---
title: "Toyota Tacoma ‘Tacozilla’ Pays Tribute to Original Chinook Camper"
description: "The SEMA Show-bound Toyota Tacoma will be a modern take on the classic Chinook."
date: "2021-10-19"
modified: "2021-10-20"
authors:
  - name: "James Gilboy"
    job_title: "Contributing Writer"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/james-gilboy"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/42801/toyota-tacoma-tacozilla-pays-tribute-to-original-chinook-camper"
categories:
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
  - "Toyota News"
  - "Trucks"
tags:
  - "Off-Road"
  - "pickup"
  - "tacoma"
  - "Toyota"
---

# Toyota Tacoma ‘Tacozilla’ Pays Tribute to Original Chinook Camper

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2021/10/tacozilla-camper-lead.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

SEMA Show season is here, and usually, that means an excuse to gather the world's [silliest, ugliest, and sketchiest builds](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/30930/this-hilarious-facebook-group-reveals-the-harsh-realities-of-sketchy-sema-builds>) all in one place. Toyota, however, will actually building something cool: A new-age reimagination of the classic Hilux Chinook camper.

Chinook, for those who haven't smoked away an evening with a Toyota truck owner, was a Washington-based upfitter known for its Class C campers, or bodies affixed to chassis cabs. Its compact camper for the Toyota Hilux [has become a cult classic](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/41056/theres-a-1978-toyota-chinook-camper-attached-to-this-2001-tacoma>), with one 4x4 example selling last year on [Bring A Trailer](<https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1978-toyota-chinook-4x4/>) for $49,000. Clearly, then, it's an icon of vintage trucking that's worthy of revival, and thus is Toyota's muse for its 2021 SEMA Show build.

![message-editor%2F1634668178635-toyotachinookcampertacozillainlinea.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1634668178635-toyotachinookcampertacozillainlinea.jpg>)
*Classic Toyota Chinook brochure, *YouTube | Toyota USA**

The Tacozilla, as Toyota calls it, is based on a current Tacoma TRD Sport crew cab with a six-speed manual, which also inherently gives it a 3.5-liter V6 and four-wheel drive. Toyota has already stripped back its donor truck to a chassis cab and removed the rear doors and second row, if not most of the interior so it can be fully refinished in show-truck spec.

Toyota has alluded to its final build goals with a concept sketch released with the Tacozilla's announcement video, which shows a camper of the same shape as the historic Chinook, adorned in [an old-school-inspired livery](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/42545/buy-this-1996-toyota-camper-with-retro-racing-livery-and-rule-the-infield>). Beyond that, we can only speculate as to what Toyota has in store—at least, until follow-up build videos show the Tacozilla coming together.

We might suggest that Toyota consider including an onboard slow-cooker for making carnitas, so Toyota can give *Taco*zilla a double meaning.

https://youtube.com/embed/Xcvsw6eZqpI

*Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach them here: james@thedrive.com*

## Author
James is a former staff writer for The Drive. He has changed the conversation around electrification, debunked misinformation online, and become a prominent hunter of what he calls "automotive cryptids."

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/jamesgilboy>)