Build Thread: Ultimate Bed Drawer System for Camping/Cooking/Tailgating

Hey guys,

I recently designed and built a bed platform and drawer system that contains a mobile camp kitchen complete with a built-in propane cooktop, a sink and shower with a 5gal water tank and pump, and 12V and 120V systems with a 35Ah battery. It also has a standard 5’ pull out drawer. The whole system fits into the bed of my 2012 Tacoma with a 6’ bed. It's 8.5 inches tall.

Over the course of the build I ended up taking a lot of of pictures, and figured I would share them with the TW universe. I tried to be thorough, but of course message me if you have any questions! It also might take me a couple of posts to get it all down.

I'll start with some highlight pics:




The Evolution:

I’ll start with my truck. I have a 2012 Tacoma Access Cab with a 6’ bed. I bought it used about 2.5 years ago, and over the past year I’ve been slowly turning into a truck camping cable rig.

Last December I added a Leer 100XR cap and built a small bed platform for inside. I wanted the ability to sit up inside, so I built it to fit between the wheel wells (lower than the standard bed platform height, I get a lot of question on that). I framed it in 2x6’s with 3/4in plywood that I carpeted on top. The plywood top was cut into thirds (along the length of the bed), and was hinged so that I could lift it open and store stuff underneath. Everything for this build was from Home Depot.




This system took me about three hours to make and actually worked surprisingly well. The thing it taught me is that headspace is really valuable. Also, having the system fit between the wheel wells give you little storage cubbies on each side which are nice for shoes, water bottles, etc. Definitely glad I put this thing together before spending more time/money on something more substantial.

I always planned on building something better for the long run, but never put too much thought into the design (I just knew I wanted drawers). My girlfriend and I were backcountry skiing last winter, and ended up boondocking out in the country and cooking breakfast at the trail head. That gave me the idea to make a mobile camp kitchen sorts, and thus the idea was born.

Quick GF pic for good measure. Not going to lie, this platform worked great. It cost like $50 and the little storage bins fit literally perfectly underneath the hinged platform.



Idea/Inspiration/Use:

After last winter on the original platform I started brainstorming a more permanent design. I wanted something that was purpose built for the activities I like doing the most, namely skiing, hiking, biking, camping, and cooking. It needed to be sleek, highly functional, and cool. It also needed to be cold weather compatible (I live in the Northeast and we experience sub-zero temps all winter). Finally, it needed to preserve the utility of my truck. I use my truck for my business, and regularly need the bed. I wanted something that maintained hauling space and could also be easily removed.

Mandatory features were:

1.Must be low profile as possible (to maximize head space)
2.Must be removable
3.Must have two drawers
4.Must allow quick setup and take down for cooking
5.Must maximize counter space
6.Must be electrically isolated from the truck electrical system
7.Must be built to last.


High Level Design:

I started with a standard, ubiquitous two-drawer design. I realized pretty quickly that it would be fun to make one of the drawers a “kitchen” slide. This would satisfy the requirement of allowing quick setup and take down of cooking equipment. Initially, this was just a platform for a camp stove, but ended up turning into something a little more extensive. After a lot of drafting in Solidworks, I came up with this design which was the starting point for this build. (Pardon the crappy screen grab from Solidworks. I can get more detailed shots if people want.)




I researched built-in propane cooktops, and found this

$309 Dometic DROP-IN COOKTOP - Two Burner Cooktop Cast Iron/Flat Wire Grate -Top Mount Stove for RV and Outdoor Camper Kitchens

Dometic which was affordable and low-profile enough to fit in a drawer. There is also a metal cover available which helps with wind resistance while cooking and allows for the stove to be used as counterspace when not cooking. Note that it requires low-pressure propane, so you need a

$17 DOZYANT Vertical 2 Feet Propane Regulator and Hose Universal Grill Regulator Replacement Parts, QCC1 Hose and Regulator for Most LP Gas Grill, Heater and Fire Pit Table,3/8" Female Flare Nut

low-pressure hose and regulator. Also if you want to use it with 1lb bottles, you need an

$9 GASPRO 1lb Propane Tank Adapter, 20lb to 1lb Converter, Hook Up Small Propane Tanks When 20lb Ran Out, Solid Brass

adapter.

Of course, if you have a cooktop you obviously need a sink, right? Not really, but where’s the fun if you don’t make it as complicated as possible. I started by looking at built-in RV sinks, which I was underwhelmed with and found to be extraordinarily expensive. Premade options with a sink that was shallow enough (4 or less inches deep) to fit into the drawer were also limited. I did some more research, and ended up sourcing a 4 x 10 x 12-inch steam table pan which I modified for use with a

Foldable RV Faucet Rotating Single Handle Deck/Wall Mounted RV Kitchen Tap

folding tap from Amazon. The sink/faucet packs down perfectly for sliding and storage in the bed, and was $35 instead of the $500+ premade options.

In the remaining space, I added a storage compartment with a top that is mounted on

Antrader Lift Up Top Mechanism Hardware Folding Spring Tea Table Hinge Furniture Air-Operated Lifting Rack Shelf Bracket for Coffee Computer Table, Sold as Pairs

coffee table hinges. This allows storage access while maintaining a flat surface for cooking (see pic 3 above). The top is locks down with these

HYDDNice 1pc 2-13/32" Dia. Flush Pull Hatch Latch 316 Stainless Steel Marine Boat Hatch Latch Pull - Non Locking (1)

marine pull latches.

Both drawers are attached using 5’ drawer slides. These were the second most expensive part of the build (around $400 for two pairs), and also weigh around 60lbs combined. If you want a lighter, cheaper option for drawers, check out this method used in this video.


Plumbing Design

If you have a sink, you need obviously water. My intention for this project was to build something that would allow camping/boondocking for up to 2-3 days. Based on a 1-2 gal/day use for 2 people, I ended up spec’ing

$57 Class A Customs | T-0500 | One (1) 5 Gallon RV Fresh and Gray Water Holding Tank RV Concession

5-gallon water tank. This tank lives in the last foot of bed space behind the drawers and connects to the pull out using 1/2in retracting hose that I spec’d from McMaster-Carr. The sink is fed by a

$30 Camplux 12V DC Water Pump, 1.2GPM Diaphragm Pump for Caravan RV Marine Fishing Boat

12v 1.5 GPM diaphragm pump (self-priming) that is pressure actuated. When you open the tap it senses the pressure drop and turns on. The system is also fed through a diverting valve, allowing the tank to be valved off and the lines to the kitchen slide blown out with air (for winterizing the system). This works quite well. Everything is plumbed in 1/2NPT x 3/8 barb fittings.

Finding the right tank/pump was one of the most time-intensive and iterative parts of the whole design process. The size of the tank was a driver of the overall height of the bed platform, and finding something that would fit in the small space I had to work with was difficult. Off the shelf tank options that are < 10 gallons are also limited.


Electrical Design

This was my favorite part of the build. For the electrical, I wanted something that would allow us to charge our phones, laptops, camera batteries, etc. Also, adding the 12v pump for the sink required energy, as does the cooktop (12v ignition). Same design priorities as above, enough energy for 2-3 days of camping ideally. It was also paramount to me that the drawer system/battery be electrically isolated from my trucks electrical system. In no way did I want this thing to every drain my truck battery.

After many energy use calculations and battery placement varieties in CAD, I converged on a design that uses a 35Ah ReLion lithium battery to power independent 12v and 120v systems. Because we winter camp, I sized the battery so that it could run a 12v 50W electric blanket for 8 hours. That math looks like this:

35Ah at 12.8v = 448Wh (Power = Current * Voltage, so 35Ah at 12.8V means 448Wh).

This means the battery can supply 448W for 1 hour, or 50W (448Wh/50W) for 8.96 hours if discharged 100% with no conversion losses. I called it 8 hours for good measure. Battery energy is also highly temperature dependent, so it will probably be even less than that.

120v is supplied by a

$24 BESTEK 300W Power Inverter DC 12V to 110V AC Car Inverter with 4.2A Dual USB Car Adapter

small 300W inverter that is tucked behind the battery.

The battery is charged by a

$132 Victron Energy Blue Smart IP65 Smart Car Battery Charger 12V 10A, Float & Trickle Charger and Desulfator for Motorcycle, ATV, RV, Lithium and Deep Cycle Batteries

Victron SmartBlue charger that plugs into the inverter plug in the Tacoma bed. To charge the system, I simply hit the inverter switch while driving and the system turns on. It also has Bluetooth, so you can monitor/modify voltage and current from your phone in the cab. The best part of this solution is that it maintains electrical separation between the drawer system and the truck. By keeping the two systems separate, there’s minimal ability for the drawer system to interfere or damage any part of the truck electronics. This is good in the case of electrical shorts, and to make sure you never wake up to a flat truck battery. It takes about 3 hours to fully charge.

As for outlets, I put his/her

PD 3.0 USB C Socket 12V Installation: 65W Type C USB Socket Waterproof 12 Volt Adapter with Switch for Camper car Motorcycle Boat Truck Caravan

combination 12V/USB outlets on each side of the drawer system that are easily accessible while sleeping. There is also a

ZRM&E 2pcs 15A 125V Electrical Power Socket Outlet Waterproof Industrial Safety Socket with Cover US 3 Pin Female Panel Mount Socket Adapter

120v plug on one side.

I also brought the 12v and 120v systems into the kitchen drawer by using a 4 conductor 16AWG retractable SJOW cord. There is another combination 12v/USB outlet on the kitchen drawer, as well as 120v plug.

The 12v and120v systems, as well as the pump, are switched using washdown rocker switches. The 12v and 120v systems are also on

$13 EHDIS 4-Pin Car Truck Motor Heavy Duty 80A 12V On/Off Normally Open SPST Relay Socket Plug With Harness - 4 Wire Automotive Model JD2912-1H-12VDC 80A 14VDC, Pack of 2

12v normally-open automotive relays to minimize amp draw through the switches. I also spec’d a cheap

$22 DC Multifunction Battery Monitor Meter,0-200V,0-100A (Widely Applied to 12V/24V/48V RV/Car Battery) LCD Display Digital Current Voltage Solar Power Meter Multimeter Ammeter Voltmeter

inline power monitor to measure power in/outflows.

Lastly, the kitchen storage compartment has a

PryEU Daylight White 6000K LED Strip Lights 12V for Interior Car Automotive Boats Motorcycle Lighting 12'' 30CM 2835 SMD UL Listed Pack of 4

12v LED strip on a

$16 Directed Electronics 8600 Micro Magnetic Switch

magnetic switch that turns on when you open the compartment.

I drew up the wiring in Illustrator to make this whole system clear. It's really simple which is nice and made wiring a snap.


Now manufacturing... next!

 

Manufacturing

Now to build the dang thing.

Construction started with the cabinet. I built the whole thing out of ½ in sanded plywood from Home Depot. Joinery was accomplished using pocket holes made with a Kreg jig and 1in screws.



After ripping some sheets and getting a hang of the Kreg jig, the base was finished.




A quick test fit in the truck bed for good measure.




I’ll note that the pocket holes-to-end grain are weak – if I was going to do this again I would probably just use a solid sheet of plywood for the base. It will be stronger and also take less time to build. I did it this way because I was practicing with my pocket hold jig and figured it would save some weight.

Next step was the sides. Super straight forward with these. I was surprised how fast this went together -- only took me about an hour to frame up.




I don't have a pic of the center section, but I cut that and screwed it in. Then it was time to mount the drawer slides. I’m not going to lie, fitting these was kind of a pain. Because they extend 5 feet, tiny variations in cabinet alignment create huge variations in drawer alignment. If you’re going to put time anywhere, put time into building as true and square of a cabinet as you can. You will thank yourself later when your drawers open and close smoothly and are perfectly aligned.




The slides are attached using #10 pan-head screws, ½ in long. I actually used these screws extensively throughout the build. One note: when you install the slides, don’t put a screw in every hole if you plan on pulling it apart for paint like I did. Because you only have 1/2 in thick plywood, you want to cut fresh threads with the screw for good purchase when you put it together for real.

Another note. The slides I purchased had a slight bend in them on full-extension. Because you mount them in a mirrored orientation, these bends create about ¾ of twist in your drawer. At first, I thought this was where my alignment issues were coming from, but it turns out the bends *mostly* go away when you load the drawers.




Slides on both sides installed and at full extension.




Standard Drawer (right)

This was about as simple to build as it looks, just plywood and pocket screws. I added rabbets to the sides for dividers, which I would definitely recommend and was thankful for later. Make sure you glue it together if you want it to last.




And extended.




The slides I used were non-locking, so I needed to add a latch to the drawer face to keep it shut while closed. This was accomplished using toolbox latches from McMaster-Carr. The latches also key lock, which is nice for security given that the 2nd gen Tacoma tailgates don’t lock from the factory. You’ll also notices some aluminum angle trim on the drawer face. I’ll talk about this more later.




The latch tongue engages with a metal plate that I actually adapted from a deadbolt striker plate. I got these at Home Depot for less than $10. I have a better picture of this later in the build.


This picture shoes latch tongue and the interface where the strike place attaches.




Kitchen Slide

Next up was the kitchen drawer. I had to reference my CAD design much more frequently when building this drawer, as there is a lot more going on. Essentially it is comprised of a box section and an open section. The box section is the storage cabinet, and the open section will contain the sink and the cooktop.

Here is the initial framing:




The drawer face and latch was built the same as the standard drawer.




Both faces, latches, and trim installed. The trim is ½ x ¾ angle aluminum from Home Depot. I cut the trim to size using my miter saw and drilled holes every 5 or so inches using a drill press and count sink. It’s attached with ¼ in flathead screws.




Kitchen countertop was next. I bought a special and more expensive plywood for this (1/2 in Birch Plywood) because it would take stain much better than lower quality wood. More on this later.


The countertop also attaches with pocket screws, and is removeable (I didn’t glue it). This gives me the ability to rebuilt it in the future if I need to change out the cooktop or sink.





Once the countertop was fit, I could cut the top for the storage compartment and attach it with the

Antrader Lift Up Top Mechanism Hardware Folding Spring Tea Table Hinge Furniture Air-Operated Lifting Rack Shelf Bracket for Coffee Computer Table, Sold as Pairs

coffee table hinges. These risers are sweet! They have little gas cylinders that raise the top up, keeping it horizontal in the process. They can also support quite a bit of weight – at one point I had my drill, impact driver, and jig saw on top and was still able to raise it. I had to make little shims to attach the risers to on the cabinet side, but overall the installation was quite easy. I also cut the storage compartment top from the same slab of wood as the counter so that the grain is continuous.




Next up was the holes for the sink and cooktop. For this step I just measured it all out, referencing my CAD design, and then cut it with a handheld jig saw.





After the holes were cut I test fit the sink and the cooktop.




Closed up.




From underneath.




After the sink hole was cut, I could make the recessed cubby for the folding faucet. The sizing of this was aided by my CAD model. All joinery done with the pocket hole jig -- that thing is awesome.






The faucet hole was drilled and then test fit.




Fully extended.




At this point, I figured it would be a good time to test fit the system. I’ve done enough projects to know that what looks good in CAD doesn’t always work in real life. So into the truck it went. As you can see, I’m very glad I took the time to do this test fit!






It turns out I didn’t think about (or model) the interference between the kitchen storage cubby top and the truck. There was about 5 inches of interference. Definitely a good mistake to catch at this point in the build instead of after it’s all finished.

This was a quick fix with the jig saw. I just took a rectangular chunk out of the top, and rebuilt the other side of the countertop with the amount of material removed from the storage cubby top. Note that I also had to angle the cut because the coffee table risers follow an arc as they rise. This prevents the top from jamming. I made this angled cut with my vibrating tool and an angle guide made cut on my table saw.






Next up -- water system!

 

This is fantastic, thank you for sharing. I really like your idea for using a comercial kitchen pan as a sink. I had thought of doing that for my platform buildout but never finished.

I hope you don't mind but I'll be using some of these ideas if I ever find a space to finish what I started.

 

Water System

After the cabinet was mostly built, the water system could be fit.

I had a rough idea of how this would look from CAD, but a lot of it was just improvising. I started with laying out the tank and the diverting valve. I put a diverting valve in line with the tank and pump so that I could valve off the tank and blow the lines to the kitchen slide out with air to prevent freezing in winter.

You can also see the retractable water hose that I used to bring water to the kitchen slide.




More layout, this time with the pump bracket installed and the chord grips which will hold the retractable cable and hose. The tank I used has 3 1/2in female NPT ports and one 1 1/2in port. I used one of the 1/2in ports for the pump, one for a vent, and the other I sealed off.




I plumbed the kitchen side in ½ in copper tubing. Here is the mock up. This was super quick to throw together and it works really well. Super solid, no leaks.




Note the inline valve and shower connection. The “shower” connection, is an inline tee that as a self closing valve. When you install the shower wand, it opens the valve and diverts the water. This thing works so well, and was only $17 from Home Depot.


Now with the retractable hose and cable connected. Note that I routed the cable inside the hose, this works really well and keeps them from intertwining with each other.

Open:




Closed:




Rough lay out:




Finally, as the last step before paint, I cut and fit the top. The top is made from ¾ in plywood, and is attached using pocket screws. The section out the outmost side of the right drawer is also hinged, so that the contents can be accessed without opening the drawer. This was done so that when cooking, you can access the extra food/supplies storage inside without opening the drawer and losing your counter space. The back section is also hinged, for access to the mechanical and electrical systems.




Paint


I used Rustoleum latex paint for this project. Black, semi-gloss. I took two cans to coat all surfaces, and I did two coats on the drawers. Note that the latex paint looks blue when you open the can, even when well shook. This is normal and it dries black.






Drawers coated.




Cabinet coated.




At this point I also stained the countertop using a Varathane Cherry stain. It came out okay, but I’m not in love with the color. After the stain dried I gave it two coats of oil-based spar urethane. One note: if you use urethane, make sure you use a high quality brush. Ideally, let the brush soak in mineral spirits for 10-15 minutes before you apply the finish as well. This will get most of the air bubbles out of the brush, leaving you a much nicer, bubble free, finish. I had to do this twice and it still didn't come out quite as well as I wanted it to.




I wanted the drawer faces to look a little different, and more “polished”, so I coated them in truck bed coating. Super happy I did this. This came out great, and gives the drawers a nice matte look.




And now putting everything back together.




Installing the copper tubing run for the water system. I also drilled a hole in the outside drawer side for the shower valve.




With the counter top installed.




Now for the electrical install. I didn’t really plan this much, I just laid out all of the components and tried to think about smart ways to orient everything so that cable runs would be minimal, it would be protected in the case of a large water leak, and that it looked clean.


In progress with early iPad wiring diagram.




More progress.




Here are some of the wiring runs and a visual of how I secured the tank and battery. I just use straps from Home Depot that I custom cut and screwed down with screws and fender washers. Super secure, low profile, and easily removeable.




Wiring runs out to the kitchen slide. This was all super straight forward. Just drink a couple beers and wire it all up. One thing you can’t really see is the retractable cable connections. I used Molex connectors to hook this up.





With the counter top, faucet, sink, and cooktop installed. Finally starting to look like a the final product.




From the underside of the slide:




I designed the slide height to make sure that it could hold a 1lb propane tank on its side, tucked between the drawer side and the sink and also secured with a strap from Home Depot. It’s hard to see, but the tank is at a slight angle upward. It’s best to use propane tanks oriented vertically, but I’ve found that this orientation also works fine. The tanks aren’t filled enough to allow liquid out in this orientation.


At this point the build was nearing completion. The last steps were to fit the carpeted top and the switch panel. The top was covered in grey outdoor carpet from Home Depot. I glued it with spray contact cement. The switch panel I basically just completely improvised. It came out okay, except I need to redo it so that the power monitor is upward facing so you can actually see it when it's installed into the truck. Should have thought about that.






Underside.




Finally, all put together.




After some testing, all I had to do was slide it in the truck. This was kind of a pain solo, I would recommend two people if you chose to do this. Slid right in though and hooked up great! I secured it to the rear bed tie points with two turnbuckles.



Ready to move in



And a test whipping up some bison tacos post mountain biking. I can say honestly it works much better than I thought! The whole things goes from packed away to cooking in about 15 seconds. Also the LED under the kitchen cubby is super nice when it gets dark. One future mod will be to add LED's to the rear glass of my topper and connect them to the 12V system.

The last thing I'll mention is the functionality of the sink. It is so nice having running water while cooking/cleaning. Also, if I was to do this again, I would scrap drilling a drain in the sink. My initial plan was to hook a hose to this, but it works so well to just let the sink fill up slightly while cooking/dishes, and then remove it and pour it somewhere proper for waste water.




Concluding thoughts

This was definitely one of the coolest projects I’ve done. So far I’ve been pretty stoked on how functional it’s been. I thought the sink would be a bit gimiky, but it works so well. In particular, I’m happy I didn’t fasten the sink down to the countertop. This makes it easy to fill up with water (during dishes, etc), and then dump in a proper location. I also LOVE the cutting board. I didn’t really talk about it, but I bought the cutting board at Walmart and then custom cut and sanded it to fit inside the sink. It’s a very sturdy cutting surface, and doubles as a food waste disposal system. I frequently am cutting veggies on it, and slide the waste parts through the finger holes into the sink for holding. It works so well.

One note on charging -- this setup (with this charger) requires making the 400W anytime mod to the factory inverter if you want to charge while driving. I did this mod and it works great. I also charge it using shore power quite frequently, which works well also.

As I keep using it, I’ll make sure to report back as I learn things that I would do differently if I did it again. Overall though there’s not much I’d change (except the damn countertop color).

Also feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions. I tried to be as thorough as I could, but I know I left a lot out still. I designed, sourced, manufactured, and built this whole thing in three weeks. Writing it all down makes me realized how much went into it though.


Tools


Here’s a quick shot of the main tools I used for this project. Obviously you can improvise if you don’t have some of these, but this is what I used.



Not pictured is my: impact driver (very necessary), miter saw, and drill press. Mandatory tools would be the miter saw, circular saw, impact driver, drill, jig saw, and the Kreg pocket hole kit. You could probably get by with just those if you had to.

I think thats all for now! Of course let me know if you have questions, or if you want more explanation in areas. I have many more pictures, and would be happy dive into further detail on anything if people like.

Cheers and happy camping!

Cameron

 

this is probably one of the most complete DIY walk throughs I've read. awesome to see the evolution of development. keep us updated on how well its working out

 

This. Is. Amazing.

If I may ask...what would you say your total investment into is? As in what do you think it all cost?

 

@fiddyonefiddy thanks! I definitely will.

 

@UnAverage Joe the whole thing cost about $300 (plus a stimulus check).

It would be cheaper if I did it again though. One previous version of this had a $100 Chinese diesel heater built in, so I’m sitting on one of those. I also bought extra fittings, wire, etc for prototyping.

 

Yeah I’m very happy how the steam table pan came out. It took a little modifying with a grinder to make it work with the folding faucet, but was worth it considering how cheap it was compared to off-the-shelf options.

 

Nice job and a good write up. If the tinny sound of the water running on the pan bothers you, you can slap a piece of sound deadening material on it or spray it with rubberized undercoating like kitchen sinks use.

 

Great suggestion. So far that hasn’t been to much of an issue — it’s mainly the pump that I want to quite down. It’s definitely louder than I would like.

 

Great build and write up. It looks fantastic!

 

Did you put any isolators under it? It's common when mounting them on hard surfaces where you're going to get vibration/resonance to put a rubber isolator on the mounting bolts, same as you would with an on-board air compressor. Alternately I've seen where people placed a cut piece of sound dampener between the pump and the surface to act as an isolator and to help absorb some of the noise. There are some really intricate and well thought out builds on ExPo that are similar to yours where folks come up with some neat ideas to isolate noise. It sounds silly to some I know but others are just that detail oriented and some just don't like the buzzing or clicking noise that pumps can make. That tinny noise on a kitchen sink is one that bugs me for some reason; I did tile work for a bit and the guy I worked with used to coat all of the stainless sinks we'd install to quiet them even more.

 

Amazing! Thanks for sharing! Fantastic write up.


Would you consider this waterproof or weatherproof?

 

The pump came with rubber feet which I used. I also purposefully mounted the pump to its own panel, as opposed to mounting it directly to the side of the cabinet, for sound purposes. My thought was that this would help minimize vibrations and also gives me a little section that would be easy to sound proof if necessary. The truth is the pump isn’t loud, it’s just not silent. At this point I don’t see the noise being a big deal.

As for the sink, through use I’ve found that you very rarely have the water stream from the faucet actually touching the sink pan. Most of the time I just use small spurts of water for dishes or am filling water bottles. You certainly could nerd out and make it much more refined though.

On that note, I tried to add an in-line water accumulator. This would have allowed the pump to cycle less often, reducing noise and pump wear and tear. It also helps keep water pressure more consistent. I wasn’t able to fit it in the space I had though.

 

Thanks! This is a great question. In its current configuration, it’s not great to get wet. That being said, I laid out the electronics in such a way to try and minimize the possibility of shorts in the case of water contact, and several of the components are rated with ingress protection (namely, the Victron charger). Other components like the inverter are not, however.

I’ve already been dabbling with ways that you could make this weatherproof enough to be in a truck bed without a topper. I think it could be done, but would require engineering it from the start with that purpose.

 

Here’s a better shot of the electronics/mechanical compartment. If I was to weatherproof it, I would probably start by making this compartment seal shut.

 

This is a great build! Great photos and detail too.

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This is fantastic. Something that I would really like to do, but I’m not super familiar with the wiring portion of things. I may have to bother you with some questions there when I get started. Do you have any measurements for the structure itself?

 

Do I spot an Evil Bike????