Show us your truck bed sleeping platform/drawer/storage systems

Just finished rebuilding a bed box I got.
In the first photo you can see it was used and abused. So I built new face plates for the drawers, carpeted the whole thing, added L-Track mounts, and put 1/4" HDPE on the bottom to keep it from soaking up water when in my bed (since my softopper isn't completely water tight.)
$100 for the bed box and then less than $100 in material to fix it up, I am pretty happy with how it turned out.

Just have to decide if I want to rely on gravity or add some turnbuckles to hold it in place.

 

I believe it was 6 gauge based on the blueseas wiring chart. My DC to DC charger is only 25 amps so in theory would not pull more than that. There is also a Redarc 40amp midi fuse in line on that run. It runs from the battery towards the engine bay fuse box, then goes down and runs along the frame to the bed. I had drilled a small hole in the bottom of the bed, large enough for a positive and negative to fit through.

If I was to do it again, I would do it like @Tiny_Taco did with the SB50/Anderson plug. Post #225
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/new-pop-up-camper-topo-toppers.722911/page-12

 

so you'd run your 6 gauge from the battery into a 50A anderson flush mount in the bed then connect your 6 gauge from the house battery via anderson connector so its easy to remove everything on the house side quite easily?

i was going to go AGM in the engine bay, but LifePo4 in the bed is hard to pass up with its benefits. I could shoe-horn a setup into the front of my drawer system, but it would be nice to be able to disconnect easily if i wanted to pull the whole drawer system and everything out


https://www.amazon.com/Anderson-Cha...prefix=anderson+50a+outle,aps,182&sr=8-2&th=1

$11 Anderson Power Products SB50 Connector Kit, 50 Amps, 36V Gray Housing, w/ 6 AWG, 6319 (Pair)

https://www.amazon.com/Anderson-Pow...ANDERSON+POWER+PRODUCTS&qid=1675201787&sr=8-2

 

Yes, but you should not connect the house battery directly to your AGM in the engine bay. You need to have a DC to DC charger so the LiFePo4 is getting charged properly. Flush mount is great for a quick disconnect and is a cleaner installation.

 

yep definitely. Still doing the research since this is my first time doing a house battery install. Might as well go the LiFePO4 route. Question: Do tacomas leave the blue wire unconnected or connect to vehicle ignition? Also what sort of ground point is available in the bed, or did you route back to the ground adjacent to the starter battery?

 

Posted some questions here: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/diy-“goose-gear”-bed-base-plate.761406/#post-28339043 Tx!

 

Just follow the diagram and it is pretty easy with the Redarc, my install was my first go around as well. Would highly recommend the Lithium, I went back and forth because of the cost and I don't regret it. I left the blue disconnected, orange and green do need to be connected as shown. My ground when from the house battery negative, back out of that hole and to an existing ground somewhere one top of the frame near the shock tower on the driver side.

 

I have done 2 installs now. One on my '13 Reg Cab 4 banger and another on my friends '15 DCSB TRD OR. Neither of them required the use of the blue wire. I mocked it up and tested it out first. One less wire, one less thing to go wrong.

 

allright i pulled the trigger on a LiPo4 setup w/ redarc, ordered the wire, connectors, etc we'll see how this goes!

 

You're going to like it! I used a Jackery before I did mine, a dedicated battery is so much better. I used to use power sparingly, because of the slow 12v charge rate of a Jackery. Now I just piss it away without caring. Even with just a 25A charger, you can drain the battery and have it charged back up in 5ish hours of driving.

 

Can you show a few more pics of the last piece to clarify how you did it with the scrap plywood to avoid a second sheet?

I see the photo of it in the recessed slot but in one of the photos it looks like you closed the gap all the way to the tail gate?

 

Curious how much weight you had on top before deciding you needed the supports to help with sagging.

Is this is with 3/4” cabinet pine, similar to: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Cabinet...al-0-688-in-x-48-in-x-96-in-1077486/302610611

 

Check behind the tail lights for a ground lug but personally I would do a dedicated return to avoid frame rust causing grounding issues. To minimize such return wires I strategically place ground busses (cab, bed, engine bay) along with matching fuse panels and relays. I think of them like the sub panels in a house to cut down the number of wires that would all otherwise have to fit in one place.

 

I guess I left out a couple details that would help explain my process, and now the details are a little blurry.

Once I cut the two 56.75" x 20.00" pieces I was left with an awkward scrap that I hated to look at in part to me being cheap, but also just seemed wasteful for such a nice piece of ply (birch). With that said-- its undeniable that buying an additional half sheet, thus making it more uniform with the first two pieces, would be best. I basically screwed/glued the third piece (closest to tailgate) 28.5" x 19.5" to the 56.75" x 8" cross support to be one piece. This is where the aluminum C-Channel came in to strengthen it all up and clean up the highest wearing edge.

Hopefully this helps:

 

Perfectly clear. Thank you!!

 

I like your set up with the 3 piece horizontal and offset spine (from 2020). Pretty convinced I'm building my platform out in this style once I get my canopy. It's me and my GF camping together so I need the full platform and will likely combine it with an exped duo mat. Any things you wish you did in your build/changed since then before I mirror it?

My only hangup is the lack of bulky storage while sleeping. Water jugs and propane tanks can be left out but I need all my food/kitchen secured. I currently have an HDX yellow lid 102L bin as my kitchen which I like since it can hold my Coleman stove, all kitchen gear and dry food it in. Been looking for a slim bin to fit under the platform that can hold the stove plus more, but I hate the look of the clear bin (dumb complaint I know). I suppose throwing it in the backseat is an option, but would rather have the bin live in the bed. Anyone have any suggestions for a slim bin that fits under the wheel well height, can hold a coleman stove and isn't one of those clear plastic ones?

 

the 4 gal and 10 gal might work for you https://www.containerstore.com/s/st...tacker-totes/12d?p=0&ps=62&productId=11007874

 

Those are nice looking totes, at a really good price point. Thanks for the suggestion! The 10 gal would fit my double burner stove and not much else. I guess my ideal bin would be two 10 gals merged on the long side together. I'll probably just end up sticking with my big 102L tote and throw it in the back seat during nights but always nice to see other options.

 

i was/am looking at the 10gal one and im pretty sure you can get 2 side by side between the wheel wells. a total of 4+ would be a good option. might have to tie them together some how so u can get the farther ones in the back out

 

I like the 10 gal.
Looks like my stove will fit in one of those.