I love my 2012 F150. At 230K miles, Big Blue has plenty of personality. The AC is on the fritz, it needs new breaks, and the transmission needs some love. It has also been one of the most reliable cars I’ve ever had. Every couple of years I look around at newer trucks, but I’ve never been ready to give up Big Blue. But, I think the final good bye is close. I’d rather part ways while she still turns over than wait until my hand is forced. But we still have time for a few more adventures.
In late August, coho salmon start showing up in Puget Sound. This is the time of year when I abandon my family to chase them around the state. I’ll leave home in the evening, camp close to water, wake up with the birds to fish, then work from where ever I can. I usually tent camp with a barebones setup. But in recent years I’ve tried to simplify even farther. I started thinking about sleeping in my truck bed. But I’m too tall to sleep in my 5.5’ bed with the tailgate closed.
I looked at current options. There are tents, truck bed campers, and bigger DIY boxes that people have built. And there are easy tarp options. None of it appeals to me. I’ve tried tarps, but condensation is a problem, especially when the rain shows up. I wanted something that was, cheap, easy to setup and tear down, was packable, and water proof-ish for the northwest weather. Most importantly, I want something that is not permanent. There are some amazing truck bed campers, but I use my truck for more than just camping. I need the bed to be available. You may be thinking this has tarp written all over it. I don’t like tarps. Just how it is.
I quickly realized that I might need to design something on my own. These are my design must haves:
- Cheap - I’m not going to spend thousands of dollars on a system that will be used a handful of times a year
- Removable - I use my truck bed. A permanent solution is not an option
- Quick setup/teardown - Quick trips need quick setups.
- Weather proof-ish - This won’t be a submersible, but if there is an overnight downpour, I want my piggies to stay dry
- Reliable - It’s very possible that I’ll pack this thing away in October and won’t touch it again until May. It needs to hold up without warping wherever it spends those months in between use.
Keep in mind this system will be used three months out of the year. Maybe a few more random times I have two young kids, so beyond salmon season, there aren’t many solo adventures. We know Big Blue won’t be with us much longer. So with that in mind, I wanted a sleep solution that worked with my truck and didn’t cost thousands of dollars.
For version one, I started with some scrap OSB board – that’s what I had laying around. The original idea was a rectangular box that sat on an open tailgate, and butted up against my closed canopy window. I made three sections: two L-shaped side panels and a top board that closed the box. The top panel sits on supports screwed into the top of the l-shaped panels. The two side sections fold together with basic door hinges. All three panels can be packed standing up on their sides, or folded laying flat.
This first version is rough…very rough. The wood is warped. All of the screws are too long. Cuts are nowhere near precise. I eyeballed most of them. I’m using hinges that were available from other projects. This was purely about proving a concept and identifying all the small problems I need to solve for the next version. I’ve taken version one out several times and I’m surprisingly happy with it. But there are some issues that need to be solved before I make a more polished version two.
The Fit on the Tailgate
Some of this is due to my haphazard cuts and measurements, but, as you may know, a truck bed isn’t flat. There are contours and grooves. That means I have to know exactly where panels should sit so I can measure accordingly. I could add a sheet of plywood that sits flat on the bed and tailgate, but that is more wood and takes up more space. This is a no-go for me. And those contours create gaps where bugs can get in. I need a more precise fit with some kind of gap filler. Maybe pipe insulation along the edges?
Access: Getting in and Out
By far, this is the most annoying part of the design. The top panel is easy enough to lift on and off, but it’s long. It was to go somewhere when you’re closing up for the night or getting out. The side panels along the end of the tailgate can swing in, creating a way to climb in and out. But it’s cumbersome. I’m actually ok comprising a bit in this area. This is not intended to be a daily driver. I’m not living in the truck bed. But it does need to be better than what I currently have.
Overall stability and waterproofing
I don’t need Fort Knox, but it would be nice if it took more than a drunken lean to knock this thing over. I have a simple barrel latch on the interior that holds the two panels along the back of the tailgate together. But they’re long and the panels sag close to the middle of the tailgate. To remedy this, I cut two small blocks that go between the tailgate cables and the panel. This pushes the panels together, creating a tighter fit at the barrel latch. I have a feeling some version of this will be included in the next build, but I’m not sure how yet. As for waterproofing, I’m just trying to avoid rot over time, and getting soaked in a downpour. I’m thinking this will be a combination of a water resistant coating combined with some angled cuts so water runs off the top panel, rather than pooling on the top panel as it does now.
How much foot room do I really need?
One of the downsides of this setup is constantly rearranging things when it’s time to setup my bed – a Hest sleeping system. I liked the idea of a box that is the width of the tailgate because it gives me a little extra space to store things over night. After several uses, the space is nice, but I’m not sold on it. I may be able to simplify this and create what’s essentially a smaller toe box with a wall that closes the gap across the rest of the tailgate.
Working on Version 2
This is version one of the build. The proof of concept. Some parts of the concept were proven, others need some work. Version two will have more precise measurements and cuts, a tighter fit, and an easier entry and exit, progress on waterproofing, and yes, I’ll step up from OSB to plywood.
There are certainly easier ways to solve this problem. There are probably better designs from smarter builders. I’ve already had several people tell me to use a tarp and some PVC pipe. But I just don’t want to. I’m going with a wood build. I like the challenge.
This post is part one of the build. Follow and subscribe if you’re interested in part two where I’ll build and test version two of this project. I’m open to suggestions. Help me make this thing better!