Finally made my sleeping platform...

[BKCowGod]

Yay, my first mod! So I trolled around the internet and made a lot of preliminary designs before I finally settled on this one. The goal was to have as much room vertically as possible, and to make it fit in any small truck and be removable in minutes should the need arise. Basically it is a 40.5"x72"x7.5" box, made of 5/8" plywood with two enclosed storage compartments in the front and two that are open to the rear of the truck. There will be about 3" of foam on top and eventually I'll probably carpet it and paint it, but for now it was an excellent use of a day that I should have spent studying.

Here's the finished product - 35x18x6 storage box in one side, two folding chairs in the other.

Two of these relatively hidden storage compartments in the front - one will hold the inverter, two 40aH or so deep cycle batteries (not connected to the truck), and tools/fluids/spare parts - the stuff you don't need to see.

The neighbor's dog tries to help out

I've never seen another rear door like this one. In fact, the entire camper is relatively unique - insulated aluminum with two good sized sliding windows, NOT TINTED!!! The front window also slides, and it has a pretty good lock on it. Got it for $25 on Craigslist.

 

[articulate]

Excellent!

According to your signature: now I just need to find time to use it... Since you now have a sleeping platform, I suggest giving it a shot in the driveway one night this week. That's all the time you need!

Wrapping the casework in carpet and adding a mattress will help a lot too.

 

[BKCowGod]

Found some really nice carpeting at Home Depot for $2.50/linear foot, but none of the eight employees in the carpet area were willing to cut it for me so it's still wood... Thurs is a one night quickie to Bodega Bay, so I will get at least a test run in...

 

[paulj]

I topped my platform with foam mats that come in interlocking 2' squares. I trimmed the edges of the plywood with aluminum channel.

For sleeping I use Thermarest Zrest pads plus backpacking oriented tube type air mattresses. While inflating them takes a bit of effort at night, they take up a minimum of packing space, and don't get in the way of cargo storage while driving.

http://www.pbase.com/paulj3/elementplatform

paulj

 

[Scott Brady]

Nice job. You little Isuzu is coming along nicely. They are tough little trucks!


PaulJ,

As always, impressive work on your Element.

 

[Jonathan Hanson]

I like it too. Simple, strong, and perfectly functional.

 

[kcowyo]

And so it begins.....

I like the simple approach too. I'm sure you'll enjoy having a place to store your gear and a seperate place to sleep. Shuffling gear at the end of the day to make enough room for the Thermarest used to drive me nuts.

I have a couple of suggestions based on my experience and working with a similar design, that might help you out -

1. Fasten the deck to the truck, using "L" brackets or something. I was trying a new deck design last year at the ExPo Rally, and it was wedged in tight, but not fastened. It held up to a 2 day offroad trip in Utah on my down to Arizona, so I figured it was solid. However on the last day of the Rally, I was falling behind taking pics and then trying to catch up with Outback Challenge 2006 winning driver Scott Brady, and caught a little unsuspected air on the trail. Twice.

The force was enough to lift the deck and it came back down on the edge of one of my storage boxes, completely shattering it. Now you may not anticipate that kind of use, but neither did I. For 2 dollars worth of brackets and screws I would have been spared the headache and cleanup. Something to consider.

2. I used a roll of vehicle replacement carpet from Wal Mart to cover the deck. It's cheap, $7 a roll and much easier to use and bend around corners than residential quality carpet. I can't imagine using this stuff in a truck, it's very chintzy, but you can cut it with scissors and it works great as a covering to prevent splinters and snags from punching a hole in your sleeping pad. I used black carpet and when there was nothing on top of the deck, you couldn't even see it through the windows.

The flip up rear window on the topper is different and I bet real handy. Now back to the books!

 

[photoleif]

i like the simple approach, but i prefer rugged permanance, so i did up a full monty. those of you on yotatech might have already seen it. if not, here's the link:

http://www.yotatech.com/showthread.php?t=83758

 

[BKCowGod]

I actually saw that one - I took some inspiration from it. My priorities were a bit different, but I definitely admire your craftsmanship.

 

[photoleif]

I actually saw that one - I took some inspiration from it. My priorities were a bit different, but I definitely admire your craftsmanship.

thanks for the kind words. i'm glad it was of some help to you. any pix of yours?

 

[BKCowGod]

Only pix so far are at the top of this thread. When I pull it out to finish (paint, carpet, etc) I plan to do a more detailed writeup.

 

[DaktariEd]

I like it. It's a good basic unit. Can be modified later as time and experience dictate...
Lookin' good!
:victory:
Ed