Toyota's Tacozilla camper is perfect for off-road adventures

This modified Tacoma is a mobile, off-road campsite

A few weeks back, Toyota revealed sketches of a retro Tacoma camper build that was currently in the works. Called the Tacozilla, it was scheduled to debut at the 2021 SEMA Show. With the show in full swing, it seems Toyota has finished the truck-turned-camper, and it looks just as awesome as the initial sketches.

The Tacozilla is based on the Tacoma TRD Sport, which is a popular platform for many in the off-roading community in North America. The team at Toyota's Motorsport Garage then converted the truck into the retro camper you see here. But rather than the boxy, refrigerator-like styling of older campers, Tacozilla was designed to have smooth rounded edges that would complement the Tacoma's body lines.

Aside from the design of the camper, the Tacoma itself was heavily modified. The camper's chassis was designed in-house as the original Tacoma frame wasn't up to par. With the dedicated frame, Toyota was able to make the rear compartment more comfortable for even people measuring 6-feet tall.

Interestingly, Tacozilla still uses the same fender flare as the stock truck. Toyota also added a 2-inch lift kit and 17-inch TRD wheels wrapped in 33-inch tires to give the Tacozilla a more aggressive look and improve off-road performance. As a tribute to the original Toyota campers from the 60s and 70s, the automaker gave Tacozilla yellow, orange, and bronze stripes to complement the white paint.

Arguably the most impressive part of the build is the inside of the camper compartment. Almost all the amenities you need for camping can be found here. It's got teak wood flooring, a full bathroom with a hot-water shower, and even a 3D-printed dining table. With the table stored away, there's now space for lounging and sleeping. There's a TV too.

As cool as the Tacozilla is, it will be a SEMA Show concept only. However, we won't be surprised if other truck owners become inspired to build their own version. That said, we wonder if anyone is willing to do a similar build locally but with the Hilux. Now that would be very cool to see.