You may not be familiar with them, but he Australian company Redarc Electronics has been building and powering off-the-grid camper rigs for more than 40 years. Now, they're showing off their first North American build — which just might be, perhaps, the ultimate Toyota Tacoma-based camper.
Redarc used the Tacoma TRD Off-Road with the 3.5-liter V6, double cab and short bed as the base truck. Modifications for escaping civilization include an ICON 1.5-inch Add-a-Leaf suspension kit, Falken Wildpeak AT3 tires and a Warn VR10S winch.
Most Americans would probably fit a truck camper into the stock bed, preserving that ever-important Tacoma resale value — but Redarc swapped out the stock bed for an Aussie-style custom flatbed tray canopy. The camper rig adds an Alu-Cab Gen 3.1 expedition rooftop tent and shadow awning, a Front Runner Roof Rack, Rigid LED pods and a Rigid light bar. The setup also offers a 30-liter water tank, an ARB Zero Fridge and an ARB dual air compressor.
A key component is Redarc's impressive power setup. The rig uses Redarc's Manager 30 battery management system with two 120-Ah lithium-ion batteries that can work with the vehicle alternator, shore power or auxiliary solar power. Users can monitor and manage the power and water usage via RedVision displays on either side of the canopy or a smartphone app. Redarc also added a second dual battery system under the hood for powering auxiliary lighting and jump-starting the Tacoma on demand.
Redarc will debut its Tacoma build at Overland Expo Mountain West later this August. The rig will also appear at Overland Expo West, Overland Expo East and SEMA 2021 later this year. Sadly, this seems to be a one-off showcase for Redarc's suite of power solutions. There's no mention of any plans to start producing custom Tacoma rigs for American customers...but we'll keep dreaming.
