Hauler Racks Universal Aluminum Camper Shell Rack - For Full-Size Pickup Trucks with Caps, Model# C300FULL-1. 2.8 out of 5 stars 10. Bestop 76308-35 Black Diamond Supertop for Truck Bed Cover for 2005-2017 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab, 5.0' Bed. 3.1 out of 5 stars 32. $715.99 $ 715. 99 $1,069.29 $ 1,069.
Hey everyone! I’m new to the Tacoma world and just bought my new 2018 Tacoma. I bought the truck because I do a lot of hunting and camping and it seemed like the best one for the job. I recently just bought a camper shell to throw on it but now I’m feeling like I should of got a roof rack with tent on top of the cab. I’ll also be throwing a bed inside the shell and wondering where the rest of my camping gear is going. What’s everyone’s thoughts? Who’s got a camper shell and loves it?
Or who prefers the roof rack tent set up? Hey everyone! I’m new to the Tacoma world and just bought my new 2018 Tacoma. I bought the truck because I do a lot of hunting and camping and it seemed like the best one for the job. I recently just bought a camper shell to throw on it but now I’m feeling like I should of got a roof rack with tent on top of the cab.
I’ll also be throwing a bed inside the shell and wondering where the rest of my camping gear is going. What’s everyone’s thoughts? Who’s got a camper shell and loves it? Or who prefers the roof rack tent set up? I loved the fiberglass camper shell setup when I had a 6' bed, even without drawers, bed slides or a sleeping platform that would've made it even better. But this was also back in the day when I was a younger man doing solo trips, or at most just taking the dog or girlfriend. The camper shell was hands down fastest and most convenient way to camp.
It was quite comfortable to sleep in (I'm only 5'8' so take that with a grain of salt) and it was quite versatile for everyday use as well. I really enjoyed the security and weatherproof storage the camper shell provided without the drawbacks of an SUV interior, which was especially important when we had a smaller cab with limited interior storage.
Now as a family man, having to go with the double cab necessitated the short bed to still be able to park in the garage, making the camper shell setup pretty much useless to me since I could no longer sleep in it and storage options would be far more limited. You also have to carry a lot more shit in a lot smaller space when women, kids and dogs are a constant factor. As a result I switched to the bed rack / RTT setup. It provides much more sleeping room for everyone which translates to better overall comfort and the tent configuration produces a purer camping experience than sleeping in an enclosed fiberglass shell. You do gain back most of the downsides of an open bed with the height limitations of a topper, but you'll generally maintain easy side and rear access to bed contents, and you do pick up a lot of storage space with your sleeping gear and tent being mounted to the rack rather than taking up valuable footprint inside the bed.
I did the bedrack with RTT for a while. I even had all my gear ready in dry boxes to head out and explore almost every weekend. Worked out great for what it was intended. I decided to remove it all however because it was also my daily at the time and I was putting about 40K miles a year on the truck.
This put a lot of unnecessary wear and tear on the RTT and carrying all that weight was not the best for daily driving. Not so much for the MPG's as I get about 14mpg's even now (with 4.88's and 285/70) but the truck is under-powered to start with and with all that weight driving anywhere is a pain - IMO. So I decided to go with a camper shell and full rack system for kayaks, etc. And put my RTT and all the gear into an offroad trailer.IMO: If you do put your tent on the truck, do not put it on the cab if you're going to leave it there perm or quasi perm. The wind resistance with kill you.
Did that on the jeep, it was horrible. If you decide to get a bedrack, get one that once the tent is on, it does not stick up above your roofline/cab rack line. Again wind resistance is a pain. Hey everyone! I’m new to the Tacoma world and just bought my new 2018 Tacoma. I bought the truck because I do a lot of hunting and camping and it seemed like the best one for the job. I recently just bought a camper shell to throw on it but now I’m feeling like I should of got a roof rack with tent on top of the cab.
![Tacoma camper shell 2017 Tacoma camper shell 2017](/uploads/1/2/5/3/125394394/697798017.jpg)
I’ll also be throwing a bed inside the shell and wondering where the rest of my camping gear is going. What’s everyone’s thoughts? Who’s got a camper shell and loves it? Or who prefers the roof rack tent set up? About & MissionTacoma 3G.com is a social media community and online forum for 3rd generation (2016+) Toyota Tacoma enthusiasts.We are built by, and built for,rad guys and gals such as yourself.We take pride in our ability to adapt to the needs of our members; if something isn't working, it will be fixed accordingto your suggestions. We're all 'staff' at T3G. The mission of Tacoma3rd Gen is to provide current and future 3rd genTaco owners with an organized andconcise network that hosts endless discussion and useful resources related to ourbeloved rigs.
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