Stealth Camping in a Shortbed Tacoma

All - I've been searching and searching and not finding ideas for stealth camping in a shortbed Tacoma. Maybe its not possible, but if so, let me know what you've done. Thinking of building my own solution. Here's the details. I recently bought a Honda Element and did a e-camper conversion. (I own a 2nd Gen Tacoma). The great thing about Honda elements is that you can sleep in the back of them. Thus, I black out the windows with reflectix and can pretty much park on the side of a street and sleep in the back of it. I just did this two days in Salida on a mountain bike trip because the house a buddy owns was fully of other MTBers. The only problem with the Element is it just lacks the power (especially with the e-camper) conversion to get up the passes quickly AND it is not offroad worthy. I want to take my son to some alpine lakes to fish and camp but the Element won't get us there. My 2nd Gen Tacoma is all outfitted for offroad. However, I want to be able to use it for "stealth" camping like I did in my Element in Salida. Saves hotel costs, etc, etc. In other words, just park on a street, and sleep. Obviously, the Tacoma shortbed is just too short to comfortable do so with a truck cap and the tailgate up. That leaves me to consider selling my '07 and buying a 2nd Gen longbed or creating something that is topper/cap like that also covers the tailgate so it appears to be a fully enclosed truck camper just parking on a side street. Anyone have any good solutions? I have a few ideas and drawings but if there is a product or good solution out there, let me know. Sleeping diagonal is possible, but doesn't leave room for a mountain bike with wheel off, etc. Sorry for long post, looking for solutions as I love the shortbed and want to sell the Element if I can find a solution for the Tacoma.

 

Put the bike on the roof. Sleep diagonal in the SB.

 

Buy a long bed like you should've done in the first place. For real though, throw the bikes on top or on a rack then sleep diagonally.

 

Thanks for replies. Bike on roof and sleeping diagonal works good for solo person but if I want to do a fishing trip with my son - no bike - sleeping diagonal isn't going to work unless I have him sleep in the cab of the truck...which will only work for a couple of years. Right now I have long bed and manual transmission envy. I do love my short bed... May have to build my solution.

 

Cut four holes in the tail gate to stick your feet through. Edit: you're welcome

 

Stealth camping-ish.

 

Be a smaller human.

 

Lose you foot of you body in a Bizarre Tractor Accident or sleep with you feet out the extender

 

Build up the bed to rail height with plywood and sleep with your head through the slider into the cab.

 

So basically buy a long bed, or Tundra, or something that is not a SB seems to be the consensus.

 

Well yea

 

Tent camping is an option. Many of the places I've gone to for camping I have been thankful I had the short bed. Turning around on a FSR is hard enough with a pickup, let alone full size or long bed. The short beds are great for where they get you to, they are just not great for sleeping in.

 

I make the shortbed work for me, 2 people i cant see happening ever reLly.

 

DCLBFTMFW

 

You can also "tarp in" the back, which is basically sleep with the tailgate down and a tarp closing you in supported by the shell window or some 2x4s.

 

or just buy a ground tent like most people do

 

What about a roof top tent (RTT)?

 

Cant really stealth a RTT

 

That's true, but it fits his "Saves hotel costs, etc, etc. In other words, just park on astreet, and sleep."

 

Four Wheelers camper or equivalent.