Appropro of nothing - Ridgeline poptop

"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch) 09/06/2016 at 14:31 • Filed to: None

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Just thinking that the new ridgeline would be an ideal candidate for a 4 wheel poptop camper. Its bed is in-between midsize truck and full size truck width and even though its short it is almost completely flat, meaning you don’t give up a ton of storage or floor space to wheel wells. Its got enough cargo capacity and being able to open the tailgate like a door would make access a lot easier without having to remove it. You would loose the bed trunk and you would need to find an alternate location for the spare wheel (perhaps a kit that takes the bed trunk out and lets you store a full size spare in its place? Or maybe even an extended range fuel tank option as well?). Thoughts?

Ash78, voting early and often > HammerheadFistpunch 09/06/2016 at 14:35

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Now that the truck has lost more buttressing than an anorexic white chick, I could support this.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > HammerheadFistpunch 09/06/2016 at 14:42

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I like it. The auxiliary fuel tank in place of the under bed storage is a cool idea. I love pop-tops pickup campers. I want to get one for my truck so i can stop tenting it every time we camp

CalzoneGolem > HammerheadFistpunch 09/06/2016 at 14:43

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It needs a camper that allows access to the bed trunk.

Wheelerguy > HammerheadFistpunch 09/06/2016 at 14:47

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It stared out as a minivan, so... I guess you have a leg up

HammerheadFistpunch > CalzoneGolem 09/06/2016 at 15:35

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Actually...yeah. Just remove the hinges and build a special interior panel in the camper that allows you to access it from inside.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > HammerheadFistpunch 09/06/2016 at 15:56

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Couldn’t you just make something that mounted to the bed trunk so it would seal but you’d still have inside access?

HammerheadFistpunch > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 09/06/2016 at 16:08

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Thats what CalzoneGolem was saying. Even still, getting the spare out is going to be tedious at best..plus you will want a fullsize spare.

nermal > HammerheadFistpunch 09/06/2016 at 16:50

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Realistically, you’d need something completely custom designed, as the ones that work currently for the Tacoma and Frontier probably won’t fit right. I don’t think a “full” camper like you could put in a full size pickup would work, but something closer to a cap with a pop-top like the one they made for the Element.

At that point the issue of value comes up. A Tacoma or Frontier with a popup camper would cost about the same, and be better off road. A full size with a full size popup would also cost about the same as long as you keep the truck options reasonable, and have much better accommodations, and still probably be better off road.

Rather than spending $10K + on a camper, a better option would be to get a rooftop tent mounted to a bed rack for ~$3k and call it good.

HammerheadFistpunch > nermal 09/06/2016 at 16:59

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Yes - it would need to be custom, but 4 wheel campers can do that pretty easily.

Yes - its not going to be as good as a frontier or Tacoma, but its still going to be good enough for plenty of great locations and trails you wouldn’t want to take a van

You have to look at it from another perspective. The 4wheel slid ins for the Tacoma/Frontier are limited in space inside because of the wheel wells, and the trucks have crap for payload (though the colorado is fine). You can do a custom tray conversion that allows you to use a flat floor camper and get that space back but that’s just as pricey or MORE than building a one-off for honda. Plus when you aren’t using it, you still have a perfectly civil daily driver unlike.

An RTT is the smart option for roughing it, but obviously you aren’t considering that if you are looking at inserts

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > HammerheadFistpunch 09/06/2016 at 20:51

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Am I correct in the assumption that you can not remove the rear body and run the Ridgeline as a cab chassis? That’s a bit sad as a flat rear deck tends to make these slide on’s more functional. And in my view, the cab chassis arrangement is more functional all round than a tub.

Here’s one example on a first generation VW Amarok dual cab with a flat tray. Same principle will work on the Colorado.

HammerheadFistpunch > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media 09/06/2016 at 22:53

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That’s correct, the body is integral and can’t be removed for chassis cab configuration.

Probenja > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media 09/09/2016 at 11:29

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Ssangyong makes the Korando Sports which is based on a SUV that I’m pretty sure it’s unibody and they have chassis cab configurations so it’s not impossible:

EDIT: I was wrong, according to autoexpress it shares the chassis with the larger Rexton which is confusing as it’s not called the Rexton Sports.

Despite its name the SsangYong Korando Sports has no link to SsangYong’s Korando compact SUV. It shares its tough ladder-frame chassis with the larger Rexton and its front end with the now departed Kryon SUV.