Truck Mounted Toy Hauler

[WhiskeyTangoCampers]

I’m interested in thoughts and feedback on this overland concept. I’m working on a frame mounted camper that has a drop ramp for loading/unloading toys. I think it would be great for keeping bikes, kayaks, motorcycles, etc safe while driving long ways. The ramp would also double as a deck. What are the must have features you look for in a rig?

Here’s a mock-up of what I’m looking to do.

 

[Ducstrom]

This post reminds me of the goat shell guy that posted here a couple months ago.

I was initially really interested in this type of rig; but, I came to the realization that it's not practical for me.

I ended up going the truck camper route over something like this for the following reasons:
- I can fit my camper in my garage, eliminating storage fees.
- I can use the truck for truck things when the camper is removed.
- I don't have to insure the truck camper (where I live it's considered cargo).
- The camper gets tossed on a battery tender and is ready to go when I want; no tire changes, brake jobs, insurance trips, air filters, oil changes, etc.

As far as your design goes, I'd want:
- 4x4
- decent capability on forest service roads
- not too long so turning around isn't an 'event'
- insulated (use it hunting and skiing)
- fridge, heater, full queen bed minimum
- porta potty for the miss
- dirty gear storage (boots, ropes, oily chainsaw, etc)
- something to make coffee on
- a place to sit, with a table where you can look at the other person across from you (my gf cheats at cards if we sit on the same side)

Anyway, for all this you'd be priced well over $100k and way out of what I would consider a reasonable price for a glorified camper.

Just my 2 cents...

 

[marret]

Someone made and was selling something similar to what you describe:
Ford with Aluminum Shell

 

[WhiskeyTangoCampers]

Duc thanks for the detailed reply. Most of those must haves are on my list for the build. V1 will have a much smaller bed, but when I have a larger platform I’ll get something with a queen too. V1 will mostly be a solo vehicle for me. Skiing and Moto, neither of which my wife has too much interest in.

I agree, if I had to mount this to a 2019 quad cab truck like the link marret shared, then over 100k would have to be the price point. Right now I have an 04 f250 V10 w/200k on it and I’m thinking around $30k is what I would sell it for. I’m going to hang onto it for a little while and see what I like and don’t like through a few adventures before sending it down the road. Considering what 20 year old vans go for this seems like a reasonable asking price.

[mention]Ducstrom [/mention] I’m curious. What truck things would you not be able to do with a tall hard sided camper? Is it a mobility thing or cargo issue? I have no HOA and a pull through on the side of my house, so storage isn’t an issue for me.

Love the feedback, keep it coming. I did the truck camper thing on my 7.3, but am looking for more space.

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[WhiskeyTangoCampers]

Update on the truck mounted toy hauler.

I have a box mounted to an standard cab 03 F250 V10.

It has a twin bed, cabinets, and a diesel heater. I’m still working through 12v lighting, but the rear deck works nicely while relaxing in the hammock.

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[MTVR]

An all wheel drive truck with a camper box on the back with room for motorcycles inside and a power fold-down back deck / ramp?

We like ours...

 

[Ducstrom]

Duc thanks for the detailed reply. Most of those must haves are on my list for the build. V1 will have a much smaller bed, but when I have a larger platform I’ll get something with a queen too. V1 will mostly be a solo vehicle for me. Skiing and Moto, neither of which my wife has too much interest in.

I agree, if I had to mount this to a 2019 quad cab truck like the link marret shared, then over 100k would have to be the price point. Right now I have an 04 f250 V10 w/200k on it and I’m thinking around $30k is what I would sell it for. I’m going to hang onto it for a little while and see what I like and don’t like through a few adventures before sending it down the road. Considering what 20 year old vans go for this seems like a reasonable asking price.

[mention]Ducstrom [/mention] I’m curious. What truck things would you not be able to do with a tall hard sided camper? Is it a mobility thing or cargo issue? I have no HOA and a pull through on the side of my house, so storage isn’t an issue for me.

Love the feedback, keep it coming. I did the truck camper thing on my 7.3, but am looking for more space.

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Sorry for the late reply, I didn't see the update.
Yeah, it's mostly a cargo thing. Have to haul hay on a regular basis and I wouldn't want to put a dead moose or elk in my living quarters.

Nice looking rig youve got!

 

[WhiskeyTangoCampers]

An all wheel drive truck with a camper box on the back with room for motorcycles inside and a power fold-down back deck / ramp?

We like ours...

Got photos?


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[MTVR]

Got photos?


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The truck is a 2007 Oshkosh MTVR. It weighed about 30,000 pounds empty, and has a GVWR of 62,200 pounds, giving it a payload capacity of 30,000 pounds. It was an armored gun truck attached to a Marine special forces unit, so it has run flat inserts in the 53" tall tubeless Michelin radial tires. It has dual CTIS systems, so the front and rear tires can be aired up and down on the fly. It has five selectable drivetrain lockers. The CTIS systems and lockers are controlled by a computer. Long-travel (16") coil-sprung 6-wheel fully independent suspension. Full-time all wheel drive. A heavy-duty 7-speed double-overdrive Allison automatic transmisson. And an 11.9-liter (732 cubic inch) CAT intercooled turbodiesel engine with 425 horsepower and 1,550 pounds of torque. It is electronically limited to 65 mph. It can ford five feet of water. It has ABS, traction control, power brakes, power steering, air conditioning, and an air-ride driver's seat.

The U.S. government originally paid about $250,000 for it, and after about 3,000 miles, they sent it to auction where we snagged it for about $15,000 in nearly perfect condition.

 

[MTVR]

The drawbridge is powered by a pair of 3,500-pound winches with automatic load holding. When horizontal, it is our back porch. When it is depressed below horizontal, a 9-foot motorcycle ramp can be used on the end of it to reach the ground. We have a third winch for pulling motorcycles up the combined 17-foot long ramp into the "garage".

Our design includes a queen-sized bed over the garage, and a 42" Japanese Ofuro soaking tub in the bathroom.

The box is completely insulated with 3.5" of rigid polyiso foam board in the floor, ceiling, walls, and drawbridge. The insulated steel door and screened double-pane windows are Energy Star rated. We have slept in it in below-freezing temperatures, and had to turn the heat off- just the body heat from my wife, myself, and the dog was enough to keep us warm.

We have a 600 Ah lithium house battery bank, a super-quiet CAT inverter generator, and shore power backup. We are also planning to install 2,000 watts of solar panels on the roof, as well as a heat pump to provide heating and cooling year 'round.

We also had a 600-pound gun safe custom-made for it.

 

[WhiskeyTangoCampers]

View attachment 637450

The truck is a 2007 Oshkosh MTVR. It weighed about 30,000 pounds empty, and has a GVWR of 62,200 pounds, giving it a payload capacity of 30,000 pounds. It was an armored gun truck attached to a Marine special forces unit, so it has run flat inserts in the 53" tall tubeless Michelin radial tires. It has dual CTIS systems, so the front and rear tires can be aired up and down on the fly and five selectable drivetrain lockers. Long-travel (16") coil-sprung 6-wheel fully independent suspension. Full-time all wheel drive. A heavy-duty 7-speed double-overdrive Allison automatic transmisson. And an 11.9-liter (732 cubic inch CAT intercooled turbodiesel engine with 425 horsepower and 1,550 pounds of torque. It is electronically limited to 65 mph. It can ford five feet of water. It has ABS, traction control, power brakes, power steering, air conditioning, and an air-ride driver's seat.

The U.S. government paid about $250,000 for it, and after about 3,000 miles, they sent it to auction where we snagged it for about $15,000 in nearly perfect condition.

That’s a big girl right there.

White kind of mileage to to get out of that?


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[MTVR]

It is a little over 13 feet tall right now. Once we get the solar panels installed, it will be just under 13'6" tall. We look down into 18-wheel tractor-trailer rigs on the highway.



It is rated at 4.5 mpg. We just did a 2,000+ mile four-day trip, with my foot to the floor the whole way, riding on the 65 mph electronic speed limiter as if it were cruise control. It got about 4.5 mpg...

 

[RonapRhys]

Since I dabble in the RV world, I see similar trailers out there. Ones where the garage portion is either separate or open to the living quarters. For many of them, the bedroom is also the garage, so you've got pull your toys out to sleep in the main bed. To me, that's a key problem - that and that you've got all the smells and messes of toys in your living area (think fuel, oil, mud, water, etc.

Don't get me wrong - I want to be able to drag our off-road vehicles and motorcycles to the campsite (but since it's a Jeep, Tacoma, and two ADV bikes, that's a long trailer), but the more I look into it, it seems that maybe just bringing one is the only way to go.

By the way, we do have a toyhauler RV (Bounty Hunter) that's capable of having the motorcycles in the garage and flat-towing a vehicle. But it's not really good on anything other than normal pavement - dirt roads at best, as long as their in good condition.

 

[WhiskeyTangoCampers]

Since I dabble in the RV world, I see similar trailers out there. Ones where the garage portion is either separate or open to the living quarters. For many of them, the bedroom is also the garage, so you've got pull your toys out to sleep in the main bed. To me, that's a key problem - that and that you've got all the smells and messes of toys in your living area (think fuel, oil, mud, water, etc.

Don't get me wrong - I want to be able to drag our off-road vehicles and motorcycles to the campsite (but since it's a Jeep, Tacoma, and two ADV bikes, that's a long trailer), but the more I look into it, it seems that maybe just bringing one is the only way to go.

By the way, we do have a toyhauler RV (Bounty Hunter) that's capable of having the motorcycles in the garage and flat-towing a vehicle. But it's not really good on anything other than normal pavement - dirt roads at best, as long as their in good condition.

Completely understandable. I look at the garage as an an option, but maybe not for all uses. I like the idea of a floor plan that allows it to be open to the outside like a van, but with the capabilities of a 4x4 truck. I hate the idea of losing all storage capacity because I have a camper, so a wide open rear just makes sense to me.

I’ll be testing it out and seeing how the shared space goes. Maybe it’s not my thing, maybe it is.

I did mount some new wheels. Digging the 35s

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[MTVR]

In our case, our plan includes a loft bed over the garage. We don't have to move anything outside to sleep...