Built a bed platform for truck camping.

Ingredients:
2 - 4x8 5/8's sheet of plywood
10 - 2x2 8ft
2 - 2x4 8ft
A bunch of wood screws.



I use a hand truck to move them in and out.

 

to save weight the bottom layer plywood could be thinner, or just frame the rails together in the center of each loft and skip the plywood all together.

Nice setup tho! need a cut down mattress on each side now

 

I thought you did that like 10 years ago?

Still, pretty cool setup for a short bed with a canopy on it!

My wife needs a bathroom however, so that's why I have that thing on the back of my truck..

Mitch

 

It was two years ago but, I didn't see this Outdoors Forum till now.
It must have been called something else back in the day because it's got some old threads, or maybe I'm just losing my mind. I'm about due for that.

I thought about building the boxes lighter but, they are moved around often so I kept them in manageable pieces and only wanted to build them once. If it can be broken I'll find a way to do it.

 

Outdoor forum is relatively new in comparison to your tenure here. I believe its about 1.5-2 years old

 

I like the platforms...reminds me of the carpet kit i bought for my 1990 toyota w/ the Snugtop I put on i when it was new...never got to camp in/on it...

I go camping about 5-6 times a year with my son's Scout Troop now and would love to have that truck back...

 

Wouldn't the halves of the 2x4s that support the middle be better supported if you ran the cross brace out to the edge of the 2x4s?

 

My wife knows who built it. If she rolls to the middle and it collapses well....
I didn't have room underneath for too much bracing, that's where my dirty laundry goes.

OK, the truth is I ain't the smartest guy.
I've been arrested on that Bait Car show three times.

 

I bet you are a fun person to be around

 

Where do you keep the goats, Raoul?

- Jack

 

They ride in this, I call it a goat cart.


Also I bought this 'tailgate tent' for truck camping.
It allows the tailgate down and cap door up for more room and seals around to keep the bugs out. Zippered access door & rain fly.
(You can tell my cap door struts are shot, I've been propping it up with a stick.)

 

Sounds like you have spent a lot of time and effort building the right equipment so you and the lovely lady can enjoy camping! Enjoy!

 

I knew you'd have an answer for me, Raoul! The goats will get a lot of fresh air in their chariot.

Your camping setup looks pretty damned posh. I like the tent extension to the truck bed. You show real McGiveritus!

- Jack

 

I picked up a couple of struts for my shell when I bought it used in 2009 for $28 at a camper shell dealer. they are a little longer than the ones that came on it but they work and are still working 6 years later.

 

Okay I've been thinking about your camper bed. If you build another one, build it the same except center the 2x4s on the vertical supports and cut the plywood so that the edge is centered over the 2x4 and over the support. Then cut the center board so the edge will also be centered on the 2x4 and also centered on the support. That way there is no torsional push on the 2x4 from the weight on the center section. Does that make sense to you?