgot to include that in my original post. I like your idea for a rofftop porch! Aluminum contractor toppers are also another option that may support weight without an additional rack system.
And yeah with time you will learn to fit your rig down single lane stuff and you will get proficient at backing up long distances, lol! Another plus to the truck is it is modular. Ex if you are doing a rafting trip, sled hauling, whatever you can pull the topper and have an open bed, etc. this may or may not matter to you. I thought I would pull my topper on and off depending on the trip, but turns out it hasn't come off since I put it on!

 

[TechMOGogy]

Buy a Pinz and your done

 

[SoCal Tom]

I was thinking 4WD Van, with RTT ( I assumed he needed to sleep 5 people on the top?). A bumper mount to carry the motorcycle.
Tom

 

[rossiter78]

What is "RTT"?

 

[pugslyyy]

What is "RTT"?

Roof Top Tent

 

[AFBronco235]

To get EVERYTHING you want, you're looking somewhere in the 40K-50K price range, even if you build I from scratch. I think the biggest hurdle to getting what you want is your "self contained" requirement. What do you have against a trailer? You can build a trail rig and trailer to fit all your needs, including the tight trails you mentioned and be much more versatile. You just really need to prioritize your needs. I think your biggest problem is that you're towing with a Toyota tundra and from what I've heard/seen, they're just not good tow vehicles and have a fairly light load capacity to boot. Try going with something in the 3/4 to 1 ton range of trucks with a trailer and you'll definitely notice a difference. Even a good van will tow better than a tundra.

-

If you're looking for a good vehicle a crewcab F250 with a custom flatbed should work for everything you need, except maybe the snowmobile. Build the flatbed to be a little narrower than the cab with a cage of some sort with a top rack. The cab will fit 4 people easily plus some gear. Assuming the bed is empty, a tarp can be thrown over the cage to form a sleeping tent at night for comfortable sleeping accommodations. If all you can find is a 2wd F250, you can convert to 4WD pretty easily with the budget you have. Simple, versatile, and durable. Of course, my experience is based on OBS Fords (1980-1996) but that's just my 2 cents.

-

If you're open to building a custom trailer to haul your toys, look into using a truck axle with good ground clearance and using the same tires as your tow vehicle. Add a rack system and you're good to go. It doesn't need to be super wide either. A 42" wide bed would be enough for bikes and snowmobile I'm thinking and still go down a trail. A rack for a sleeping platform or just viewing. And you can still use your tow rig as a trail rig and leave the trailer at your base camp, or tow it onto your trail if you build it right. It just depends on the trails you're intending to go down.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Sounds like you need a Callen camper.

 

[bdog1]

Mine's a diesel 4x4 E350. A bike isn't going in the back, think the door openings too short. Maybe if you rotate the bars and tie down the suspension, sounds like too much hassle. (Then there's the fuel smell).
If it's only one bike there's a hitch mount? Otherwise it fits all your wish list I believe.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[java]

I vote box truck. I have seen a couple unicorns that are 4x4, but a swap isn't that much money...

 

[PIC4GOD]

Sportsmobile while expensive has a couple of solutions/floorplans for mix of living space and tou hauler. Here is an example http://youtu.be/lxiClCqi1D4. Unfortunatley these are not cheap but you might be able to build it on your own for less.