I’m not quite sure what to make of this; maybe one of you will help me out. I’ve seen a lot of homemade campers here over the years but I’ve never seen anything quite like this. Is it a purpose-built unit, or was it converted out some other thing?
This was the side I saw first, which is what made me wonder whether it was some kind of commercial thing.
The back doesn’t help much either. How do you get in the thing?
This hose also caught my attention.
I hope someone can explain it, because I’m stumped.
The hose looks like the fuel filler. As for the shell, I’d guess purpose-built; certainly space efficient.
I’d guess it’s one of those pods you hear about in Japanese airports that you rent and sleep in. I think the outlet port and hose is just the way it was intended to be washed and sanitized after use.
But I’m only guessing.
Looks more like a waste line going to a holding tank.
There are other hoses to the tank as well.
Electric wires on the other side too.
It’s a head scratcher alright! My first thought is that it reminds me a bit of a dog catcher truck, but only slightly. Then I thought maybe there is something to that idea. Could it be an elaborate rig for transporting dogs? Maybe a mobile dog washing/grooming unit?
My next guess would be some other commercial/industrial operation. The hose could run fuel to a generator or pump.
The truck overall has a homemade vibe, but the back looks very professionally and sturdily made for a specific [unknown] purpose. The roof racks look unusual and purposeful.
It’s hard to picture it being any sort of camper. It just doesn’t look friendly to human habitation. Too short to stretch out in. Too low to sit in. Hard to get into. Not enough windows for comfortable ventilation yet no evidence of A/C.
It’s a custom build. Here it is for sale on another truck: https://expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/sold-2013-toyota-tacoma-trd-off-road-with-custom-camper.234224/
Here’s a build thread about it: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/1-bored-clerks-garage-built-camper.457359/
Thanks for the links. I’m active on Tacomaworld and recognized the builder’s name but had never seen this build.
Great find! This looks very impressive for a home-made camper, so it’s great to see the pictures here of the camper itself as well as the work in progress.
Good catch! I assumed that someone would know. Well built for serious off-roading.
I stand corrected. Apparently it is built for human habitation, but I’m still not convinced it’s friendly for that. I spent too much time scrolling through that monster thread (2200 posts) and around page 86 I finally found interior shots. Couldn’t find how long the camper is. The pictures look like the bed inside is about 4 feet long or 5 feet tops. Maybe good for one person laying diagonally. There is a roof vent, and in the original configuration, there is a window on the front side next to the cab and a small ladder underneath the door. The window and the ladder are not seen in the current photos.
The fancy brace on the roof is for supporting a large canopy. Still not clear what the hose is for.
I read the monster thread over the weekend. Pretty good read. The guy spent several years on this. Attention to detail is unbelievable. Even something as simple as a phone charging port gets sculpting and layers of resin. Toward the end of the thread there is a drawing with dimensions. It’s something like 4 ft high if I recall, and big enough to sleep two laying down. The hose is a custom fuel filler arrangement for a larger tank. By everything I read, the camping destinations had no need for AC, only heat, and he added a heater later. Kinda like camping here in Michigan.
Looking at it, I would have never guessed it was DIY. Reminds me of a CNC mill enclosure or something along those lines.
While I like the modern and clean look, it is unfortunate, the design doesn’t integrate better with the host vehicle.
The rubber hose appears to be a filler hose from another fuel tank to replenish the truck tank. I have something like this in my Chevy truck. I have a 34 gal tank and I added a 75 gal tank in the bed with gravity feed in the filler hose and had a fuel solenoid to stop the flow. It is nice to find a cheaper gas station and fill up and for extended camping trips pulling my travel trailer. The camper does look odd and at my age wouldn’t use it!
You’d need a DG licence and placards to carry that much fuel here
Looks like a much cheaper, mini (and a lot more austere) version of that Unimog camper CC posted recently. And I thought the Unimog was devoid of many creature comforts.
Still, for extended, overnight forays into truly rough country ‘way’ off the beaten path where the stoutness of a Taco would come in handy, maybe not so bad.
That cooler, in particular, makes me think the target market is most definitely skilled hunter types who will be dressing down their prey at the kill location.
The general appearance and lack of a pickup box look like a lot of the Australian overlanding campers made for a flatbed or chassis cab Toyota HiLux or Land Cruiser. At a guess entry is via the door on the side with a window and the silver lid on the back is fo ra storage space. Since the door is on the right and not center rear or left it’s more likely a custom build in the US rather than an Australian factory job.
Here is another…custom fab.
Is the something off in the lead picture, or does that whole left side shift out? From the sale description and photos and the other photos here, I’d say no, but there’s an extra silver panel to the right of the pretty useless – see the sale photos – storage compartment.
I guess they sleep standing up or perhaps they are little people. I stand a whopping 5 foot 6 inches tall and it looks mighty small even for me.
I once wanted to do something similar…a diy teardrop trailer. I always worry about the longterm outdoor longevity of something based on plywood
With modern epoxies, plywood can last a long time. I know plenty of plywood boats that have lasted 20-30 years but attention to detail is required.
Looks like it was inspired by some of the Australian flat bed campers, but most of those don’t have sleeping arrangement but rather attach to tents and contains kitchens and all the equipment.
Similar styles have been becoming more popular here over the last decade with overland camping being very popular in particular in the west.
I’d think it would be hard to drive on the highway.