Our 1985 Toyota Pickup Truck Camper

Information, reasoning, and thoughts behind our new camper and vehicular based travel in general.

I’ve had this truck since I was 15, and throughout the years I’ve built it out in different ways for different things. I’ve had it basically empty and camped out of a tent for nearly three months with only a Softopper to cover my gear and mountain bike. I’ve had no shell at all and only a couple pieces of aluminum running the width of the bed to mount two bikes (this setup was my favorite for traveling light with two people on shorter, under two weeks, trips), I’ve even had a half-width drawer with enough room to also squeeze in one mountain bike under the cover of the Softopper. And while all these setups worked just fine for their respective purposes, some of my needs have changed.

So, what are some of those needs? Well, it needs to be comfortable for two people, two bikes and a dog. As the pickup is a two-seater, we played with the idea of getting something different. We liked the idea of a small 4wd van, and came close to pulling the trigger on an imported Toyota Hiace. But, ultimately there were a few things that kept us from that platform. First, it’s a van. Yes, its plenty comfortable I’m sure, but it is not nearly as capable as a truck. Second, and the most important thing that kept us from getting a Hiace, was the fact that it would be imported from somewhere like Japan. This means that no parts stores in America would have most parts for this vehicle. While Toyota is pretty good about reusing things from vehicle to vehicle, I think it is extremely important to consider parts availability when deciding on a rig. 

After we ditched the idea of a Hiace, and any imported JDM Toyota, we considered a first gen Tacoma. It should come without surprise why we wanted one. Tacomas from 1995-2005 are some of the best trucks ever offered in America. They had decent power from the reliable 3.4L V6, of which we could find parts for anywhere in the Americas, and it offered plenty of cab space for the dog with the optional 4-door variant. Not to mention the immense catalog of aftermarket support. However, there were a few things that also kept us from the Tacoma. The first being cost. These things are getting damn expensive, and that is if you’re lucky enough to find a good one. Second, was the 5-foot bed. While we could have squeezed the dog into an extra-cab with a 6-foot bed (which I would then be able to get a manual transmission for), we had no clue at the time how big our 5-month-old puppy was going to be. And camping with a dog that you need to hoist up a ladder into a rooftop tent was something we did not want to be forced to do. 

The Camper

Finally, we came up with what we would now consider to be the perfect solution to suit our needs – we kept my 1985 Toyota Pickup and put in an order for a custom camper from Bel-Air Campers in Garden Grove, California. This would allow us to build a bed platform in the back for the dog to have plenty of room while we drive (we also open the rear cab window and front window of the camper to allow him to have a pass through for water or treats as we go down the road). Having a cab-over camper on a truck also would offer a very comfortable sleeping arrangement while not being too limiting off-road compared to most vans. And we liked how it wasn’t too big and comfortable inside to the point we wanted to sit in it while at camp. Instead, this setup forced us to spend our time hanging around camp outside, until we’re ready to go to sleep. The camper we chose was also something different, which we liked. Everyone nowadays either has a 5th gen 4Runner and a rooftop tent, or a new Tacoma with a GFC (I am well aware that these are probably great options, but we didn’t want something everyone else already had).

Bel-Air makes these campers custom for any truck, and because they are custom, you can get them with numerous options to best suit your needs. Don’t want a cab-over? Don’t get one. Want a full rear door and remove the tailgate? Go ahead, they offer that. We loved our experience working with the people from Bel-Air and they were incredibly helpful in getting us into our perfect camper!

The model we chose was based off what their rather outdated website calls the #C5, however we did make some changes. This cab-over shell is available at up to 40 inches above the bed rail, but we opted for their lowest option of 36 inches. It is also offered with a further forward, longer cab-over section, but we cut it back by about 6 inches. In the end, our size was spot on and with our bed platform I (about 6’1”) can sit up comfortably with ~2 inches to spare. We also decided to opt out of the full-size rear door. They did tell us that the full door seals much better and would keep us warmer in cold climates, but having a tailgate at camp is invaluable to me. One of our favorite features of our camper is the windoors on both sides. This means we are able to fully open the entire side of the camper to make the bed, grab things, or just chill in and enjoy the scenery. We did choose to get a Dometic Fantastic-Fan installed in ours, but held off in getting any sort of roof rack. The roof of this camper is all plywood, so adding L-track or any other roof rack of our choice would be easy in the future. Another big plus was the fact that it only took about 7 weeks from the day we placed our order to the day we got a call that it was done and ready to be installed!

Our Build

After only having the camper for less than a week, we quickly began building the bed platform. We chose to make the simplest bed/drawer design we could think of. This was done intentionally as to limit the amount of things that could break, while also having the bed be as strong as possible. We began with a model from Squirrel Concepts that, while limiting storage space, allowed the bed to be far stronger than any I had built prior. Because the supports were spaced by the grooves of the truck bed, we did not need to drill the platform into the bed at all as it cannot move side to side. We also chose to make one wide drawer instead of two smaller drawers to maximize any lost storage space. And our drawer has no expensive, and breakable, drawer slides. Instead, it slides only on strips of a low friction, polyethylene plastic. Even with the drawer loaded up it slides very nicely, and for a fraction of the price of what those heavy-duty drawer slides are going for. There is also plenty of storage space in the nooks around the fender wells, and I have cut access holes to reach into the space up by the cab. In the side pocket at the rear we are able to store over 9 gallons of water in GSI soft sided water jugs, and our camp stove, camp chess, dog supplies, tools, etc.

Honeymoon Phase

Even though we know we are still in the honeymoon phase with this camper, we have been absolutely loving it! We know it’s not the most practical for long cross-country road trips spanning long distances, but we’ve got Sami’s Forester XT for that. This truck was built to explore what’s near us. We’re spoiled with endless amounts of public lands, all from right out our front door. This truck is for traveling slow, seeing everything, and turning off for whatever roads we feel like checking out. It also serves as our mobile base camp. We both love cycling, and hiking with our dog, so we often feel no need to have a rig that can get us to the deepest camp site. Instead, we’ll pull off somewhere quiet and secluded, and hike or bike to explore deeper. 

Vehicular-Based Travel

In the world we live in today, most all of us use some sort of motor vehicle to at least begin our adventures, and we are no different. Sure, you could drive any car to a trail head and head out on foot, or if you’re fortunate enough, you can walk/ride right out your front door and begin your adventures. However, we enjoy vehicle-based travel, especially when traveling in something like an old truck that allows you to feel every bump in the road. It is certainly much more glamorous than backpacking or bike camping, but it also allows us to stay out comfortably for much longer. While I know it isn’t for everyone, driving something into far out places that you know you can fix if something goes wrong is a liberating and freeing feeling, similar to the feeling of heading out on foot where there is nothing but your own power that can get you back. Also, for someone who enjoys wrenching on things, it’s fun to own and maintain an old 4wd truck that you’ve built yourself and traveled around the country in. Not to mention, it is almost infinately easier to car camp with a dog compared to backpacking or bike camping. However, this of course does not mean that we think this is better than other forms of camping, just something different, and we will continue to backpack and bike camp as we always have.

Future Plans

Right now, there isn’t a ton we need to do to the truck besides get out and use it. We are however getting ready to set up a date to get it regeared to 4.88s and toss in an ARB air locker. But other than that, we have long term goals to one day swap in a new motor, although we haven’t decided what. As of right now, we’re torn between a 3.4L V6, an R2.8 Cummins, or just a fresh 22R-E from LC Engineering. The truck does fine with all the weight and its current 22R-E. We’re able to comfortably cruise 65-70 MPH most of the time, hills are certainly slower. But we get decent gas milage (~16.5 MPG) and for the time being, its working. We do need an add-a-leaf in the rear to help a bit with the camper weight, and we’re in the process of finding someone who can help weld on a 2-inch hitch receiver onto the tire swingout to accommodate for our bike rack. For the time being, we’re going to keep using it and keep pushing the truck. 

I hope this information was beneficial for some of you, or at the very least, some form of entertainment. We’ll be using the hell out of this rig throughout the summer, so keep your eye out for more reports from our adventures in it! Be sure to leave a comment with any questions or concerns and I’ll get back to all of you!