There has been so much buzz about the TruckHouse BCT’s Toyota Tacoma Camper. Of course, we’re all excited about this big rig too that’s hyped to be the world’s most adventure ready vehicle. It should be great to take overlanding. We can already imagine the remote yet beautiful places we can go to.
However, this truck camper comes with a rather hefty price tag. With an introductory base price of $285,000 – it comes with the same price tag as luxury cars with the names of Ferrari and Lamborghini so we would obviously be expecting so much more from this big rig. Let’s see if it’s all worth it.
TruckHouse BCT: Up Close
Key Specifications:
- Chassis: Toyota Tacoma
- Length: 21’11”
- Height: 9’11”
- Width: 7’1″
- Interior Standing Height: 6’3 1/2″
- Ground Clearance (@rear diff): 11″
- Approach Angle: 39.5°
- Departure Angle: 19.5°
- Breakover Angle: 24.2°
- Wheel Travel: 12+”
- Solar: 600 watts
- Battery: 500 amp hours
- Fuel Capacity: 33 gallons
- Fresh Water Capacity: 30 gallons
- Grey Water: 20 gallons
TruckHouse says that it’s BCT Toyota Tacoma Camper features world class design, engineering, and manufacturing in their best effort to set a new standard in overland vehicles. BCT is an integration of marine, aerospace, and off-roading technologies to be able to come up with the ultimate adventure rig in the market today. They made sure that they have raised the bar when it comes to workmanship, performance, and reliability on the off-road.
It has prompted them to claim that they have built the BCT like an offshore racing yacht that has been set upon a trophy truck. So, what does this tell us? That we can take the TruckHouse BCT Toyota Tacoma Camper further along the off road tracks with a promise of more exciting adventures. And with Toyota being known to manufacture long lasting vehicles, you can expect to use this truck and camper for your camping adventures for many years to come.
But how exactly will it do that? Let’s take a closer look at its exterior and interior features that go with the standard package.
The TruckHouse BCT Toyota Tacoma Camper: Exterior Features
The Truck
With the Toyota being known for reliability, TruckHouse even enhances the truck component with a reinforced chassis to ensure users that it can take on the toughest terrains during your backcountry travel. Its oversized all terrain tires makes the drive more stable and comfortable. The rotary forged wheels are lighter but stronger. The long travel suspension further equips the BCT Toyota Tacoma Camper for the toughest trails that you can think of.
The BCT Toyota Tacoma Camper also comes with a drilled and slotted disc brakes, a boxed and gusseted frame, fully fabricated rear axle, and re-geared differentials depending on the tire size to complete the trophy truck design. You know you’re safe and comfortable on the road. No matter where you want to go, it’s up for the job!
The House
The house of the TruckHouse BCT Toyota Tacoma Camper is rated for four seasons, meaning you can go camping any time of the year. It is made of carbon fiber to guarantee its strength and durability. It also has an insulating valve to reduce heat loss and for efficient energy consumption. It uses a torsion-free mounting system co-designed by Durrance Design Group, another reputable name among overland enthusiasts.
The BCT features a low profile rooftop solar array to meet your power needs. This is perfect when you’re camping off-grid as you’re assured of electrical supply for your appliances and gadgets inside the camper.
The BCT comes with a 3 point locking entry door and an electric entry step for your convenience. There is also an automatic awning to give you shade when you just want to enjoy the fresh air outside. For your travel stuff, the BCT has a multi-access gear storage so that you can bring your essentials with you and keep things organized.
You have the option to get a 10 speaker weatherproof sound bar for the ultimate entertainment on the road. Enjoy full spectrum high fidelity sound in all volume levels all year round.
The TruckHouse BCT Toyota Tacoma Camper: Interior Features
Looking at the floor plan, you will see that the BCT Toyota Tacoma Camper is a self-contained camper. It’s an efficient and well thought out floorplan that fully maximizes the space of the camper. You’ve got all you need inside this camper which you can truly consider your home away from home. There’s a truck cabin access via passthrough so you don’t need to go out anymore.
At the cabover is a queen size bed and the dinette is convertible to a full bed. This is how the BCT comfortably accommodates a family of 4 or a group of 4 campers who wants to enjoy the great outdoors.
The interior is furnished with lightweight marine components and high quality appliances. Luxurious woven vinyl coats the flooring. There is an oversized skylight and 7 safari-style dual paned windows to maximize outside lighting and ventilation. You can truly feel one with nature even if you’re inside the BCT camper. But don’t worry about the glare and your privacy because it comes with integrated blinds and screens that you can use as the situation demands. The BCT Toyota Tacoma Camper also has dimmable LED house lighting, a lithium battery bank, and a power management system.
Part of the standard package is a wet bath with cassette toilet. You can’t expect to see public restrooms when you’re in the backcountry so it’s a big convenience that you don’t have to go through the bushes to fulfill your bathroom needs. You can use the toilet or take a shower any time you want to.
And of course, it’s important to have a place to store, prepare, and cook your favorite camping food. The BCT Toyota Tacoma Camper has a full kitchen for you. It has a two burner induction cooktop, a stainless galley sink, a marine grade drawer fridge and freezer, and a convection oven/microwave. With this kitchen setup, you can cook gourmet meals even when you’re in the middle of nowhere. Enjoy hearty meals with your family in the U-shaped rear dinette.
The integrated hydronic heating ensures that you stay warm and cozy inside your rig and it’s energy efficient too. There’s also a multi-speed ventilation fan to make sure that the air is always circulating to increase your comfort level inside the camper. You can also choose to upgrade your unit to have heated floors and 12V air conditioning so that you can stay comfortable all year round.
Options and Packages
The BCT Toyota Tacoma Camper is made to order and TruckHouse will require you to pay a reservation fee of $50,000 before they start its production. Build options are available in 3 stages.
Stage I gives you the option to choose between the TRD Sport Access Cab or TRD Premium Sport Package. You will get a naturally aspirated engine and an off road package that includes 33″ tires, long travel suspension, upgraded rear suspension, fully fabricated rear axle, reinforced chassis, and a dual swing rear bumper.
For Stage II, you have the option between a TRD Sport Double Cab or TRD Premium Sport Package. You will enjoy enhanced performance with the Supercharger and 370+ hp, 330+ ft lbs torque. Aside from the inclusions in the Stage I Off Road Package, your camper will also have high-clearance front bumper, dual-swing rear bumper, upgraded rear locker, auxiliary air compressor, front winch, extended fuel tank, snorkel, and recovery ladders to help you last longer in the off roads.
For Stage III, you can get a TRD Pro or TRD Pro Package but it requires you to get the Stage II or Stage III Off Road Package as well. The Stage III Off Road Package includes everything on the Stage II package plus a trophy long-travel suspension, trophy rear suspension, auxiliary lighting, upgraded front & rear locker, as well as upgraded front & rear winches for the ultimate overland vehicle.
Wrap Up
When adventure calls, there’s no other way but to heed it. And in your search for the best places to go to, there aren’t always paved roads to follow. Rough roads lead to beautiful destinations. Let the BCT Toyota Tacoma Camper take you wherever you want to go. With Toyota’s reliability and TreeHouse’s expert design and workmanship, you’re more than ready for any kind of adventure.
Some will say that it’s overly priced, but if you value freedom and power on the road and you’ve got the cash for it, then this might be exactly what you need for your overland adventures.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camper fits a Toyota Tacoma?
The Toyota Tacoma is a mid-size truck. Its payload capacity can range from 1,150 lbs to 1,620 lbs. Small truck campers like the Kimbo 6, Scout Yoho 6.0, Four Wheel Camper Fleet, AT Overland Summit, Four Wheel Camper Project M Topper, and and Phoenix Mini Max would be a perfect fit for its truck bed and will fall within the maximum payload capacity of the Toyota Tacoma.
Can a Tacoma carry a camper?
The 2021 Toyota Tacoma has a standard towing capacity of 6,400 lbs. The average weight of campers is around 5,200 lbs so that means the new Toyota Tacoma is very much capable of towing most campers. As long as the weight of the camper and everything inside it is within the maximum tow rating of 6,400 lbs then you should have no problem pulling the camper or travel trailer using the Toyota Tacoma.
How much is a camper shell for a Toyota Tacoma?
A camper shell or canopy will help you make good use of that space at the back of your pickup truck. It can be used for camping or for storage and other utility purposes making it a very useful truck accessory.
The price of a camper shell would depend on the type and material used. As such it can be quite difficult to say the exact price that you would be spending should you get one for your Toyota Tacoma. But just to give you can idea, a basic aluminum truck topper would cost around $1,00o. But if you choose a heavy-duty, diamond-point grain, UV-protected mildew-resistant fabric, it would cost you less than that amount. The price will go up as you choose more features that you wish your camper shell to have.
What problems do Toyota Tacoma have?
The common problems that the Toyota Tacoma has as reported by its users involve the lower ball joint, automatic transmission, and amber front parking light lens.
The most commonly reported issue regarding the Toyota Tacoma is the premature wear of the lower ball joint. This is caused by improper finishing during its manufacture . This problem could lead to the separation of the lower ball joint which could result in a loss of control of the vehicle. To fix this issue, you need to have the suspension ball joint replaced or have a wheel alignment.
There have also been reports that the Toyota Tacoma’s automatic transmission does not shift correctly especially when you reach 125,000 to 150,000 mileage. Experts say this is because of the throttle position sensor. It has to be adjusted for it to work as expected. Another issue about the transmission is that the shift solenoid needs to be replaced.
The amber front parking light lens are prone to getting cracks which means you need to have the lights replaced. Experts suggest you consult your local mechanic for the light replacement rather than go directly to a Toyota dealer so that you can save big bucks. It would cost you over $1,000 to have the lights replaced at a Toyota dealership but it’ll only cost you around a $100 at local mechanic shops.
