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

I built a platform out of 3/4" plywood covered with automotive carpet. Attached tie down points and support brackets. Rests along the support ridge at wheel well height. For storage, I just use rubber maid bins zip-tied together like drawers.

I have a 4"foam mattress that can go on top of needed for camping, or you can roll out air mattresses. I keep the gear stored inside year round, but I still have ability to load some cargo inside.

To keep the bins from sliding forward, I just use a shower curtain rod that locks across the bed. The platform is 9" above the bed floor. At the back of the platform are two removable "lids" in the back corners, and I bolted a metal box to the bed at the rear. The two removable pieces fit around it snugly. The right (passenger) corner hold a couple of water jugs, so the insert is just an L shaped piece to shim everything up.

Total cost for the platform, approximately $100.00... it was very trial and error as I didn't have a plan when I built it, and it went through several iterations, but this is the end result... For now.

 

Finally got out and used my platform.

First night started out with a little claustrophobia, just that there's not a lot of room above once laying down on the platform. The idea of a high top camper shell sounds great. I ended up sleeping sound through the entire night, even slept in. I have to lay a little bit diagonal to straighten out, I think a smaller pillow might help.

Packed up



Without all the gear



Getting ready for bed



She thought it was comfy

 

How did you keep the plywood from sagging when you get on it? Mine is only 15/32 ply but I ended up having to run crossmembers in the cutouts molded into the bed, then run an addition vertical support down the middle of the bed. I am confident that 3/4” ply would not be near strong enough to prevent sagging for my wife and I without some sort of support.

 

I ran it in narrower sheets cross-wise, so there is less length, and thus stiffer. I also used flat brackets and screwed the sections together. Now, note: I am only about 150lbs and my wife is much lighter than that, so neither of us put much strain on it. But all in all, a 4' span is going to have less flex than a 6' span, and each board section flexes independently.

Don't know if that is clear or helps.

 

Interesting. Maybe I should have tried the 3/4”. We are only 270 or 280# combined. Thanks for the info. I will keep that in mind for Rev.2.

 

Total, with our dog, we are about 300... So should work ok.
You should be able to see where I put the "mending plate" brackets joining the two sections together. I have the long box, so its 2x 4'x2' sections, and corner pieces fit to hug the gear box. My current setup doesn't go right to the tailgate, but we are short, so that's ok. You could do the same method though and do full length.

 

I am about 210 lb. No sag here. Note, when 2 are in the bed, we are each (somewhat) over the support.
I used 3/4" (23/32"?) generic plywood. For the rear cross-member I used 1x4" OAK. Stronger, so I could go thinner. That allowed a taller box to slide under it.
The most rear section comes out to make climbing in easier.
(Note: I have since removed the platform. An Exped Synmat Duo is on a newly purchased Toyota Brand BedMat. It is too claustrophobic and getting in through the Walk-In door was a PITA.)
I will have photos when we camp next.

 

just finished this one yesterday

 

got the idea for this set up from this guys build
https://www.desktodirtbag.com/build-pickup-truck-bed-camper-guide/

 

@flyck4 What thickness plywood?

 

the top flat part is 1/2" and the vertical pieces are 3/8" it flexes just a little bit maybe less than a 1/4 inch in the middle i cut a 2x4 to support the middle when im climbing in and out

 

That was what I was going to get to .... support.

 

My last platform came with the truck ad was built all out of 3/4" plywood. It worked ok had nice big drawers but the whole set up weighed like 250 lbs and you could really feel it in the truck plus when you load up all your camping gear and stuff it was over kill. also it was kind of coffiny you could only lay down in it the new set up i can change it to get more headrom if im waiting out weather and want to read. so i switched to 1/2", 3/8"plywood and steel this set up weighs a little over 100lbs and easy to remove.

 

I have the same sliders. You are just barely misaligned. Looks like the lock slide is not making it far enough in for the latch to drop into place. You are probably 1/16" from a smooth latch like your right side drawer. Basically, realign the lock slide. Either reposition the slider on the drawer side further in, or reposition the housing side, further out.

In the video after you latch it, you can see the right slide pieces are flush with each other, while the difficult left side is slightly uneven.

Also keep in mind that if you are loaded heavy and sitting in a spot where the latch is holding the drawer from opening (front end up a hill), you will have to push the drawer in to release the latch. Gravity is fun.

 

what are y'all doing to lock your canopies from the inside?I know it's been answered somewhere but I can't find it.

 

Not as elaborate as some of you guys, but here is the platform I built last week.

My wife and I have been sleeping on it for the last 5 days and it has been working great. I am quite confident this is only Rev.1.

 

I can't help with the issue - I suspect 5678ta is correct with the lsight misalignment.

But I wanted to ask, where did you get 60" slides in locking and non-locking combo? I can only find 60" locking. Thanks for any help.

 

If those are indeed the same Orr&Orr slides that I have, they come in a locking pair. You'd need to grab a second pair of non-locking to create a mismatched pair. Or rather, two mismatched pairs.

 

Several years ago, I got mine from here - https://www.ovisonline.com/60-Drawer-Slides.aspx

Not cheap, and they have held up well.

 

The only rope I have on mine is tied to the cleat by the gate so I can pull it out from deep under the bed.