Sleeping platform

Looks great. I have been eye balling a set of those tracks for some time now. That case looks like it has a nuke in it haha. Is your platform one solid board?

 

even if it was a 6 foot bed it would be too short for me...

 

If you spend a lot of time in the back you'll probably grow to hate the elevated platform since you can't sit up and changing clothes is harder. Not a big deal on short campouts, but it gets really old after a couple of rainy days/nights where you don't have much else to do. As you get older and arthritis sets in on those cold mornings it's bit more of a pain too.

I built an elevated platform in my '95 but took it out after the first long trip; tried it again in the 2005 using the built in brackets and hated it too. Both times I ended up going with a carpeted plywood floor with a cabinet running down the left hand side that was only as wide as the wheel hump. Since I'm usually traveling solo it works well for me as I still have room for most of my junk and I can put the cooler or fridge behind the seats in the cab (along with overflow junk). I've also got a roof rack and a Yakima box if I'm traveling heavy or have someone with me. Just my preference after trying various options.

 

It's a pelican case. The coretrax are great - I recommend them.

It's a solid piece. Only 60" wide piece I could find was Russian birch - very strong.

I supports my weight no problem - although it was not built to sleep on. I have a roof top tent to sleep in. The platform was made to increase storage space and organize better.

 

I have used mine when I get too drunk at a friends house, I have my pad and bag in the back. It will do.

Looks great.

 

drunk sleeping arrangements dont count..a freaking concrete floor works in that situation.

 

thanks!

 

Thought I would update this thread with what I finished today. Extensions and supports are on hinges.

 

Awesome! This is exactly what I have been planning in my head. Exactly how I thought to get some extra room on the platform. Are you using a screen or something over the tailgate/window?

 

Planning on buying one of these.

http://www.amazon.com/Mid-Size-SUV-Camper-Tent/dp/B003KVXUEO/ref=pd_sim_sbs_sg_4

 

3/4'' ply, 4 pieces angle iron and some plumbing for center supports. Easy to remove and awesome beyond belief.

 

The HIP Sleeping Platform

http://s941.photobucket.com/albums/ad254/phlyphishers/sleeping platform/

I posted this on ExPo in 2010 (Easy Sleeping Platform) and last year in 1st Gen on this site (Sleeping Platform & Dog) and so far, everybody seems to like it.

Its fast, sturdy and best of all CHEAP!

Robert

 

nice

 

I see that almost everyone had a cap of some sort to cover the bed but has anyone seen a plat form with drawers but with no cover. Kinda like the truck vault all weather plat form. Wanting something like that I just would never want to spend even close to the $4000 they would want for it.

 

I was looking for a light weight, simple, easy to move in and out solution with as few pieces as possible and this is what I came up with.
Thin ply with 1x2 supports. All sitting on 1x3 steel tubing from side to side.

 

Yes - actually works really well.
I had done a ton of research and needed something that would work for a 6+ month road trip & settled on a mostly aluminum made system.




Here's a few more photos here:
http://www.bendhiker.com/gearing-up/

 

Just finished mine up today. Needs to be cleaned up a little and it's pretty amateur hour since I really don't know what I'm doing but it turned out ok and it's solid. Eventually going to carpet it to match the rest of the truck. The center section sits on rails and can easily be slid out allowing the two side boxes to also be easily pulled out so the whole system is removable. When everything is together it's all tight against itself and not going anywhere. It's all pretty overbuilt too so it's nice and stout. Didn't expect the sides to be so much of a curve so that made things interesting. It's really nice though having he windoor camper to get into the side storage boxes without even opening the back. Total cost around 125 bucks.

 

Well here's my version!

 

It just occurred to me that you could make this setup at least a little bit secure for items stored underneath the platform by installing a sliding bolt latch on the underside to "lock" the two halves together - as far back as you can reach to be close to the middle as possible - in combination with a Pop-n-lock on the tailgate.

It would be difficult without some tools to lift the platform out if the tailgate is locked and the two halves are tied together, what with the bed rails in the way. Maybe even put two bolt latches in, one near the tailgate and one as far in as you can reach.

 

mine is done up like @I3uller's. 3 pieces, two over the wheel well with top access. Third middle piece slides in on a track. I hinged mine so it can be folded. This helps getting at things in the back or putting tall items while you have the entire system in - like a cooler or a bike over the tailgate.

The three piece setup also gives you a lot of flexibility with how you want to run it. You get 3 options. I also often remove the center piece and brace the two outer pieces for storage but mostly run one piece with braces into those 2x8 slots. I mostly do this because i only have one windoor on my shell. I'll run all 3 pieces when I'm planning to sleep in there.



bottom right corner has the grabber for pulling rubber bins out from the back. I can fit 4 bins under the platform.