Recent content by MR E30

Oof. I wish I only had to spend $78,000 on mine to get it to where I wanted it to be. Including the price of truck, I am a hair over $115,000 into my Tacoma. No YT account or free parts unfortunately. And I did 98% of all of the labor, paying ~$1,100 to a friend to weld some things up for me...

Ah thank you very much. Happy to share!

Ozarker brings up a lot of good points, reminds me of my time in the Corps at the CWMWTC in Bridgeport, CA, but the overall applicability of a military grade system to a mobile, routinely opened and closed truck camper is a bit of a stretch. For the warmth, it all depends on the canvas sides...

Dave linked my build thread above for reference, if you care to check it out. Diesel is way more effective for sure. One gallon of diesel currently lasts ~20 hours set on low. Outside air temp in the 40's, thermostat set to 75 in the camper. Periodically run it on high for a while to help keep...

You're welcome. Happy to share. Diesel heater actually helps kill moisture. The air it pumps out is so hot and so dry that condensation doesn't form in our camper, even down in the 20's. We even use it to dry wet shoes/gear/clothes, it really is that effective. Using our LPG Dickinson...

IMHO I think you are smoking something with your electrical system specifications and desires. Wife and I live, and work, full-time, in a Tacoma. 400w solar and 200ah in LifePO4 batteries, and I can't fathom trying to run an AC unit off of the setup. I pay very close attention to my power...

You said you wanted experience opinions, so here is what I have to offer: First, I see very few things in the Hardsider camper that lend it any serious credibility, and I see a lot of things that are either 'meh' or 'not desirable'. I would be incredibly wary of campers made by people who have...

1,600 is certainly over GVWR for a 3rd Gen Tacoma. Most TRD Offroad models (the most common variant used for builds like this) have a payload of ~996 lbs, passengers included. The frame likely doesn't care about the added weight, it's plenty resilient. There are options to upgrade your frame as...

Thanks for your clarity guys. I should have been more clear in my previous post: the GFC brackets did not sustain any serious damage (some flexing and slight bending). The mounts themselves were ripped out of the side of the extrusion itself (and a couple bolts sheared/failed as well). The...

Thank you. My wife and I live and work full-time in our Tacoma, so it has to do quite a lot for us!

I have personally seen an OVS get ripped right off of the side of a GFC with just 2 mounts. YMMV but (2) is definitely not enough IMO.

Coronado NF Tacoma in CNF by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr Outside of Vail, AZ Tacoma and GS by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

As a practicing Structural Engineer, this is a glaring issue I see on almost every single new camper design that is hitting the market. Even more open and honest manufacturers like Lonepeak still have absolute dogshit structures for the main frame of their campers. Folks with no technical...

Here is what I have to share: 6ft bed 3rd gen Tacoma with Alu-Cab Canopy Camper and their 270 degree Shadow Awn mounted on drivers side Wife and I have been living in this truck since 9/1/2023. We mainly reheat food during the week, but we do one large food prep day once a week (usually Friday...

That's exactly what mine looks like (orange strap and bracket in image above). Thanks for the info.