Sleeping Platform - 2x6's or 2x8's

Finally finished mine. I just notched the 2x6

 

So glad I found this thread (and this forum). I stopped by the lumberyard today, got some 2x8s & fit ‘em in.

I’m looking to finish mine before my annual camping trip next month.

A question for y’all who have completed it - what type of surface cover did you use on the plywood? Outdoor carpet? Marine? Just weighing my options & I appreciate your responses in advance!

 

Darn it. Was hoping to get away with buying two 8' 2x4's but looks like I'll need to buy 4? Thanks for the 57" measurement. I'll double check on my gen3 but helpful for ballpark....
...Yep, 57". 57" x 2 = 114" or 1 10' 2x4 per slot. The fit using two 2x4's side by side is really good.

 

I did this as well and then notched out the center of them to run a 2x4 down the middle.

 

Been on TW forums since 2018, read 1000's of posts, somehow missed this thread.

Awesome! Never realized (duh) that Toyota put special cut-outs right into the bed for exactly this purpose.

95% of the functionality of a fancy "Decked" system at 1/50th the cost, and can be taken down & removed in 5 minutes or less to restore normal empty-bed cargo capacity.

Also, the "Decked" solution appears to weigh 200 lbs itself, empty, which is too much.

Sub'd.

 

A deck board is the perfect height. Don't even need to notch it like you would a 2x6. My platform with deck boards has had over 500lbs on it bouncing around off-road and it's been fine.

 

2x6 sideways gives you open room underneath. Other ways do not.

Bam beds don’t use supports. They’re cut precisely to rest on the edges.
If plywood was cut like that, it probably wouldn’t need supports either.

part of the reason is BamBeds is 3 pieces sideways that are maneuverable. To bridge the sides. Instead of two long forward pieces to fall in the middle that are heavier and harder to maneuver.

 

Neither! No 2x’s. I studied the bam beds and this is what I came up with. I’ll make the support legs and cut some handle holes tomorrow. 2 sheets of 3/4 grade a sanded pine plywood. $55 each. $20 jig saw. $27 router bit.

 

I built and tested a sleeping platform this Memorial Day weekend. I have a short bed so I used the Adjustable Tailgate "Cables" chain hack here and I built an overhang from some Nylon ripstop fabric and adhesive velcro to give room for my feet. It absolutely poured rain overnight, and once I swapped from the mesh window to the vinyl window, it was surprisingly completely dry. Not saying it looks professional or isn't fussy, but it works and was very cheap. I also built it so that I can haul a bike in the bed.