I'm Building A (Pop-Up Hard Wall) Slide In Camper DIY Camper Full Tour EP:14

[@20DYNAMITE06]

This is arguably what's best about KZbin... you get to see folks do some truly incredible and creative stuff. I freak'n love this build. So cool.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thank you! Glad you liked the build and videos. Thanks for watching and the great comment, it is appreciated. Stay safe out there. TbT

[@KC-7mm]

I was thinking the exact same thing. I love to see people build cool shit. I’ve learned so much over the years.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks ! Much appreciated. 🍻

[@nicnac9036]

Hands down one of the best design with hard side pop up. Thanks for sharing and giving me the motivation to build my own. Your fabric stabilizer is a simple and great solution. I'm going to expand that idea by putting rollers on the corners of the front and rear folding panels. The rollers will slide on the tracks attached to the roof panel. This will provide stability to the system with only up and down motion and no side to side motion. To collapse, fold the two side panels down first then pull the front and rear panel down. As the front or rear panel goes down, the rollers riding in the tracks will pull the roof down with it. Attach straps to the middle edge of front and rear panels so you can fold the camper top completely by one person from inside camper without the use of the fabric stabilizers.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks. I thought of trying that idea and may retrofit mine like that someday, it would be a cool upgrade. Good luck with your build and thanks for watching and commenting. Tbt

[@user-fz2ul7wl2d]

This is exactly what I want. Extremely good for highway driving.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Yeah not too bad. Upgraded the leafs, tires and bump stops to help carry the load. Shocks were already upgraded. Lost about 3 mpg, but that’s not too bad.

[@UnchallengedGaming]

Really awesome idea - I have this exact concept for a foamy squaredrop camper. I plan to have it pop up, to add up to ~6ft of room to stand in when deployed to sleep 4 etc.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks. That’s cool, I think that would be a fun build too. Thanks for watching and commenting. ✌🏼

[@colinferland8811]

I've watched this entire series a few times and I'm definitely going to start building one in April when the snow here in New Hampshire finally melts. I have a 1997 Ford Ranger, 2.3L 5 speed 2wd. I have been looking around at truck campers and they all basically weigh too much for it. Your build series has given me the hope and confidence that I can do something similar for my truck and keep the weight down and still be able to tow my light weight boat. New Hampshire has a small population, but there's a lot of beautiful land and lakes to explore and as a public school teacher I'd love to spend my summers doing just that. Thanks for being a huge help and inspiration!

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks! Good luck with your build. Just an fyi I upgraded my leaf springs, bump stops and have e load tires to help carry the weight of my camper. You could save some weight by doing a Project M 4WheelCamper style or make the pop up a wedge. Just my 2 cents…good luck. I’ve never been up that way, I’m sure it’s awesome out there. Thanks for watching and commenting. TbT

[@user-fz2ul7wl2d]

I have to say that if you built this, you should seriously think about taking orders. Awesome job. Wow

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Haha. Thanks.

[@1620GarageAndFarm]

I also love how this is a "hard side" build !!

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks.

[@millerhoo]

One of my favorite builds I have ever seen. Kudos man for making something so practical yet innovative.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks, much appreciated.

[@bodyzoasispersonaltraining9186]

Hands down the best diy hard side out there

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks 🤙🏼.

[@TristenHernandez]

No chance of building these for others?

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

I just don’t have time, I have a full time carrier too. Labor cost is pretty high as well. Material cost is only about 5k to DIY it. Thanks for watching and commenting. TbT

[@TristenHernandez]

@@TravelingbyTacoma should you ever decide to sell this one please let us know. I’ve got 40k budget to put my rig together. I would love to build it but don’t really have the time.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Sounds good. Thanks. Check out Smalltruckcampers on Instagram, he lists used campers on his site…Some good deals out there. ✌🏼

[@davidcoyle8313]

Nice, glad you are fighting back at high priced truck camper

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks. 🤙🏼

[@Jrocc811]

Yeah 17k-90k for a slide in is insane.

[@KC-7mm]

Awesome work I’m gonna have to go back and watch the build series now

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks! ✌🏼

[@bishuktm]

Thank you for the wonderful series of videos, awesome outcome, managed to binge through all 14 videos in one go 😁, true inspiration for many out there who dream of building their own camper.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Awesome, and thanks for the binge lol. Hope you enjoyed it and got some good inspiration and ideas. Thanks for commenting and good luck. TbT

[@amarildovieira4268]

Sensacional! Parabéns pelo idealização do projeto ! Ficou show ! Agora é só viajar !

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks

[@LuisEduardoSantosBraz]

Maravilhoso! Parabéns! Forte inspiração! Valeuuuuuuuuuu!

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

🍻✌🏼 thanks.

[@jonassart4676]

Thank you for the wonderful series of videos, awesome outcome, managed to binge through all 14 videos in one go. excelent

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed them enough to binge. Thanks again for watching and commenting, it’s appreciated. Stay safe out there. TbT.

[@brendanboetker2385]

Looks factory built, awesome job can't even tell that's plywood turned out sweet!

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks. Yeah, the marine sealer and the marine bilge paint is pretty good stuff. I used the premium top coat paint on my boat in the past (several years backs) and it’s still in excellent condition. It’s not cheap though. Thanks for watching and commenting. TbT.

[@BritneyLeigh24720]

I was embarrassingly excited when I saw you’d put out another video. I’ve been dying to see the completed project. Very awesome build, super impressed man. Good work. 👍

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Haha, that's cool. Thanks for watching and commenting. TbT

[@skysteppes]

Excellent job on the camper and the build videos! I have been following along since the beginning and was so inspired I just completed building my own camper . I used a lot of your build techniques but did not make mine a pop top. Thank you for all the effort you put into putting together these videos!

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks ! Glad you enjoyed them and they helped with your build too. Have fun out there. 🤙🏼 TbT

[@reidmartin3479]

Absolutely epic! This is the dream build

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks!🤙🏼

[@EduardoLacap-k9q]

Nicely done, I really appreciate you sharing your kindness and knowledge.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks. Thanks for watching and commenting. ✌🏼

[@StuartGrantChannel]

Great job! Thanks for sharing! Hope you get many years of fun use.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks! 🤙🏼

[@AutoMotivate]

The wall idea is so dang smart. Question: Why not extent the part further over the cab? I am thinking about building one of these and I don’t see many extend all that far.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks. Only downside to the design is exposure in rain when setting up, but unless it’s pouring rain sideways it’s not that big of a problem. Cabover -I wanted the side panel of the camper to be one piece for strength to tie it all together. You could do longer over the cab but I would beef up the support for that. If you have 2 adults sleeping on the cantilever that could be close to 350lbs plus depending on your size. Hope that helps. ✌🏼

[@AutoMotivate]

@ definitely my friend, thank you! For supports, wouldn’t the cabs roof rack mounting points work perfect for the extra support?

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

I’m no expert, but the bed and the cab really flex in opposite directions when offroad. I don’t think connecting the camper to the cab is a good idea. It would probably end up stressing the camper and making it potentially fail down the road or damage your trucks roof. I’ve only seen one person do it on YT but he’s a DIY’er and not much road time on his rig yet…(non of the major camper brands do it ) but if you had something the connected when using the camper for support but not connected when driving it may work. Good luck.

[@wtfu812omg]

This build looks totally professional. There’s only one other DIY camper. I truly love as much as this one and it’s all around the fact that you have a Tacoma short bed like I do so you really have to be creative on the little space that you’ve got, but you made it huge. The other guy who did a Tacoma build is from my neck of the woods, Massachusetts, and he did the same thing on his short bed to coma. This inspires me to start doing something better than the soft topper I’ve got, which is really hard to camp in a 5 foot bed as it is I’ve had to use pvc pipe and tarp material just to cover the tailgat so I could get 6 feet of laying space. Well, I got time to think about this over the winter and start fresh in the spring to start a build. Thanks for the inspiration.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks! Can you send me an Instagram link to the other camper? I'd love to check it out. Good luck designing/building yours. I sketched a million designs before I came up with mine...and a lot changed as built too lol. Having a good base plan will help, but give yourself plenty of time and be ready to adjust your design on the fly. You wont regret spending a few more hours/days doing right when you're out there in the wild. Thanks for watching and the great comment, it's appreciated. Good luck and stay safe out there. TbT

[@joetaylor1459]

You've done an amazing job, I've watched most of the build and you've given me inspiration to try something along the same lines..🇦🇺

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Cool. Thanks 🤙🏼 much appreciated. Good luck 👍🏼

[@tvdenisperes]

What I like most is the simplicity of the furniture, prioritizing functionality. Perfect! Do you have any idea how much it weighs and when it is ready to go?

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks. My goal was always to keep it simple and a light as possible, but useful. It weighs about 750# dry. We have been using it for a few months… we did a 2500+ mile road-trip in July to Oregon and a few local camping trips since then as well. Loving it. Can’t wait for the desert to cool down and get out there. Check out my Instagram page for more pics. @travelingbytacoma ✌🏻

[@kennethrogers1129]

I’m trying to see how you lock the roof to the fold up sides once it’s all up.ooohhh, regular door latch, simple and effective

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

The walls kind of lock each other in place with friction when up and then I lock the side walls when vertical with these simple slide locks. I don’t think I showed that process very well in the videos. amzn.to/3THfd9Y. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@TOTALLYRELAXED]

Such a nice built truck camper! If I hadn’t known I would’ve sworn it was a manufactured one! I’m planning on buying a Northstar 850 SC soon to go onto a 2024 GMC 2500 HD 4WD CREWCAB 6.6 LITRE DURAMAX DIESEL AT4. Happy trails and safe travels! ~Jim~ (Houston,Tx)

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks! That’s gonna be a beast of a rig. Sounds like fun. We just got back from Texas (first time for me ) we went to the Hill Country-Boerne, Lukenbach, etc. Beautiful area this time of year. Thanks for watching and commenting. 🤙🏼

[@hankster4061]

Nice job

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks 🤙🏼

[@stevepirtle1806]

Like the awning brackets need to make some of them.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks. Super easy to make and super cheap. Aluminum just cleaned up and bent. Plenty strong for my awning. 👍🏻

[@carlosbermudez9397]

Te quedo increíble! Congrats!

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks! 🤙🏼

[@bintongpal]

Congratulations on your build!

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thank you. Loving it! Thanks for watching and commenting, it’s appreciated. TbT

[@JXZ-JAM]

Very well done and designed. Its almost tempting enough to make my own instead of buying.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks. My build was about 5k total. Compare that to the cost of a built out 4wheel camper and it was well worth the time to build… fun too. If you’re not living in it and a weekend warrior /week long trip users like us it’s fine. It’s been on my truck for a year and a half now and still loving it. Made lots of improvements since “finishing” the build too. Thanks for watching and commenting. ✌🏼 TbT

[@Doc1855]

NICE !!! I’d Love to have one for my 23 Tacoma TRD Off Road, double cab, long bed (6’).

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks for watching. ✌🏼

[@ejfernaloza8792]

Pretty nice and functional congratulations enjoy your equipment.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks!

[@naones001]

Very, very nice job, impresive work

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks 🤙🏼

[@marklazarus2584]

Wow!!! This is a great series. I marveled at your skill and ingenuity. Thanks for sharing.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thank you and thanks for watching and commenting. TbT

[@BlackFox96]

Oh cool, I'm glad to see another video. I started working on my shell camper. I hope to make a fancier one like this after building a simple one for this cold season.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Nice, good luck with your builds. Thanks for watching and commenting. TbT

[@rickgreen9936]

That was fast considering you put work as a priority. Those paychecks do come in handy though. The camper turned out GREAT! Don't stop now, keep the camera rolling you're good at making vids. Some Traveling by Tacoma adventures in SoCal or where ever. Nothing like 7K viewers nosing in on your weekend, who knows could even be more. Anyway hope you don't ride off into the sunset, it's been fun watching these 14 episodes. Stay safe & counting to 10 ✋🤚at the end of the day Mr Carpenter.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Ha! Yeah. Ended up having the long weekend free with nothing planned and the weather was nice so I decide to bust out the video while I had time. Thanks, glad you like it. We’ll definitely be doing some adventure/camping videos with the camper as well as any mods or additions to it along the way. Thanks for following along and commenting. It’s appreciated. TbT

[@tvdenisperes]

Congrats! Your project is too amazing!

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thank you. Much appreciated. Thanks for watching and commenting. TbT

[@Tom-Travels]

An interesting value proposition.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks. I agree. 🤙🏼

[@sergiofernandes7927]

Nice projetc, simply perfect ! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thank you! 🤙🏼

[@jamiehackney4420]

Well done, Love the build.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks!

[@HammerRocks]

Brilliant. 👍👍

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks! 🤙🏼

[@MiniLuv-1984]

What a great outcome. I followed the build and marvelled at the techniques you developed along the way. In hindsight, it seems to me that you may have made the front part with the mattress longer going over the entire Tacoma cabin so you wouldn't need to unfold the bed. I guess supporting the extra length would be a problem as would the extra roof length you need to lift and manage. A wedge on the front with the same rake as the windscreen may have helped with mpg? Perhaps you could add this with to the current build with a wedge of appropriately shaped foam? Be interesting to see if this actually improves mpg.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks! I kept it the size it is weight and strength like you said. Also wanted the side panels to be one piece with no seams that could crack or leak eventually. I think a roof rack with a custom aluminum (DIY of course) wedge air deflector will really help mpg. At 65 mph I get about 18.5 to 19 on basically level roads, but on our road trip coming home on the 5 south 65 is a no go, you have to go over 70 or you’re in the way 😂. That dropped out MPG a bit. Thanks for watching and commenting. TbT

[@MONKEYCHEST]

Hello from mexico!!! I been waiting for this chapter!!! Love it!!!

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Hello. Thanks, glad you like it. 🤙🏼

[@joespeno51]

Loved the build videos...this build was epic !!! thanks for sharing !!

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks! Thanks for watching and commenting, glad you enjoyed it. 🤙🏼

[@scottthejeepguy7499]

Never mind, I subbed, and skipped forward, watching now. REALLY nice build, well done sir. 👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks

[@andrewinaustintx]

Nice! I see a self-contained diesel heater mounted to the outside rear panel in your future. 👍

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks ! Haha. Maybe. We live in SoCal, so it’s never really cold enough for a heater. The fully insulated camper is amazingly cool in hot weather (compared to our RTT) so we’re thinking it will be plenty warm for our winter desert trips. We have a little buddy heater too …just to warm up the tent/camper, but we don’t keep it on when we’re asleep 😵‍💫. Thanks for watching and commenting TbT.

[@aharvie1]

Nice job Miller!!!

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Haha Thanks Harv. Long time..I guess you still talk to Baker eh. Hope you’re doing well. 🤙🏼

[@ALL_ADVENTURE_OVERLAND]

Enjoy it mate.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks. We are. Cheers 🤙🏼

[@SnoGoat]

This looks awesome! Watched every episode. Thanks for showing that a quality build can be done in your own driveway!

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed the series. Anything can be done if you really want it to. Thanks for all the views and for following along. Much appreciated. TbT.

[@SnoGoat]

@@TravelingbyTacoma Also did I miss something or did you not say your final finished weight for the camper?

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Finished weight is right around 750 dry. Fully loaded for a trip with gear, food, water me and my girlfriend is right up to the line on my trucks GVRW of 5600lbs total weight for my truck. I added E load tires, powerstop brakes and sumo spring bumps to help with the full trip weight load. Empty (no gear or water) it drives pretty great and I get about 18.5 mph on average.

[@arielmacabudbud8753]

Love this and thanks for sharing

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks for watching and commenting. TbT ✌🏼

[@BradCagle]

Really awesome build. Great job!

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thank you. We’re enjoying it. Thanks for watching and commenting, it’s appreciated. TbT. ✌🏼

[@229Reaper]

What an awesome diy project,very nice.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks!

[@scotpettengill7801]

Thankyou. for documenting your incredible project. I have been on the fence about building a camper on my 2020 Silverado 2500, but now I'm gonna do it. I won't have the top open like yours, I will have a fixed height one piece unit. My intention is to have something comfortable to sleep in while hunting and fishing for a few days at a time. I don't think I'll have all the luxuries that you have built, but lights, a few windows, and a large bed for sure for now. The one thing I will do is to remove or install the slide in camper with pallet forks on my skid steer, closing the tailgate after installation for towing. Thanks again for all your great work, ideas and fantastic video series. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. Scot from New Hampshire.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving to you too. My last truck was a Silverado, my son drives it now. Love that truck.. almost 250k miles on it too. Good luck with your build and glad my videos were inspiring. Stay safe out there. TbT.

[@slamsshenanigans2296]

Just found your channel, incredible build. Looking to see if you have a video discussing cost.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks. The camper cost was right around 4k but that didn’t include the custom upholstery (bed and seat cushions) I had made. Those were 1k for all. So all in about 5k total. Thanks for watching and commenting. TbT ✌🏼

[@leevokey-adventureaerials7826]

Awesome job!

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks !

[@garretlewis4103]

Nice build.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks!

[@jaysully7516]

Great build. not sure how I feel about the blue interior but you do you

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Haha, thanks. We wanted to be able to sleep in there (we're old and any light wakes us up lol) and I didn't want it to look like an operating room (bright white). My truck is pretty much all grey and black so we wanted some color pop for fun as well. Blue is our color. Thanks for watching and commenting. TbT

[@jc9930]

Job Well Done!!

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks!

[@doug2078]

Fantastic Job !! It's been fun watching the progress. Maybe a few odds and ends down the road. Other than that . Enjoy !!!

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thank you. Much appreciated.

[@carlossanchezmerodio8836]

Congratulations!! great job. Your work is a complete inspiration and support (I will use some of the procedures you took) for me as I´m just beginning the develop of my own truck camper. Thank you

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks! Good luck on your build. Thanks again for watching and commenting. TbT.

[@karlalton3170]

Well ive just watched all episodes back to back over last two days , i must say most impressive mate , i know you have made most of it up as you have gone along but its turned out the Dog's Nut's so much so i am thinking of building one for my Isuzu D Max enjoy it bud 😎🍺😁🤘🤘

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Haha thanks mate. Those D-max’s are pretty rad … I watch 4w24/7 and that Dmax they have is pretty rad, I’m assuming you’re in Oz. Thanks for watching and commenting. 🤙🏼🍻🍻🤙🏼

[@overheadsurf]

Just stumbled upon your channel. Your Tacoma looks awesome. Clean and simple. Refreshing to see what a 2wd can do. Also it took me a few minutes to figure out what your video style and narration reminded me of but it’s Bruce Brown in the first Endless Summer! Music, camera angles, narration, very similar. Love it.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Haha, thanks. That’s a real compliment. I’ve tried working on my monotone delivery. I grew up on that movie and loved it. I actually lived right under Mike Hynsen Jr at Wind n Sea for a few years in the late 90’s. Yeah my truck has taken us and gotten us through some hairy spots for a 2wd for sure. Lots of weight helps traction for sure. Thanks for the great comments. 🤙🏼

[@kwuneko]

Great job, looks good!

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thank you! 🤙🏼

[@beoneofamillion8274]

Thank you for sharing. Awesome and inspirational. Can I ask, was there a reason you put the struts in a different position ie the front creates a V, the back an A?

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it. Only reason was room for the struts to mount. I didn’t have enough room over the door in the back so I just moved them out to the side and flipped the layout. Seems to work fine. At some point, I’m gonna do a follow up video for all the tweaks and improvements I’ve done since I finished it. Thanks for watching and commenting. TbT

[@StretchyPiano]

Hi Jason. Congrats on your build. It looks really sharp! Nice finishes touches and colors are great. What are those things on the driver side on the camper... leveling blocks or a shower maybe? I know what you mean by doing some tweaks to it. I'm at that point also. I took mine out a few times and I was pleasantly surprised with it. Of course I did different things to mine as I have a bigger box (F-150 5.5' box) but in general everything worked well and my wife and I were very comfortable. The only big issue is that the roof leaked so I put on RV tape on all the seems. I finally decided it's time to add struts to help lift the roof. It would make the experience so much better. I see your struts are angled differently at the front and back. Does it really matter which way they are angled? Like you, I need a way to stabilize the roof when it's up and I think I have a solution. What size struts did you use? Take care and happy camping!

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Greetings, hope you are well. Those are tractions boards (low cost version of MaxTrax ) for when you get stuck in mud, sand or snow. That's great your build is working for you... When you're the design, fabrication, service, warranty and driver of your camper it's a part time job at least lol. Bummer on the leak, hopefully you get it resolved. I don't think the strut layout matters too much as long as you have room for them to collapse and they open fully when your roof is popped...it works fine for me with my config. My struts are 40lb, there is a link to them in the video description. I started with 60lbs, but they were too strong. If you can send me a picture or your rig someday, that would be cool, maybe DM me on Instagram @travelingbytacoma Good luck and have fun. New video out at the end of next month...Camper mods/additions - Stay tuned and thanks for watching and commenting. :)

[@brokenroadsandabandonedmines]

Awesome job! Hope to get mine usable by late fall.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks! Good luck with your build. 👍🏻🤙🏼

[@pavelsemenov5983]

Very interesting! Hi from Russia!!

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

✌🏻

[@edclayards5183]

I've looked and haven't been to find a product list. Any chance you have one? Great looking unit for sure. Thanks

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

If you go back to this video and in the description click …more it lists most of the products I used with a link. Hope that helps. Thanks and thanks for watching and commenting. TbT

[@brianhagberg3704]

Your camper is fantastic. The aluminum trim finishes it out so nice, but how did you stop the water from getting between the wood and the aluminum trim?

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks. All of the wood is sealed with marine grade plywood sealer and all of the seams are sealed with sealant (like Sikaflex) then the trim got a bead before install along with another bead (smoothed out) on all the edges after install. No leaks so far and “lots” of rain …for Socal anyway. 😂. Thanks for watching and commenting. TbT

[@mattwillard8608]

Very nice camper build! In my experience, with 100's of nights in a 4WC. setting your design up during inclement weather (driving rain, snow, high winds) and/or bad mosquitos would not be ideal. Have you had to deal with any of this yet?

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks. You’re right on that. I’m not too worried about rain since I can pop it up with 2 people in a few seconds and could wait for a break in the rain, but wind will be sketchy for sure. We had a mosquito night in there on our way to Oregon and it wasn’t bad. A few got in but we have a zapper lol. Free entertainment. I have a few ideas on how to secure the top better for wind I’m working though, but I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I have to. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@leftystrat62]

What was your gas milage prior to putting on the camper? Thanks-great job!

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks. I was right around 20mph freeway and 18 in town. Now I’m about 18 highway and 16 city. I drive 60-63 mph always too. Thanks for watching and commenting. TbT.

[@highlife342]

Nice work! I think I recognise that area off Ortega... If so i'm local

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks. I filmed that in San Diego at Corral Canyon Campground out East. Looks like Ortega HWY area though. Thanks for watching and commenting. TbT. 🤙🏼

[@LisaBarnes-l2s]

Awesome build! I have a short bed Tacoma also. Wondering if you have any measurements for the build. I.e. walls, hang over etc.? I’m going to give it a go on building one. I have watched all your build videos and I am inspired. Thank you!

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Cool. Good luck. I made mine 8’ long so I could keep the side wall a single sheet for shear strength. My camper is probably a bit too narrow if you want take it on and off a lot. I would make it wider if I did I’d over as it would make using my lift jack’s easier for taking off and on. At lease as wide and my fender flares on my truck. I built the upper fold up walls to my height 6’5 so when I’m in there I can stand up. If you’re shorter you can save some weight by making them shorter for your height. Thanks for watching and commenting. Good luck plan for a long build. Took me a year and I built my own house too. 🤙🏼

[@LisaBarnes-l2s]

Wow! Incredible, thank you.

[@LisaBarnes-l2s]

One last question. Did you add anything to your factory truck suspension to accommodate the camper?

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

I already had bilstein 5100 shocks, but I upgraded may leaf springs to full leaf pack TJM, E rated tires (strongerside walls for the weight) and sumo spring bump stops. I average about 18.5 mpg when the camper is empty and about 17 when full for a trip. Check out my Instagram for more pics too. @travelingbytacoma. 🤙🏼

[@alexandersprout7992]

Been following along for quite some time now. Dropped by & come to surprise, it’s complete! Looks & functions fantastic! Like how you made a pass through as well. Wished the Tacoma came with a large window like the Tundra. Tried to come up with several solutions, from having rubber material mounted in between the camper & cab window, although I deemed it to be unsafe to crawl through such a tiny space. Really considering just removing the window altogether, though don’t want to deal with installing it again if need be, with the seals & all. Glad your camper’s rolling. Safe travels!

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks! Yes, the build is a never ending process, but that's part of the fun and experience. Thanks again for following along , its appreciated. TbT

[@mohsinsyedain1754]

This looks like a great setup..How good will it stand up to extreme cold?

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks, we live in Southern California, so extreme cold isn’t really an issue, but I can tell you it’s a hell of a lot warmer and quieter than a rooftop tent. We spent many cold-ish nights in our RTT. Thanks for watching and commenting. It’s appreciated. TBT.

[@s.porter8646]

Sexy camper, we got a Rivian, and building a slide in, cause all the others are to much compromise. Sexy build

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks. Good luck with your build. TbT

[@t20wenties]

impressive

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks !

[@thetrashgoblin]

Absolutely love the build. If it's raining or wet do you avoid taking it down? I'm considering a hard panel build but it's one of the things I'm worried about.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks ! Yeah that’s really the only drawback to this design. We live in socal and are weekend warriors so we kinda plan our trip around weather. It really only takes a minute to close…but in a downpour that would get some water in side for sure while closing…but not a flood. I haven’t had to cross that bridge yet, but I figure I could wait for a lull in the rain and drop the top then and wipe the water off the side walls with a towel before pulling down the roof. For us the warmth and noise reduction from wind compared to our RTT is well worth the trade off. Thanks for watching and commenting. ✌🏼

[@thetrashgoblin]

@@TravelingbyTacoma thanks for the response! Yea the insulation from hard walls absolutely makes sense

[@jkerwin9558]

I am watching your series on the build. Very impressive!! If you don't mind this question, how much did this build cost you?

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Cool. Thanks and thanks for watching. Overall I’d estimate it cost under $5k. $1000 of that was for the seat and bed foam upholstery work. I can’t sew very well so I paid to have it done right. I used as much reclaimed materials and aluminum of the remnant pile when I bought stuff too. 90% of the interior wood is reclaimed cleaned up wood collected for free. Stay safe out there. TbT 🤙🏼

[@froggygamer1716]

Is it just secured to the truck with ratchet straps? How has that held up and are they just secured to the tie downs in the bed?

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

It’s secured in 6 places. There’s a video in a the series showing the front mounts that bolt through the camper frame. The front ratchet straps go down to the truck frame and the rear attache to the D rings in the bed. Seems to be fine, no issues and well over a year on the truck.

[@lutfanhafiy5074]

Nice

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks 🤙🏼

[@sethaugust7190]

If I’m interested in saving up to build one what would you estimate price of materials to be? Thanks!

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

The goal cost for me was about $5k, but that included custom made upholstery that was about $1100. I tried using as much aluminum of the remnant pile from my metal supply (way less money) and most of the internal build was reclaimed wood. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching and commenting. TbT

[@abdobouz6226]

Nice and well thought out build, i like using the hard material the prevent wind noise while sleeping on windy days. If you don't mind, how much did this camper project cost you so far?

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks. Yes the insulated hard walls makes the camper sooo quiet it’s pretty great. Over all the camper was right around $5k… $1000 of that was the professionals made cushions for the bench and the bed. My sewing skills are pretty sad lol. I tried to use as much Re-claimed materials as I could (the interior cabinets are almost 100% built with free found/salvaged wood). I also was lucky enough to get a sponsor for my fridge and battery system so that helped too. Thanks for watching and commenting. It’s appreciated. TbT

[@veilleuxfilms]

nice build, what is the total weight and what was the total cost of the build?

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Total cost was just about $5k …includes $1100 for interior upholstery. Total dry weight is 750-ish. Thanks for watching and commenting. TbT

[@1620GarageAndFarm]

Incredible build !!! What was your total cost? You are inspiring me thats for sure ....

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks. Right around $5k but that’s with the interior upholstery which I had made by a shop. That was about $1100. Thanks for watching and commenting. TbT. 🤙🏼

[@1620GarageAndFarm]

@@TravelingbyTacoma Amazing low budget !! And your use of recycled is awesome. I do the same on my projects. My big video on my channel is a chicken coop built from pallets !!

[@Ja_youtube_Ja]

wow, u r amazing

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks 😊 ✌🏼

[@simonefavilli]

Clever, obly thing if you close the wall while they are wet...

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Yeah could be a little water if it pouring sideways, but we just wipe the walls down before we put it away if it’s light rain. Been fine so far. Thanks for watching and commenting. TbT.

[@jlions72]

Hi watching your build and was wondering How much money was it to build this camper ...love it !...?

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks ! Just the outer shell complete was about $2500ish for materials. The interior I built with as much reclaimed wood as possible so I saved a lot there, but I did pay for the interior seat/bed cushions to be professionally made and that was $1k…with it. I’d estimate the whole camper was right around $5k for materials. Thanks for watching and commenting. TbT.

[@jlions72]

@@TravelingbyTacoma I am really impressed with your building skills , and talent and being creative .Are things out there in California really expensive. more than back East ?..I am in Michigan and building prices have gone down a tad bit ..anyways Great Job I enjoyed your 14 episodes on the camper build !

[@angelogarciajr5356]

That looks like that will fit my truck. Do you want to sell it? Nice camper

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks! Sorry, it’s not for sale. Thanks for watching and commenting. TbT

[@greedyg76]

Excellent job on the build. My one question is, if you were to lift the rear section of the roof first and then tilt the rear wall up next would that provide support enough to eliminate your fabric stabilizers?

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks! Not for my build, but if I was a better builder/engineer I think you could connect the back and front tilt up walls to the roof on some sort of track that lifts them as the roof went up and locked them in place once they’re vertical. Maybe in another life I’ll do that design lol. I just want to camp for a while. This works well enough for us and our weekend warrior type travels. Thanks for watching and commenting, it’s appreciated. TbT.

[@greedyg76]

I know what you mean. Some of my best ideas come after I’ve already built them! 😂

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

So true. 😂

[@mike6497253]

Excellent work! Subscribed and binge watched this whole 14 episode series lol. Is the rear suspension all stock on your Tacoma? The camper sits perfectly on the truck!

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks for the sub and binge 🤙🏼. Glad you like the build. I upgraded the leaf springs to medium duty TJM leafs, added sumo spring bumps and I needed new tires anyway so I went with E-rated Toyo OC3’s to help hold the weight. It drives pretty good, the camper is about 750lbs dry. Thanks again. TbT

[@user-kc8kw3cy5x]

Thanks for putting out the videos! So stoked to see you can make something so solid and light by yourself. We are planing on a similar build for a ram 1500. Are you in SB or Carp area?

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks! I’m in SoCal. Appreciate the comment and views. Good luck with your build. TbT

[@kevinwolf2180]

Outstanding video. Long awaited completion. I will rewatch the series as I plan my build for this winter. Great work with the solid upper walls. Your build has helped with the what and how to do process. Clean and effective design. My hats off to you.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks!. Yeah, we're super happy with the full thickness upper walls... makes a big difference for sound and insulation. May not be the easiest design for deploying/ popping up the walls/roof, but thats how it goes sometimes. Small price to pay for a great result once popped up. Good luck with your build and thanks for watching and commenting. TbT

[@carlfogarthy6508]

bellissimo

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thank you.

[@hindquarterproductions9768]

TBT, do you have any of the dimensions or a blue print of your build you'd be willing to share?

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

No sorry. Just the videos. Thanks for watching and commenting. 🤙🏼

[@anthonybeamish6100]

Nice work on the shell. i hate the interior build out.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Haha. Good I didn’t build it for you then 😂✌🏼. Thanks for watching and commenting. TbT

[@justsmy5677]

Nice Build! What do you estimate your expenses and weight are for the camper shell (not including the inside build out of furniture/sink/fridge, etc.? Thanks.

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

Thanks! The camper only (no interior build) was right at 500lbs. See Episode 11 for details. As far as the exterior build, it was about $2500 or so. I have about $5K total into it, but the upholstered cushions on the inside were $1200. Basically the only non DIY part of the camper...my sewing skills are pretty rough. Thanks for watching and commenting. TbT

[@jasonscroger5065]

Got plans? I have the same truck

[@TravelingbyTacoma]

No plans sorry. The videos do a pretty good job good of laying out the process -at least how I did it- you would just need to do all your own measurements. Good luck. Thanks for watching and commenting. TbT.