Bel Air Shell Campers

Hi Y'all,

I haven't seen many mentions about the Bel Air Camper shell, so I figured I'd share my setup and other folks can share too. The camper shell sits on the bed rails and weighs approximately 550 lbs. The camper shell was handed down to me from my Dad, but he got it a few years ago on Offer-up before the camping inflation craze started.

You can order a new from the folks over at Bel Air Shells in Garden Grove, CA.
http://belairshells.com/


Anyway, here's what the Bel-Air looked like on my Dad's 2nd gen. He had it on for about two years.



The shell is pretty cool in that the side windows open up like a taco truck and the rear opens up completely. It also has a small exhaust fan in the ceiling, USB charger, and interior lighting.



Here's what the shell looks like on my 3rd gen taco (installed November 11, 2022). From the picture below you can see that it sags a bit. I have an add-a-leaf kit in the garage, but am debating wether installing it or just biting the bullet and installing a new set of leafs (Deaver ???).



Here's another side view in the dirt because it looks cool!






I drove it through Cross-over trail to Tule Wash in Ocotillo Wells, CA and it wasn't too bad, but that's a story for another day.







As for the interior... I decided to go with a simple carpeted bench set up that the guys at Bel Air Shells carry.

 

That is a sweet setup! Definitely want to see more of that. Pretty damn cool! Is the part that sits over the cab for storage?

 

Yup the top is mainly for storage. Perfect for storing bulky items like sleeping bags and pads.

I’ll try and get some more pics of the interior later this week.

 

love 'em. they look great on the trucks

 

They make some cool shells, old school Baja fishing truck looks.

 

Can anyone comment on the drivability of a V6 Tacoma with a big bel air on it? I am considering ordering one but a little concerned it’s gonna be super slow with all that wind resistance

 

I did a roundtrip 1500mi road trip from SoCal to the redwoods and averaged about 15mpg.
This is based on my V6 auto with mud terrains+ skids+sliders+camping supplies.

As for drivability… coming from a 22R, I don’t notice any significant issues with speed limits when driving on flat roads.

On 7 degree descents the shell will act like an air brake and hold speed at ~70mph. Probably not a good idea to push it, given that it’s bolted to the bed.

On ascents… it’ll make it to the top just fine. Just slap a “I’m going as fast as I can” and you’ll be fine .

 

Something I’ve heard many times is that they don’t even make their campers. They outsource production to USA camper shell, and I believe you can save a huge chunk of change going direct. They are definitely a nice size, but I’m personally not a fan of wood framing in campers

 

So where do you end up sleeping? Mattress directly on the floor?

 

The two floor sections raise up create a padded flat surface. It’s not tempurpedic level comfort but it does the job

 

Very cool. I'm considering one of these for my 2nd Gen long bed. It's holding up off-road? I like to hit fire roads up around big bear and explore the desert. No rock crawling or going fast (usually)

 

Thanks for posting, I've been looking for a compromise between a hardside and a pop-up that's reasonably priced.

 

I’ve had mine now for a few months and have been loving it! So much better than the GFC I had previously with floppy tent fabric…

holding up great off road so far. I mostly do fire trails though. But I have had it on a few gnarlier sections and it does fine.

 

@TrdAaron

What are the dimensions and build you went with? What was the price? I'm really torn between the topo topper badlander and the belair.

 

I went with 40" high and a 24" cab over. That brings the interior standing room to 5ish feet I believe. Price was $5200 out the door I think. The only thing I miss about the GFC is the low profile. Not being able to park anywhere kinda sucks. But using the truck as a camper it’s a game changer. No setup, stays warm, tons of room on the inside, easy to hop in/out for changing clothes or wetsuit… I think it’s much better fit for me than the GFC. I don’t really miss being able to stand up in there. I just stand outside like a normal person lol

 

Radical. Thanks for the information!

 

How does the camper attach to the bed rails? I have a slide in camper that’s probably too much weight for my truck so I’m considering buying one of these or making a homemade version

 

Howdy Partners. This is my 2004 4-cylinder 5-speed Taco with a Bel Air Camper. I'm a minimalist at heart and I love my Bel Air Taco combo.

Sorry, but not sorry, for this quick product plug. I've been working for this guy Russ and his new company DAYLODGE based in White Salmon, WA.

Russ has invented this mobile camp kitchen/tool bench/remote office bag for vehicle-based adventures called the Workspace Table Bag. I have been using my Workspace bag mounted to the outside of my Bel Air (using these Flexmount adhesive anchors, also by DAYLDOGE) as a mobile MTB tool bench and camp kitchen setup. This creates a standing-height work area on the outside of my camper and it's a truly awesome addition to my Bel Air setup. Check it out

 

Here's mine on my 03. Been a great camper.
Just picked up a 2nd gen, 2013. Wondering how the fit would differ if I try to place in on the 2nd gen. Seems like it would fit just fine. I see ya'll bolted into the bed rails as well. Anybody know if you can clamp these on to a 2nd gen with that plastic in there?

 

Man your rig looks great! How long have you had your belair and any pros / cons you could share? I’m picking mine up next week for my 09 Taco… I’ll be traveling in it full time for at least a year! Including Baja next winter! Would love to hear of your experience with yours so far! Cheers - Rain Dean