TL;DR: I now own a
"slightly" rolled (2003) UZJ100 in the stable. Side airbags deployed so I don't even have said airbags to worry about anymore. A full rear corner of the vehicle is crunched. I'd really like to consider a camperback.
Love the Maltec design, pictured below.
Who else is producing these? (Maltec makes nothing for the 100 anyway) At least in this style? Anyone in
North America doing the conversions? I am interested in the requisite body work (of which I have zero capability) as well as the camperback itself. I could quite reasonably build the interior and all electrical, et cetera.
I would also be quite open to custom builds.
Would someone advise me about these?
- @SOAZ && @KMM have you been happy so far with yours?
- Are these dimensions still within shipping container constraints?
- Should a campteq top truly be considered instead? (@SOAZ && @KMM yet again
)
¡THANKS!
Maltec has converted a few 100 and 105 series. The problem is mostly that you need to ship your truck over and have them do it all. I don't think they're interested in just doing boxes. They want to do a full build if they take on a truck I believe. A few Americans have shipped their trucks over for conversion and back when complete.
Boxmanufactur will make you a killer box or Total Composites and you can do it yourself. Our problem, and the reason we didn't move forward with that ourselves, is because we wanted the experience that comes from making dozens of something. I feel like the first 1 to 10 trucks would have had all sorts of issues that we would have certainly made if we did a 1 off box/tray/mating to cab setup. (I worked for Earthroamer when they tried to build a JK version and it would take more time than I have to talk about the immense structural and other issues with those)
Jed and Kelly Durand created their own box camper based on a single cab Tundra. (He was looking for a wrecked 200, but just went for it with a Tundra when he found a good donor.) We drove it around and used it at an Expo East years ago and it was really well done! Pics below.
For us, it's literally the most perfect setup for full time travel over years and a desire to still go remote and do harder trails. It's within normal container shipping, but most Overlanders need a High Cube anyways so you have a lot of options if you did make it too tall with a big lift or stuff on the roof. It's lighter than our old truck, but bigger so that's a nice change. Every trail we've truly loved the most wouldn't work with a setup any bigger or longer than we have.
There are a bunch of companies in Europe building similar stuff. Check out the Offroad Schmiede Marcus Haase, Xtrem, Uro, Innovation Campers, Tom's etc. I think Maltec is 2 years out right now. Also, I recommend to anyone wanting one to register to the European and specifically the German 4x4 message boards. There is a homebuilt or company built box on a Land Cruiser going up for sale at least once a month. The 80's and 75's are just about all legal which is nice. We missed a few by days that were for sale over the years.
I think the Campteq is a great option, but for 2 sleeping touching shoulder to shoulder isn't really a big upgrade over sleeping down below where it's wider. That's really a problem of the 80/100 getting skinnier at the roof than an issue with their product. I'd say a bed platform in the back and saving the money for miles traveled is the way to go.
Okay, so getting way off track and remembering what you have already... I think you need to email Total Composites or Boxmanufactur
https://boxmanufaktur.com/en/home/ and go for it!! The forum Buschtaxi will have a ton of home build projects to look at for info and inspiration and the folks are all really nice if they can understand your or Google Translate's German. Haha!
Sorry for the ear full!
T
