Truck bed sleeping platform

If you spend any amount of time camping out of your truck bedyou know the difficult balance of comfort, organization, storage and security. When you only have a few square feet to work with, it can be tricky business to make everything fit in a convenient way while allowing space to relax and rejuvenate. Truck bed sleeping platform other competitor comes close to creating a camping drawer system so secure and indestructible.

Selecting the right truck bed sleeping platform for your truck camping setup is a tough process - there are literally thousands of inspiring and unique builds out there! You can use this guide to help select which sleeping platform design is right for your diy truck camper build, and then customize it to best fit your own truck camping needs. Determining your budget is a pivotal part of deciding which sleeping platform will be right for your truck shell camping adventures. But the great thing about truck camping is that there is virtually no barrier to entry see our complete guide on how to get started truck camping here. For weekend camping trips and short-term travel this is a great truck bed camping solution since you can just as easily pull everything right back out and go about your daily life, while still being able to use your truck like a truck. However, this is not an ideal solution for long-term travel, overlanding, or extended truck canopy camping trips. For one thing, setup time is greater than other options because you have to remove or at least rearrange your gear every time you stop to sleep or set up camp.

Truck bed sleeping platform

In this video, I talk about the two fundamental approaches that people take when building out their truck bed sleeping platform setup, in the back of their canopies for long term truck camping and the pros and cons of each approach. While both approaches certainly have their merits, they also have their drawbacks, making each more appropriate for certain types of travelers compared to others. I did a ton of research about truck camping builds in the months leading up to building out my truck and what I found is there are generally two approaches that people take. The first and most common approach is the elevated sleeping platform approach whereby you build a large plywood sheet or some other variation on that theme where you can place all your gear underneath, organized in drawers or boxes and then sleep above that. The main advantages of this approach are the organized and dedicated gear storage space underneath the wood and the living area above. You can essentially just crawl in and go to bed. The downsides to that approach are the lack of living space and lack of headroom. This approach is essentially only good for crawling in and going to sleep, as it provides no real space to hang out, pass the time, change clothes, etc. You are essentially prioritizing gear storage over livability. Which is all fine and good. It is not much different from hanging out in a coffin. It is, on the other hand, a relatively easy approach, requiring you to cut but a few pieces of wood to fit the length of the bed, with no moving parts. The second approach which is more favored by long term dirtbags and travelers is the backshelf approach whereby you essentially just lay a plywood sheet across the back of your canopy a few feet in width and place your gear on the shelf as you sleep, mattress on the bed of the truck, and feet underneath the platform.

This approach is simple but it is, perhaps, slightly more work to build out compared to the elevated truck bed sleeping platform since you may need to make more precise cuts to build out the side bins along the wheel wells. This is a great option when weight is a concern, because, truck bed sleeping platform, unlike wooden truck bed sleeping platforms, PVC is very light. Truck bed sleeping platform is an author, adventurer, perpetual wanderer, and self-proclaimed dirtbag but that might not mean what you think.

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Lots of people have found my truck canopy camping build online and have replicated it themselves. I took advantage when I had my truck emptied out for cleaning and shot a video explaining how to build this DIY truck bed camper setup. Read more about the pros and cons of each approach here. Using a Skilsaw, notch out where the canopy clamps will sit, along with any other obstructions. Measure how wide you want your vertical side bins to be… I made them as narrow as possible to maximize sleeping space. That meant measuring just beyond the wheel well. These will act as your vertical side bin braces. One at the back, the front, and the middle. Measure how high you want your vertical side bins. Be sure to join our private Facebook group with thousands of Truck Camping enthusiasts.

Truck bed sleeping platform

And if the prospect of building your own truck bed sleeping platform seems completely overwhelming, know that we felt exactly the same way - having literally no prior experience with design or carpentry. But all you need is a little time, patience, and the right tools and you can do just about anything. If a printable PDF of all the diagrams found below would help you in your build, you can print them at the bottom of the post. This means we may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. See our full disclosure. The truck shell camping platform is the foundation of any DIY pickup truck camping build. So when we decided to turn our 84 Toyota Pickup into the ultimate DIY truck shell camping adventure mobile, we knew we had to put a lot of thought into what we wanted out of our sleeping platform. Enough space to sleep 2 plus a rapidly growing toddler to 3 people comfortably. A pickup truck camping platform strong enough to still be used to haul things when not in use for truck camping - while also being removable if need be.

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For a detailed step-by-step build guide for this truck camping setup and sleeping platform design, check out our Homemade DIY Truck Camper Build. Selecting the right truck bed sleeping platform for your truck camping setup is a tough process - there are literally thousands of inspiring and unique builds out there! There are variations of the approach that include side bins for organization or not, but the principle remains the same. Half-width sleeping platform. The build cost of this option is variable. That is how I get ideas for my blog posts and what to write about! You can use this guide to help select which sleeping platform design is right for your diy truck camper build, and then customize it to best fit your own truck camping needs. It all depends on the amount of stuff you have less is more! The process when arriving at camp is place the two food boxes in the cab of the truck, the dufflebag on top of them, put the large gear box on the back shelf along with the cooler, and then unroll the sleeping pad. Did you find this helpful? When you only have a few square feet to work with, it can be tricky business to make everything fit in a convenient way while allowing space to relax and rejuvenate. This approach is simple but it is, perhaps, slightly more work to build out compared to the elevated truck bed sleeping platform since you may need to make more precise cuts to build out the side bins along the wheel wells. It is, simply put, much more comfortable.

Since purchasing a SnugTop for my 3rd Gen TRD Sport read the review and overview here , I have been working in my free time to build and refine my camping setup. After researching online and a little bit of problem-solving, I found the setup that has worked best for me. With limited knowledge on how to build camping systems and access to only basic tools, I built this platform that anyone can make with a few supplies and a free afternoon.

If you have any questions about truck camping, road trips, budget travel, or anything else shoot me an email at ryan desktodirtbag. That is how I get ideas for my blog posts and what to write about! The advantages of this approach are the much more ample living room at least compared to the elevated sleeping platform in that you can sit up in the back of your canopy to watch movies, read a book, change clothes, etc. This article may contain affiliate links. You can essentially just crawl in and go to bed. It is, on the other hand, a relatively easy approach, requiring you to cut but a few pieces of wood to fit the length of the bed, with no moving parts. There are a wide variety of configurations we can utilize to fit your lifestyle. Be sure to pick up your PTC stickers, shirts, and swag! You can use this guide to help select which sleeping platform design is right for your diy truck camper build, and then customize it to best fit your own truck camping needs. I know it can be confusing when you are just getting started, which is why I started writing so extensively about it.