Hondo Garage's New Thing

I agree...but right now they are 2 years and 6 months....so going to be with us for a bit.
I am just basing this off our other friends with young kids and getting a feel for what age they'd be comfortable going off in their own tent away from us...so I'm banking on at least 8 y/o at the earliest?

 

@shortround13 What about hanging hammocks down there for them rather than building bunks?

 

That' not a bad idea actually. That would save some weight and free up some space.

I was thinking a hinged design that folds in the middle and then folds up and out of the way could be cool too...giving some storage space while driving or if standing/changing.
I think 1 surface to sit on would be nice too .

The best part is for the short term I don' need the "downstairs" so we can run it as is and decide what needs we need to fill with real world experience.

 

Well when do you put them in there own room?

If they can sleep in their own room. They can sleep in their own tent.

 

We will have a walkthrough video once wiley is back from Baja, but he's down there doing god knows what, jumping his truck and drinking modelo til like the 17th.

And FWIW, the upstairs sleeping area is about a full size bed in terms of width. Its a little narrower and a lot longer, (@Ralston, that sleeping bag is >90" length) so you would be able to sleep an infant up there with you, but 2 year olds would probably be better off 'downstairs'.

 

The ladder option is probably your best bet. I'm kind of scratching my head on this too. However my RTT is going to go on a off road trailer as soon as I build it. This summer me and the wife slept in the RTT, my four year old slept in the bed of the truck, and my two year old slept on a special inflatable mattress made to inflate into the foot wells and create a great small sleeping area in the rear of the cab.

 

Is it possible to get 1/2 size mattress boards so that we can sleep on it while allowing air from a heating system below? I'd be a little concerned about running the heater above. Afraid I might kick it.

Barring that, can we get non-padded pieces so we have a stable surface to place things on?

 

I know you are getting many conflicting requirements from the peanut gallery here. My .02 is to keep doing what you are doing. Everything looks really good and I am happy to be on the wait list.

There is probably a good explanation for this, but why is the back lift gate at an angle when closed instead of vertical like a Flippac? It seems like this takes away some of the enclosed space and forces the bed forward and over the cab more.

 

I brought this up before, and @wileydavis agreed that at least for the short bed version, the rear could be more vertical to maximize the limited useful enclosed space. Let’s keep this request active, and I’m fine with completely vertical.

 

I agree a less angled rear hatch would be better as well but it wouldn’t be a deal breaker if left as is.

 

I personally would prefer a vertical rear to maximize interior space and to comfortably sleep „downstairs“ in the long bed. Top notch to me would be a vertical rear end, getting rid of the tailgate and have a walk-in door. No climbing over the tailgate anymore and maybe some weather sealant improvement. Or a SUV style rear hatch. But by reading through the thread, the personal requirements or wishes are endless

 

I like the angled rear, helps it look different from a "utility cap" and a little more sleek. Since it's not fiberglass and you can't do much in way of contouring, it needs this angle to to give it some shape, and not look like a box plopped on top of the bed.
In the grand sceme of things I am willing to move the bed forward 3 inches over the cab, and loose that space at the very top in the rear. I would never really stack things that high, the only issue(for me) is that I'll have to move my fridge forward a little. Fashion over function! In this case at least.

 

I agree it is not a deal breaker. Just something that might or might not be an improvement, depending on who you ask.

I would be ok with two different angles when the tent is open as a trade off for a little more enclosed space and less cab overhang.

 

More cab overhang is good for balancing the load?

 

I've been thinking about this a lot. Getting in, and especially getting out in the middle of the night. I'd be really happy with a one-piece "door" that opens up like the back window of a topper. Otherwise, I'm thinking I can remove the tailgate and put some steps at the back, with some mesh to keep the bugs out. I'd be interested to hear other people's ideas for entry/egress that don't involve a ladder.

 

You can always use an aluminum or plastic cargo box as a step. I think it makes sense anyway to store the main camping gear such as kitchen and food stuff in boxes that can be reached from the rear. You only need to climb in then when going to bed. I‘m sure @wileydavis can jump in here with some firts-hand experience.

 

Maybe you can fabricate an angled version of this

 

This would be amazing. Doubles as a canopy also.

 

It's nice but I do like having a tailgate and I like having my rear view camera in stock location. I'm torn but I believe I'd rather use my 270 awning and have a stock taikgatr.

Butttttt, if it was offered as an accessory/option that would be cool and allow people to have what they need/want