Vehicle: Toyota Tacoma (3rd Gen Short Bed)
Customer: Garrett
Install Date: Feb 2021
Build: Canopy Camper
Suspension: Deaver Stage 3 Leaf Springs, Fox DSC 2.5” Shocks and Coilovers
Electrical: Blue Sea Circuit Breaker Switch Panel, Blue Sea Systems DualBus Plus, Blue Sea Circuit Breaker 60A, Back up Camera. RedArc BCDC 1240D, Victron BMV 712, SunFlare 126 W
Alu-Cab Accessories: Rear Molle Plates, Side Window Screen Kit, Rear Door Screen Kit, Spare wheel Bracket, Table and Table slide
Goals
- Maintain “fun” drivability while adding Canopy Camper
- Allow for future additions to electrical and Vehicle Buildout
Garrett had been eyeing the Canopy Camper for two years and was incredibly excited to find out Tiny Rig Co was finally open in Southern California.
Upon discussing the build with Garrett, he expressed the desire to maintain high performance, driving fast off-road. His vehicle already came to us equipped with Fox DSC 2.5” shocks and coilovers. With future plans to add a Goose Gear system, we opted for Deaver Stage 3 leaf springs.
The stage 3 springs are rated to carry 700-1000 pounds, and with the Canopy Camper coming in at roughly 420 pounds on the Tacoma, we determined that going with the Stage 3 would allow Garett to add more to his camper, without having the need to upgrade his suspension.
Stage 3 is a great option for a full build but may be too stiff for some drivers, unless you are within the rated range of the leaf pack. With the ability to pull out a leaf and set it aside, we can temporarily reduce the stiffness and load rating. Garett opted to give the full Stage 3 pack a start with the option of coming back for us to remove that leaf.
We began the build out by carefully installing the leaf pack. Each bolt is torqued to spec and then taken for a test drive. We like to drive over a few speed bumps and off of a couple of curbs to allow the leaf pack to settle, before rechecking torque and marking each bolt with a blue torque tamper pen. The tamper pen allows the vehicle owner to verify proper torque is maintained. In addition to checking torque of the leaf pack before and after installation, we follow a similar process with the wheels, torquing before and after the test drive.
Jumping into the camper installation, Garrett opted for our Advanced Sealing Process.This process is the best way to minimize dust and dirt from the interior of the camper. Traditionally during the install, the Canopy camper is bolted to the bed cap with a bulb seal sandwiched between the bed cap and camper. But when the truck is driving off road and flexing, dust and dirt can still come up the wheel wells and enter the truck between the bed and the bed cap. In the photo below you can see the space that would allow debris to enter the camper.
During Tiny Rig’s advance sealing process, the bed cap is removed and replaced with an additional seal. In the next photo, you can see the number of holes that lets dust in and look at the amount of residual trail dust from Garret’s previous adventures!
To prevent that dirt from sneaking into the bed, butyl tape is placed to create a seal around the holes once the bed cap is replaced.
In addition to sealing the bed cap, the vehicle is inspected for any gaps and sealed. Every truck will vary due to usage. But if there is a gap, we will find it and seal it with sicaflex! We take pride in our work and want to make sure each seal has a clean finish. Painters tape is placed to line every gap, ensuring a nice edge to our sealing process.
For additional protection against dirt and dust, secoflex is also added on the exterior between the Canopy camper and bed cap.
Garrett was also interested in extending time off-road by adding solar to his build. The Sunflare 126 W panel was installed to the top of his canopy camper. To prepare for a dual battery in the future, we chose to use the RedArc BCDC 1250 D as his solar controller. The Sunflare solar panel will covert solar power into energy that will feed into the starter battery until Garret adds a secondary battery to his build. To ensure safety, a circuit breaker was placed between the starter battery and Red Arc BCDC 1250 D.
An additional safety measure we implement at Tiny Rig Co is the use of ambulance quality wiring and a flame retardant wire sleeving.
We also labeled each wire to facilitate future work or trouble shooting.
A Victron BMV-712 Smart battery Monitor was placed to manage Garret's power usage. It calculates ampere hours consumed and the state of charge of a battery. This information is visible on the on board monitor and through bluetooth communication to an app on the phone. We especially like this product because it has a low voltage alarm. We set this alarm for 12.3 volts, which allows the battery to last longer while ensuring that there is plenty of power to start the vehicle.
We also installed a back up camera for Garret. The back up camera replaces the mirror and gives a constant live feed of what is behind the camper.
For his accessories Garret choose to include the Rear Molle Plates, Side Window Screen Kit, Rear Door Screen Kit, Spare wheel Bracket, Table and Table slide. At camp the table is always the first item to take out and the last item to be packed. The Alu-Cab table slide is a great way to ensure easy access table. Once camp is set up, its nice to open all the doors to get fresh air through the camper. The screen kits are great for keeping insect out of the camper while being able to enjoy the views. The Rear Molle Plates allows Garret to store items on the outside of the camper and the spare tire bracket allows Garret to carry a full size spare.
The end product of the installation is a Tacoma that handles well off road with an advanced sealed Canopy camper. Garret will enjoy the ride as he finds new dirt roads to explore and camp. Like John Muir said “Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt”.
