Stealth Camping in a Shortbed Tacoma

Just crawl under your truck and sleep there... People will just think you're a hobo...

 

May not be cost effective, but another option is to find a small camper you can tow. I have seen pictures of custom teardrop trailers with big tires designed for off road use.

 

Everyone seems to be missing the whole point of stealth. OP, would an access cab work for you? They all come with long beds, and they're the same overall length of a DCSB. Throw a topper on there and you can both sleep in there with ease. That's exactly what I plan on doing for camping, and for future road trips where I can just sleep in the back. A platform to get above the wheel wells can be built for about $60 and is very easy.

 

Just want to add, that if you or your son are any taller than me (6'2"), even a long bed may be a little too small with two people in the bed and the gate up. My head and feet touch the front and back of the bed unless I lay at an angle or bend my knees.

 

Nice, this is exactly what I am doing. My lumber is cut, I just need the carpet.

 

How is that platform held up?

 

(2) 1x6 boards in the grooves in the truck bed. Thats the easiest part.

 

wtf is stealth camping? That like trying to hide from the cops passed out in the bed of your truck outside a bar?

 

I haven't made it yet. That's just a pic I took from someone else, but many people build a platform like that and it's fine.

 

I did a lot of stealth camping on my drive out to Arizona for Overland Expo West. The trip took me 4 days to get out there, and 3 days to get back. I'd just pull off the highway at a rest stop or a FlyingJ truck stop, crawl in the back with my pup and go to sleep. $0 for hotels or campgrounds. But it was just me and my 25 lb. pup. I have a double cab short bed and it worked for me. I couldn't imagine two people in the back of a short bed, comfortably.

But here's the thread I started for my cap and sleeping platform build. The sleeping platform is really easy and inexpensive. But I don't think it would work for you 2-person situation. A not-so-stealthy option is to simply leave the tailgate down and cap lid open, then drape a tarp across the topper. Secure the tarp to the roof via rack or something, then tie or stake out the end covering the tailgate. This can be adjusted to give you basically an awning, or staked down to the ground to give you privacy.

I'm not using my sleeping platform any more since I have a fridge mounted in the back so I'm looking for someone to take it off my hands.

 

Damn, if it was for a long bed we could have worked something out.

 

Maybe do a false back that makes it look like there's cargo on the tailgate but is actually hollow - so you can leave the tailgate down but not see in. Kinda like a tailgate extender that's clad out. Does that make any sense?

 

I like this one! I'm on the hunt for a cap and then will likely do something like this in decent weather, and just scrunch up in bad weather...

 

Fetal position.

 

This is what I did this weekend. I had planned to sleep with the back open and had the tarp tied up. But it got pretty cold over night and I ended up closing the tailgate and lid. I was cramped because I have the fridge mounted in the back. But the pup and I were warm and cozy. I also have an ENO hammock and ENO rain fly. The ENO rain fly can also be used to cover up the tailgate area.

 

I'll be having a wife rather than a dog, so it will be extra cozy...haha.

 

Plenty of short bed camping options. For about $150 you can get a tent that is designed to cover the bed and the downed tailgate. Works fine for me and I can sleep off the ground. That said, there is nothing stealthy about it. A short bed just doesn't lend itself to stealthy camping, especially for more than one person. Alone, I would get a cab height shell and sleep diagonally.

 

I slept diagonally in a shortbed and nobody knew.

 

My wife, dog, and I sleep in the back of my DCSB on a platform. It’s snug but comfy. Did a 5 day road-trip, and no complaints sleeping any of the nights
me 5’8”
Wife 5’2”
Dog 55lb lab