Lightweight PVC bed camp platform and tent setup for 2001 crew cab

Hi All,

I haven't seen anything exactly like this out there on the internet. It's been working out pretty well for me, so I figured I'd share.



For context, I picked up a 2001 crew cab a couple years ago, salvaged (they just replaced the bed, checked out well!), with 132K miles. Nice! I was tempted by a newer CC long bed, but parking is a pain in the ass in the Bay Area, so limiting truck size made sense.

We're camping a lot for biking and climbing, and so wanted to have a setup that was quick to get going (20 min or less), not heavy (given the baby 4c engine), and maximized headroom under the canopy. Comfortable for two people, both 6', often with climbing, surfing, biking gear. Plus, when not in use, could serve to hide some gear in the back to discourage theft in the city.

I made my surface platform in two pieces of equal width. The idea behind this was that I'd be able to remove half when I was traveling alone and have extra room. In practice I haven't yet slept alone in it, so can't say whether that made sense.

Because the bed in the short bed crew cabs isn't long enough for us, I used extender pieces that swing out to use. They're supported on the end with wooden coffee table legs that screw in to plates in a few seconds, and were cut down a little to size to match the main structure. I believe the platform is 5/8" plywood, painted black with whatever I had around the shop, and uses door hinges to secure the extender pieces. Door hinges work well, since they're beyond strong enough, cheap, and have recessed areas for the screw heads. I wanted to max out the platform area, so carefully cut the profile with a jigsaw to avoid the cap as it swings out.

To support the platform, I first went with a 2x4 frame, in two parts, that could be removed reasonably easily. That worked well for a year or so, and could be made with wood from around the shop. But with a few days on my hands last summer, I wanted to see if I could do better in a few ways. First, I wanted it to be lighter, to reduce overall truck weight and removal inconvenience. Second, I wanted it to take less storage space when out of the truck. And third, I wanted to get a couple more inches of headroom under the canopy by eliminating the 2x4 sections that go across the bed over the wheel wells.

Original wood frame:


After thinking about it, I decided to go with PVC/ABS tubing as a structure. I used 1.5" dia ABS tubing, with PVC elbows and ABS-PVC glue to connect it all. After sketching it up, I *way* overbought tubing and connectors, as I didn't realize how much of the overall size/length the tube thickness would eat up, as well as how strong a few connectors-worth of frame would be with such a small support structure.

I bought way too many connectors. Took a bunch back.


To do this, first take a piece of wood across the bed, from wheel cover to wheel cover (and remember that they slope up!). Then measure the distance under the center point of that to your bed; that's the total height of your PVC frame. I marked that on a piece of wood for reference, and built my frame components to match it. Connecting the ABS and PVC connectors is tricky. I'd buy a couple extra to practice. You need enough overlap for it to be strong, but don't need to push it all the way in (and in my case had 3 different brands to use, with different male-female overlap lengths). Plus, the glue bonds *quickly*, meaning that you have very little time to insert and adjust. In any case, it worked out well in the end. I finished it off with a couple small PVC pieces to fit into the bed base grooves and guide it along straight, and painted it all black. The end result is surprisingly light, and very strong. I finished it off with a couple 2x4 blocks that support the bed in the close quarters, and slip into the indentations of the bed.

Pre-painting:


Pieces to direct and hold straight in the bed:


Painted:


With platform (and mom):





We bought 4" memory foam (yes! luxury!), and cut it to fit the bed. After a few months of use, I upholstered the cushions with an outdoor nylon, which is commonly available at most fabric stores. This was a great call, and has made the cushions easier to carry, less prone to tearing, and much cleaner. However, they now slide a little under body weight, so I'll need to figure that out. We sized them to stack evenly in the bed while traveling, or in storage at home.

In place:


Stacks on stacks:


Finally, we needed a way to enclose the whole setup, since it was longer than the canopy. We sewed a tent out of waterproof outdoor nylon. It attaches over the canopy door, to the roof rack, and then down to the sides of the truck and under the tailgate. This was a little tricky. The best reference point to use is the end of the canopy door, when fully open. From there, you can get the front panel width, as well as the length down to the ground. I decided to have it go 3" below the tailgate, so that I could pull it down with a little tension. There's a 3' zipper that runs up one side, and is the entry point. If I did it again, I'd put two zippers (one at each end edge), and have them be usable from the inside and outside. One nice thing we decided to do though, was use a cheerful blue zipper. In practice, that contrast with the black tent is really helpful for situating the whole tent in the dark with headlamps, and putting it on properly. The whole thing can be installed in less than a minute, and packs up to a corner of a small tub.

So in summary, the tent is basically 4 sides of a cube, that attaches:
- on the top, back to the roof rack via velcro
- along the back edge, over the top and down the sides, via a long bungee through a loop in the tent, down to the bottom edge of the body on each side
- down and under the tailgate, pulling from 4 locations, and attached back at two points to the bumper.

The tent isn't perfect (it pulls the canopy gate down a bit, and is a little like reverse birthing to get into), but overall is a 8/10, and I'm pretty happy with it.

So that's the main setup. Complementing it is the following:
- 3-6 clear waterproof snap bins that fit *perfectly* under the platform, and to the bed length. These store camping and sports gear. I have a hooked stick to pull them out which is way cheaper/lighter than those long drawers.
- a foldout step stool and floor mat to make getting in/out more pleasant
- levelers for the truck
- Goal Zero 400 Lighthouse lantern, which is amazing - charges by USB, has dual modes to be inconspicuous if needed, and is magnetic so attaches easily to the truck
- various bedding and camping gear.

I think that's it. I suspect it's the best I can do without going to a full bed length taco at some point in the future. It's working very well - lightweight, not too expensive to build, maxes out the precious headroom, and is pretty flexible.

More pics:

The bins in action - camping and climbing gear:


On the road:


Camp setup (older - fits a little better now):


Cozy cozy:


Everyday use:



B

 

Nicely done!

I might have missed it, but did you figure out what your overall weight savings was?

 

Good question. I didn't weigh. Maybe 40 lbs? The PVC weighs almost nothing, so whatever those 2x4 frames were.

B

 

That's pretty sweet for a quick, light set-up.

On a side note, where's the Aliens? BD is great in the larger sizes but 1/2" and down aliens can't be beat.

 

Thanks!

I could lie and say they're buried under everything, but in truth, I'm only a year into trad, so have a basic BD .3-4 rack.

 

I like this a lot. Definitely going to look into doing something similar.

 

Trust me, I looked for any signs of Alien slings before I posted. lol

It's a fun sport. I've been doing it a long time and still get stoked every time I get on a new route.

 

I’m desperately excited for warming weather so I can get an intro into lead climbing. I’ve top roped on rock a bunch and a little bit on ice too! Glad to know their are fellow climbers out there on TW

 

Hell of a first post OP. I've been looking into a 1/2 platform so will probably use some of what you outlined. Welcome to Tacoma World and thanks for sharing!

 

Yeah, get on it! Super fun. Different movement, different psychology, and many different routes available once you start to lead. Enjoy.

 

thanks man. Share if you do end up adapting. I'm pretty convinced it's not totally optimized yet.

 

Ya' gotta' love it when a DIY solution turns out so nice.

 

FYI, I'm not going to need this setup anymore, as we have a kiddo on the way. So happy to pass this along to someone who will make great use out of it.

It includes:
- PVC and wood base supports
- 2-piece folding platform
- 4-piece upholstered 4" memory foam mattress
- 'tent' that fits to my canopy and attaches in various ways

Not included: all of the rad adventure gear.

Fits a 2000-2004 short bed, and I have a truck liner. It was designed to fit these trucks perfectly.

We're in Pacifica CA. If you're close and can use this setup, let me know.

B