Best height for a sleeping platform?

Hi there,

I'm looking at moving to a topper for my DCLB, probably an A.R.E. MX Series or other midrise. I want to build a sleeping platform in the bed with a drawer under it for storage that spans half the bed and then leave the other half open for odd shaped stuff or things like firewood.

I want to have as much storage space underneath as possible. My BBQ is 12.75" tall. I think that's the tallest thing I have to store.

It looks like most people build their platforms on top of the wheel wells, so about 9.5" high.

If I go higher than that to fit the BBQ, will I enjoy life on top? I'm a side sleeper too, so that takes some space too!

Anyone that has a higher platform with pictures would be appreciated! I've spent all day searching, but I'm having a hard time finding any.

Thanks for any help and/or suggestions,

Scott

 

I wouldn’t sacrifice your comfort for the sake of a BBQ. Get a smaller bbq or store it somewhere else (roof rack, hitch-mounted cargo rack, etc...) My cap is cab-high and my platform is on top of the wheel wells. I would not want to be any higher, but I’m a big dude.

 

You could go that high with a topperlift system but even with a thin mattress on top of the wheel wells there's not a lot of headroom with a cab high. Any platform at all and you can't really sit upright.

 

This is why I don't use a raised platform at all; I have a carpeted panel on the bed with a box built down the driver's side. I've tried several variations of platforms and didn't care for any of them. If you have no issues with claustrophobia and if you are small and don't move around much and if you only use it as a sleeping space then platforms work. On the other hand, if you are even somewhat claustrophobic you won't like it (I never was until I started to get a little older, no idea why since I've done some caving, confined space rescue, etc.), if you are bigger or move around in your sleep you won't like it and my biggest issue- I want to be able to sit in the back and watch a movie, read, write, whatever and also change clothes without getting out. It's nice to be able to sit up in the back when you are trapped back there waiting on a storm to clear or it's freezing cold and you have to take a leak. I bought a cab high shell for this truck since I was loading kayaks on it a lot and it's one of my biggest regrets about the truck; it looks good but I dislike the thing and they're too expensive for me to buy another. I'd really like to built a pop-up style.

 

I think I definitely have to go with the platform. I have to plan to have the wife with me every now and then. I'm in the rooftop tent right now, and it's great space-wise, but when it rains, it sucks. I'm really anal about taking care of my gear. I live in British Columbia, so it rains. A lot. So that means anytime it rains, I have to bring it home, take it off the truck to open it in the garage to let it dry. And that's if I'm heading home soon after the rain. Sometimes I'm out for a long time with no access to a garage to let it dry out in. The last thing I want on that tent is mold... Kind of an expensive investment to wreck!

I thought about a trailer - something like the Pika Teardrop with the offroad package. Those things are sweet! But also very expensive! I also don't have anywhere to store one, so I'd be paying $100-$150/month for storage. Not ideal. And it was vetoed by the wife!

The next best option I've got is the topper... I think. If I get the A.R.E. MX or Snugtop Hiliner, I buy myself a couple of extra inches. And if there's one thing I've learned in my life, every inch counts!

I think I'm on board with keeping the platform at wheel well height. I'll figure out the BBQ situation.

 

I like the topperlift option though if I end up going that route it would probably be a diy version since firghelli automation has more options for lift height(up to 30” would fit under a cab high) and give about 5’ of head room over a wheel well high platform. Not necessary to go that high but that puts a boundary on it. Burying the lifts in the bed walls would be slick but limits lift height to around 24” and you need some custom brackets bolted outside the frame rails.

 

I haven't looked much at this option, but you're still looking at having some kind of fabric (canvas?) as a surround when you lift the topper? I'm trying to get away from the fabric to beat the rain (more specifically the drying) situation.

 

Yes, the main reasons being the weight and poor aerodynamics of anything taller or outside the cab profile. A plastic tarp is cheap, light, easy to fit, and can be sloped out to give a shelf outside the bed rails. Maybe not the best option if you’re starting from an empty truck but worth considering if you already have a topper.

 

Have you thought about just buying a roof rack cargo box? Yeah, you'll take a little hit on mileage when you use one but they're easy to take off when you don't need them; it's not like they're needed every day. I've got a older Yakima Space Booster that I picked up used back around 2000 and it still works fine. I'm usually by myself so space isn't a huge problem but when I need more room it's easy to put the box on and use it for lightweight, bulky stuff. It's great to throw paddling and fishing gear in or when traveling to a colder area, things like cold weather sleeping bags and clothes that you're only going to need for part of the trip.

Another option is a hitch hauler. Yeah, they suck for actual off-road action so you don't gain mall crawler points and if you load taller stuff on them you have to unload before dropping the tailgate but you can pick them up relatively cheap and they don't typically mess with your gas mileage. I've got one that I made that I use primarily for hauling stuff like firewood and my leaky chainsaw but I've also used it out west to haul a cooler, stove and lantern, chairs, etc. Free tip- tape some padding on the corners before your trip; since I'm not used to it being on there normally I inevitably bang my shins on it at least once or twice.

 

I hadn't thought too much about it, until I decided to build the platform at the wheel well height. I think it might be handy for the stuff you mentioned, but I'm also running out of garage space too!

 

Mine is 3/4” plywood on the wheel wells/bed ledge. If you do this you can skip any framing and it saves space underneath. I wouldn’t bother with drawers unless you’re going full time expedition. Grab a couple underbed storage totes with the little wheels on them and they slide right under. I also did the front 4’ platform with one piece and the back is a second piece. This way you have the back 2’ for taller stuff and all you have to do is flip the small section out of the way. Mine only goes about 2/3 of the way across so I can leave it in place with a cooler next to it when I don’t have anything else big.

 

This gives you a little bit of an idea what I’m talking about. I don’t have any better pictures right now.

 

Holy overkill Batman, Yakima says in the installation instructions that you don't need a bolt in every hole in the track. It should definitely be secure now though.

 

Lol. I know. I got it used. On one side they half way missed the reinforced part of the shell.

 

Mid Rise cap (I had Leer 180) make all the difference. Here is my former setup that rested on the notches in the wheel well.


I later added some 2" memory foam.

 

Sweet. I looked at a long bed F250 a few years ago with a mid rise. So much room for activities in there.

 

Those extra few inches of height make a ton of difference, especially with the short 5' bed.

 

Check your shell model to make sure that it's actually reinforcement, most of the manufacturers use a cardboard honeycomb panel in the middle to provide rigidity, not actual structural reinforcement (it keeps the essentially flat top from flexing and vibrating which helps keep the gel coat from cracking- at least that's what the dealer told me when I asked about it). If it's the honeycomb material be careful tightening the nuts so that you don't compact it. Check it periodically for leaks as well as you do not want water getting into it and rotting it. If you're unsure I'd be tempted to pull the bolts and squirt some sealant of your choosing in there.

 

Just finished and installed new bed and drawer system. All fairly light made from 1/2" and 3/4" Baltic Birch 9-ply plywood. Up front I have 2 cubbies that I can access by lifting a 17-1/2"x56-1/2" top with holes to use for lifting.

 

I have the ARE MX on my taco. At first, I did the whole complicated build with drawers, and had the platform a little too high with less sleeping room. The storage was nice, but heavy and a pain to take in and out of the truck all the time, Plus I wanted more head room to sleep with my lady.

Then I ended up just using 4- 1" square steel tubes placed across the slots in the bed, 3-piece 3/4 carpeted plywood, and some cheap long plastic walmart under-bed totes with wheels for underneath for storage. Along with a bed mat so that they don't roll around. I can fit my Yeti Cooler and a 5 gallon water container in front the bed as well because of the 3-piece design. Works perfect and easy to break down and store when not in use.

If I need more storage, i just use a yakima box on top.