My Leer Cap and Sleeping Platform Build

I purchased my 2014 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road with a tonneau cover on the bed of the truck. Knowing that I would be using this truck as an overlanding vehicle, and doing lots of camping, I decided to go the route of adding a cap and building a sleeping platform in the back. This has quite a few benefits. For one, there really is no setup required for camping. Just hop in the back and go to sleep. Second, the platform allows for me to store items below and make optimum use of the space.

Here's my truck with the tonneau cover removed.



Here's the Leer cap mounted to the Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road.



Color matched Leer cap on my truck. What I don't have at this point is any lighting in the cap.



There is no constant power at the back of the Tacoma. Since I would be using the bed for camping, I needed to have light without having the keys in the ignition. And I needed to run power to the 3rd brake light on the Leer cap. My buddy Tom helped me run power wire from the battery through wiring loom, along the frame, and into the rear taillight housing. I drilled a hole through the bed liner and inserted rubber grommets to protect the wire from the edges. We spliced into the rear taillight wire to control the 3rd brake light, then split off the power wire so that I can run power to the interior dome light, and also to power the LED lights that I mounted to the interior of the cap. I also ran a ground wire from a bolt under the bed, and used that to ground the LEDs, the dome light, and the 3rd brake light.





I added a 6-pin wiring connector to make connecting and disconnecting the wires a breeze in the event that I need to remove the Leer cap. I also drilled another hole in the bed liner and mounted a rocker switch with blue LED that controls the interior mounted LEDs in the cap.



The LEDs came in a 16-foot long strip but can be cut every 3 inches. I cut the LED strip into 3 sections, one on both sides of the cap, and a smaller section that mounts near the cab. My buddy Tom and Andrew worked their magic soldering the LED strips together and applying shrink wrap to protect the connections. Then I applied some 3M double-sided tape to the strips and pressed them firmly against the carpeted interior of the Leer cap.





Now that the lighting is done, it's time to move on to building a sleeping platform. There are a ton of ideas out there for ways to do this. Some people build some pretty amazing setups with sliding drawers, hinged compartments, and more. I decided to not over think this and simply get something built that is simple and inexpensive.

A trip to Lowes and roughly $100 in supplies. This can probably be had for less but I had to buy a stapler since mine broke. Here's what I bought. (2) sheets of 3/4" plywood, (1) 1x6x12 board, gray outdoor carpet, 3M spray adhesive, stapler, 1/2 staples.



I had Lowes cut the plywood so it would fit exactly the length of my bed with the tailgate up, and half the width of the bed. It kinda sucked that I had to buy two sheets of plywood, but that's how the math worked out. I'm sure I'll find a use for that extra plywood in the future.

Here I'm using cardboard to make a template for the rear corners of the plywood. The bed isn't square as it has an angle near the tailgate that I need to cut out so that the boards fit flush. I did this the old-school way with a hand saw. Simple and convenient.



I then layed the outdoor carpet down, sprayed it with 3M spray adhesive, and positioned the board in place, folding up the edges and stapling on the under-side. This took some cutting and folding to get things right.

Half of the sleeping platform is in place.



Here both pieces of carpeted plywood form a sturdy sleeping platform and provide plenty of space to store other supplies underneath.



Now I threw in my two sleeping pads, my 15-degree sleeping bag, camp pillows, and a spare sleeping bag on top of the sleeping platform.



My best friend, Terry the Pup approves and is looking forward to some camping adventures in the Toyota Tacoma!

 

Very nice write up, looks great. How tall are you to be able to sleep in a short bed?

 

Thank you. I'm only 5'-6". I haven't slept in it yet, but I've played down back there and my pup hopped up to join me. It's pretty cozy, but definitely not a lot of space. I think it will be fine for just sleeping. I will definitely give an update when I'm actually able to sleep in there. Being Winter, it may be a while.

 

I look forward to updates after you've used it more. I'm 6"2 so camping inside is a no go for me unless I get one of those tents that hangs off the back of the shell.

 

Curious that with this being a SB how you plan to lay in there comfortably? I've thought about doing this as well, but with a SB even laying diagonal would be waaaay tight for me being 6'1". love to hear some input!

 

Well, the easy answer is I'm 5'-6", so it's actually rather comfortable for me. Me and my pup fit pretty well in there. But I can see that this would not be ideal for anyone taller than me.

 

Very nice

 

Great write up. When you slide towards the rear as if to slip out of the bed, does the plywood tip up? Or, is it attached to the cross rails so that it doesn't flip up in the back?

Also, what model is the Leer cap?

 

The plywood doesn't lift at all, and nothing is connecting it to the cross boards. They are held in simply with a very tight fit and the carpet helps hold them tight. When I place the plywood down, I have to hold both pieces up in the center a bit and kinds push them down together.

I'm not sure what series Leer cap it is.

 

That platform looks great! Good job man!

 

Thanks dude!

 

So, I have an 04 DblCab Short Bed and I've been thinking about doing this. I am 70" tall and my bed is 61" long, but it's also 61" wide (inside diameter for both measurements) so my math puts the corner to corner measurement at 84" which seems like it would be ok for a single sleeper.

Anyone else with similar height tried this? This sleeping platform would only be used occasionally as I have a mount rainier cvt rtt that will be mounted on my topper.

 

@dziner , which sleeping pads are these and do you have to simply fold up the end against the tailgate due to the length likely being ~73" vs the ~61" of the platform/bed??

Haven't slept back there yet, however I've got a similar setup in my short bed and I'm 5'8" and can lay pretty comfortably diagonally. I also have an rtt for the larger family and friends trips, but went this route for the ease of quick singleton camping with my dog. Now I'm just trying to find the best sleeping pad solution for diagonal sleeping back there..

 

I have (2) Thermarest sleeping pads. And yes, they are a bit long for the bed. So I just fold them up against the cab. I've since bought a full size memory foam for $50 and have that on the top of the platform with a blanket over it. Again, the full size is a bit too long, but fits perfect width-wise, so I fold the memory foam under at the cab.

This weekend is supposed to be pretty nice here in Pennsylvania. Highs in the 50's both days. So I'm planning to camp Saturday night. I'm thinking of putting my 2 thermarests on top of the platform, then the memory foam, blanket, then sleeping bag. It will just be me and my pup so it should be plenty of room just for sleeping. Though he likes to look out through the windows constantly. My next project is to figure out some sort of window blinds for privacy.

 

I have two self inflating air mattresses that I use in the back of my truck. They are for a child or small adult, they are6'2"and fit perfectly in the back. One is a Kelty and the other is some off brand. The width is perfect also.

 

You could get someone to cut off and hem some curtains, and have pieces of Velcro sewn in them.

 

So, after sleeping in the bed last night I've made up my mind. I need something more than this for any length of time. I simply was not comfortable. Sure, I can hop in the back in a pinch for a quick shut eye, but I tossed and turned all night trying to get comfortable and I just couldn't find that spot. It was plenty warm with the lower only getting into maybe the 40's. But this is not something I could deal with for an extended camping trip.

 

Nice write up man I did the same thing just need to pad and carpet mine. I got a bad back so trying to see if this is viable with decent padding.

 

UPDATE: I replaced the 1x5's with 2x6 cross boards for better stability. Now I'm curious about maybe simply adding a futon mattress instead of the memory foam, sleeping pads, and blanket. Again, the purpose of this is a simple and quick shelter to catch some sleep (think stealth camping). I have a roof top tent for when I have time and place to set it up.

Does anyone use a futon mattress on their sleeping platform? My only concern is the limited height I have inside.

 

I have a similar style shell on mine with a platform. I used 3/4" cabinet grade ply and a 1" square steel bar near the tailgate. Works great. No flex at all.
Something to think about.