Toyota Fans Are Begging for This Retro-Style Tacoma Truck Camper

Andrew Koole
· 3 min read
Toyota
fans love to nerd out about the Toyota Chinook truck camper. The Japanese automaker produced the micro RV in the ‘70s, and people have been dying for them to bring it back ever since.
So when Toyota posted a five-part video series about an updated Tacoma camper, fan blogs, and message boards exploded with positive feedback. 
Dubbed “Tacozilla” by its designers, the micro-house on wheels was made for SEMA 2021, a convention put on by the Specialty Equipment Market Association. A custom-build, Toyota has no plans to put the Tacozilla into production, but that won’t stop Tacoma World from dreaming.
Toyota’s ‘Tacozilla’ has fans drooling.

A short history of the Toyota truck camper

The Toyota truck camper dates back to the early ‘70s. RVs had already made headway in the previous two decades, but the oil crisis spurred demand for a camper that was light on gas. 
The automaker manufactured their answer to that demand in collaboration with Chinook, a Californian company that had been building motorhomes since 1938. The two companies came up with the Toyota Chinook and sold 15,000 of them between 1973 and 1979. 
Since then, other RV makers like National RV and Gardner-Pacific Corporation have made their versions of the Toyota truck camper, but purists still prefer the RV sold from Toyota dealerships. 
As they’ve gained “classic” status, Chinooks have skyrocketed in value.
Hagerty
says a restored ‘78 model modified into a 4x4 sold in 2020 for over $51,000.
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Toyota’s custom “Tacozilla” Tacoma truck camper

MORE: State-of-the-Art Camper Might Be Nicer Than a House
From the beginning of the Tacozilla project, the goal was to harken back to the golden age of the Chinook. Initial drawings of the truck camper included the classic ‘70s yellow, orange, and bronze color scheme.
But team manager Marty Schwerter didn’t want to simply recreate something from the past. The new RV had to function for the 21st Century. Schwerter wanted the Tacozilla to be a home you could take anywhere in the world.
Starting with a Tacoma TRD Sport, he and his crew hand-built the camper’s steel and aluminum frame, wrapped it in fiberglass, and outfitted the interior with teakwood floors, a bathroom, a kitchen, and even a TV. They also decked it out with every off-road accessory Toyota offers.

Can you buy a Toyota Tacozilla truck camper?

MORE: RVs Are on the Rise, Why Isn’t VW Selling Their Campers in America?
As of now, the Tacozilla is a one-off specifically created for SEMA 2021. But that doesn’t mean you can’t turn your Toyota Tacoma into a truck camper. 
Any overlander drooling over the Tacozilla can add a wide range of campers to their Tacoma bed, from a removable truck bed rig like those built by Washington’s Kimbo Campers to a custom-build BCT from Nevada’s Truckhouse for $325,000.
Insurance needs change based on whether the camper is removable from the truck bed or your truck has actually been modified into an RV. If it’s a legitimate Class C RV like the Tacozilla, you’ll need class-specific insurance, which costs between $800 to $1,000 a year.
Coverage for a removable camper is a different story. In 42 states, it’s considered cargo.
Camper Report
says that means it only needs to be registered if you live in Idaho, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, or Washington. 
And no matter what state you live in, insurance costs for a truck bed camper are much cheaper. Don’t forget to use
Jerry
and save even more though!

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