Thoughts on the Truckhouse Tacoma expedition camper...

rruff

Explorer
Kind of dirty and weird when the guy building them says even he can't afford to buy one.
Pretty much no one building fancy stuff can afford to buy their product... unless they are the owner and become very successful... maybe.

How many people at Earthroamer could afford to buy one? How about when they first started?
 

Steve_382

Active member
Pretty much no one building fancy stuff can afford to buy their product... unless they are the owner and become very successful... maybe.

How many people at Earthroamer could afford to buy one? How about when they first started?
Yup. If they made enough to afford them, then only the billionaires could afford them. Kind of like private jets or 100' yachts.
 

nickw

Adventurer
A major negative is the extensive amount of frame, drivetrain, and suspension rework needed. But if they do a great job sorting that out, it should ride and drive well (maybe better than competitors) and be reasonably reliable. With the SC option it should have plenty of power for most. I think they'll sell enough to make a viable business to youngish people who like Toyotas and have $$$.
It's still a 1/4 ton platform, they can upgrade the rear end all day long.....front diff, trans, tcase, cooling capacity and engine are light duty cycle and are small even compared to the domestic 1/2 ton stuff let alone the 3/4T+ stuff. It's just not the right platform for it. A HDPP 1/2T like the F150 would be minimum....sure it's slightly bigger, but this thing is not going to be ripping through trails.

It's beautiful, I love it....but don't get it....
 

RAM5500 CAMPERTHING

OG Portal Member #183
It's still a 1/4 ton platform, they can upgrade the rear end all day long.....front diff, trans, tcase, cooling capacity and engine are light duty cycle and are small even compared to the domestic 1/2 ton stuff let alone the 3/4T+ stuff. It's just not the right platform for it. A HDPP 1/2T like the F150 would be minimum....sure it's slightly bigger, but this thing is not going to be ripping through trails.

It's beautiful, I love it....but don't get it....

Bingo
 

ABBB

Well-known member
Another vote for "it's beautiful but I don't get it".

I guess if you're not part of the Cult of Tacoma you might never get it?

Toyota is just the truck they chose as a platform. It’s a yacht on wheels for “overlanding”, which is an increasingly spendy/trendy hobby for people who want to go camping and also want to spend a lot of time researching how long they can avoid gas stations.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

shirk

Active member
Toyota is just the truck they chose as a platform. It’s a yacht on wheels for “overlanding”, which is an increasingly spendy/trendy hobby for people who want to go camping and also want to spend a lot of time researching how long they can avoid gas stations.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well aware of the trend and yatch on wheels part, just baffled by the Tacoma aspect.
 

calicamper

Expedition Leader
Toyota is just the truck they chose as a platform. It’s a yacht on wheels for “overlanding”, which is an increasingly spendy/trendy hobby for people who want to go camping and also want to spend a lot of time researching how long they can avoid gas stations.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Tacoma with huge turtle shell bolted to it will be about 120miles between gas stations??

25yrs of Toyota’s including a sweet J80 and a 07 Sequoia.That 3.4L Camry V6 must be slow as a turtle and being wound out like meth head to just keep up with speed limits??
 

nickw

Adventurer
Tacoma with huge turtle shell bolted to it will be about 120miles between gas stations??

25yrs of Toyota’s including a sweet J80 and a 07 Sequoia.That 3.4L Camry V6 must be slow as a turtle and being wound out like meth head to just keep up with speed limits??
LOL

Anybody wanna guess the MPG this thing will get?

I'd guess 12, could be less....so with the 21g tank, you are looking at 250 miles till bone dry, 200 miles before you start getting nervous. I bet most full size gas rigs get the same or better (never mind diesel)....but they also typically have 30+ gallon tanks giving another 100+ miles of range. Problem solved on Tacoma, carry more gas, but viscous circle with further payload constraints....
 

calicamper

Expedition Leader
LOL

Anybody wanna guess the MPG this thing will get?

I'd guess 12, could be less....so with the 21g tank, you are looking at 250 miles till bone dry, 200 miles before you start getting nervous. I bet most full size gas rigs get the same or better (never mind diesel)....but they also typically have 30+ gallon tanks giving another 100+ miles of range. Problem solved on Tacoma, carry more gas, but viscous circle with further payload constraints....
6-9mpg they get 12mpg empty with a teenager driving them around town.
 

rruff

Explorer
That 3.4L Camry V6 must be slow as a turtle and being wound out like meth head to just keep up with speed limits??

The deluxe model with the 5.29 regear and the supercharger won't be a turtle...

Compared to the old Toyota campers with a 110hp 2.4L, it'll be rocket! ;)
 

tacollie

Glamper
With a super charger and 5.29s it'll be fine power wise. They still "reinforced" the frame, added big brakes, 33 gallon fuel tank, big rear axle, big alternator, and long travel suspension. They replaced a bunch of parts with aftermarket parts. Any 3/4 ton truck would have been better. I'm a Toyota guy but a Tacoma it's the wrong truck. When you replace a bunch of the drive line with aftermarket stuff you affect reliability.

That camper looks killer! I hope they succeed and move beyond the Tacoma. Even if they stick with the Tacoma hopefully their competition will be encouraged to up their game!
 

nickw

Adventurer
With a super charger and 5.29s it'll be fine power wise. They still "reinforced" the frame, added big brakes, 33 gallon fuel tank, big rear axle, big alternator, and long travel suspension. They replaced a bunch of parts with aftermarket parts. Any 3/4 ton truck would have been better. I'm a Toyota guy but a Tacoma it's the wrong truck. When you replace a bunch of the drive line with aftermarket stuff you affect reliability.

That camper looks killer! I hope they succeed and move beyond the Tacoma. Even if they stick with the Tacoma hopefully their competition will be encouraged to up their game!
I didn't notice they put in a 33 gal tank! Good for range bad for payload.....using @calicamper calcs of 6-9, lets assume 8, looks like we are still at ~250 miles range. I bet a full size gas rig is better than that....I know my Ram 2500 hemi gets better MPG than my 2019 Ranger towing our 20' trailer in hilly terrain....I'd expect a full size gas rig to get 9-10.
 

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