Camper Renovation and Capabilities of a 2007 Tundra Double

Seeing that you are on the west coast, I would look for a nice used Four Wheeler Granby. Perfect camper for your Tundra.

Really appreciate all the input guys I'm not married to any ideas just yet. Really just seeing where my limitations are. No matter what we get it's going to be used and most likely get a decent update/remodel with paint,lighting,cushions,bedding,etc.. so either way we plan to do some work. I'm not opposed to going the pop up route if something comes up, but would like to try and itemize where all the different weight factors are.


In the 8'-10' hard shell campers I was thinking the cabinetry was a good 300-400lbs or so? Taking things down to the frame, re-insulating, and covering with a type of hdpe was my thought initially but I'm not sure just how breathable the walls need to be, definitely don't want moisture issues. It would be great to keep all the storage as close the floor as possible.

For cabs maybe build some basic frames with 5052 aluminum and possibly hinged or sliding cab faces with honey comb hdpe or acrylic. I've got some carbon fiber rods and laminating resin as well for structural integrity if need be.

Maybe blow up mattresses to save on weight.

Unsure about refrigeration for 2-5 day camping trips. It is a pain to get ice every day for coolers.

For heat how well do the Mr Heater Portable buddies work?

For cooking a single or double propane stove works well enough for us, thinking of building an insert to move our double burner coleman in/out depending on the weather. Most likely wouldn't need a microwave.

For water I'm not sure how much I trust an old used system. Would be ok with bringing or own filters and water containers.


Again guys not married to anything but using this Tundra as it's new to us and we want the reliability that comes with these engines. Kicking myself for not getting the 4x4 but we couldn't find one in our price point that was in good shape and not hammered on.


Appreciate your help guys!

We had a 1997 Lance 165 gave less than $2000, I put it on a 1999 f 250, I since gave it to my Grandson and his family. He uses it on a later model 1500 Dodge Pickup. He has air bags and the pick up handles it pretty good. The Tundra hauling that camper which is pretty close to the smallest I've seen around would be a stretch.
When retro fitting a pop up by pulling cabinets out and replacing with aluminum, and basically removing most everything does not sound like a good plan to me, I've rarely seen this work out to be satisfactory
It sounds to me like the easy solution would be to get a GM Dodge or Ford, bigger the better if you want a slide in camper, or if you want to keep your Toyota, then maybe looking at trailers, any thing from TAB, tear drop, well there are tons of smaller lighter weight easy to pull with a tundra trailers.
Can you find a camper for your Tundra, im sure there is some thing out there, but if you stay in budget that gets to be harder to find, staying with a truck camper you have many boxes to tic to make it work.
When I looked for a short bed camper it was hard to find, maybe out of ten campers to look at, one was for a short bed, then you gotta find one that in decent shape, out 20 camper for sale on craigslist maybe one would be what you could call "good" shape, and it goes on and on.
Im sure you are much luckier than Ive been looking for campers but its a long road.

^ He said tundra not Tacoma so it’s similar in capacity to that Chevy.
But I agree, big camper and little truck (especially if it’s the old style Tundra, those axles weren’t known for their brute strength), not a good combo.
12’ whatever it is, is a 110% non starter.
And like Bedlam said, it would take a fair amount of gutting “stuff” out of most hard side full size campers to make it attractive to haul on a 1/2 ton.
Cool project if the OP wants to embark.
But the most practical options IMO to not tent camp and still be economical are popup trailer, small TT, or ditch the Tundra for a HD pickup If you can’t find a popup TC.
Toyota’s have the best resale value (even though 2wd isn’t worth much) and apples to apples, you could sell the Tundra and buy a comparable 3/4 ton for even money.

The 1st camper looks out of proportion even on seller's full size truck.
Can you picture it on Tundra?

Modifying a camper to save weight by things like "taking out the bathroom" is not a good idea. You will ruin the value of your unit by modifying it. Better to buy a bigger truck.

You need to become more realistic.
When I don't know the weight of 1st camper, statistically loaded with water and propane we can talk >3000 lb.
The 2nd who is 12 footer will likely overload F350 with SRW.

I expect a hollowed out camper shell to weigh 500-750 lbs. You will have to be careful what you add back in to keep within the rear axle rating. You have to take in account the weight of the truck occupants and any gear and supplies you want with you, so your payload capacity will be used up quickly.

I would not choose any camper that extends more than 2' rear of your truck bed. Longer models may not have have the floor support to hang farther off the end and they will also start lifting the front end up on the truck resulting in poor handling.

Think about how you will secure the camper to the truck. Will you bolt the camper floor to the tuck bed with sandwiched plates? Will you use the internal tie downs inside the bed? Will you use frame mounted tie downs with spring loaded turnbuckles? Each of these methods has a price along with pro and cons.

I can give you my experience having owned two Tundras which have carried the same camper. The Tundra is NOT a half ton truck.

A PM would be best.

As you already stated, your official payload is a little over 1500lbs. There are a lot of previous discussions on this forum which camper - if any - can be put on a 150/1500. The consensus seems to be: not a lot. A small, lightweight hardside camper or a popup will work.

I can not access the links you posted (probably because I am not in the US), but here is my comment based on what I can see:
1500-2000$ will not buy you much of a camper. Expect a lot of work and preexisting problems.
I seriously doubt any 12' camper can be put on a half ton crew cab, weight wise. Also you will need a long bed for a camper of this size.
Do not trust any stated weights unless you can verify them on a scale. Almost everything camping is heavier than you think.

You can travel overloaded to a degree. Just know what you are doing and you will be fine. That will not absolve you of (potential, remote) legal consequences, and you can not beat physical reality. Know your axle weights and tire loads, especially in the rear.

Your project sounds like a lot of work. Would you rather travel or build a camper, or do you have time for both?

Yes, many people do use the bathroom. But that question is probably as old as campers are. Some people will never use them, some only in an emergency, some can not imagine using a camper without. We are in the latter group, but there is no right or wrong here, just personal preference.

Best of luck, and safe travels!

Edit: removed Tundra half-ton claim. I was malinformed.