Sleeping with tailgate down and staying warm

I’ve got a short bed with a camper shell, and I’m over 6’ tall, so I need to sleep with the tailgate down. We made a makeshift barrier with a hammock over the back, strapped to the frame. It worked, we were warm, but there were some air gaps, and it was hard to crawl in and out.

What other ways have you kept your feet warm? I was thinking of making something from Reflectix insulation, but it doesn’t pack down as small as a hammock.

 

You can use the right sized tarp. If you have the 2 t-handles on either side attach/wrap around those with string rope or zip ties. Then just drape it over. Time to get out just raise back window and slide on out. It not pretty but it works and easy on easy off. If it's windy you can always weight the bottom with some rocks tied onto bottom

Edit- this would be my cheap and easy fix but if you plan on sleeping in your bed alot I'd go with a tent type thing like others posted below. If only sleeping in the bed a handful of weekends a year personally I'd go with a tarp. Makes it more interesting and exciting on those weather days (wind/rain/snow) that most people don't like. I get excited about the crazy weather days though so....

 

How about something like this?

 

DAC tent.

 

Is this a medium or large DAC? TIA

 

https://softopper.com/products/camper-top-tent/

 

Not my truck but I do own one and mines the medium I believe.

 

I should have clarified. I'm looking for more of a DIY solution, similar to the hammock, but better. It packs down incredibly small, which is nice.
Maybe I'll just experiment with cutting a more windproof tarp, and securing it to the tailgate with velcro or something.

 

I have used magnets with a screen in my 4 runner during the summer. Would probably work with a hammock. Home Depot sells pretty decent ones. You could use them to hold it to the tailgate

 

A tarp is useful for many other things as well. I ve actually used a tarp before like I said in post #2. I have a 6' bed in both of my trucks and I'm shorter than that but a few times in heavy rain I've opened tailgate and stashed stuff I didn't want getting more wet. I used a tarp (with tailgate window down) to keep things dryer. In super heavy rain I make sure truck is slanted at least slight downhil so rain will drain towards front not back towards tarp.

BTW I wouldn't cut the tarp unless you re-sow the seams. Also pretty much every tarp is 'wind proof'. The grommets (tie down points) on the blue/grey tarps most people have tear pretty easily but you can use a small rock. Wrap the corner of tarp around small Rock then tie a small gauge rope around that and you have a much stronger tie off point. If I didn't say that to were you can understand I can take a few pictures if interested. Sometimes I'm not great at explaining via text

 

Just to add- I usually keep a tarp in my truck all the time. There are so many scenarios that they can be useful. Unfortunately we used one as a stretcher one time,, but worked well and weighted new to nothing on the hike in.

 

This or similar.


Milliard Truck Tent | Standard 6.5ft Bed

Milliard Truck Tent (Standard 6.5ft Bed)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CF4LK4H/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_BCA1DT8FJDS22TSW6BSC


someone else posted one that extends off of a topper too.

I am 5 10 I went the crazy route and built a setup inside my cab.

 

Go to your local golf shop and buy one of the mini propane heaters that are used for golf carts. You can buy the little
Coleman propane containers pretty much any where. Place it on your tailgate facing in towards you.

 

I don't have a shell. A long time ago I took some scrap 1x2 and made a crude frame to hold a tarp up over the bed...One end of the 4 "rafters" rested on top of the cab, the other end rested on a u-shaped frame that I clamped to the rear bed rails. The tarp I had was large enough to stretch out and make a dry patio behind the truck too.
It worked surprisingly well.

 

That's it, you'll just have to buy a long box or a pull behind camper

 

You could probably use a bed extender to keep whatever you use for fabric from reducing the amount of space you have for your feet.