Will a 2nd Gen Camper Shell Fit on a 3rd Gen...YES SOLVED

Hello TacomaWorld!

I was looking for a camper shell. I built one on the ARE site and then about had a stroke when the bill came in. I decided to turn to facebook market place and craigslist. Although, the used shells for the 3rd gen Tacamos I was finding, were still expensive. I was however, able to find the market flooded with 1st and 2nd gen shells.

I took to google and I really did not find the answer I was looking for. By and large, the answer was no, or yes, but it's a lot of work. Well I did it. I bought a 2nd gen lear shell for $350 and set out to make it work.

The short answer to the question "Will a 2nd Gen Camper Shell Fit on a 3rd Gen?" is YES!

But not if you value your time. IT IS A LOT OF WORK. If you would like to see the full tutorial, read on.

The first problem is that the shell does not fit flush on the bed. I cut small pieces of 1x3 board and shimmed the topper:




I determined that I would need to run 2 solid boards on the rails of the bed to get the topper at the proper height. The edge of the rear window seals with the tail gate because, it hags down the same distance as the 2 1x3 shims that allow the shell to sit flush with the bed of the truck.



It does not even look too bad IMO. I don't know that this would work with a ARE or SnugTop. The Leer shells have almost 3 inches of hollow that overhangs on the side of the truck. This allows the shell to be shimmed by the 1x3's without being able to see the wood from the exterior of the truck.

The back window opens freely:






There were a couple non-negotiable items to this build:

1. There would be no permanent modifications to the truck. (I had no idea if we could get this thing to work)
2. It had to be safe and water tight.
3. It had to have power independent of the truck's battery.
4. It had not not look like ABSOLUTE smashed ass.

I went to Lowe's with an extensive list. I bough a garage door weather seal and it fit PERFECTLY on the bed rails. The original plastics need to be removed.



Next up was fitting the 1x3's. The intention was not to buy curved 1x3's. I just can never manage to buy straight lumber. In this case however, it worked out because there is a slight curvature to the bed rails. Luckily, I also happened to buy sticks that fit together nicely. Take it for what it is. I usually say when something works out that well, you have to wright it down. So here we are.





Next we put masking tape over the rails to mark the holes. The plan is to run all-thread with nylock nuts and heavy duty washers through all three holes on each side of the truck. Pictured soon.







Transfer your marked masking tape to your boards and drill!



Line your holes up






Rinse and repeat



Put your hardware on










I used foam to seal the toper to the wood





Test fit the topper and make sure it doesn't look too stupid.



Meh. That will do.

We still have a bit of a gap here where the topper meets the back of the tuck. Also, there is going to be a good 3" gap from the topper to the cab. If that is a deal breaker- you should probably cut your losses here.



Next we need to dill the holes for the topper. We tried really hard to mark them, and honestly at this point I was really sick of moving the stupid thing on and off. It sucks. We whiffed it with the holes and decided we needed to cut a small square out with the jig saw.



In retrospect, it would be A LOT easier if you just mark your holes and drill correctly the first time. Results may vary.



Make sure you cut that all-thread to length before lifting the topper back on. It avoids you having to lift it up an additional time.

I did leave a little extra that I later cut off.



And now your first introduction to the gap solution for the back of the bed....POOL NOODLE!



I know its stupid but it works. I will be replacing it with a black one soon.







Now the shell is super secure and sits just a touch lower once it is tightened. I am also considering running the clamps as a back-up.



I plan on having a tent that encloses the open tailgate and window so that I can have a fold out sleeping platform for extra length. I used a piano hinge to build the fold out and I plan on using screw in furniture legs cut to length for support when it is folded down. It will be removable when it is folded up.



Looks decent from the front. The shell sits about 1 1/2" above the cab. I plan on installing a roof rack to make it look more streamline, and for more storage.



Here is the gap from the cab to the shell.



As it sits, it looks pretty okay, and is about 98% water tight. I will put 5' of flex tape across the back to hopefully earn that extra 2% water tightness.



The window makes a nice seal on the plastic of the tailgate.



Next I am test fitting my solar panels. I have a total of 4. They will ultimately end up mounted on top of the roof rack. There is not enough room on the shell for all 4.
https://imgur.com/P0rsaMN

Next we addressed storage. The wife and I needed food, bedding, and all camping supplies stored somehow. To keep the weight and cost to this project down, we decided to simply use under the bed totes from target. We can fit 2 long ones (the wheels fit exactly in the tracks), and three of the medium sized ones. That leave just enough room for my solar battery bank to be wired in between the two large totes.



Solar installed. I used the L aluminum stock from Lowe's to support the panels and then secured them with nylock nuts and e6000 on the threads.





Looks pretty good from the front, still want to do the cab roof rack.



From the back



Side with solar.



Andddddd I shattered the back window. Not how you think, it closed and opened perfectly every time. I left the window open, and then forgot and opened the garage. It ripped the window clean off.

Just FYI Leer wants $600 and 4-6 weeks to get the window ordered. Ummmm pass. I didn't even pay that much for the stupid shell.

I made a template of the back window and took it down to the local plastic shop. They are cutting me a window out of lexan for $150. Back in business.

In the mean time, lets take this ugly POS off and give it some love. Originally this was painted the dark blue. Somewhere along the way someone got a hold of it and gave it a super shitty rattle can job.

I do like the back on white, so we are going to stick to that theme however, lets make it a little more rugged and paint it with bed liner to match my fenders.

I set it up on some saw horses and got to work. Someone had been kicking this thing around for a while. All of the corners of the fiberglass needed to be repaired. So I filled those with bondo and then started sanding.



Sanded, repaired, and ready for paint


I was really tempted to do the Raptor Liner in white, but I did not like the $200 price tag. So I went with a gallon of the rustolem bed liner from auto zone. This was more than enough and you could likely get away with 1 quart per coat. I also elected to save some mess and roll it on. I didn't feel like making a formal paint booth in the garage, and anything would look better than it did. There was also motor oil where the break light was? I don't know how or why, but that was cleaned as well.

I blew the dust off with the air compressor and then wiped the whole shell with alcohol and a micro fiber before applying the first coat. I did 2 coats total about 2 hours apart.











Obligatory thumb covering part of the lens photo.


That is where I am at. It has taken about 3 weeks of working on it after work and on the weekends to get it where it is at. I will update the thread when I get my plastic window and put the shell back on the truck. Thanks for looking guys!

Big thanks to my best friend who came over and helped. Big thanks to my wife for all her help, and especially for being able to roll paint like an adult. My paint job was line city and hers was perfect!




Hello again, I am back with an update. Since I got roasted last time for using Imgur, I am going to attempt to do the direct upload... You'll see soon enough if I got it to work or not...

The plastic supply place hand my window finished on Thursday, so it was off to the races, but the first thing that needed to be done, was to re build the sleeping platform, make a semi-hidden access to the solar battery bank underneath. Franky, the underside of the sleeping platform was not my best work... So I did not take any before pictures. We framed the whole sleeping platform and then made a drop cut to make the semi-hidden compartment.

We also made an incredibly strong battery rack using aluminum L bracket, the tiniest shackles I have ever seen, and a bungie cord. You could hit it with a 2x4 and it would not come out of the rack.









I know I said one of my non-negotiables was no permanent modifications to the truck but, now that I know it is going to work I am going full send.

Next we replaced the carpet. Lowes had an amazing deal on a 8'x12' roll of remnant carpet that was incredibly high end for 85% off they really wanted it out of there. Since I had so much extra, I decided to run it up the sides of the bed as well for insolation and comfort.







Next we had to figure out how to support the fold out bed extension. I did not want to have giant legs sticking out of the folding part every time, so my wife suggested furniture legs and hardware. Guys and galls, this was such an awesome idea!





Those simply screw in and out and can be stored in the under bed storage. It is perfect. We marked them D (driver), M (Middle), and P (Passenger) so that we don't mix them up. Realistically, they should all work, but better safe than sorry.

We ran the wires for the charge control unit with screws and cable holders so that sliding our gear in does not interfere with with cables. I forgot to take a picture of how we did that, but it is pretty self explanatory.

Next it was time to work on the new window. We covered the whole thing in painters tape to prevent scratching and marked where to drill for the hinges. We slowly and with very light pressure drilled the holes slightly larger that the equipment because the plastic will expand and contract in hot/cold weather. I plan to put some silicone in the open space to water proof.







We are still working out how we will transfer the hinges and door handle, if anyone has any experience in this I would greatly appreciate the advice.

The last thing we did for the day was test fit our under bed storage. It fit very snugly and I am super happy about that. The smaller bins do not fit very snugly, I am not sure what I am going to do about that yet. But it works for the time being!

I hope to get the topper on tomorrow morning and then wire for solar over the course of the week. All the super hard stuff is done now. We just need to put the puzzle back together!








Phew....What a Monday.... The Topper is officially back on, and the rear window has been replaced. Overall I am super happy with how everything came out. It looks so much better now that it is painted. That rattle can job was really hard to look at.











I saved the Leer badges for the sides, but I am not sure if I want to put those back. Any suggestions as to what others have done would be welcome.

I did not really document how we drilled the holes and installed the window, my apologies. I will say, if you are drilling your own plastic, slow and steady...the pressure from the weight of the drill is plenty. Also, drill your holes slightly larger than your hardware and fill with silicone. Plastic expands and shrinks in temp swings and could cause cracking. It is a lot of hold it up, mark, drill, check. That is pretty much the process for every hole.








Last but not least for today! The pool noodle got a major upgrade. This time we used foam pipe insolation. It worked great, and with the adhesive it made it so much easier to secure. Additionally, since they come in 6 foot sections, I was able to make a 90 degree bend and make the corners of the topper water tight. HUGE improvement. We also discovered that there is a pop-n-lock system installed in this shell! So that just needs to get wired. Huge bonus and makes having to spend extra money on the broken window feel less bad.



It is quite cozy on the inside. My wife and I fit with plenty of room and our pupper can sleep between us.

The last thing to do is to attach the rack of solar panels and run the wires for them. I am planning on using a marine grade pass through on the drives side of the shell. Hopefully that will keep things water tight and give me the ability to have power to my battery. I hope to have this wrapped up this week so that I can go camping for my birthday this weekend! This will be my last update before it is considered "complete", for the time being any way.

 

That's a lot of work when you could sell it or trade it for one that fits flush with no modification.

With how the large the cab to cap gap is and how high the cap sits above the cab level and that little bit of a forward protruding lip on the cap I can only imagine it sounds like you're hauling a wind tunnel.

But aesthetically it honestly doesn't look half as bad as I thought.

Personally I don't think I could live with the overhang from how the rear taper and load rail cap width differs though.


...And I have to knock you some points for using imgur instead of direct upload.

 

The fitment gives it an RSI smart cap look. I also like the 4Runner take offs.

 

It kinda does!! Thanks, the wheels were the first mods!

 

I’ve been considering this. Not too sure I want to go down this road now lol. Great effort and doesn’t look bad at all!

 

It was a lot of work. You could get away with just building the shims and then using the clamps to hold it down. I did not feel like that was secure enough for me though.

 

How much did you end up saving compared to the original ARE idea?

 

shell: $350
Hardware Store: $275
Paint and prep: $150
stupid replacement window: $150

total: $925

Knock $150 of that if you can manage to not have to replace that back window. Lol

The Lear quote just for the shell was going to be $3600.

Another benefit is that you gain about 2” of headroom with the wood shims.

Saving that amount of money allowed me to make a pretty awesome solar setup with a battery bank. The bed of the truck is pretty much ready at all times to be lived in, or will be once the project is complete.

 

An awesome job of customizing it to fit your third gen, and fine write up with photos!

 

Wonder how the wood will hold up after time with water, tbh it looks off to me and goofy and cheap, but it works for you and youre happy thats all that matters.

 

Thanks! It’s been fun.

I mean, it was cheap, cheaper than a $3600 shell any way. The wood should be fine it’s sealed with primer and bed liner. If it ends up needing to be replaced it can be super cheaply.

The inspiration for this build was more out of need than want. As a disabled vet, I just can’t get up and down off the ground any more when camping. It’s too hard on my glass knees. Besides, this took a couple weeks to get up and running and it can take months to have a shell made. But at the end of the day, money is tight and camping is cheap. I needed the cheapest solution to enjoy my hobby and wanted to share that it’s possible for it to be functional.

 

I disagree, I’ve never seen a better looking 2nd gen to 3rd gen camper shell conversion. I value inginuity of someone who can do things like that vs someone who overpays for a simple camper shell and likely couldn’t even do something like that lol.

 

Quite the complement, thanks so much! I get it though, I’m not in love with how it looks. Although, now that it is painted and repaired, I imagine it is going to look WAY better on the truck than it did with that rattle can job.

I’m also thinking of extending the shell by adding some fiberglass and a gasket to get it right up against the cab, but I need to assess the cost and feasibility of that idea first. I would also need to mock it up first to make sure it doesn’t look totally asinine.

 

Update in the original post!

 

Last update until the topper is considered "complete" check out the first post to see the painted topper on the truck with the new plastic window installed!

 

I wanted to provide an update now that I have been camping in it the last 3 weekends in a row. It is getting a little chilly at 7100 feet this time of year, but I think we have one more trip this year at that height. The wife, doggo, and myself decided that the shell area was really only big enough for sleeping and not much else. While we would be able to pull over and sleep in an emergency with out deploying the tent, it would not be ideal. We opted for what I am affectionally refer to as Tent-a-Sorus Rex. I think it is a 10 or 12 person tent, I honestly don't know, its huge and it has an extra room that we are using as a bathroom with the ole toilet bucket (strictly #1 only). This last trip we used the silver foam roll insulation to keep the cold out at night and it made a huge difference. The tent is great for privacy and keeping out the cold and critters. All in all, I think this has been super successful. Eventually, I would like to get a shell with a higher rise, or maybe even just a normal one, with a proper fit. But for now, this is my budget.

P.S...Do not, under any circumstance, replace one of these rear windows with anything other than polycarbonate. Acrylic (or plexi-glass) is super brittle and after about 2 days, the spots that the gash shocks attach to, began to crack. Luckily, the plastic shop that cut the window for me replaced it for free. They had accidently sold all of the polycarbonate they had in stock, and recommended the acrylic as a replacement. I hesitantly agreed, but they did the right thing and I would happily return should I need any plastic in the future.



Third time is the charm for windows I hope...

 

I decided to click on this one, because a pet peeve of mine, in advertised posts about truck shells for sale, is they almost always write the ad saying something like "came off of a Ford Ranger" or "came off a Toyota". They don't realize that it DOESN'T MATTER what truck it came off of, but what matters, is the MEASUREMENTS! A 60X72 bed is the same no matter what brand truck it is! When I was looking for a shell for my old truck, it was SO frustrating to see a shell, and then have to message the person asking for measurements. Such a simple thing! I finally found a free shell that had actually come off of a Ford Ranger, but it fit perfectly onto my Tacoma. Again, I had to ask measurements though before I went over there, and I got lucky that it was still there when I got there. But as for your being shocked at the price of building a new shell, yeah I get that too. Of course, it also is vastly different if you go with a fiberglass shell, versus an aluminum one too. And you can get smooth aluminum shells that look just like the fiberglass ones for about half the price. The other advantage of aluminum is that is weighs far less, so it is a lot easier to take off the truck if you have to. Finally, another option I came up with, was buying a shell at another location. What I mean by that is, I priced a shell in the San Francisco Bay area, because that is where I live. It priced out at over $2000, which I think is just ridiculous! Also, in my county, the sales tax rate is 10.75%, so tax alone would have raised it over $200 more! But I then priced the same shell at a shell dealer in las Vegas, since I also go there on occasion, and it priced out at around $1200, and the sale tax rate is far less there too. So I figured when I planned my next trip to Vegas, I would just order a shell and pick it up when I got there, saving several hundred dollars in the process!