Sleeping in your truck is one of the interesting things about truck camping. You don’t need to invest in expensive off-road vehicles to hit the road. You can build a bed at the back of your truck or just buy and install one. However, keep in mind that you need some preparation and experience for your camping to be a success.
Turning the Back of Your Truck to a Bed
There are many approaches to this. The most common approach involves designing an elevated platform that will give you some storage space underneath. Another approach involves just buying a sleeping pad or mattress and laying it on the floor at the back of the truck.
Read also: Top Secrets about Sleeping on an Air Mattress Long Term
The Elevated Truck Bed
Most campers prefer building elevated sleeping platforms. However, this truck bed design puts more emphasis on storage space. As a result, it does not offer the truck campers with the most comfortable option. It also provides limited headroom. This makes it difficult for you to sit up. What we love about this kind of sleeping platform is the relatively high security that it will offer to your gear.
Setting Up Your Truck Bed
The first step in setting up your sleeping platform is taking measurements of the truck bed. You also need to determine the amount of space that is available to you at the back of your truck. You should then draw a layout of the bed. For the sleeping platform to be complete you will need two outer boxes that go over your truck’s wheel wells. You will also need a support board and a center area for securing the outer edges.
The next step is to get all the materials that you will need:
- 3 sheets of plywood.
- Hinges.
- Angle brackets.
- Bolts.
- Carpet.
- Screws.
- A table saw.
- Duct tape.
Preparing the Boards
- Cut the boards to the desired length of your bed. You should cut the boards into square shapes.
- Attach tie-down hooks around your square-boards.
- Arrange your boards and see if they fit.
Fastening the Boards
- Use the brackets and screws to tie the boards.
- To have an easy time, you should assemble the sleeping platform outside your truck. After it’s complete, you can then slide it in.
- Try adding some additional supports if the centerboard of the platform does not rest properly on the support boards.
Finishing Up Your Platform
- To give your bed a finished look, you can cover it with a carpet.
- Use staples to fix the carpet on the boards.
- Use duct tape to wrap the carpet edges.
Now your truck bed is ready. Just add a mattress on top of it and you are good to go.
Tips for Sleeping in Your Truck Bed
- Once your bed is set, you can add a sleeping bag, a mattress, or some cushioning for comfort. In the case of a sleeping bag, you should ensure that it does not get blocked by the wheel wells. Learn more 11 Important tips on How to make a sleeping bag warmer.
- Next, you need to protect yourself from the weather while sleeping. In his case, you will need a tent. Transparent tents are the best since you will sleep while staring at the stars.
- If the space at the back of your truck isn’t enough for your bed to fit, a camper shell would be a good purchase. The shell will act as an extension to your truck. The good thing is that finding a camper shell that fits your truck model won’t be hard.
- We recommend that you sleep in the center space of your platform. You can use the space near the wheel wells for storage.
Your Security
While sleeping in your truck, your security is very important. If you are camping somewhere out in the wild, then you need to be aware of wild animal attacks. To avoid attracting animals, you should avoid keeping food inside your camper shell. The best way to keep your food is by storing them inside a cooler and then hanging them on a tree or somewhere that will keep them off the ground.
Ensure You Have All the Essentials
When you are living far away from the comfort of your home, you need to ensure that you have all the essentials with you for a comfortable stay. Here are some of the essentials that you need to have:
- Camp stove.
- Sleeping pad.
- Warm blanket.
- Headlamps.
- Emergency light.
- Camping pots and cutlery.
Where Can You Get Power from?
Even if you are away from your TV and other electronics at home, you are still going to need power. You still need to charge your tablet, phone, or laptop. With a power inverter, you can draw power from your car battery and convert it to usable AC. However, you shouldn’t wire your power inverter directly to your car battery. You risk killing your battery and getting stranded in the middle of nowhere. You should have a second battery to prevent such inconvenience.
Ventilation
Your ventilation is a major deal. When you are sleeping at night locked up inside your truck with everything shut, you will wake up very sweaty in the middle of the night. This is so, especially during the summer. To keep yourself comfortable while sleeping, you should ensure that at least you keep the sunroof open.
Conclusion
It’s an awesome experience to sleep in a truck bed while getting to spend some time away from the busy life and the comfort of your bed at home. However, you will only enjoy your sleep if you have properly set up your truck bed. Ensure that you have all the essentials for your truck camping experience to be fun.
Besides sleeping inside your truck, there are other ways you can spend your night while camping. You can also opt for a rooftop tent. Rooftop tents are recommended if you are camping in areas that have a wild animal population.