I inherited this Tacoma and GFC from my Dad after he passed unexpectedly in 2024. We had talked a lot over email about his exciting plans to sell his house and travel the country in it, and how he hoped one day to pass it to me because he knows I love overlanding and camping. After he passed I was looking through his things and found a notebook full of ideas for a camper build. He hadn’t had the chance to start the build yet but I found a few things he’d ordered, still in the boxes. A composting toilet, some fans, a bug swatter, camping quilt, etc..
After some time I decided I’d work on the build using the stuff he’d bought and his notes as a starting point. I also got a lot of inspiration from other people’s builds here and on Reddit and Youtube. It’s not the prettiest build but it’s been my cozy little home away from home for a while now.
I wanted the build to be modular so I could have a choice of moving the stove and sink to the tailgate or picnic table, or remove everything easily if I needed the truck to haul big loads. But if the weather’s bad or I want to pull over somewhere and fix up a quick meal, I wanted it to be fully functional from inside too.
From right to left there’s a composting toilet that I keep for emergencies and thankfully haven’t had to use yet. On top of that is a Boxio sink with build-in fresh and gray water. I’ve modified it with a battery powered faucet. Behind that is a Zempire Camp Kitchen folding countertop and cupboards. Behind that is a Wave 2 for heating and cooling. There’s a 10lb propane tank in a black case that I keep secured with a carabiner and shock cord. Then an Iceco fridge/freezer with a sleeping bag on top, and a folding stool to the left of the fridge.
Under the cupboards are an Ecoflow Delta 2 Max and two 2.5 gallon water containers in a tote. You can’t see it but I have an extra Ecoflow battery strapped securely to the bottom of the Wave 2, which keeps it propped up and doubles my battery capacity to 4kWh. You can sort of see a Gatorade bottle I’ve strapped to the leg of the table. That’s where the Wave 2 condensation hose goes to. I may drill a hole someday in the bed for it to empty onto the ground but the bottle works for now. The stool is nice for sitting at counter-height.
Or if I want to lounge, I can set up my folding camp chair either pointed backward with the tailgate as a footrest or pointed forward with my feet up on the fridge if I want the rear door closed.
Here’s a view of the kitchen in action. Since these photos were taken I switched to using the 10lb propane tank instead of the disposable ones. The green lid on the water bottle is a sprinkler head, which helps for rinsing dishes. I got a Eureka XL stove so I could use large pans.
I quickly realized that the bed was like an oven with the sun shining on those black canopy doors so I knew I’d need to insulate the bed. I got some 1.5" NGX glued to 1/8th plywood, and on the passenger side and rear hatch I sewed outdoor carpet sandwiched around reflextex, so I could still reach in through the driver’s side canopy door to access the fridge from the outside.
The carpet/reflectex panel is velcroed to the rear door where I also have a battery powered light, which I can plug in to charge up with a long cable.
I’ve tinted the rear window and this carpet adds a bit more privacy as well. Before I tinted and installed the carpet, I caught people on several occasions peering into the back of my truck in parking lots.
I sewed two layers of outdoor carpet and velcroed them to the ceiling of the tent and installed cheap LED light strips which run off AC and have a remote control that can dim or change the temperature. I also added memory foam and fitted sheets to the stock mattress and it’s really made the bed so much more comfy.
The remote for the lights is velcoed to the wall near the sink where it’s easy to reach from anywhere I am. I also trimmed this square mattress section to be a bit shorter so I can use this gap to reach things down below, and extend the Wave 2 duct up into the tent.
The passenger side door opens up to reveal the NGX insulation. I also have an extension cord that I can use to hook up to shore power. The dark cordage secures my folding counter/cupboards to the cross braces in the canopy. If I want to remove the cupboard I just release the knots in this cordage. So far the cupboards have been very secure even while overlanding through pretty wild terrain.
I 3D printed these vents for the Wave 2. The ducts on the other side lock into the vents with a twist. Also pictured is my second solar charging cable, for when I’m setting up my portable fold-out solar panels. I also have solar mounted to the top of the GFC, and it does a good job keeping the battery topped up, along with an alternator charger I’ve installed as well.
This piece of foam can be placed between the vents to help the Wave 2 work more efficiently and not be intaking the exhaust air. It’s cut at an angle so I can close the side door part way.
And then I keep the side door secured at that angle with some cordage looped over the latches. This way the vents can have space to work while the door keeps the rain off. I originally planned to cut vents into the door but I was concerned about driving rain getting into the ducts, so I decided to go this route.
This last winter I was camping with some friends and the temps got down to 15F. My camper was nice and cozy but I felt so cramped with the tent doors all closed. So I came up with this solution so I can still enjoy nice views while warming up inside:
I found a clear vinyl tarp that’s the perfect size, so I can keep the tent door in awning mode while still keeping the winter chill out. I wanted to leave a gap toward the top for ventilation.
And when not in use I can roll up the vinyl and store it on the driver’s side behind the carpet insulation.
Last winter I also got a briefcase style diesel heater. The Wave 2 kept me warm but it really drains the batteries and I feel better having a little redundancy in winter. I’ve toyed with the idea of permanently mounting a diesel heater under the truck but that’s a project for another day.
That’s it for now. I’ve been meaning to share for a while. I’ve really enjoyed seeing other people’s builds on here and they’ve really inspired me, so thanks to this community!
