TRUCK BED SLEEPING PLATFORM

[adv_ranger]

Hi all,

I was unable to find any threads on sleeping platforms for a truck cap. Looking to build a simple and removable sleeping platform for the inside of my truck cap. All I find are tacoma videos lol. Please help and send pics of yours if you have any!

-adv_ranger

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[dondonbabyraptor]

Hi all,

I was unable to find any threads on sleeping platforms for a truck cap. Looking to build a simple and removable sleeping platform for the inside of my truck cap. All I find are tacoma videos lol. Please help and send pics of yours if you have any!

-adv_ranger

This was $60 a year ago to build with current lumber prices ends up being 100+ probably. This is really really basic but works for my needs. I slap a queen size foam mattress on top and a couple pillows. Measure the width and length and height you want. Buy the big cutout flat bed portion at your Home Depot or whatever similar store. A couple 2x4 cut down to height wanted 3 left, 3 middle 3 right supports. Wood glue on connecting portion of supports and bed and some screws. Gorilla tape wrapped edges and on top of screw portions for extra padding and splinter protection. Easy to remove with one person, amazingly easy with another hand.

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[adv_ranger]

This was $60 a year ago to build with current lumber prices ends up being 100+ probably. This is really really basic but works for my needs. I slap a queen size foam mattress on top and a couple pillows. Measure the width and length and height you want. Buy the big cutout flat bed portion at your Home Depot or whatever similar store. A couple 2x4 cut down to height wanted 3 left, 3 middle 3 right supports. Wood glue on connecting portion of supports and bed and some screws. Gorilla tape wrapped edges and on top of screw portions for extra padding and splinter protection. Easy to remove with one person, amazingly easy with another hand.

.

Thanks for these details and the picture! Im 6'4" and will have to sleep diagonally so I need the plywood to run edge to edge in my bed. Think I'll have any luck running 2x6 from left to right across the bed and putting them on the ledge that's built into the wall of the bed?

 

[dondonbabyraptor]

Thanks for these details and the picture! Im 6'4" and will have to sleep diagonally so I need the plywood to run edge to edge in my bed. Think I'll have any luck running 2x6 from left to right across the bed and putting them on the ledge that's built into the wall of the bed?

Of course! One thing I will mention… when putting on a truck cap, you lose an inch or two of space.. I’m 5’10 and I already barely fit diagonal and with maybe .25 inch of space if I slept straight. I didn’t think of the cap taking that much space but it definitely affects it. Before building anything see if you can measure out a comfortable 6’5 of room diagonal with the cap on.

I wouldn’t trust have just it sittingon the ledges without under support IMO without a 9 leg support system the flat piece of wood will bend and crack eventually with sleeping on it, putting things on top of it etc.

 

[adv_ranger]

Of course! One thing I will mention… when putting on a truck cap, you lose an inch or two of space.. I’m 5’10 and I already barely fit diagonal and with maybe .25 inch of space if I slept straight. I didn’t think of the cap taking that much space but it definitely affects it. Before building anything see if you can measure out a comfortable 6’5 of room diagonal with the cap on.

I wouldn’t trust have just it sittingon the ledges without under support IMO without a 9 leg support system the flat piece of wood will bend and crack eventually with sleeping on it, putting things on top of it etc.

Yea I will fit! No concerns on that front. Already tried it with a big piece of plywood laying on the wheel Wells. I was thinking of doing two 2x6 running the width of the bed and a support running down the middle length of the bed.

 

[dondonbabyraptor]

Awesome I think that will be plenty support. I like that idea.

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

Hi all,

I was unable to find any threads on sleeping platforms for a truck cap. Looking to build a simple and removable sleeping platform for the inside of my truck cap. All I find are tacoma videos lol. Please help and send pics of yours if you have any!

-adv_ranger

Hey Nico,

Char and Tony (@charwest) have a great setup you should check out.

https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/overlanding-setup-for-the-uncivilized-stealth-camper.10124/

No offence @dondonbabyraptor but their truck looks more comfortable than my home.

 

[NC_LFX4]

You could always add something like this to get more length out of your topper.

https://topperezlift.com/index.php/product/the-nomad-camper-package/

 

[dondonbabyraptor]

Hey Nico,

Char and Tony (@charwest) have a great setup you should check out.

https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/overlanding-setup-for-the-uncivilized-stealth-camper.10124/

No offence @dondonbabyraptor but their truck looks more comfortable than my home.

That is an amazing build, thank you Duke for making me aware of this one.

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

That is an amazing build, thank you Duke for making me aware of this one.

Anytime - you might be able to get some great ideas from their build - I know I‘m inspired by their design for building my own custom “Decked” system. Mine would mainly be for tool storage but would be built so it could easily be converted for camping and a mountain bike.

And it’s great that they seem to really make the most of it and get to some very cool places.

 

[charwest]

That is an amazing build, thank you Duke for making me aware of this one.

thank you for the kind words, y'all.

while my wife and i are very happy with our setup, its two liabilities for your purposes are

1) that it is effectively permanent. to get it out of the truck would be destructive or more time consuming than i care to imagine.

that said, if i was to do another iteration with the intention of it being able to slot in and out for a roadtrip, i would basically just overbuild it a little in two modules- instead of 1/2" ply risers across the board, i would make at least one central riser out of two-by lumber or sandwiched plywood and have the entire system split into two longitudinal sections. you dont want short axis sections becuase the bed rail will make it difficult or impossible to get them in and out. then with some clever riv nuts and brackets , or t nuts and a wood panel screwed to the side walls you could probably pop something in and out easily with a bucket of heavy butterfly screws that would be same as what we have but would hold up to rough terrain.

2) the other liablity is the bed length. as i mention somewhere in our long thread- i am 5'9" or 5'10" (i forget) and i lie full diagonal to be comfy. it is possible that if you have a flip up leg extender and leave the liftgate down, or if you have a bed extender, or if you had a very different shell, or if you dont mind curling up you could make it work but i am sadly skeptical that a 6'4" monster would be genuinely comfy sleeping night after night in the bed. you would reclaim more room by having the bed platform lower or higher than we do so that the bedrail doesnt steal length, but that makes for a very weird sleeping space i suspect.

 

[adv_ranger]

thank you for the kind words, y'all.

while my wife and i are very happy with our setup, its two liabilities for your purposes are

1) that it is effectively permanent. to get it out of the truck would be destructive or more time consuming than i care to imagine.

that said, if i was to do another iteration with the intention of it being able to slot in and out for a roadtrip, i would basically just overbuild it a little in two modules- instead of 1/2" ply risers across the board, i would make at least one central riser out of two-by lumber or sandwiched plywood and have the entire system split into two longitudinal sections. you dont want short axis sections becuase the bed rail will make it difficult or impossible to get them in and out. then with some clever riv nuts and brackets , or t nuts and a wood panel screwed to the side walls you could probably pop something in and out easily with a bucket of heavy butterfly screws that would be same as what we have but would hold up to rough terrain.

2) the other liablity is the bed length. as i mention somewhere in our long thread- i am 5'9" or 5'10" (i forget) and i lie full diagonal to be comfy. it is possible that if you have a flip up leg extender and leave the liftgate down, or if you have a bed extender, or if you had a very different shell, or if you dont mind curling up you could make it work but i am sadly skeptical that a 6'4" monster would be genuinely comfy sleeping night after night in the bed. you would reclaim more room by having the bed platform lower or higher than we do so that the bedrail doesnt steal length, but that makes for a very weird sleeping space i suspect.

Thanks for your input! I’m happy you reached out! You probably think it’s wild but my 6’6 friend was able to fit in my friends 5ft ranger bed no problem diagonal. I’ve tried it out in my truck and my friensa Tacoma as well and while it’s tight I’m able to lay flat on my back fully extended with the tailgate up and truck cap closed. I’m also a side sleeper so I never sleep totally straight!
I hope I can figure something out but I’m leaning towards two sections side by side that can flip up out of the way that run the length of the bed.
Cheers!

 

[charwest]

Thanks for your input! I’m happy you reached out! You probably think it’s wild but my 6’6 friend was able to fit in my friends 5ft ranger bed no problem diagonal. I’ve tried it out in my truck and my friensa Tacoma as well and while it’s tight I’m able to lay flat on my back fully extended with the tailgate up and truck cap closed. I’m also a side sleeper so I never sleep totally straight!
I hope I can figure something out but I’m leaning towards two sections side by side that can flip up out of the way that run the length of the bed.
Cheers!

sounds magical. but if youre committing to this, i recommend you measure the diagonal but subtract the loss from the siderails / cap rails. remember the cap will overlap the side rail a lot on the inside. we lose a few inches in all dimensions. and you only see that loss exactly at the typical height where the bed will be- you woudlnt know this just from lying down on the bed floor becuase the rails dont ingress at that point.

admittedly i dont sleep full diagonal- just off, as my wife takes a little space along the side, but its close and im much shorter than you. id hate for you to invest a few weekends on this and then end up with a roof top tent!

either way, post up pictures so we can learn from your build. too many people have rangers for there not to be a good library of options. i cant say anything about my build is particularly groundbreaking, except the cut-out at the side where you get full height is really super helpful in terms of flexibility and function of the in-bed living space.

happy trails!

 

[WOADKIL]

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Nice setup, but where do you fit the porta potti?

 

[dondonbabyraptor]

Nice setup, but where do you fit the porta potti?

Thank you Will.
Shovel and a good squat

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