Toyota pickup trucks for a truck camper?

The answer to your question is no, a compact pickup cannot carry twice its payload for long or safely. No hard size camper should be carried by anything less than a 1 ton single wheel truck. A pop up truck camper can go on the right 1/2 ton and most 3/4 tons.

I have a compact truck and even if it didn't have 250,000 miles on it, you'd be hard pressed to convince me that you could get better mileage out of it with a truck camper than my diesel truck. I've owned both over over 10 years and the few times I have pulled even a small trailer with the intent of saving fuel, I have been mistaken and found myself passing nothing and still hitting every gas station, and that's with a Ford Ranger with a V6. To say that a Toyota is underpowered for the task is an understatement.

My Lance 815 weighs nearly 3,000 pounds packed for a long weekend. You're kidding yourself if you think a truck with a 7.5" ring gear in the back and a semi-floating axle is going to support that kind of payload for long at all. I wouldn't even move my camper around my yard with a compact pickup, even if it would fit.

If I was poor and wanted to carry a truck camper, I'd find the rattiest old dually I could find. Even one that is 30 years old will carry all but the biggest truck campers just fine.

I think Bumpy's idea of fixing up a truck cap to suit your needs is best or look at a Four Wheeler TC.

You could tow a Toyota behind a truck and camper. I don't think you can haul a truck camper on a Toyota, at least not a HiLux or Tacoma. With a Tundra you might be able to, if it's a 2wd single cab model.

WesternYeti wrote:

jsteih wrote:
Where are you getting a 80's or 90's Hilux?

Probably 90's because I think more of them had automatic transmissions then.

You must be looking at Tacomas, because a Hilux is a diesel equipped model that is not available in the US.


ETA...Sorry that sounded bad, I was hoping you had a source for a Holy Grail truck for myself!

jsteih wrote:
Where are you getting a 80's or 90's Hilux?

Probably 90's because I think more of them had automatic transmissions then.

Where are you getting a 80's or 90's Hilux?

The notion that a Hilux will get better mileage than an American name plate couldn't be further from the truth. In fact the notion that any SUV or truck with a V6 getting better mileage than a V8 is pretty much a fallacy. At best you'll get about the same as a V8 in day to day driving.

Another cheap option would be a tear drop or similar small trailer.

I'd just get a nice cap and finish off the insides as you like.
bumpy

I've found that tight budget and Toyota don't go together very well. But, if you are talking about a small pickup, you could look at a small shell popup.

For a real tight budget, a tent and a car is a great option. And, trailers are cheaper to buy/tow than truck campers.

Truck campers are one of the most expensive types of RV camping by many measures.