How to Build a Ski-Bum-Mobile

This post will give a rough overview of Building my Tacoma for a 3 month trip across the Rockies.

Truck Specifications:

- 2007 Toyota Tacoma

- 6ft Bed

- Double Cab

- TRD Sport Package

- Tow Package (Transmission Cooler, 7pin, hitch reciever etc.)

Truck Modifications (2.5in lift):

- Banks Monster Catback Exhaust

- AFE Cold Air Intake

- AFE Throttle Body Spacer

- OME 887 Springs

- OME 90021 Front Shocks

- Camburg UCA (regular vs uniball because of MN salt/rust prevention)

- ECGS needle bearing replacement (drivers side differential mod)

- OME 60091 Rear Shocks

- Wheelers Prog. AAL with TSB Spring Pack

- Custom Carrier Bearing Spacers made on metal lathe.

- 265-75r16 Wrangler Duratrac Load C

- Dick Cepeck Torque Wheels

- BHLM (Black headlight mod)

Camping Build:

- Leer 100R - Fiberglass only

- self done 3/8in denim insulation and carpeting (PITA)

- Rhino Rack Topper Track with 65" Aero Bars

- Thule Frontier Box

- Topper EZ Lift Insulated Contractor Package with window package

- Triple Battery System w/ Isolator (Dual 27 Optima BlueTops in Parallel)

- Heated Mattress pad

- 6in Foam/Memory Foam matress

- Home Built 3/4in plywood full length drawer and platform system

- Krieger 1100W inverter

- Battery Doctor Voltage sensing relay(Isolator)

- NOCO 7200 AC charger

- Backseat removed

- Back seat shelf installed.

- RTIC 65 Cooler

Step 1: Fix and replace everything on your 140,000mi truck. And get a puppy for when things break(or wont break loose) and you need something calming.

I learned some of the ins and outs of being a mechanic over the last summer:

Replaced my struts, upper and lower control arms, rear shocks, carrier bearing spacer and brakes to prepare for this trip. If your truck is from the rust belt, this will proably include the use any combination of a sawzall, hacksaw, torch, angle grinder, breaker bar, and multiple BFH's.

Step 2: Buy a new topper that actually fits and is color matched.

My initial Gemtop Contractor steel topper was great for what it was. A cheap $200 topper. After about a year on craigslist, I came across my current LEER 100R for $500. I had it paint matched for $250 more.

Step 3: Insulate and Carpet

A: Insulate. I chose to use 3/8in denim insulation called Ultra Touch Radiant Barrier. I put it denim side down on the fiberglass and adhered it with 3M high strength 90. So far I have had no adherence problems. It did take a couple cans of adhesive though.

B: Carpet the Interior. This proved to be a challenge as I didn't want to remove the foil radiant barrier layer off but it was not strong enough to stay on with the weight of the carpet. My solution? 200 upholstery twist pins. I twisted the pins into the insulation to hold the carpet in place. This did a number on my hands. as the pins are abrasively textured and 200 is a fair amount to twist in upside down.

The final was product was pretty good despite the amount of hours that went into this.

Step 4: Topper EZ Lift install

I was introduced to Topper EZ Lift through Mariah and was very excited to get one for this project. I did the lift install myself. It is very doable as long as you do your math right and plan ahead on positioning. It took me a few hours to install the actuators. And about another hour to adjust and install the tent package. The material for the camping package is source from CLAM, a fellow MN based company. I chose the contractor package due to the fact that I have a 6ft bed and don't need the tailgate and there would be more versatility in use with my drawer system and the topper. I will have a separate post about the Topper EZ Lift later.

Step 5: Build the Platform/Drawer System

This took some patience from me as I'm not a huge fan of woodworking. Basically I needed 3 4x8 sheets of plywood, asssorted wood/decking screws, 60 bolts, 80 washers, 60 nuts, 40 skateboard bearings, and 2 1in square metal bars, and a couple coats of Minwax. The end result is a 3 part platform including the main area with drawer, the battery containment section, and the extra platform piece to make one platform over the whole bed.

Step 6: Learn to be a low voltage electrician

My biggest recommendation for running connecting batteries is 4 awg welding wire. Why? It is extremely flexible, easy to splice/crimp, non-oxygenated pure copper, and rated for temperature and voltage. My battery setup includes 2 Optima Bluetop group 27 batteries in parallel. I chose to locate them in the front corner of the bed of the Tacoma such that it would counteract the weight of fuel on the other side of the truck. The batteries get charged mainly off of the alternator but are isolated from the starting battery with a Battery Doctor 150amp voltage sensing relay. This is better than a diode isolator as there will be no voltage drop(or amperage drop?) across isolator. I have a NOCO G7200 smart AC battery charger should I be around an AC power source. Last I added a Kreiger 1100W inverter. It is a modified sine wave inverter so not as efficient as a full sine wave inverter but much cheaper and i'm not trying to run a microwave or anything off it so fine for my uses. I also put in a basic fuse box and a couple switches from which to run my accessories off. My accessories include my LED topper strip lights, 12v outlet for my heated matress pad, and my topper EZ lift electrical. I can not stress enough how important proper fusing for all power and powered items is when you have moving parts such as on a vehicle. I have high amp fuses on both ends of the wiring from alternator to batteries and proper fusing elsewhere.

Step 7: Remove the back seats and build a table

For space reasons and the fact that I never planned for more than 2 people on this trip, I took my whole backseat out. 2/3 of it was split into 2 levels with a simple table I made out of a few 2x6 triangles, a couple 2x4s and left over plywood from the bed platform build. I only built 2/3 such that I would have room for my RTIC 65 cooler on the other side.

Step 8: Realize you don't have enough space and add a rack system.

My dad had an old Thule box laying around in the barn from the 90s. So using my pro discount from being an Eagle Scout I got a great deal on a rhino rack track system with 65" aero bars for my topper. Not going to lie it was a little nerve racking drilling holes into the topper but everything went well once I checked all my markings. I feel like I need something else on the rack on the other side as the Thule is far over on the passenger side for accessibility reasons. The box thankfully fights all 5 pairs of skis and 3 pairs of poles I've brought on this trip.

Step 9: Build a bed.

My last minute bed plan was to build a memory foam bed. I took a camper queen size 3in memoryfoam/foam combo cut it in half and pinned my 12v heated mattress pad onto it. The mattress pad is made for Semi Truck bunks and takes no more than 6amps(75W). This thing has been my save all on cold nights. I have 2 plush blankets from Khols. I put my trusty Kelty Cosmic 20 sleeping bag between them. I reccommend preheating everything on high a half hour before you plan on hoping in bed as it takes a while to warm up.

Step 9: Load it up!!!!!

Here is a list of the most important things I have brought with for winter camping:

- Coleman grill/stove combo

- Jet boil hiking stove

- Copper 9" skillet pan that is actually nonstick

- RTIC 65 Cooler

- All the misc camping supplies such as knives, headlights, tin foil, lighter, matches etc.

- MY Forced air BOOT DRYER. As a skier, running this off the inverted is a necessity as wet feet suck in both ski boots, regular boots and I also get dry gloves

- Lots of water bottles.

- Little buddy heater- This thing cuts the chill when I wake up and when I go to bed. DO NOT LEAVE IT ON OVER NIGHT. or with everything closed up. Despite an oxygen sensor I still prefer the safety of keeping the windows cracked.

- Battery Powered CO detctor

- A couple car brush/scrapers.

-Extra wiper blades and head/ tail lights.