Continuing with its tradition of designing purposeful high quality equipment for overland travel, AT Overland Equipment unveils the all new Tacoma Habitat truck topper. The goal of the new camper design is to provide a lightweight yet robust camping platform for today’s’ fuel efficient trucks while still leaving room for the individual owners to customize it to their specific needs. The Habitat addresses the needs for a reliable opening mechanism, built in awning and high quality fabrics not currently offered in the market space. Designed to fill the void between the traditional truck topper and the slide in camper, the Tacoma Habitat can be easily deployed by one person to reveal a cavernous and functional interior. The design allows for full stand up room in the bed of the truck under the protective canopy of the all season tent. The cantilever sleeping platform is stoutly supported by 6061 aluminum rods, features a comfortable dense foam mattress and supports 600 lbs. The shell is made from lightweight aluminum composites and weighs in at a scant 340 lbs. Opening and closing of the top is facilitated by robust gas springs.
The durable Teflon impregnated ripstop nylon Habitat tent is made exclusively for AT by Nemo Equipment. The 15 foot long tent will protect you from the elements while the Habitat’s self-supporting sleeping area for two will assure you a sound night’s sleep. Entering the Habitat through the tailgate reveals 7 feet of headroom while standing in the truck bed. The deployed platform doubles as a protective awning at the rear of the truck. Compact truck camping has just been elevated! Available for all generations of 5’ & 6’ bed Tacoma’s (1995 to present). Built to order only, average lead time 6-8 weeks. Available directly from AT Overland Equipment and their Authorized dealer network. -Easy 1 minute deployment and stowage -Clothing gear loft and 4 side pockets in tent -Insulated sleeping platform and shell walls -Built in awning by design covering entrance area -All aluminum composite construction -ruggedly designed for 4×4 travel -All season tent, no rain fly required
-Standard color: Clear coated aluminum frame with white painted side panels -32.75″ tall with roof Bars, 32.25″ Tall with Track only, 60″ Wide Roof Bars -64″ Wide at base, 53″ Wide at top -93.5″ Long at top, 76.375′ Long at base -87″ x 48″ x 2″ Hi-Density Foam Mattress with washable cover -92″ Standing room at Rear, 81″ Standing room at front -186.5″ Long when deployed -51″ of headroom over bed area -20″ on 6′ bed Tacoma, 32″ on 5′ bed Tacoma -23″ from top of truck bed to underside of overhang -Insulated aluminum composite panels, Nemo Equipment Habitat Tent: Teflon impregnated ripstop nylon -.060″ 5052 CNC formed aluminum -Base weight: 340 lbs -roof weight capacity: 350 lbs -Cantilever Bed loading capacity” 600 lbs (Pricing subject to change) -Cab slider window $360 -Roof Rack (3 bars) on adjustable track $804 -Side slider windows (each) $410 -Side hatch doors (each) $250
-Rear liftgate insert window $290 -Interior lighting (2 LEDs: white, red or amber) $250 -Interior lighting (single switched 9 LED, white) $170 -12V power system (1 x 12V power port, 1 x double USB, 2 x LED lights) $375 -Habitat side awning $439 -Awning room enclosures (in development, pricing TBD) -Interior cabinetry (in development, pricing TBD) -Drop in panels to sleep 3 or 4 persons $360-720 -Forced air heating $1,693 (can vary depending upon vehicle) -Color match to vehicle $1,300+ (can vary depending upon color)When you consider that we spend one-third of our lives in bed it makes a lot of sense to have a comfortable mattress on which to sleep. Unfortunately, most of the mattresses that you find in today’s RVs are total crap. Such was the case with the mattress that came in our Wolf Creek 850 truck camper. We made due by placing a 2 inch foam topper over the OEM mattress, but this issue recently came to a head after my wife spent numerous nights sleeping in the camper while she took care of her ailing parents.
Her aching back and shoulders provided ample evidence that a mattress upgrade was needed. Most husbands well tell you that what mama wants, mama gets. Truth be told, I wanted a new mattress, too, so she didn’t have to try too hard to convince me.After researching numerous options, we opted to go with a Sleep Science memory foam mattress by South Bay International. We ordered an 8 inch thick, queen sized version of the mattress for about $420 through Costco online which included free shipping. The 64 pound mattress comes conveniently folded and compressed in a large box which makes it easy to move around and install. The mattress consists of three layers with the top layer comprised of a proprietary slumber tech Visco memory foam. The mattress itself is flame and dust mite resistant as well as hypoallergenic. Like most quality mattresses, it comes with a zippered cover that can be removed and washed. What’s the bottom line? The mattress is very comfortable to lay on. So comfortable, in fact, that we actually look forward to sleeping in our camper now.
Can you say that about the mattress in your RV now? If you can’t, you should consider an upgrade. reached out to me after I purchased this mattress to say that they offer custom mattress sizes for truck campers as well as for other kinds of RVs. I’ve never purchased from them before and I’m not familiar with the quality of the product or their service, but thought I’d pass it on.This occasion gave me an opportunity to perform another quick modification and improvement that I’ve been wanting to do but had never got around to doing. The cabover areas in truck campers where the mattress resides can get quite cold during the winter months. One trick to combat this is to add a layer of insulation underneath the mattress. I did this using the rolled-up silver bubble insulation that you can buy at any big box store. I bought the widest size possible to avoid having to piece it in place then applied it to the surface using double sided tape. The weight of the mattress also help keeps the insulation in place.
Installing the mattress was pretty easy, but at 64 pounds you do have to have a healthy back to heft it into place. As I mentioned earlier, the mattress comes folded and compressed in clear plastic and tape. The best way to install the mattress is to maneuver it in place where you want it, then unwrap it. The mattress expands rather quickly after you cut the wrapping tape so be ready. The instructions that came with the mattress states that it needs to air out for at least 24-48 hours after it’s unwrapped. I think that’s a good idea though I didn’t find the odor too offensive. In order to facilitate the airing-out process we used the Fantastic fan which is conveniently located right above the mattress.I pride myself on my ability to modify and improve the RVs I’ve owned over the years, but for me this was one of the easiest, most important mods I’ve ever made. Sleeping well is important when you’re on the road and enjoying the benefits of your RV. Sure, a good mattress won’t automatically make your camp out or road adventure a success, but a bad mattress can certainly come close to ruining it.