Possible to build on 2024 Tacoma with a canopy camper and light interior build, and remain within the "Payload" limit??

[accrete]

My wife & I are planning our next adventure rig for simple 2-to-3-week trips mainly in our SW USA backyard area. Many of canopy camper builds look interesting...

BUT...
I'm one of those OCD types that maybe digs too deep while in the research mode, and the #1 thing on my mind is this; is it truly possible to build on the TACO (say an OR w/6' bed) with a canopy camper and light interior build, and remain within the "Payload"??

Thanks in advance for your insights! We would LOVE having another TACO in the driveway, but wouldn't want to have a build that an insurance adjuster after-the-fact might hold us at fault during an on-road incident with another vehicle.

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[Independence Overland]

My wife & I are planning our next adventure rig for simple 2-to-3-week trips mainly in our SW USA backyard area. Many of canopy camper builds look interesting...

BUT...
I'm one of those OCD types that maybe digs too deep while in the research mode, and the #1 thing on my mind is this; is it truly possible to build on the TACO (say an OR w/6' bed) with a canopy camper and light interior build, and remain within the "Payload"??

Thanks in advance for your insights! We would LOVE having another TACO in the driveway, but wouldn't want to have a build that an insurance adjuster after-the-fact might hold us at fault during an on-road incident with another vehicle.

If its a hybrid, which will have a 1700lb payload, then yes. Assuming you don't bolt a bunch of steel armor to it.

 

[lxs123]

Correct me if i am wrong, but if you have five 200lb guys in the cab (if they fit), you will only be able to fit another 200lb of gear in the back before reaching payload limit. If this is the case there is very little wiggle room for any aftermarket addons.

 

[Independence Overland]

I actually questioned this is my most recently video on the Tacoma I published seeing if I could get an answer from Toyota. The 4th gen manual says the rated cargo capacity PLUS the vehicle occupancy x the number of seats. But Toyota has never listed it this way before so I am curious if its a typo or not.

 

[accrete]

I grabbed this from the "Payload" thread in this area of the forum...

This sticker clearly states; "The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed" ... then it lists the payload, in this case of 1270lbs. And if that is so, i would quickly run out of payload if i place a simple cabin-canopy and a week's worth of supplies plus my wife and i (at a total of 300lbs "occupants").

I do like the idea of grabbing a TH with a 6' bed, but if i could get the same ?apparent? 1700lb payload from an OR, i would do it as i certainly don't want to be forced into a rig with a mandatory/silly headache rack and other 'features' that are more or less bling for a simple camper-build??

 

[Tacanta14]

My wife & I are planning our next adventure rig for simple 2-to-3-week trips mainly in our SW USA backyard area. Many of canopy camper builds look interesting...

BUT...
I'm one of those OCD types that maybe digs too deep while in the research mode, and the #1 thing on my mind is this; is it truly possible to build on the TACO (say an OR w/6' bed) with a canopy camper and light interior build, and remain within the "Payload"??

Thanks in advance for your insights! We would LOVE having another TACO in the driveway, but wouldn't want to have a build that an insurance adjuster after-the-fact might hold us at fault during an on-road incident with another vehicle.

That depends on how much you and your wife weigh. I'm 135, my Pittie/Mastif is 100 (my wife weighed about 120, but we've been divorced since '89), so that leaves over 1,000 lbs of payload. I'm also getting an OR w/6' bed, and the Tune M1 weighs about 400 lbs, which leaves 600 for "stuff", which is a lot of stuff!

 

[accrete]

That depends on how much you and your wife weigh. ...and the Tune M1 weighs about 400 lbs, which leaves 600 for "stuff", which is a lot of stuff!

Totally. Earlier i shared "300lb occupancy" for my wife and I, fortunately we are two fit, trim, light weight retired boomers.

I did some research a while back on the M1. (edit... M1 is a soft side pop-up, for some reason i got it mixed up w/another which had looked at)

Thom

 

[Tacanta14]

Totally. In my OP i stated "300lb occupancy" for my wife and I, fortunately we are two fit, trim, light weight retired boomers.

I did some research a while back on the M1. It looks interesting with the hardwalls.

Thom

Didn't see that in your OP, but it was in your 2nd post, but you should have about 550 lbs (there's always some "extra" in max payloads) of payload, so you'll have to do the math to see if that's sufficient.
The Tune M1 has fabric tent walls, but there are some popups with hardwall construction throughout. What I like most about the M1 is the extra width so that you can sleep E/W, and the robustness of the build. Pricey, but seems well worth it. The only downside I see is that it doesn't appear to have any place to mount jacks, so once it's on, I think it's on all the time!

 

[accrete]

...you should have about 550 lbs (there's always some "extra" in max payloads) of payload, so you'll have to do the math to see if that's sufficient.
The Tune M1 has fabric tent walls...

THX for the corrections...I've looked at so many canopy camber style set-ups i get the brands mixed up at times.

On "Payload", i am also thinking there should be some weight saved by removing the rear TACO seat also, as it is just my wife and I.

 

[Tacanta14]

THX for the corrections...I've looked at so many canopy camber style set-ups i get the brands mixed up at times.

On "Payload", i am also thinking there should be some weight saved by removing the rear TACO seat also, as it is just my wife and I.

It does get hard to remember which one is which, but I've looked at most online and the Tune M1 seems to be the best.

And yes, I plan to do a rear seat delete for Scooby, and the hybrid has the battery back there so it's out for me, as well as the (probably) extra $3000 for it, although the payload goes to 1700. And whatever the rear seats weigh means more food to carry!

 

[accrete]

... I plan to do a rear seat delete for Scooby, and the hybrid has the battery back there so it's out for me...although the payload goes to 1700. And whatever the rear seats weigh means more food to carry!

It will be nice to get the rear-seat-weight from some TACO builder to know just how much 'payload' we could have access to

On the additional ~500lb apparent payload dif between the OR and the TH, i'd like to find the why/how of the additional available payload. I'm not recalling the Toyota engineer mentioning the difference in axle(s) other than suspension? Maybe i missed it. And if Toyota just played around with suspension, rather than beefing up the axle/frame, is it just an illusion? Though even if the additional 'payload' is just a fake job (ok that is not probably a thing), it could keep the TH owner/builder out of hot water with the insurance company if the bad thing happens and their build is within the stated payload.

 

[Tacanta14]

It will be nice to get the rear-seat-weight from some TACO builder to know just how much 'payload' we could have access to

On the additional ~500lb apparent payload dif between the OR and the TH, i'd like to find the why/how of the additional available payload. I'm not recalling the Toyota engineer mentioning the difference in axle(s) other than suspension? Maybe i missed it. And if Toyota just played around with suspension, rather than beefing up the axle/frame, is it just an illusion?

It will be nice to get the rear-seat-weight from some TACO builder to know just how much 'payload' we could have access to

On the additional ~500lb apparent payload dif between the OR and the TH, i'd like to find the why/how of the additional available payload. I'm not recalling the Toyota engineer mentioning the difference in axle(s) other than suspension? Maybe i missed it. And if Toyota just played around with suspension, rather than beefing up the axle/frame, is it just an illusion? Though even if the additional 'payload' is just a fake job (ok that is not probably a thing), it could keep the TH owner/builder out of hot water with the insurance company if the bad thing happens and their build is within the stated payload.

Looking at some other posts it seems the TH has a beefier suspension, since it's the "over landing" trim. I'm OK with "only" being able to put 500-600 lbs in with the Tune M1, but I might just go with a cap on the bed, save a couple of hundred lbs and $12,000!

 

[accrete]

....I might just go with a cap on the bed, save a couple of hundred lbs and $12,000!

My red-taco buld with the ARE shell had a bed platform with easy under-platform storage for camp gear. We also used a Truck Tentz out the rear through the ARE's man-door. One thing we liked about that particular shell was we noticed very little trail dust. It was an enjoyable setup for short ~week long adventures back in the day when we were still doing the 9-to-5 gig.

 

[Tacanta14]

The only thing I really hate about the clam shells is that you can't stand up inside when they're open, or if you can you lose a lot of truck bed access, but with the M1 you have full access to your bed standing up due to the E/W sleeping arrangement. Not a problem if you only spend 1 night, but I've never gone camping in the over 50 years that I've been camping 1 night! Having that inconvenience is not worth the extra 100 lbs of stuff. And I do have a tear drop (2023 TAG XL Boondock) but would prefer not towing!

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