Camper OK on older trucks?

[Santiago]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the forum and to truck campers. I've been lurking and reading up mainly on Four Wheel Campers. I don't have a truck yet but I'm wondering about putting a camper on a late 80's or early 90's Toyota 4x4. They're more within my price range. Obviously I want some balance between reliability and cost. I can forego the niceties of a newer Tacoma, as long as I'm not spending more time under the hood or at the mechanic's than climbing and camping.

y girlfriend and I rock climb and camp. We'd like weekends and vacations away in a FWC. All over California, and the Eastern Sierras in the wintertime. But we're planning a long trip around the Western states or maybe the whole country or maybe way South. 6-12 months.

I know 22R engines were used all the way until 1995, and that they're reliable. But for carrying a camper? Are 4 bangers enough? Do V6's have head gasket problems? Am I better off saving for longer if we want a truck for a long trip? I prefer manual transmission but I'm open to an automatic, which she prefers.

Any general advice and even specific trucks to look for would be really appreciated. And older model campers too. I know the Eagle and Finch will fit but not sure about the older models.

Thanks much,
Santi.

 

[Argonaut20]

Partial answer to your question: http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/index.php?/topic/7362/
The main problem I see is that you need to find an early Taco that hasn't been trashed. The 4 will carry the camper, but don't get in a hurry (unless downhill with tail wind). Then, there is the matter of finding a used Eagle or Bobcat. The early V6 was about the same horsepower as the later 4 cylinder so you don't gain a lot by getting the first gen V6 over a later 4 cylinder.

 

[Jake1eyedsnake]

I love my 94 pickup with the v6. I was in the same boat when I bought my pickup 4 years ago, wanted a Tacoma but wasn't in my price range. I thought I would get a Taco down the road, but now I dont think I will. The pickup has been very reliable for me with 240xxx miles on the odo. I haul a Roamin Chariot camper with my pickup, and in January drove the Alcan in search of snow loaded with 2 adults a dog (65lbs) and 4 pairs of skis and all the rest of the gear and it was no problem for the truck. Found the camper in the Spokane area on craigslist. My wife and I are contemplating a Pan-Am trip in the near future with this rig. It was fully loaded when I took this pic, that's why its so squatty, I am putting on the ZUK coil mod for the back to help with the load.

 

[PeterV]

BTW also might be worth looking at Nissans, they tend to be cheaper used and have similar reliability. I was a big Toyota fan (had a LandCruiser for 8 years) but also had a buddy that had a Nissan truck that ran for over 200,000 miles until he sold it (still ran great)... honestly they are pretty comparable. And I am super happy with mine, the main reason I got it vs. a Tacoma was that Tacomas are automatic only for the 4-door/long bed configuration which I wanted (it's nice to store extra gear in the back seat, which is quite big in the 4-door).

Just another option if you are looking for older trucks... not sure where you live but here is a 2004 crew cab long bed with a V6 and a manual for $8700: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/cto/3765455090.html
.. which is the price of a 10 year older Toyota.

 

[JHanson]

Santi,

Here is our 1992 Toyota pickup, with 22RE and five-speed, and our first Four Wheel Camper, in Punta Chueca on the Sea of Cortez. We put about 75,000 miles on this combination.

Yes, freeway hills were a challenge, but we always got up them. We then moved up to a 2000 Tacoma with the V6 and automatic. Big improvement in power even with the automatic, and fuel economy was virtually the same since the engine wasn't always at WOT.

An early Tacoma with the V6 and either transmission would do excellently with a FWC. The head gasket problems experienced by some have long been addressed. And those trucks are really reliable - we did nothing to our 2000 for 150,000 miles except change the oil and the timing belt. Nothing. Even my old FJ40 didn't match that record.

 

[PeterV]

JHanson, nice photo! How hard was it to lift the roof with those two kayaks?

I carried ~100 lbs on my roof on a trip this winter (skis/ski box), it was surprising how much of a difference it made, and I was a bit afraid of the mechanism holding up... though maybe I'm worrying too much, I've seen lots of people here carry loads on their roofs!

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

JHanson, nice photo! How hard was it to lift the roof with those two kayaks?

I carried ~100 lbs on my roof on a trip this winter (skis/ski box), it was surprising how much of a difference it made, and I was a bit afraid of the mechanism holding up... though maybe I'm worrying too much, I've seen lots of people here carry loads on their roofs!

A lot of the time I carry a canoe on the roof.I have the lifters so the extra weight is easier to lift.I think with extra weight on the roof you just need to be more careful lifting and especially lowering,you don't want to get hit by the front ceiling as it comes down.
Other than that the lift panels seem to do fine.
Frank

 

[JHanson]

Thanks Peter,

I lifted the roof with the kayaks still mounted just once, to prove I could do it. They weighed around 60 pounds each. Normally we removed them first. The racks stayed in place.

 

[Santiago]

Thanks everybody, for your thoughts. I incorrectly assumed I would receive email notices when people commented. Also, school has ben an 80-hours-a-week lifestyle lately, but now I'm free for the Summer. And ready to lurk and troll sites for camper stories.

I'll look at Nissan's. Thanks for the Nissan sale link. I'm in the SF Bay Area. I'm partial to Toyotas but there's no good reason why. I'm also partial to any vehicles that are Japanese designed. Why is it that Nissans are so much cheaper?

As I thought, 4 cylinder would do fine but I'd like the power of a V6. I feel like it can come down to a matter of safety, especially in cities where people drive more rushed and merging with a heavy or slow load can be tricky.

Partial answer to your question: http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/index.php?/topic/7362/
The main problem I see is that you need to find an early Taco that hasn't been trashed. The 4 will carry the camper, but don't get in a hurry (unless downhill with tail wind). Then, there is the matter of finding a used Eagle or Bobcat. The early V6 was about the same horsepower as the later 4 cylinder so you don't gain a lot by getting the first gen V6 over a later 4 cylinder.



I love my 94 pickup with the v6. I was in the same boat when I bought my pickup 4 years ago, wanted a Tacoma but wasn't in my price range. I thought I would get a Taco down the road, but now I dont think I will. The pickup has been very reliable for me with 240xxx miles on the odo. I haul a Roamin Chariot camper with my pickup, and in January drove the Alcan in search of snow loaded with 2 adults a dog (65lbs) and 4 pairs of skis and all the rest of the gear and it was no problem for the truck. Found the camper in the Spokane area on craigslist. My wife and I are contemplating a Pan-Am trip in the near future with this rig. It was fully loaded when I took this pic, that's why its so squatty, I am putting on the ZUK coil mod for the back to help with the load.
View attachment 16406



BTW also might be worth looking at Nissans, they tend to be cheaper used and have similar reliability. I was a big Toyota fan (had a LandCruiser for 8 years) but also had a buddy that had a Nissan truck that ran for over 200,000 miles until he sold it (still ran great)... honestly they are pretty comparable. And I am super happy with mine, the main reason I got it vs. a Tacoma was that Tacomas are automatic only for the 4-door/long bed configuration which I wanted (it's nice to store extra gear in the back seat, which is quite big in the 4-door).

Just another option if you are looking for older trucks... not sure where you live but here is a 2004 crew cab long bed with a V6 and a manual for $8700: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/cto/3765455090.html
.. which is the price of a 10 year older Toyota.



Santi,

Here is our 1992 Toyota pickup, with 22RE and five-speed, and our first Four Wheel Camper, in Punta Chueca on the Sea of Cortez. We put about 75,000 miles on this combination.

Yes, freeway hills were a challenge, but we always got up them. We then moved up to a 2000 Tacoma with the V6 and automatic. Big improvement in power even with the automatic, and fuel economy was virtually the same since the engine wasn't always at WOT.

An early Tacoma with the V6 and either transmission would do excellently with a FWC. The head gasket problems experienced by some have long been addressed. And those trucks are really reliable - we did nothing to our 2000 for 150,000 miles except change the oil and the timing belt. Nothing. Even my old FJ40 didn't match that record.