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Am I crazy? Switching Tacoma's for a Fleet.

fwc tacoma fleet swift long bed

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#11 joemyself

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Posted 09 May 2018 - 01:25 AM

If it is often two of you, and you are planning extended trips, then you definitely want at least a Fleet.   If it is going to be on full time, have you considered the flatbed model?  These are way more spacious and better laid out than the slide-in and offer much more storage.  The downside is they are more expensive, and you need a flatbed - but if you are getting a truck specifically for this purpose it could be an opportunity to go the flatbed route. 

 

I've definitely considered the option of a flatbed Fleet, however, going that route feels a bit too aggressive at the moment. I want to test the waters with a Fleet/Tacoma combination. If it really works out and I ever feel like I need more space, I can always upgrade down the road. Luckily it seems like the resell value of FWC's is pretty good if I ever wanted to go that route. 

 

Isn't the Swift only like 6" shorter than the Fleet?

The Fleet is 10" longer than the Swift. I know it doesn't sound like much, but they are able to fit so much more in this space. I was at the FWC showroom over the weekend and boy, the extra 10" is a huge difference. 


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#12 abqbw

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Posted 15 May 2018 - 12:59 PM

It comes down to what you can afford and how much you are willing to spend to get what you want.

I have a Hawk front dinette on a 2011 Toyota Tundra. I think it is really cramped for two people. I can't imagine how tiny a swift would feel for even one person. Minimum size camper I would consider would be a fleet. A fleet flatbed because of the width of the floor seems to me to be even better than a Hawk slide-in. I know tons of people have FWCs on Tacomas and love them but to me it's too much camper on too little truck. I think they are an overloaded accident waiting to happen. I have a friend that just spent a month in Baja in his overland outfitted land cruiser (or Lexus version) with a friend with a taco and a fleet. Obviously there is some bias but the landcruiser owner said the taco/fleet had difficulties off-road because it was overloaded.

We have two latest gen Tacomas in the family. Both are the long bed and one is an access cab and the other is a double cab. Even though the double cab is longer I would never buy another access cab. I hate the reverse opening of the rear doors. Parked next to another vehicle the doors are a pain. Getting in the rear seat like to get groceries out parked in a garage with a wall on one side and another car on the other is a pain. The door opens where you need to be standing and it is real awkward getting both front and rear doors open at the same time and get into the rear seat. Opening the front door every time to get in the back is a pain. When you have the rear door open the front door has to be open and the top latch catch loop for the rear door in the door frame on the truck is exposed and if you are over 5'6" you will smash your head on the latch. It dang near gives you a concussion.

The Tacoma double cab long bed is only about 3 in shorter than a Tundra Double Cab. Even though the 78 " bed on the Tundra is 5" longer than the 73" bed on the Tacoma. The Tacoma is quite a bit narrower so it does seem quite a bit smaller in tight city or off road driving.

For all these reasons if I was going to get a new truck and camper and wanted to stay with Toyota I would get a Tundra Double Cab with a Hawk. If I really didn't want the big truck and camper my next choice would be a taco Double Cab long bed and a fleet. I say this even though I have never really loved my Tundra. It is an ancient design compared to the chevys, dodges, and fords. But the longer I have had it the more appreciate it for two reasons. It is the smallest full size truck with 4 normally opening doors and a 6.5 ft bed. This is accomplished by having a relatively small rear seat. So the price of the relative shortness of the truck is a smallish rear seat. But it is still much much more roomy than a Tacoma double cab rear seat. The other thing I like about the Tundra is reliability and durability. That is why I bought the Toyota and it hasn't disappointed. I hunt and camp a lot in remote areas and have beat the tar out of my Tundra. And since 2016 a lot of those dirt road miles have been overloaded with a stuffed Hawk and often pulling a 10' utility trailer. The truck still drives like it is new and has experienced a single major failure or required a single major repair after 140K miles in 7 years. It's quite remarkable really.

If you want to go the Tundra route and can wait there are rumblings that a new Tundra generation might be coming out next year. I might look at them for a new truck...

Sorry to blab on but as someone with both taco dbl cab and access long beds plus a Tundra Double Cab with a Hawk on it in my driveway and a zillion miles and years of off road living, and a couple of those with a FWC I figured I might be able to give useful opinions....
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#13 abqbw

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Posted 15 May 2018 - 01:04 PM

It comes down to what you can afford and how much you are willing to spend to get what you want.

I have a Hawk front dinette on a 2011 Toyota Tundra. I think it is really cramped for two people. I can't imagine how tiny a swift would feel for even one person. Minimum size camper I would consider would be a fleet. A fleet flatbed because of the width of the floor seems to me to be even better than a Hawk slide-in. I know tons of people have FWCs on Tacomas and love them but to me it's too much camper on too little truck. I think they are an overloaded accident waiting to happen. I have a friend that just spent a month in Baja in his overland outfitted land cruiser (or Lexus version) with a friend with a taco and a fleet. Obviously there is some bias but the landcruiser owner said the taco/fleet had difficulties off-road because it was overloaded.

We have two latest gen Tacomas in the family. Both are the long bed and one is an access cab and the other is a double cab. Even though the double cab is longer I would never buy another access cab. I hate the reverse opening of the rear doors. Parked next to another vehicle the doors are a pain. Getting in the rear seat like to get groceries out parked in a garage with a wall on one side and another car on the other is a pain. The door opens where you need to be standing and it is real awkward getting both front and rear doors open at the same time and get into the rear seat. Opening the front door every time to get in the back is a pain. When you have the rear door open the front door has to be open and the top latch catch loop for the rear door in the door frame on the truck is exposed and if you are over 5'6" you will smash your head on the latch. It dang near gives you a concussion.

The Tacoma double cab long bed is only about 3 in shorter than a Tundra Double Cab. Even though the 78 " bed on the Tundra is 5" longer than the 73" bed on the Tacoma. The Tacoma is quite a bit narrower so it does seem quite a bit smaller in tight city or off road driving.

For all these reasons if I was going to get a new truck and camper and wanted to stay with Toyota I would get a Tundra Double Cab with a Hawk. If I really didn't want the big truck and camper my next choice would be a taco Double Cab long bed and a fleet. I say this even though I have never really loved my Tundra. It is an ancient design compared to the chevys, dodges, and fords. But the longer I have had it the more appreciate it for two reasons. It is the smallest full size truck with 4 normally opening doors and a 6.5 ft bed. This is accomplished by having a relatively small rear seat. So the price of the relative shortness of the truck is a smallish rear seat. But it is still much much more roomy than a Tacoma double cab rear seat. The other thing I like about the Tundra is reliability and durability. That is why I bought the Toyota and it hasn't disappointed. I hunt and camp a lot in remote areas and have beat the tar out of my Tundra. And since 2016 a lot of those dirt road miles have been overloaded with a stuffed Hawk and often pulling a 10' utility trailer. The truck still drives like it is new and has experienced a single major failure or required a single major repair after 140K miles in 7 years. It's quite remarkable really.

If you want to go the Tundra route and can wait there are rumblings that a new Tundra generation might be coming out next year. I might look at them for a new truck...

Sorry to blab on but as someone with both taco dbl cab and access long beds plus a Tundra Double Cab with a Hawk on it in my driveway and a zillion miles and years of off road living, and a couple of those with a FWC I figured I might be able to give useful opinions....


Edit- has NOT experienced a single major failure.....
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#14 So Cal Adventurer

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Posted 19 May 2018 - 08:19 AM

Crazy?  No!  Perfectly sane! 

 

Crazy is buying a pickup with a tiny little bed in the first place!   :)


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Follow My Shenanigans: instagram.com/campermccampface

 


#15 EnviroProf

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Posted 24 May 2018 - 11:38 AM

Interesting discussion about matching trucks and campers. I went through the same choices last year, looking at Tacos vs. Tundras, although I didn't have an existing short bed truck to add to the confusion. 

 

I ended up with the Taco Quad Cab posted below. I initially thought I wanted an access cab version, but after looking at one decided it wouldn't work well as space for my yellow lab. I'm really glad I went with the quad cab. I can get tons of gear in there such as camp chairs, camp table, etc., that I'd otherwise be storing on the floor of the camper and moving back and forth. If you are planning long trips to SA I think the additional space in a Fleet will be well worth changing trucks.

 

Good luck with your decision.

 

gallery_7814_1180_222096.jpg


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2017 Fleet

2013 Tacoma Quad Cab


#16 rilcombs

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Posted 24 May 2018 - 05:28 PM

So much this.  Having the space in the back of the truck to store things is big.  If you're spending one or two nights in each spot and moving along, it also makes setup/breakdown easier.  I don't usually store anything inside the camper except clothing (outside of the cabinets).


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#17 rubberlegs

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Posted 24 May 2018 - 07:26 PM

We just went through this decision. Weight is a big deal to me, and the access cab is lighter. We definitely want the 6' Fleet after going into a 5' Swift and a 6' Hawk at our local FWC dealer. Total weight will still be several hundred lbs overweight but we'll try to go as light as possible (we are backpackers and get the lightweight mentality).

 

Also, the four door with long bed is a longer truck and thus slightly less easy in rough terrain, plus longer turning radius, harder to park... etc. So that option was out (and it's heavier also). Just two of us but we are short enough to survive in the back if we bring a third person. The camper is a bit crowded for three anyway, so that may rarely happen. Funny though, we just got back from a two-week trip with three people in our Explorer, so maybe that's not true!

 

Tacomas have high resale value, so it seems reasonable to trade vehicles.

 

Our truck shows up today, Fleet arrives in August. Time to break in the truck.


Edited by rubberlegs, 24 May 2018 - 07:49 PM.

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Tacoma/Fleet 2018.


#18 joemyself

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Posted 25 May 2018 - 03:53 AM

Interesting discussion about matching trucks and campers. I went through the same choices last year, looking at Tacos vs. Tundras, although I didn't have an existing short bed truck to add to the confusion. 

 

I ended up with the Taco Quad Cab posted below. I initially thought I wanted an access cab version, but after looking at one decided it wouldn't work well as space for my yellow lab. I'm really glad I went with the quad cab. I can get tons of gear in there such as camp chairs, camp table, etc., that I'd otherwise be storing on the floor of the camper and moving back and forth. If you are planning long trips to SA I think the additional space in a Fleet will be well worth changing trucks.

 

Good luck with your decision.

 

gallery_7814_1180_222096.jpg

great looking setup! The silver spur exterior is perfect with the truck color. 


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#19 joemyself

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Posted 25 May 2018 - 04:00 AM

We just went through this decision. Weight is a big deal to me, and the access cab is lighter. We definitely want the 6' Fleet after going into a 5' Swift and a 6' Hawk at our local FWC dealer. Total weight will still be several hundred lbs overweight but we'll try to go as light as possible (we are backpackers and get the lightweight mentality).

 

Also, the four door with long bed is a longer truck and thus slightly less easy in rough terrain, plus longer turning radius, harder to park... etc. So that option was out (and it's heavier also). Just two of us but we are short enough to survive in the back if we bring a third person. The camper is a bit crowded for three anyway, so that may rarely happen. Funny though, we just got back from a two-week trip with three people in our Explorer, so maybe that's not true!

 

Tacomas have high resale value, so it seems reasonable to trade vehicles.

 

Our truck shows up today, Fleet arrives in August. Time to break in the truck.

Hey thanks for your reply! I also agree that the double cab long bed is just way too long. I like to go offroad as well and feel like the wheel base is too long for the trails I frequent. After coming from a double cab for the last two years I've learned that I don't really need all of that extra space back there. We only throw clothes back there for camping trips but once we get the Fleet those will just go in the camper anyway. Can you recall how much heavier the DCLB is than the access cab? 


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#20 lactic

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Posted 25 May 2018 - 04:29 AM

Love my DCLB with the Fleet. The extra space in the back for passengers, gear, and dogs is critical for me and once you get familiar with the corners, especially with the camper on the back, city driving and parking is a breeze. IMG_6376.JPG
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