Should I create a build on a Tacoma or a full size truck?
Posted by castiron_chef@reddit | overlanding | View on Reddit | 69 comments
I am ready to start a build. Very torn regarding which direction to go. Looking for advice and recommendations from the group. Would love to hear feedback from anyone who has gone from Tacoma to full size or full size to Tacoma.
Intended uses:
-Hunting/Fishing: mostly solo trips lasting 2-7 days. 90% of my driving is on maintained Forrest service roads or light off-roading that my stock Tacoma can had been great for. Occasionally go into some very remote country on unmaintained roads. It is very unlikely I will ever want to use it for intentionally extreme off-roading.
-Weekend Camping: Think public land camping away from a campground. I have a wife and young toddler. We are unsure about having a second kid. We have a 95 lbs dog. We will likely always have a 50+ in our life.
What do I want to include in my build?
Gofast Camper, front bumper with capability to add a winch, solar capability, some type of second battery system with a dc to dc charger, starlink, and a diesel heater.
I could see myself adding a fridge in the future.
The Goal:
Create fun family adventure vehicle that I can also use for hunting/fishing trips to access fairly remote country. I want to be able to work my remote job from this truck when I am hunting/fishing. I would like this build to least 200k+ miles. Due to fairly frequent hail storms, I would like this truck to fit in my garage, limiting me to 5’ bed options on all the trucks.
My truck considerations :
2020 Tacoma TRD Off-road double cab 5’ bed: I already own this truck and it is fully paid off. It has 80,000 miles on it. The truck is still stock with the exception of new wheels and some wildpeaks. I love this truck, it is so capable. However, I am concerned about payload. Especially, with my family in the car or after a successful hunt. I would upgrade the suspension on this truck if I use it for the build.
New or slightly used Tundra 5.5’ bed crew cab: Trade my truck in for a new or newish tundra with less than 25k miles on it. Most likely a Limited trim with off road package. I would probably need to upgrade the suspension with a 1-2” lift. This would cost me $30-40k after a trade in. This is in addition to the camping build out.
New or slightly used F150 5.5’ bed super crew: Trade my truck in for a new or used F-150 with less than 25k miles. Probably a Lariat or Tremor trim. I like that I would not have to touch the suspension in a tremor. This option would probably cost $40-50k after trade in. This is in addition to the camping buildout.
Financially, I am fortunate to be in a good position where I could pay cash for the truck and the camper build. However, I would prefer to spend as little as possible.
My fear is I spend $20kish building out my Tacoma, only to outgrow it in 3-5 years. I want this setup to last 10-15+ years. I would prefer to only build this setup once and want to avoid rebuilding this setup on a full size truck.
What would you do if you were in my shoes? Make the Tacoma work, or rip off the bandaid and buy a full size truck?
elbaldwino@reddit
I'd go full size. Love my tacoma but for your needs having that extra space will be so nice.
I'd also look at super pacific instead of GFC.
Also price out used super dutys. Space for days with those and they have the capacity to handle a heavy payload.
brainhack3r@reddit
I just did a big comparison of the Lone Peak camper versus the Super Pacific X1 versus the GFC.
Honestly, I think the Lone Peak is coming out on top. The only problem is it seems like there are fewer of them (so it's hard to get a demo), but I think that can apply to the Super Pacific as well.
The Lone Peak just looks better to me because it's $7,000 cheaper. It can accept up to a 5-inch mattress. The owner is really active on YouTube, and the guy seems absolutely obsessed, so I expect great products in the future as well.
I have the RSI smart cap now, but I don't really feel like they support it very much. It's just not as flexible as I'd like.
Plus all the accessories and everything are very expensive.
castiron_chef@reddit (OP)
I’ll have to take a look at lone peak as well! If all these things weren’t so expensive, it would be a much easier decision to buildout the Tacoma.
ofbaldmenandbikes@reddit
I would also recommend checking out Lone Peak. I have a V1 camper on a full size truck with 6' bed and I love it, especially for the price. And it seems like they fixed everything I don't like on the V2. It might not be as polished as some of the more expensive options, but it is still really nice. Very adaptable and DIY friendly. Happy to answer any questions you have about them!
castiron_chef@reddit (OP)
Thank you!
Successful_Pea_3969@reddit
Idk about this. If debates heavily and even used all 3 you mentioned above. Initially I fell in love with the lone peak, honestly I think their design is the best of them all. However their craftsmanship ship is very and I mean VERYYYY subpar. If you join the lone peak owners groups on facebook you’ll see people literally having the doors fall off them. We ended up with a GFC and have loved every minute of it.
castiron_chef@reddit (OP)
Good context. Thanks for sharing. I like the durability of the GFC. I haven’t read many negative reviews about their craftsmanship or anything. It seems like they did a solid job fixing commonly complained about issues with their V2 camper. They are expensive for how simple they are.
I do want to look harder at SP.
castiron_chef@reddit (OP)
Appreciate your thoughts. The Super Duty is an interesting idea. I will look into the super pacific. Any major differences for why you like it better than GFC?
elbaldwino@reddit
GFC has crossbars across the side entry panels, SP doesn't. SP has wire chases to make electrical installs cleaner and easier, GFC doesn't. SP uses universal Tslots, GFC is all proprietary shenanigans.
SP is expensive but I think it's worth the cost.
Sold my RTT hoping to get into a GFC this summer if the stars align.
Buddy has a diesel super duty with an SP and it's so nice. 8' bed is like an apartment on wheels with the SP. And it's got the payload to spare for extra fuel, tons of food, fridge etc.
Gasser super duty is also a good possibility especially considering the current price of fuel.
Corded_Chaos@reddit
Wha made you choose SP over lone peak? Both pnw wedge campers.
elbaldwino@reddit
SP seems more established. Lonepeaks are nice but I've yet to see one in person. I see SPs and GFCs on the road all the time in Colorado and I've yet to see a LP. They must exist but considering where I live I'd expect to see more. See a little bit of everything on the front range usually.
elementality22@reddit
You should check out the Lone Peak demo map on their website, there's quite a few of us in the front range and across CO. Definitely not as many out there as GFC's but I don't see SPs super often either.
castiron_chef@reddit (OP)
Appreciate the breakdown! I hope you are able to get the GFC lined up this summer!
elbaldwino@reddit
I hope so! Would mean a drive to the PNW which would be dope.
And I meant SP just edited 🤣. Need more caffeine.
ANeonBlueDecember@reddit
I love my Super Pacific!
ThrustNThunder@reddit
Getting elevation on the dish makes a real difference in tree country. A simple flagpole-style mount gets it above roofline and clears most obstruction issues. Quick deploy and pack once you dial in the setup.
castiron_chef@reddit (OP)
Great advice! Thanks for sharing
ThrustNThunder@reddit
You got it bud just hope your project goes well. Sounds awesome.
castiron_chef@reddit (OP)
I will do my best! Hoping to start the build in late summer or fall of this year
211logos@reddit
Have you seen fuel prices? if a daily driver, obviously smaller and lighter is a better economic answer. But soon three in a GFC may be a problem. But that's going to be an issue with the others too.
The Tundra or a similar sized truck would carry more but you lose fuel economy. Slightly bigger for sleeping, etc.
The 1/2 tons could also accommodate a bigger camper if you need to grow into one. Consider that; the small overland builds are rather couples oriented; a bigger child becomes harder to fit in.
But I wouldn't necessarily worry about a forever (well 15-20) year build. You can always sell, and so many life events can intervene and require that anyway. Get what works for a shorter time horizon.
castiron_chef@reddit (OP)
Yeah I probably need to think about this a a 5, maybe 10 year build instead of a forever build and reevaluate what I need for a family sometime in the 5-10 year horizon
SurfPine@reddit
Lots of discussion on here about toppers with popup sleeping areas. Regardless of which truck you choose to build out, make sure you take a look at Hiatus toppers. After spending a good 1/2 year getting my hands on all kinds of different toppers, Hiatus stood out as the premium topper design. You will pay \~ $3k more for the Hiatus when compared to a similar build from many other brands but that extra $3k is worth it in my mind. Hard-sided popup with fully insulated lower/upper and no tent material to flap in the wind. The hard-sided may be useful to you if you ever plan to hit a USNP camp area that requires hard-sided campers.
castiron_chef@reddit (OP)
Thank you for putting the Hiatus on my radar! The toppers are so expensive. I’ve found myself approaching hard sided pop up or travel trailer cost on some of the stuff I’ve seen.
SurfPine@reddit
Yeah, it was a bit of sticker shock for me at first but I've been considering a truck camper for 5-6 years now. I currently have a TT but have not been using that much lately because of the change in camping I want to do which doesn't bode well for having a trailer. Additionally, a slide-in camper can be limiting as well because the size and weight can be detrimental to dispersed camping where a trail is involved. It is the entire reason why I've gone towards a topper with popup sleeping area for my full size truck with 8ft bed that also has 3253lbs of payload.
A lot of the slide-ins I was looking into, the pricing started into the upper $30k and the quality was pretty abysmal in many cases. Want a better quality slide-in, increase the price substantially. This, of course, is for new but you would be surprised at the high prices for used slide-ins as well. Yes, I could have gone with a 20 year-old slide in but now you're dealing with roofs that are reaching their end of life along with many other items that could be ready for replacement. The deciding factor, for me, came down to the amount of weight I'd be hauling around and I just wasn't excited about all of that weight.
So yes, the Hiatus is not cheap and the price doesn't include the build-out to make it into a camper you'd be pleased with. By the time I complete my build-out, I will still have spent a lot less money than I would have if I went with a new slide-in camper. I also figure I'll be about 1500-2000 lbs lighter in weight than a slide-in.
It really will come down to what is best for you and your family as there is no one camper or camping style that can perfectly check everything off of the list, there are cons to each. Since I've done RVs for about 15 years, contemplated a truck slide-in for at least 5 years, and I've additionally done a lot of dispersed car camping, I've found what is going to work best for me. I'll also enjoy the hell out of doing my own build-out and not adding in items that I feel are unnecessary --> large furnace/air conditioner, microwave, dump tanks, etc.
castiron_chef@reddit (OP)
Very well said. The slide ins don’t make sense in my opinion due to the weight, size, and price. Many of those reasons are why I am landing on building out my own truck camper. Plus I am not in a good spot in life to deal with storing a travel trailer. Can’t store it at my house and don’t want to drive 45mins plus one way to a facility every time we want to go camping.
I quickly learned I could not check every box off the list with a build out. Now it’s all about finding the balance between size, capability, and capacity for a family.
I would love to get a 3/4 ton or 1 ton truck, but it is too big for my garage/driveway situation and would’ve extremely inconvenient to have at the house. Hopefully one day I will buy a single cab 3/4 ton 8’ bed truck and deck it out as a great hunting setup and tow a side by side for the gnarly roads/trails. That is the ultimate goal
A much as I’d love to keep my Tacoma, I am realizing how limited I will be. There is much more versatility with a 1/2 truck. I will most likely look to purchase a full size truck this summer and start the build out. Best case scenario it lasts 15+ years. Otherwise we will re evaluate in 5-10 years when the family size is finalized and we have a better idea of how much the kid(s) like camping.
_red-beard_@reddit
Full size anything. The setup you mentioned will easily exceed payload once everyone is in the truck.
Toyota has the most aftermarket support, but there's good stuff for Ford and Ram too. Sounds like you'll have fun and make some memories
IT_vet@reddit
I’m on my second Tundra. Never owned a Tacoma. I would never downsize at this stage. Two of my adult kids have moved out, but I’ve got an 11 year old and a 65 lb dog. It’s really nice for them to be able to share the backseat without being in each other’s space. My 11yo is pretty short, but I think they’d already be cramped in a Tacoma.
Beyond the backseat though, it’s really nice having the wider driver and passenger seats. We’re able to spread out comfortably.
Humble_Cactus@reddit
So, my life looks similar to you:
Wife, 2 boys (12 and 15), 2 45# dogs.
Generally 2 big trips per year (7-10 days out) plus 6-7 more weekend trips. Lots of highway miles, lots of forest roads, but I’m not afraid of 4Lo and using a spotter to navigate sketchy spots. My rock slider/step rails have some good scrapes.
I built a full-sized rig. 2023 Silverado, lifted, 35” tires. OVS shell, GFC tent, 270 awing. Homemade wooden platform with drawers in the bed. All the creature comforts- 12v fridge, ammo can fire pit, chairs, kitchen with Coleman stove, etc.
Some observations:
Weight adds up fast. A midsize rig will exceed the GVWR in a hurry. But 500 miles of highway from Phoenix to SW Colorado is much more enjoyable with lots of legroom. A full size truck is much less fatiguing to drive than a midsize when you’re talking 8 hours of road time to get to the trails in another state. (Or at least mine is compared to the Colorado I drove)
Big rigs are….big. I have lots and lots of “desert pinstripes” because a Silverado is much wider than a Jeep or Taco. The turning radius is big too. There will be places you just can’t go.
Your gas mileage will suck. I get like 14.5-15mpg driving “nicely”.
Obviously the Tacoma is a crazy super popular rig, but personally, I wouldn’t go midsize with a family, and even with just 2 ppl, I’d keep it “dirtbag” with a Leer/ARE cap and a sleeping bag in the bed next to the igloo cooler. I don’t see how people can put an AluCab in th bed of a Taco and not overload it.
Humble_Cactus@reddit
In the Mojave Desert 3 weeks ago during our 9-day SoCal Spring break trip:
castiron_chef@reddit (OP)
Sweet setup! Thank you for sharing your observations. It’s highly relatable to my situation. Payload does get used quickly on the mid sized platforms and it feels like full size is inevitable in the next 5 years
Humble_Cactus@reddit
Once you get over the initial “holy shit this thing is a BEAST” size-shock, it really shines.
We go camping and don’t think twice about taking anything I want. 15gal of water? Sure. A 2nd propane tank so I can cook with one and keep the fire pit going? No problem, brochacho. The tote with RC cars and climbing gear? Why not. Sounds fun. The Silverado’s payload is 1970 lbs.
A side note, my two best buddies are 6’2 and 6’6 and they both are 100% comfortable sitting in the back seat. Me, them and a 4th guy just went mountain biking in St. George, UT, we took my truck for the 7 hour drive be it was the roomiest vehicle for 4 dudes and all the gear.
The_World_Is_A_Slum@reddit
Full size. Tacos are very, very small for a family with a big dog. You might even think about a 3/4 ton for this one.
Seriously, you’ll be way over gross before you even get started.
brehew@reddit
Tacoma with a toddler and dog will be super cramped.
usernameS4@reddit
I get out for weeks at a time with my family of 4 in my Tacoma. I say keep what you have and build it to suit your needs. FWIW, you should decide if you really want to haul that elk you harvested in the bed of a truck that you also sleep in/above. Personally, a hunting truck is going to be a different build than an overlanding truck.
castiron_chef@reddit (OP)
You have a sweet setup! I agree with you about a hunting vs overland build. Building out the Tocoma is extremely attractive to me. Have run into any payload issues with your family and all your gear in the taco?
usernameS4@reddit
Fully loaded up for longer trips I'm heavy but with the trailer I can distribute that weight a bit more. Trailer is about 3,500lbs loaded and with 30 gallons of water so I'm likely maxed out with the GFC, armor on the truck (bumpers/sliders/skids), and the bit of gear that goes into the truck but I've modified the suspension and brakes to account for the heavy setup, installed an aux transmission cooler, and it's supercharged to help move things along off road and over mountain passes.
castiron_chef@reddit (OP)
Sounds like a sick setup
usernameS4@reddit
It's been great for our family. From stock to where I'm at now has been a 10 year journey after driving the truck in stock form for 5 years.
SignificantOption349@reddit
Honestly, this is a tough one. Your current truck is paid off, so you could do a lot of mods to it and still not have another car payment.
For a family, I’m leaning toward full size tbh.
I love my TDR OR with a DC and 6’ bed…. and am working on getting a go fast style camper for it…. But I did upgrade the suspension, had it re geared, etc, so it sorta ended up costing a lot more than it would have if I just bought a well maintained, used F150.
I do prefer the taco for my uses; but it’s just me, my wife and a dog.
A tundra would be a great option as well, but I just don’t know how much cab space they have in comparison to a full size.
tcgJimmy@reddit
F150 minimum, but I’d want to go 3/4 ton.
cobaltandchrome@reddit
For one person sure use a little Tacoma. For a family of three humans and a dog, that’s tiny. Even on a bigger truck and camper you have to give up this fantasy of getting a fatass dog out of an RTT, leaving the camper in the middle of the night for a small kid to have diarrhea, etc.
I have an f-150 one human one dog (young, agile) and I feel like theres a table amount of room. No battery system, no fridge, just a cooler and assorted junk for lounging around in the woods.
Stop fantasizing about getting your wholeass family sleeping in/on a truck and actually experiment with different options. Vans. Bumper pull trailers. Huge cabover campers. Tents. Massive tents. Popup tents. Multiple tents. Truck tents.
I’m saying do not spend a load of money on some build that your kid or huge dog or potentially pregnant partner will get sick of or literally grow out of in two years. Actually camp in what you have or can rent, or borrow, and make plans based on what you’ve tried, and hated/liked.
Cow_Man32@reddit
Dude you need a longer bed, I have a 6' bed on my 98 ranger and I'm always wishing I had a 7'
castiron_chef@reddit (OP)
I wish I could go with a 6.5’ bed but it won’t fit in my garage. I am concerned the Tacoma bed will feel way too small.
Cow_Man32@reddit
Anything less than a 6' bed is basically useless imo. Would an ext cab instead of quad cab with a 6' bed fit? And I wouldn't pretty much any full size truck not fit? Also once you put a lift and tires that rules out most garages anyway.
My 98 ranger with only the factory 2" lift and 31s only bearly fits in garages
castiron_chef@reddit (OP)
Those are both trade offs I need to consider. My garage is 21’ deep. The doors are 8’ tall. The full side trucks with the quad cabs and 6.5’ beds are 20.5’ long. I think that would be too tight for the garage. I could probably fit an ext cab with a 6.5’ bed in the garage.
Cow_Man32@reddit
Damn, that's a pretty impressive garage. If I were you and planning to do some somewhat serious over landing I would go ext cab longer bed, if you're only doing light trails then I guess it doesn't really matter. My dad's hunting rig is an 06 suburban with a small lift and 34s and he just sleeps in the back, I usually just bring a tent to setup on the ground or sleep in the driver seat of my ranger cause it's a 4 wheeling bias build, but I've seen some pretty sweet bed camper shell builds.
castiron_chef@reddit (OP)
I have thought about buying a single cab with an 8’ bed to make into a hunting rig. Biggest reason I hadn’t is because I don’t want to have 3 vehicles.
WeirdVision1@reddit
Go full size for the extra payload capacity.
No_Relation_488@reddit
Full size ford
Dangerous_Job_8013@reddit
Full Sized - get a darn longbed
thatsradddd@reddit
You're correct on being concerned with payload. That said neither the Tundra or the F-150 are really going to get you that much more than the Tacoma. That said you might as well just stick with the Tacoma and build it out with the money you have. If you're still concerned with payload to just don't like having a slow vehicle that guzzles fuel consider an F-350 or 3500.
I sold our built Tacoma as it was slow, underpowered, overloaded, and generally just two small for a good comfortable build. I now drive an F-350 that can pass Tundras and F-150s on a hill going 85 while carrying a studio apartment on its back. It's rad and I have zero desire to downsize or regrets.
castiron_chef@reddit (OP)
Appreciate the context regarding why you sled your Tacoma. Sounds like the 3/4+ ton builds are something I should look into and consider.
thatsradddd@reddit
If you're considering a 3/4, just got straight to a 1 ton. Same vehicle basically and you get the max payload you can. I don't regret mine at all. It's a ridiculously awesome platform for a travel vehicle.
Shmokesshweed@reddit
F-150 Tremor is easily 400-500 pounds over.
thatsradddd@reddit
That's not actually that much considering a camper top, two adults, one growing toddler, a 95 pound dog, a winch bumper, batteries and power, Starlink, a fridge, and miscellaneous gear. Don't get me wrong it's a good bump, but it goes quickly. That's all I'm saying.
Shmokesshweed@reddit
Definitely goes quickly. Even bigger reason to not build out a midsize. The truck he has, I believe, is around 1200 pounds payload.
brainhack3r@reddit
The Tacoma comes in a 6.5' bed, btw. I have one.
I wish I had a full-size third-gen Tundra, but they weren't out yet when I got one. If I were to buy a totally new car, I think I'd get a full-size.
The only problem is that if you live in a major city, there's no way you're going to be able to park it.
Last year moved back to San Francisco and I had to sell my rooftop tent to be able to get into 7.5' parking garages.
I'm moving out of the city, though, and so I think my next major build will be on a Tundra.
It won't be for another two to three years, though.
castiron_chef@reddit (OP)
Appreciate your thoughts. I originally bought the Tacoma when I lived in a major city. There was no way I was going to drive a full side truck back then. Now I live outside the city and would probably take our other car to the city anyway.
brainhack3r@reddit
I'm doing a 24/7/365 overland thing, which I'm converting to right now.
I think the extra space and horsepower that the Tundra would provide would be amazing.
The other problem is that the third gen has the constant shift-seeking behavior, which is really annoying.
castiron_chef@reddit (OP)
My Tacoma gear hunts fairly often and it’s really annoying. Have considered getting a tune, but have been reluctant
brainhack3r@reddit
Yeah, I think it's like 400 for the tune or something? I'm hesitant too. I really wish I had that Tundra ten-speed transmission, though.
thaneliness@reddit
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the best overland vehicle is the one you currently own. I say build out the Tacoma. If it’s truly just you, that’s more than enough space. I am solo and can do a week in my 4Runner with no RTT or exterior storage.
MeSkeptikal@reddit
I love my 2013 Tacoma but the only issue I have with it is that the cab is a little cramped. Admittedly I’m not sure if this is an issue on the 2020.
If you have a family you might find the cab on the tundra a little more comfortable. The camper doesn’t matter if you can’t convince your spouse and kids to ride in the truck first.
castiron_chef@reddit (OP)
Good call. The 2020 cab is okay. It is a very tight fit with the kiddo and dog in the back seat. A Tundra would definitely be more comfortable.
shadow247@reddit
Tundra has the payload to do what you want. Most "Overland" builds on Tacomas and 4Runners are severely overweight.
Shmokesshweed@reddit
Payload and space would be the two biggest reasons why I recommend you go full size. The back seat on an F-150 is a palatial compared to the Tacoma or any midsize.
estunum@reddit
I’d go full size. More room for a family, and plenty payload. You’ll eat through the payload of a midsize faster that you think.
castiron_chef@reddit (OP)
Appreciate your thoughts. The super duty is an interesting thought. I’ll have to look into that a bit. Nice Tacoma!
thePunisher1220@reddit
Honestly it just depends on how big your family is/how many people you wanna take with you.
Just you or one other person: Tacoma
3-5 people: full size will probably be better.