Red Tundra Camper Build

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Please bear with me as this may be a bit long....
So I have owned this Tundra since new in 2014. The first build was mainly for hunting and surfing trips here in Hawaii; Thule racks for boards, open bed to haul the ATV, deer, pigs and hunting gear. Worked well until I got the itch to start camping again....

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Some background: After moving to mainland in the 80's, I used to camp all the time, way prior to the "overlanding" phase ongoing now. We had VW campers and would camp the beach constantly, chasing windswell, hurricane swells and offshore winds up and down the Texas coast. We would rebuild our vans, make them reliable, and over the years, perfect the art of beach camping year round.
Living in south central Texas, our "internet" back then was the Weather Channel and telephone. To find the best surf, we would make a long distance phone call for a surf report of the entire Texas coast and learn the weather patterns using the Weather Channel. (The Weather Channel was on almost 24/7 at my place!) We would head to the beach with the best surf conditions (mostly slop) regardless of a 3.5 or 9 hour drive. But we were stoked and the surf would get good occasionally.
We also made numerous trips into Central America. As surfers, I believe the adventuring is a major part of the lifestyle.

First Surf Van:


'Gorda, May, '88


Corpus, mid 80's

Second Surf Van:

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After moving back to Hawaii in 1990, I continued to camp all over the island until it reached a point where the crowds were out of hand or access was denied in places (mid 2000's). Those early days prior were awesome.

Third Surf Van:




Pre-awning days


Ukumehame mid 90's
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Eventually, a demanding job and other interests (boat, hunting, health issues, etc) took center stage, so few camping trips were taken for quite a few years....relative to going roughly 50 to 80 nights a year.

Fast forward to today: The purpose of the build was/is to encapsulate an all in one vehicle: camping, hunting, fishing and surfing. I loved the ease and fuctionality of the VW campers and wanted to try and emulate that functionality in the 4WD Tundra. It has been a fun and challenging project, borrowing from others and my own ideas, and many components in the build were recycled from various items I had laying around. The base of the camper started with a shell off of an older Dodge pickup I bought for $400.
Did I hit that target? I guess all I can say is that It has evolved into what it is, as you may see in the following posts...

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First thoughts were to create a tent around the Thule racks and have a portable power system. The criteria was to be able to haul the surfboards, kayaks and ATV, be relatively easy to set up, and of course haul the other gear necessary for camping.

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The idea was to have the fridge in the front on a slider in the rear passenger area for permanent mounting. I ran the wires and ran it for a while that way, sans slider.

Initial Solar Panel install:


Wiring diagram


Inital power box build

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As I was contemplating the build, some work needed to be done. I had originally installed Pro Comp ZX2078 front lift shocks and a .5 coachbuilder shim. Unfortunately, after months of squeaking, I found the culprit...the shock had worn into the top plate. This was at about 60K miles.

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I decided to go with a set of toytech 3" coilovers on the front

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While I was at it, I went with a Warn semi hidden winch bumper with a 12000 lb winch, a lightbar, fogs, and a TRD grill, and a cat shield/skid for a bit more protection.

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and fabbed a mount to add a Smittybuilt Air compressor with front and back bibs

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Initial Shell Purchase:
Next up, I had decided on adding a shell instead of the tent idea. Looking around for about a year, there were no shells around used or new for a Tundra. My only option was to order an ARE through a shop on Oahu and have it shipped from the mainland. The shell I speced out would have cost $4500-5000 delivered.
So I took some measurements and started looking into what shell may fit. I figured for the cost of a new shell I could mod the shell for a better fit myself (used to build surfboards, so am versed in fiberglass construction). I found a shell with the correct dimensions on CL for $400 and decided to give it a go. I was off a mid 90's Dodge I believe.

Got it home:

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Paint:
After removing it from the truck, I put it in the paint stand and began inspecting. It had a few leaks, clear coat was peeling, and was dirty, but overall it was in good shape structurally.

First primer coat:
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The clear coat was a PIA..I essentially had to take it down to the original primer, glaze and sand again. Then the epoxy primer nightmare. After going to the paint store and being shocked by the prices (used to paint cars and had been at least 15 years since I had been in that store) I didnt think twice about usingthe primer and catlyst I had sitting around from a job long time ago.
Had them shake the primer at the store, and did not think about the catylst going bad. The primer went on ok, not great, but I was going to block it anyway. A few hours passed, tacky. A day passed, still tacky. I soon realized what happened and was thinking I would have to strip the entire thing down possibly chemically and start over. I decided to just let it sit and see if it would harden. Slowly it was getting better and better, and after a week it looked like I was out of the woods. Whew! I let it sit another week and was able to sand it. Got lucky. I reprimed it with some high build primer and continued.

Second primer coat




First Coat:


Color sand and compound:



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Rack Build:
So this may have been the most challenging part of the build. I was considering a rack from one of the offroad outfits, but in the spirit of keeping this build as inexpensive as possible, I decided to build my own. Shipping costs alone from the mainland add an entire dimension to costs here. As well, I could customize as I went along. It is built with all aluminum.
Initial layout:


Solar panel mockup


Mount mockup:




Side rail mockup and fab:










Solar and accessories mockup:






Paint and reassembly:
The paint is actually high quality trim paint. Holding up really well so far.



























Pau with Rack. I have since taken off the Thule SUP carrier and added rack pads.


It turned out super strong and light. Lots of room for further customization. I later added the propane tank mount and awning bracket.

 

Windows:
Prior to the rack install, I rebuilt the windows with new seals, tint, paint and new screens, and added carpet to the inside:

 

I'm in for more! Very nice!

 

Awesome! Mahalos! I'll keep posting the build.

 

Next up, decided to remove the bedliner, and install a diff breather beforehand
Removed the liner and was filthy underneath.

Cleaned up perty gud after 10 years. No rust either!

I then added a bedrug.

 

Shell Install:
Next order of business was to get the shell on the truck by myself. I considered hanging the shell off of the rafters above and swinging it somehow, but figured I would keep it simple and try and slide it over the wall on a blanket. I installed the front window and had a go. Guestimate of the weight at this point was around 275 pounds with the rack and no side or rear windows.
Then I slid it over on a 2x4 across the bed.

Windows installed.

Rear Window installed.

The only real "mod" I had to do on the shell was to cut a 1" strip off of the bottom of the rear window frame. I used a bulb type seal along the bottom and a double bulb seal on the tailgate.

 

Interior Build:
Time to start the interior build. I wanted to go as light as possible and integrate a DIY topper lift. The lift is currently installed and works, however, I am modifying it and will include that portion of the build in a future thread.
I selected 1/4" birch for the paneling and used 2020 extruded aluminum for the frames.

Mocking up the actuators




Frame mockup




Panel mockup. I used doors and a drawer out of an old Vanagon stove cabinet that I had in my boat. It was termite ridden (not the parts I used), and other parts were used in other portions of the build as you will see. As stated earlier, I used as many recycled parts as possible.


Drivers side


Passenger side




I also added some Molle panels to the sides.




As you can see the aluminum chips (along with grass, sticks and everything else) are/were in the carpeting on the shelf tops, so I decided to do something a bit different.

Faux marble cabinet top creation using epoxy.

 

Electrical/Wiring:



List of accessories:

Battery: Interstate AGM H8 95 amp hours. Also have a removable Duracell Powerblock 500 (478 watt hours)

Solar: Total of 470 watts. Two panels for a total of 210 watts on the rack., one panel permanently fixed, the other can be removed as a remote panel or tilted as needed. Pull pins hold that panel into the rack system.
Two roaming panels that are plugged into SAE outlets on the outside of the shell 100 watts and 160 watts.
I have two MPPT controllers (one being a component of a DC to DC charger). The roof wires are wired into the cabin with 10AWG wires into a 60 A DC circuit breaker cutoff switch, then to the controller.














Shore Power:
110v ac comes into the shell via an inlet then to a 30 am circuit breaker disconnect to two plugs for a total of four outlets. When the extension cord is plugged in to the inlet, an onboard ac charger (NOCO Genius 5A smart charger, the cheap one in the pic above stopped working) is automatically activated. I can also plug in the Powerblock to charge if needed, as well as the rechargeable mini vacuum.



Refrigeration: Mossimo CX50 from Costco. Been working well for about 3 years so far, cant complain for the price. Also have an Alpicool C15 for backup. Have a remote operated thermometer in the CX50.
System runs everything so far, although I have not had it in total no-sun conditions. I did have about two days of cloudy to partly cloudy days on the last trip. No problems.



Lighting: On the interior, have two rows of LED lights, and a separate system with a remote control to change colors (for bugs) and dimming. The "Tool Kitchen" has the same on a separate system(as you will see in the next post) I can control all of the components from my phone or tablet: Monitor the MPPT solar controller, operate both sets of LED lights, and monitor fridge temps. On the exterior, there are two sets of flood lights one set in the rear and one set on the side.
Other: Thee are three 12v DC sockets, one SAE socket, and a total of 6 USB ports. There is also a 24 inch smart TV with an antenna port on the outside of the shell.

 

The "Tool Kitchen":
This was probably the most fun of all the projects on this build. I took the idea of a "Pull Kitchen" which was initially posted on the Tacoma forum and decided to build my own. https://pullkitchen.com/ The shipping to Hawaii make it cost prohibitive, thus my use of recycled parts. I think the price for those kitchens was on the order of 4 to 5K, then add in shipping...you get the picture.
It has wheels so I can remove the entire unit, independent fuse panel powering the lights, water pump and usb ports, 4.5 gallon water tank, sink and stove, built in cutting boards and tables, spice racks, etc.
It started with an $80 tool box off of Craigslist.


I already had purchased some slides with the idea of a Fridge slide in the rear of the cab. I knew I had a stove and sink out of a Vanagon in my boat that was falling apart and not being used. Started with some measurements and it seemed like it might work:







I had an old ice machine, and pirated parts from that, as well as a few parts from an old propane grill:



Trial fit prior to removing bedliner:




Building the slide frame:



Fabbing the Fridge slide:



Lighting:






At Camp!

 

Nice build! I might have to hit you up on some tips for refurbing that topper. Mine is looking a tad shabby. And has a few scratches. And leaks. And the clear coat is peeling. And is the wrong color.. Ha.

I dig the setup, though.

 

Absolutely, LMK. Used to paint cars a long time ago. Some things have changed, but still no getting out of prepping the surface work. And paint prices...wow!

 

DIY Topper Lift:


I have been integrating the topper lift in almost every aspect of the build....and will be the last part of the initial project to implement. It is already implemented, in fact it works, but I wanted to do a few things before actually using it. First is reinforcement. I felt that with any more weight on the roof the dynamic load would be too much for the actuators. The actuators are rated for 200lbs each, so the static load is reasonable.
Here are some photos of the process:
Bracket Mockup:








Seal install:


Second is the buildout of a custom tent. I have begun sewing a few things for practice, fishing rod covers, curtains, and various other items for the build. I have the design in mind, but what it will actually look like in the end is anyone's guess.



Which brings us to this stage of the build. I am aiming to have the top lift reinforcement and tent build finished by mid May. I am considering the reinforcement of the awning as part of the process as well. Ill be working on the top lift reinforcement and some other refinements to various components, so stay tuned and we will see how far I get!

 

Lots of cool stuff here. Really love what you did with the old topper. And your bed power/wiring setup is

 

Thanks Terndrerr! Fun project.

 

This is an awesome build! I had the same idea and have been slowly putting a list together for my own topper lift build. What actuators did you go with and how are you controlling them? I'm worried that all 4 actuators may not go the same speed and cause binding while raising/lowering. Any tips for mounting at the floor of the bed or are you just using the bed rail for mounting? Did you end up making that custom tent yet?

 

Welder, beer cans, doing weird fabrications. This is literally me! =)

 

Hey thanks! I went with some 200 lb actuators similar to these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CWN59XYC?ie=UTF8&th=1 The ones I bought are NLA. I just went with a momentary rocker switch https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09L6T3P6L?ie=UTF8 attached to a relay. I was not having any issues with the speeds until I put on the reinforcement bracketry. I think those are causing some resistance and the front rises a bit slower than the rear...but only about an inch, and it does not do it all the time. I simply lock the rear reinforcements and bump it up an inch or so. Really is not an issue, but it would be cool to eventually put in some sort of a speed controller.
I would say these actuators are a bit flimsy for having the top up at full extension, hence building the support system. I wonder how the commercial EZ Topper is? Before I added the reinforcements, it would sway a bit at full lift if you pushed on it hard...just didn't feel comfortable in the event of strong winds. Solid as a rock now. I did buy another backup actuator to have on board just in case. Super remote where I camp sometimes.
I have brackets on the bedrails, and bolted the bases through the bed with large thick washers, all sealed with black 3M 5200 on the underside. I am watching, if I see any fatigue Ill add plates if needed. No bulging or cracking that I see yet.
The tent is a work in progress. I was pressed for time and only got the side rainflies done before a camp trip. The main part of the tent (that will extend out over the tool kitchen) is cobbled together right now...only had enough time to make a waterproof cover on the tailgate side before the first test trip. I have, however, made the frame brackets and am planning to tackle the rest in January. Integration into the cheap awning will happen at that time as well.
I will say it is completely waterproof..it poured all night one night on the first trip I used the lift. Totally dry inside..pretty stoked about that!
I have also fabbed a bed platform and it is super comfy! Oh also added a 100ah Lithium battery...what a difference from the AGM!
Will post some pics of the latest in the future.

 

Appreciate you taking the time for questions, it's tough to find info on other builds laid out the way you did here. I made an account just to ask about the build (I'm actually an imposter from TacomaWorld).
I wasn't sure if I was thinking too hard about the speed control, but you've convinced me I have. I am not planning on reinforcement at the moment - planning to just lower the top in the case of strong winds and swaying, but think I will still size up the actuators to something a bit more robust than the type you have linked.
Pics are always helpful. Interested in seeing what your tent structure looks like when you get a chance!

 

No worries! Would like to see how you approach your build as well. I think it would behoove you to size up the actuators. That said, I have quite a bit of weight with all the doodads on my shell and, so far, they have held up. I will be interested to see which ones you purchase. Main thing I have found is the actuators and reinforcements need to be straight up. No angles to cause resistance....something I possibly need to address on my front supports.

 

Those old pictures are super cool to check out! Thanks for sharing

 

My pleasure! Yea, looking back at those...guess I am getting old!