The rising trend of downsizing, coupled with the ever-growing passion for outdoor adventures, has inspired Toyota to unveil the Tacozilla Tacoma Camper. This innovative concept vehicle is a backwoods-ready “micro-house” rig, perfectly blending the nostalgia of classic Toyota campers from the 1970s and 80s with modern overlanding capabilities.
Based on the robust Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport pickup, the Tacoma Tacozilla made its grand debut at Toyota’s 2021 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas. Standing as a testament to Toyota’s commitment to the overlanding community, Tacozilla joins a lineup of adventure-focused concepts at the Toyota booth, embodying the ultimate expression of off-grid exploration.
Lisa Materazzo, group vice president of Toyota Division Marketing, emphasized Tacozilla’s significance: “Tacozilla is an outstanding symbol of Toyota’s go-anywhere brand promise to our many owners who love overlanding and outdoor fun. It’s going to be hard to miss Tacozilla, whether walking the SEMA show or at that campsite or off-road trail!”
Crafting the Tacozilla: Design and Inspiration
The Tacozilla project was spearheaded by Marty Schwerter and his team at the Toyota Motorsports Garage, who undertook a 100% custom design and build. Schwerter explained the design philosophy, stating, “We really didn’t want it to look like a refrigerator on the back of a truck, so you’ll see it’s all rounded edges.” This vision steered the team away from conventional sharp-edged camper designs, aiming instead for rounded edges and smooth aluminum surfaces to mirror the Tacoma’s sleek lines and achieve a more cohesive and refined aesthetic.
“Our goal was to build a vehicle that is engineered correctly but also made to look really cool,” Schwerter added, drawing inspiration from the aesthetics of race cars. “Being around race cars my whole life, race cars are cool looking. I want campers to be cool looking, too.”
The Tacozilla Build Process: Overcoming Challenges
The transformation began with the removal of the Tacoma’s original bed, allowing the team to assess the necessary modifications for camper integration. A primary challenge was achieving sufficient interior height. “The team needed to go below frame height in order for a person to be able to stand up inside,” Schwerter noted.
This necessitated a process of shrinking and repackaging components to create a living space spacious enough for individuals over 6 feet tall, while still accommodating essential camper amenities. The Toyota Motorsports Garage team initially constructed a basic camper frame to validate dimensions and fitment, subsequently refining and reinforcing it to harmonize with the Tacoma’s design language and maximize interior volume. The camper’s tapered shape, narrower at the top and bottom, was intentionally designed to enhance maneuverability on off-road trails, reducing the risk of collisions with trees and obstacles.
Fabricating the tapered rear door proved to be a significant undertaking. While a flat door would have been simpler to implement, the team dedicated over 100 hours to designing a curved door that seamlessly integrated with the camper’s overall design. Another critical structural challenge was engineering the pass-through opening connecting the Tacoma’s cabin and the camper. This required robust support and bracing to withstand the stresses of off-road driving, ensuring structural integrity and safe vehicle dynamics when navigating uneven terrain.
Tacozilla Features and Enhancements
To leverage existing Tacoma components, the team ingeniously adapted the Tacoma’s original rear fender flares to the camper’s wheel well openings. The suspension was enhanced with an additional two inches of clearance over the standard Tacoma TRD Sport suspension. Traction is significantly improved with the inclusion of 285/70/17 General Tire Grabber X3 all-terrain tires, ensuring confident grip in challenging environments.
Mid-project refinements included the addition of a large pop-up Lexan skylight, enhancing the interior with natural light, improved ventilation, and extra headroom. Other bespoke features comprise a fuel tank filler isolated from the camper to prevent fume intrusion, and a secondary battery located in the Tacoma’s engine bay, providing supplementary power without encroaching on the camper’s limited space.
Complete Customs in McKinney, Texas, a trusted Toyota partner, played a crucial role in customization and applying the paint finish. The Tacozilla sports a white base coat accented with a vintage-inspired yellow, orange, and bronze color scheme, echoing classic Toyota campers. The fully insulated interior lives up to the “micro-house” concept, featuring teak sauna-style flooring, a complete bathroom with a hot-water shower, a fully functional kitchen equipped with a stove and sink, and a 3D-printed dining table that cleverly transforms into backlit wall art. Ample sleeping space ensures comfortable rest after a day of overlanding adventures.
Conclusion: The Spirit of Overlanding Embodied
The Toyota Tacozilla Tacoma Camper stands as a remarkable prototype, showcasing Toyota’s dedication to the overlanding community and its heritage of adventurous vehicles. It is a bold statement, merging retro aesthetics with contemporary functionality, and perfectly capturing the spirit of exploration and the growing popularity of overlanding. It’s important to note that Tacozilla remains a special prototype project vehicle, modified with non-genuine parts and accessories, which may affect vehicle legality, warranty, safety, and performance in real-world applications. However, it serves as an inspirational beacon for future overlanding designs and Toyota’s ongoing commitment to adventure.
