b dash rian
New member
Hello all - long time lurker, first time poster here. Figured i'd put my stuff in one place, if for no other reason, a documenting spot for myself.
Truck:
2016 Silverado 1500
Crew Cab, 6.5' bed
4wd, 5.3 V8
Formerly a Canadian rental truck (as far as i can tell. it still had sticker residue from the "no smoking" stickers they put on the dashboard)
V1: Contractor blank ARE topper, stock wheels, and Bilstein 5100 leveling shocks
![IMG_20191201_090105.jpg IMG_20191201_090105.jpg](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/556/556278-2d62bb9a9370140de79a5d1a76134703.jpg)
Did a Thanksgiving trip through Big Bend, then came home and immediately upgraded:
V2: Wrapped the topper, added roof racks, and some Methods with 285/70/17 Duratracs
![IMG_20200125_124150.jpg IMG_20200125_124150.jpg](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/556/556284-bd79d8f5cc978be91193447440689a29.jpg)
Don't mind the bumper being derpy - managed to come up short wrapping the chrome bumper with black, and haven't gone back and fixed it...
So 2020 happened, and i spent some time updating the truck bed camper parts of the truck.
![Side storage.png Side storage.png](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/556/556285-26e934b15c620d38319fef5d4bc64876.jpg)
Started with a sketch of what i wanted, then made a plan to make it happen.
MDF cutouts, epoxied and fiberglassed into place:
![IMG_20200506_200207.jpg IMG_20200506_200207.jpg](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/556/556286-f5bb3109ffd9fd1562983849389bd28b.jpg)
Then painted, and rods mounted - the rods are just conduit. Power box from Harbor Freight - future plan include actually hooking up some bed lights
![IMG_20200523_151634.jpg IMG_20200523_151634.jpg](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/556/556287-671a6ea637f9ffe2f7a43fae5ee2074e.jpg)
Then some sewing projects:
Side bag #1
![IMG_20200512_164328.jpg IMG_20200512_164328.jpg](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/556/556288-4578facddf4e5f12a8a0e54974e4fda8.jpg)
And installed, with some pockets full. In hindsight - the pouch style pockets need to be higher on the bag. The way it carries weight on an angle, the pockets end up kinda too horizontal - lessons learned and noted.
![IMG_20200523_152848.jpg IMG_20200523_152848.jpg](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/556/556289-e7d82c4250b108ae4bbb9765b4916542.jpg)
Then for the platform. A key for the sleeping area for me is that I still use the truck as a truck. So it needs to be relatively easily removed. Sadly, it prevents me from committing to drawers. Now that I have lots of nights in the bed - more on that later - I do really want to find a drawer solution that I can still use the bed as a full-on truck sometimes.
![IMG_20200523_193021.jpg IMG_20200523_193021.jpg](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/556/556290-95ff24e32fb92284f38c1569a5372b38.jpg)
Frame indexes into the bed slots. This gives some locator points, and holds the frame in place
![IMG_20200523_193007.jpg IMG_20200523_193007.jpg](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/556/556291-69490d7e9dabce49ba4c85cdd0935780.jpg)
Center board fits between the front and rear bars, and supports the plywood platform down the center.
![IMG_20200523_193127.jpg IMG_20200523_193127.jpg](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/556/556292-5d1fb66239a5d3525412c98ea0c8bcd2.jpg)
3/8ths plywood top. Because the outside are unsupported, I ended up adding some 3/4 board structure to the outside. It fits snugly between the front and rear supports.
Out of attachments on this post, so i'll start another one for the mattress that i made. The modularity has been super handy, as the whole platform can disassemble, store in the bed, and still have the vast majority of the bed useable.
Truck:
2016 Silverado 1500
Crew Cab, 6.5' bed
4wd, 5.3 V8
Formerly a Canadian rental truck (as far as i can tell. it still had sticker residue from the "no smoking" stickers they put on the dashboard)
V1: Contractor blank ARE topper, stock wheels, and Bilstein 5100 leveling shocks
![IMG_20191201_090105.jpg IMG_20191201_090105.jpg](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/556/556278-2d62bb9a9370140de79a5d1a76134703.jpg)
Did a Thanksgiving trip through Big Bend, then came home and immediately upgraded:
V2: Wrapped the topper, added roof racks, and some Methods with 285/70/17 Duratracs
![IMG_20200125_124150.jpg IMG_20200125_124150.jpg](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/556/556284-bd79d8f5cc978be91193447440689a29.jpg)
Don't mind the bumper being derpy - managed to come up short wrapping the chrome bumper with black, and haven't gone back and fixed it...
So 2020 happened, and i spent some time updating the truck bed camper parts of the truck.
![Side storage.png Side storage.png](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/556/556285-26e934b15c620d38319fef5d4bc64876.jpg)
Started with a sketch of what i wanted, then made a plan to make it happen.
MDF cutouts, epoxied and fiberglassed into place:
![IMG_20200506_200207.jpg IMG_20200506_200207.jpg](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/556/556286-f5bb3109ffd9fd1562983849389bd28b.jpg)
Then painted, and rods mounted - the rods are just conduit. Power box from Harbor Freight - future plan include actually hooking up some bed lights
![IMG_20200523_151634.jpg IMG_20200523_151634.jpg](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/556/556287-671a6ea637f9ffe2f7a43fae5ee2074e.jpg)
Then some sewing projects:
Side bag #1
![IMG_20200512_164328.jpg IMG_20200512_164328.jpg](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/556/556288-4578facddf4e5f12a8a0e54974e4fda8.jpg)
And installed, with some pockets full. In hindsight - the pouch style pockets need to be higher on the bag. The way it carries weight on an angle, the pockets end up kinda too horizontal - lessons learned and noted.
![IMG_20200523_152848.jpg IMG_20200523_152848.jpg](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/556/556289-e7d82c4250b108ae4bbb9765b4916542.jpg)
Then for the platform. A key for the sleeping area for me is that I still use the truck as a truck. So it needs to be relatively easily removed. Sadly, it prevents me from committing to drawers. Now that I have lots of nights in the bed - more on that later - I do really want to find a drawer solution that I can still use the bed as a full-on truck sometimes.
![IMG_20200523_193021.jpg IMG_20200523_193021.jpg](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/556/556290-95ff24e32fb92284f38c1569a5372b38.jpg)
Frame indexes into the bed slots. This gives some locator points, and holds the frame in place
![IMG_20200523_193007.jpg IMG_20200523_193007.jpg](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/556/556291-69490d7e9dabce49ba4c85cdd0935780.jpg)
Center board fits between the front and rear bars, and supports the plywood platform down the center.
![IMG_20200523_193127.jpg IMG_20200523_193127.jpg](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/556/556292-5d1fb66239a5d3525412c98ea0c8bcd2.jpg)
3/8ths plywood top. Because the outside are unsupported, I ended up adding some 3/4 board structure to the outside. It fits snugly between the front and rear supports.
Out of attachments on this post, so i'll start another one for the mattress that i made. The modularity has been super handy, as the whole platform can disassemble, store in the bed, and still have the vast majority of the bed useable.