Simple Sleeping Platform: Cheap Works Great

Subbed, I've got an ARE MX on order and will be building one of these next week. I will post photos and cut dimensions (for a 3rd gen though)

 

What is the grey carpet that everyone is using and where do you get it? Either the local Lowe's doesn't have it out they been out for a while.

 

It’s outdoor carpet, I got mine at Lowes in the carpet section. It was about $20 for a roll of 6x8’

 

That sounds like the same carpet I got. Fortunately I found an unwrapped return roll for 50% off.

 

Score!

 

Got everything in place will complete carpet wrap etc after a weekend Chicago roadtrip

Two 4'x8' sheets of 23/32" RTD sheathing ($21.88 each)
-cut to 73" x 28.25" sheets
-additionally notched to template made from cardboard to fit
One 2"x6"x10' ($6.52)
-cut to 2 57" pieces
One roll outdoor carpet ($20.98)
One can Loctite Professional Adhesive Spray ($9.98)

So happy with this solution. May add padding before attaching carpeting.

 

Love this thread, but your post stood out to me. I ended up deciding on a short bed double cab to get the manual I wanted. Building my platform within the next month. Will be including a extender for the tailgate inspired by your post. Will post pictures when it's done.

 

Here's mine. I made a drawer for one side, put all my recovery gear, tools, etc in. Long stuff still has a spot on the left side

 

Got most of my sleeping platform done today with the help of a buddy who is a carpenter. This pic is from before we rounded off the edges and cleaned it up some. Ran out of time before getting the carpet on. Really happy with how it came out though. It has 3 main section, and an extender for the tailgate, since I have a short bed. Gonna finish it up on Monday and hopefully buy a canopy if it works out. Will post more pics when it's all done.

 

Finished my sleeping platform. Got a lot of ideas from this thread. Thank you to everyone who shared!

Without my carpenter buddy this would never have came out this nice.

I do not yet have a canopy. Still trying to find a decently priced used one.

Total cost was around $185. The majority of that ($120) was the 2 sheets of 3/4" red oak plywood. I plan on using this for the next 10 years and it needs to easily hold 500#s.

Used 2x8's for the cross beams and we cut them to size. Wanted 3 sections with nothing underneath, plus the tailgate extender. Wasn't planning on using 3 legs on the extender but it was not supported enough without the third. Still have to grab another set of hinges for the third leg.

The front section allows me to access the front of the bed while on the platform. In case anything slides around, or for gear and what naught while camping. Roughed everything in, leaving 1/8" per side gap for the carpet. Rounded off the edges of every part. Didn't need to do that, but it doesn't take long with a belt sander, and with luck will keep the carpet in good shape longer.

I don't actually know any of the exact measurements. My buddy was rattling off numbers so fast I couldn't keep up. When I suggested writing it all down, he looked at me like I was crazy.

I did a terrible job wrapping the carpet, but you cannot really tell. The tailgate extender legs have hinges so that it can fold up as flat as possible and slide in the bed when not in use. This setup gives me a lot of options to access the bed as needed.

Now I just need to find a canopy.

 

Any bed warp yet? I’m 90 percent sure this is the one. Thanks for posting.

 

Welcome to TW

 

Just put mine together today. Had HD make all of the cuts for me (minus the tailgate notches). Ran me about $150 for everything including spray adhesive and a staple gun. Having to get two sheets of plywood annoyed me lol. Could’ve saved $45. Also...5ft beds are small...I’m 5’8” and I can tell this will probably be uncomfortable. Softopper will be here this weekend, and I’ll test it out.

 

Thanks for the instructions. I'm looking to do this exact build this weekend. Did you not find that you needed stabilizers running the length of the bed to support the two 2x6s? I figure if the platform sits on the ledge atop the wheel well, I should be good, but just wanted to check with someone who's already done it.

 

No stabilizers needed on mine

 

New guy here but wanted to thank everyone for the input. I just built out mine yesterday in my 2020 long bed. The only unique think I did was take an extra piece of the 3/4inch ply wood (had to buy two sheets) and ran it across the wheel well and took two pieces of poplar at 10x1 cut 10 inches long and nailed it underneath to create a middle section for support. I nailed drawer magnets on the 2X8 and the middle section to connect them so the middle section wouldn’t slide around but was still easily removable.

 

Going to build a half platform that's simple and easy to remove. Gathering ideas

 

That is exactly what I did. Great minds............

 

Be cool to go back in time and interview the first human being who glanced at them notches imagining a sleeping platform. I wonder if he or she knew what a visionary they were? The equation involved notches, platform and sleep. Sure there have been a few slight deviations from the initial incarnation, but it has held firm as a sort of primordial constant. Still waiting for that moment when someone posts picks of some sort of structural member other than wood and a platform that isn't plywood or particle board. I am thinking that this will mark the next great step forward in Tacoma platform sleeping.

 

I had some 1/2 inch osb lying around so I put that on top of a couple 2x6. Does the extra thickness of a 3/4 inch board keep the platform from moving? My plyboards keep bouncing up and overlapping when I drive