$80 Platform Build

[Ala5ka]

After many nights freezing my butt off on the bare metal in the back of my truck I decided to build a sleeping platform in the bed of my truck, but I am financially challenged. So I figured I'd make it into my own kind of game to see what I can do.
-The Goal: Build a suitable bed platform for the bed of a 2002 F150 complete with carpet, storage systems, and easy access to supplies

-The Challenge: Do it with limited tools, and knowledge in a college parking lot...for under 100 dollars (audience gasps)

Just like everything I build I made the platform extremely simple and able to be removed quickly.

I figure what could be more easy than a single piece as a platform and four smaller supports underneath, the only problems are the wheel wells, and that the topper is much smaller diameter than the rest of the bed.

As you can see the build is very simple and straightforward utilizing a hinge in the middle of one of the pieces of plywood for quick access to supplies.
The inside is set up for holding three Rubbermaid tubs, my socket set, jacks, medical supplies, food, tool bag, and of course my super sweet camo sleeping pad.

I then added some carpet, anchor points and voila the worlds most simple sleeping platform.

I just need to find a better place for the cooler and water tank (it will fit underneath but the bottom is full)

So what do you guys think?
I'm adding a funny sign from Home Depot in Goleta

 

[dro805]

looks like a good platform i was going to do that in my yota but just put my old futon matress down , and its nice to see a local on here

 

[Every Miles A Memory]

If it's you sleeping solo, why not cut out a section at the foot of the truck bed for the cooler to sit in. This way it wouldnt sit so high and wouldnt need to be strapped down. It would be real close to the tailgate for easy access and would be cut to fit snug without any movement

Your legs could still have plenty of room if you're using it as a sleeping platform and the cooler would be easier to get in and out of

Just a thought

 

[sctracker]

Was the most expensive piece the piano hinge? Looks good man, I built my first platform on a super tight budget but with tons of tools. Good stuff.

 

[PsychoBurb]

Looks like it'll work great.

 

[ywen]

Nice and simple.. however if going solo, yu can just put a cot in the back and put containers underneath and around the cot. I have a roll a cot and it works very well

Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

 

[Ala5ka]

I go solo sometimes but if a friend or family want to come I want somewhere for them to sleep. The look of having gear in my bed also kind of makes me uneasy so this makes the whole thing a nice cohesive unit. Next to the piano hinge the glue that I used to attach the carpet was $12 a can. So I had a fun time making it and I hope it holds up to the rigors of the trail.

 

[dwh]

Nice! I like the carpet.


I did something similar once. I used two pieces of 4x8 1/2" ply, a few 1x2s and a box of drywall screws.

I made boxes down both sides out of one piece of plywood and some 1x2s. Not complete boxes, just fronts and tops with 1x2 bracing. The tops were just pieces of ply with 1x2 around the edges and finger holes so I could lift them out. I left a 4' wide space between the side boxes.

The other piece of plywood I put 1x2 rails around the underside of the perimeter, even with the outer edge, and a couple of cross braces. Then I put 1x2 rails down the length of the side boxes, low enough so that when the main board was slid in on top of the rails, it made a flat surface across the whole bed.

I could pull the center board out and slide it back in on the floor, and I had storage boxes down both sides that could double as a place to sit and also room for taller stuff down the center "isle" - or I could pull the board out and slide it back in along the rails and have a wide flat sleeping area.

Then I took out the board and boxes and gave 'em a quick hit with a sander, slapped on a couple quarts of varnish with a brush and let it sit for a week and then put it all back in the truck.

The whole thing was done on one lazy Saturday, and then it took 1/2 hour to stick it all back in the truck the following weekend.

Worked great, but with just me and the girlfriend, I usually ended up leaving the center board on the floor and piling up excess junk onto the side boxes - since 4' was plenty wide enough for two to sleep. And then when NOT camping is when I ended up keeping the center board in the high position, since I could stash stuff under it and any lowlife walking by and looking into the shell would see nothing but an empty flat space.

The reality of how I used it turned out to be opposite of what I had in mind when I built it...

 

[Raw7s]

looks good, I was financially challenged when I did my build as well: http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=48968. After deciding I wanted slides, my total came to $150.

 

[Ala5ka]

Thanks for the encouragement guys, It's nice that I can always add to the existing system that I have made

 

[05LR3AZ]

Great job and looks good...

 

[Herbie]

Great job!

I'm going down a similar path. I wished for all the fancy drawer/platform systems in the "Post up your drawer thread, but in the end I'm settling on the cheapest/easiest way to meet my needs. I'm about half way though building mine, but I too am using plastic totes under a basic wood platform. I have different needs and goals, but I've found that with some careful planning I'll get by with a single sheet of plywood and a few other bits.

Hope to show mine off soon, but in the meantime yours will keep me going!

 

[off-roader]

Nice. I'm a firm believer in KISS for platforms/storage.

Over the years I've found that the drawer/cabinet style storage systems I've built ultimately end up needing to be changed as my needs changed through the years (as your gear and storage your requirements change). With that in mind, I went with a design similar to yours also using plastic tubs to simplify the configure-ability of the drawer 'system'

Here's my setup...

The platform folds out for sleeping since I wanted to retain the rear seat area.

And here it is with the plastic tubs 'drawers' and gear loaded up underneath.

Notice, I used turn buckles (there are luggage tie down loops built into my rig) and simple 2.5" ID Schedule 80 PVC pipe (~1/4" thick wall) in each corner to support the platform.

For a detailed description, just click on the link below.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=506724&postcount=133

 

[Ala5ka]

wow off roader those are very nice, I might have to burgle your turn buckle idea

 

[off-roader]

Wasn't my idea actually. You'd be burgling it from my friend "Grasscat" who's on here occasionally. I saw his and he helped by doing mine up similarly although his doesn't fold up since he takes the middle row seats out when wheeling.

Also, it's actually a turnbuckle on one side and a long carriage bolt on the platform side.