TacoRader

Fascinating discussion, gentlemen. Thank you for expanding on the differences in Toyota truck frames. It's curious that the frame under my 2001 4Runner appears to be boxed from bumper to bumper. I'll admit, I am partial to the styling of the Tacoma. You are right that with enough money you can make anything happen. But given my available funds, and lack of expert metal-working skills, I'm looking for a mostly bolt-on options. I will have to pay an expert to extend, and possibly box-in, the frame. There is at least one company that does RV frame modifications here in southern California (http://www.ocrvpaintandservice.com/). Given the potential liabilities, I can't imagine many reputable shops would want to do in such work. Ditto with custom building rear axles.

Thanks for the contact info Linda. I plan to put some feelers out on other Toyota forums when I have some time. It looks like I might have opened some old wounds here. I'll just say that for my intended use - running up and down the length of California on interstates as well as accessing hunting and fishing spots on slushy or muddy forest roads - I'm willing to sacrifice some heavy duty ruggedness for the comforts and conveniences of a Tacoma. I'm incredibly happy with my 2001 4Runner, but I'm ready to bring a shower and toilet along.

OK. Now I understand. Maybe I'll eventually touch base with an owner of such an awesome rig.

Linda, how many inches did you need to extend your Tacoma frame? What rear axle assembly did you use? Is there anything you would have done differently with the build if you knew then what you know now?

Thanks for the pictures Linda S. I don't intend to rebuild from the frame up, but the end result is what I think I'm also looking for. Ya Baby!, based on a brief initial look, I thought that using a frame that is wider than the original Sunrader (e.g., T100, S10) would get complicated because it appears that various storage tanks drop down into a limited space between the chassis frame and sidewall of the camper. Also, I was figuring with the fiberglass construction of the Sunrader there would be relatively less weight stress on the chassis (compared to non-fiberglass campers).

I'm considering putting an 18 ft Sunrader camper onto a 1st generation Tacoma, tentatively a 2000 extended cab 3.4 l. Currently the camper is on a 1980 Datsun chassis. This seems like a very desirable combo to me, but I have found no examples of anyone swapping a Sunrader to a Tacoma chassis before. Aside from the aesthetics of sticking with original equipment, are there basic engineering issues that make this swap unfeasible or undesirable? I understand I will need to extend the frame and build a more-or-less custom full floating rear axle and rear suspension. Thanks for sharing any relevant experience! mock-up in gold.pdf