Help with Sled Deck/Camping

Hey everyone, I'm a new member here but have been browsing these forums for years.

I have a 2008 Tacoma Access Cab TRD (will attach pics)

I have been looking at the Decked system for the bed.

The idea would be I can keep my topper on the truck during the summer, & slap a mattress on top of the Decked system for easy camping. Then in the winter, I can take my topper off & load a snowmobile on top of the Decked system.

Does anyone have any suggestions besides the Decked system that could do both of these things? Or have experience with the decked system on a Tacoma?

Any suggestions/help is appreciated.

 

Basically looking for something like this:

https://standingsleddecks.ca/products/toyota-tacoma-deck-2005-2020

But have it be wider & sit directly above the wheel well. That way I can still have my topper on during summer for easy camping with a mattress on top, & in the winter I can take the topper off & easily load my sled on.

 

I think you should use a trailer.

 

Yes that's what I have been using. Looking to not have to tow a trailer. I live in remote Alaska & want the ease of not having to tow anything. Towing a trailer on some of these roads during a snowstorm is not fun.

Thanks though.

 

How much does the sled weigh? It just sounds like a lot of weight up high for these trucks, plus those deck systems add a lot of weight as well.

I'd rather pull a trailer than be overweight, especially on rough roads.

 

Sled weighs about 450 pounds & the Decked system weighs about 200 pounds. Is that too much weight?

I appreciate the insight guys!

 

Relatively easy to make, although i would recommend instead of skate bearings use the full width of the drawer box and put some sort of slick glide on the bottom. That way you maximize the width of the drawers

this comes at the cost of weight though. Which may or may not be a concern for you at this point.

I built mine years ago and still use them to this day. Very very handy to have

Threw a half-inch stall mat on top too. Easier on the knees. Again more weight.

one of these days ill be switching over to 80/20 entirely, just havent had the time to do it.

 

My single place aluminum snowmobile trailer actually helped with back end drift on snow packed roads. Plus without the snowmobile on it, one person can pick up the back end and move it around.

 

Are you saying you want to mount this sled thing on top of a decked drawer system?

Also, I'd highly recommend getting AT LEAST airbags. Better would be a heavier duty leaf pack. You said the decked drawers are 200, and I guarantee you'll be tossing in 50-150 pounds of STUFF in that.

 

As someone with a lot of weight up high, as long as the OP does some rear suspension mods, I don't see the weight being any issue. It won't come anywhere remotely close to my weight, lol.

 

For just sotrage/sleeping there's a lot of DIY alternatives to Decked which are less expensive and lighter weight, but I don't know that I'd trust a plywood box to hold up well to having that weight and the drive belt/track sitting on top of it.

I don't know the specs of your snowmobile, but most of the ones I'm seeing on google seem to be about 10 ft in length, which is about 42" longer than your box can be (and around 2 ft past the end of your open tailgate) unless there's some way to fold up or detatch the skis.

 

I've known a lot of people with sleds loaded in Rangers and Tacos. the weight on the rear is pretty light. I've seen a guy lift his track up, put a should under it, and close his tailgate to leave the track resting on it. Mass majority of the weight is at the front, where the engine and such is.

 

Seems doable. You could stow the ramp under the platform in winter and camping gear there in the summer. I load tools in the front half of the bed into a box with wheels that follow the bed grooves with a pulley to haul it in/out and my saw horses behind that but how you choose to stash your stuff is up to you. There’s a thread specifically about this topic that I’m sure you could get some inspiration from. If you can weld you should be GTG. Even if you’re not up to welding wood framing can take the load it just won’t be made the same.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...eping-platform-drawer-storage-systems.424709/
And
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/anything-welding.113957/

 

Be aware that a couple hundred pounds on your Tailgate could fold it.

not talking about your track talking about driving it in the bed.

 

• As far as sleeping in the back forget it. Since you have a cab high shell it’s cramped and difficult just crawling around in there. Raise the floor up with a deck system and unless you are very small stature it’ll be near impossible to even get in there. Trying to sit up will not be possible and if you try you’ll bang your head on the top.
• As far as hauling the sled in the back you’d be better off with a 1/2 or 3/4 ton full size truck. It’s doable with your Taco but not the best vehicle for it. I still think a small light snowmobile trailer would be best.

 

I hate to butt in without useful information but that’s my old truck! I freaking miss that thing!

 

No way!! That's awesome! She's still running strong & in good hands

Thanks for all the info everyone, it's much appreciated

 

Btw if you need any information on the truck let me know, I personally did all the work to it. I can explain every scratch and dent!!

 

What if you just use a ramp to drive it into the decked

maybe something to protect the decked
And tiedowns to secure load

my Softopper didn’t feel cold in winter but I haven’t slept in it yet. I’d rather cold than hot. Sleeping bag and blankets.

if you get a Softopper it can fold out of the way. Potentially same for a bed rack over that if you put quick disco center bars or something.

but a trailer sounds easier. A bed can be made from plywood and totes to avoid $1600 on decked.

harbor freight folding utility trailer is like $500. Mod it how you want. Downward weight helping grip and not killing your payload sagging the springs.
Only thing that sketches me out about all these cheap little utility trailers is it seems they have a rated speed limit of 45mph which seems completely useless.
Unless that’s due to the tiny single tires and can be changed.

I doubt any stock trailer unless $17k “off road trailer” is coming with anything like a decent set of all terrains.
What if that explains your sketchy driving experience
I towed in a blizzard. It was good. But that was on road not off.

Off road trailer build you can also change to an articulating hitch and who knows what else. Have overland equipment on it if you want.

At least the HFT utility trailer has folding feature to be out of the way when not in use.
Theres ways to remove and store a shell but could require having a house that not everyone has. I had a 200lb snugtop and it scratched off bedsides paint.

Theres also delete front right passenger seat for a sleeping platform in the cab if the bed is occupied.

 

If the HF trailer has a solid chassis, the extra $16.5k leaves a lot of budget for a set of timbrens and two (or even three) more steel wheels and tires to match the Tacoma, and the A/T hitch for towing into rough terrain. Leaves plenty left over for some jerry can mounts and a propane tank.

Those teardrops look like a great solution for setting a "base camp" for off-road trips, but they do tend to get expensive since they're almost all built for "glamping" instead of just providing a utility/camp kitchen setup and maybe a RTT; to haul a sled under a RTT on a trailer might make the unit too big for a tacoma between the weight of the structure, water tank, fuel containers and maybe a spare tire carrier.