Scout Yoho Camper in 1st Gen... Thoughts?

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Are you on the Scout Owners FB Group?

 

Well.. I just went through all the media on the group, don't see any on a 1st Gen. I just pinged my buddy that works at Scout to see if he knows of a Yoho placed on a 1st Gen.

What is your truck configuration? DCSB, ACLB, etc?

 

AND just heard back from my friend. He is currently unaware of a customer using a 1st Gen Taco for hauling a Yoho.

Seems like people have been hauling around FWCs in 1st gen's for years though, so I don't see why you couldn't do a Yoho.

 

MIGHT be a little heavy???

The total cargo capacity of a 1st gen is roughly 1500 pounds (not really any bigger on 2nd/3rd gens either). That includes gas, driver/passengers, bumpers, armor, winches, bigger tires, and anything else you put in the truck.

So you put 1000 pounds of camper in the bed, that leaves roof for you and a tank of gas, and practically nothing else.

CAN it be done? Sure. But if you want a big camper like that, simply put a Tacoma is a terrible choice to haul it around. You will completely overload it.

Seeing this just reminds me of when I went travel trailer shopping. Guy finds out I have a '17 4Runner and starts pointing me to the 4500 pound trailers. Sure, it'll tow it, (at max capacity and totally empty), but what do they care about actually being able to USE the trailer, they're just making a sale.

Get a Tundra.

 

You're MOSTLY right. >90% tank of fuel is supposed to be in the vehicle before calculating available payload for the sticker. Some manufacturers also take into account a 150 or 170lb driver (but that is different between manufacturers and I can't recall how Toyota does it.

I would agree getting a Tundra or other full sized truck would be smart if that was in the cards. But if you already have a truck and want to continue using it, it can be done. You just gotta weigh the options, what you can afford, and what risk you are willing to take.

Surprisingly, my total weight with camper isn't much different than my previous AT Habitat build. It just LOOKS heavier.

 

This is the wrong vehicle for a cab over camper like that. Sure, it can be done. But it won’t be great.

 

I've only ever heard of a dry weight. I wouldn't be surprised if they do like motorcycles and take the oil out too, lol. But sure, take 120 pounds out for a tank of gas. Now my wife can come along, lol

Either way you look at it, a SINGLE piece of equipment is taking up 2/3+ of the entire capacity of the truck.

A while back a guy with a 2nd gen (might have been a 3rd, can't remember) posted that with bumpers, some basic armor, 33's and a bed cover (not a rack or RTT), he was within 20 pounds of the GVWR (withOUT him sitting in it!). He knows because he actually weighed his. I bet the vast majority of people don't, and just keep adding shit because it fits. The "overlanders" are especially guilty of this, mostly because they're trying to fit all the sponsored content they see on instagram in their little trucks. Have you actually weighed your truck? Ready to ride, full of camping gear, extra fuel, people, etc. What's it weigh?

GVWR is like your max bench. Sure, you can bench 300#, but try carrying that around with you all day every day.

"Work with what you have" doesn't mean stuff everything you want into it.

 

I have weighed my truck. It is ... VERY... heavy. But at the same time it's not as heavy as my buddy's that weighed over 7K lbs BEFORE adding his GFC. He wheels that thing hard in all sorts of terrain and the truck takes it. I'm not suggesting anyone blatantly disregard payload, but if you can't get a new truck and need to work with what you have, just be careful and always keep it in mind. And no, a stock Tacoma wouldn't be REMOTELY safe with a load like this on it, and needs modification if you are planning to go this route.

 

Lots more than just some airbags.

You could do airbags, power adders, drivetrain mods, brakes, frame stiffeners, all that, and it still wouldn't matter, at least legally speaking. Insurance doesn't care what mods you've done, they just see that you've exceeded GVWR. If you want to go that route, move to Australia where they engineer all that stuff, fill out the paperwork and get it inspected to increase the weight capacities. That costs a shit ton of money, though.

At which point you could have sold it and gotten a bigger more capable truck (in stock form even).

Here, we add some airbags and a cold air intake which is the equivalent of flicking the ratchet straps on a trailer load and saying "that's not going anywhere."

 

It comes down to your planned use a few times a year off to the woods less then 100 miles away .

Load the family and the Dog and go on a 20,000 mile adventure .

the first you could get by not ideal but possible.

 

My first trip was 1000 miles away

 

No I don't have Facebook.

I have an X'tra Cab.
Thanks for reaching out!

Ya I'd like to get an FWC but the new ones, correct me if I'm wrong, are too wide to fit between the wheel wells of a first gen. I'd get an older one but they are too hard to find where I'm located.

 

The distance between the fender wells on a 1st gen is not much different than a 2nd gen, 40.75 vs 42 inches. Since the latest FWCs fit in a 2nd/3rd gens, I'm sure one would fit in your 1st gen.

From what I could find just now online, it looks like the OLD FWCs were 37 inches wide, but the latest are 39 inches wide. Still within the limits on your fender wells. I'm sure you could hitup FWC and they'd give you the exact dimenions.

 

Cheers. Ya I emailed them this afternoon, waiting to hear back.

 

Anything in particular you prefer about the FWC over the Scout? I've thoroughly enjoyed our Yoho so far, but I get they are very different campers.

 

I say go for it! But first, a little real world research. A couple of 55 gallon drums in the bed full a water should equal about 1000 lbs. Drive around with them for a little while and that should give you some idea of what to expect with the added weight. It’s gonna be kinda hard to measure the extra aerodynamic drag on drive ability but we know it’s pretty big
(I.e.what it’s gonna feel like getting passed on the highway by a tractor trailer!). But like most things we want, if you don’t do it, it will likely haunt you from now on. It might be just the first step in getting a new truck.

 

I definitely do like the fact that if my truck craps out before the camper wears out, I can just move the camper into my next (larger) truck.

EDIT/ADD - As well as if you finally decide your truck doesn't handle the load as safe as you like.

 

Checkout BelairCampers

 

Nothing wrong with those, but they aren't exactly a full function camper that's easy to pull off the truck. Just a different application.