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

[joemyself]

I currently have a Toyota Tacoma double cab short bed that's been great for the last couple years. But now it's time for a camper. I really like the FWC Fleet but it's too long for my short bed. I know there is the Swift that would fit my truck but it's just too small for my liking and needs. Tell me if I'm crazy, but I'm considering selling my DCSB to get the same truck only an access cab with a long bed that will fit the Fleet. The bummer part is I've already put about $13k worth of upgrades into the truck and taking the parts off and putting on the new truck wouldn't be an option. I'd have to start from scratch unless I can find an already upgraded truck for sale.

What do you all think? Fleet owners, is it worth it? Swift owners, do you ever wish you had the Fleet? Any advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[rando]

I guess it depends on how you plan on using your camper. The swift is small, so if there are two of you and you are planning longer trips in colder seasons (when you would spend much more time inside), I imagine it would get quite cramped. Personally, I wasn't even interested in the Fleet until they came out with the flatbed models, which are far roomier. I don't think putting a fleet in a short bed is really a good idea, given the weight and center of gravity.

Another consideration would be how often you are going to use the camper? If it is going to be mounted full time, then switching to the right truck for the job seems like a good idea, and you start fresh to equip the truck specifically for the camper. If this is something you take on and off, then you would need to take into consideration what else you use the truck for - which may impact the access cab/double cab, sb/lb decision.

Finally, consider if the upgrades you already have will really work well with the camper. You will want suspension/tires set up for a heavy load, and want to consider the total weight. With a fleet on a Tacoma, you WILL be significantly over GVWR, so it is important to consider the weight of your other additions. Adding steel bumpers/skids/sliders, winches, swingouts etc to an already overloaded truck can get you dangerously overloaded in a hurry.

Finally if you are buying used, there are far more Fleets/Eagles out there than swifts.

 

[Karlton]

Well stated by Rando. Given the demand for Tacomas, you might do okay recovering the cost of the upgrades. Determine what is your optimal camper, then determine the truck you need for the camper. If you try to fit a camper to your existing truck, you might be dissatisfied in the future. Lots of discussion on the forum about suspension upgrades especially for Tacomas.

Cheers

 

[klahanie]

Not crazy. If you want a camper, you'll need the truck to carry it. Having a camper and all the things that go with it is a different ballgame.

There's more than one guy out there driving a dually not because he really wanted a dually but because he needs it for his camper. That's at one end of the spectrum and he could go smaller camper and truck. You're at the other end, can't really go smaller with either item.

If you're even thinking new truck I suggest you consider well the whole package for what you want to do, want to carry, where you'll travel etc.

And take note of Rando's comment about being over GVWR. You really don't want any surprises or to bummed after spending new money.

 

[joemyself]

Thanks everyone for helping me confirm my decision. The camper will be on the truck full time. I camp a lot with my girlfriend and it will also serve as a home for extended trips to Baja and Central America so I think the extra space of a Fleet will be very beneficial.

 

[rando]

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.

 

[Sharx]

Having the exact Tacoma you are talking about I can give you my opinion. I had an old '99 Tacoma I loved so that made my upgrade to my current '13 Access cab an easy decision. I did not need a double cab for hauling extra people (a strong consideration for that model) and wanted a larger long bed since I knew I would want to haul stuff in the bed more. I found the Access cab could actually fit 2 adults in back (for short trips) but having the long bed was ideal when needed. There is alot of room behind the seats in an Access cab. Having the strong V6 they put in is so much more than my old 4 banger too. I did not buy the truck to eventually have a camper. That idea came later. Once I found the '15 Fleet (front dinette) I have, it was a perfect fit. You still have part of it hanging off the back though, but taking off the front camper bumpers and replacing them with a smaller (or shorter width) bumpers moved it into the bed a couple more inches. Mine is installed full time and I wish sometimes it was even roomier. I checked out a Swift and thought I was glad I had my Fleet. But that camper is right when you have to have it for a short bed. I agree with what was said above that the amount you use the camper should determine what camper you get. The more you want to, the larger you will want it.

As for changing Taco's, I would say you will have no problem selling the one you have since the used Taco mkt. is white-hot. Don't trade it in at a dealer and get chapped, sell it privately. For getting another long bed Access cab, I recommend doing what I have been doing for the last 3 vehicle purchases I have made. Find a 1-2 year old (that someone else bought new) model with very low mileage on the internet, but try to find one that is on another dealer's lot, not Toyota's. Mine was at a Ford dealer, used with only 5100 miles on it. I saved well over $10k buying it this way. Let the original owner take the "bath" on it. I even found out 2 years after buying it, the blue book had it for $2k more than I paid. The reason you can get a well checked out vehicle (dealer will not resell a used piece of crap on their lot) and save a bunch of money is that they do not want a Toyota truck on their lot with a bunch of Ford trucks selling next to it. They want to get rid of it ASAP. They chapped the original owner who traded it in so they have plenty of wiggle room to save you money. After all, 5100 miles is practically brand new. Then upgrade what you get to your liking (especially suspension and E tires). My 2 cents...out.

 

[Anchored nomad]

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

 

[rando]

I think it is almost a foot shorter.

 

[Advmoto18]

All great posts!

I have a 2015 FWC Hawk slide-in in my F-350.

But given the overall weight of the above package, the wife and I went looking for alternative vehicles when she decided to sell her MB GLA250.

What did she buy? A 2107 Taco 4 door, long bed. Why? Because we might put a flatbed Fleet on it. At that time we will sell the Hawk and the Super Duty. why the 4 door Taco? My two girls, Soli (aka SoSo) and Luna (aka LuLu) (both Black Labs) ride on the back seat.

Granted, the Taco will require about $3-4K in suspension and tire suspension/gearing upgrades to carry the flatbed/camper. Not to mention or include front/rear bumpers and Warn winch.

How can you not like this setup?

 

[joemyself]

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.

 

[abqbw]

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....

 

[abqbw]

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.....

 

[So Cal Adventurer]

Crazy? No! Perfectly sane!

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

 

[EnviroProf]

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.

 

[rilcombs]

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).

 

[rubberlegs]

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.

 

[joemyself]

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.

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

 

[joemyself]

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?

 

[lactic]

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.