LATEST PROJECT - Truck Drawers/Sleeping Platform

[southpier]

is soldered hard fittings a standard application for the waterlines? i would think just vibration from the truck being driven, independent of any movement in the box set up, would be enough to crack joints after a bit



also, any chance of a side view of a drawer showing the slide?

nice set up; thanks

 

[NM-Frontier]

Boy that is a sweet set up! Super nice detail of every thing. It makes me want to re-do mine. Thanks for sharing.

 

[roadtripcrazed]

How do you like the thermarest dreamtime pads? Also, what type of pillows are those? They look great!

The DreamTime pads are amazing. How can you beat 3.5 inches of comfort with a removable, machine washable cover? The support of a traditional Thermarest with the extra comfort of a memory foam topper ... no complaints here! The pillows are also made by Thermarest. As mentioned, we've been backpacking for years, so most of our gear carries over from there. This whole "truck camping" concept is new but VERY exciting.

 

[roadtripcrazed]

is soldered hard fittings a standard application for the waterlines? i would think just vibration from the truck being driven, independent of any movement in the box set up, would be enough to crack joints after a bit.

also, any chance of a side view of a drawer showing the slide?

nice set up; thanks

I consulted with a few people about the copper fittings before proceeding. The general consensus was that the copper would actually be MORE reliable than hoses because it is simply a more secure joint. Obviously, the copper fitting have only been used where I am confident they will not sustain significant stress. The union from heater hose to copper fitting is made outside of the box, and it is very well secured. I suppose that only time will tell ...

I should add that I also built a copper manifold/bypass valve assembly in the engine bay. This allows me to simply turn a few valves up front if an issue ever presents itself in the box. Peace of mind more than anything.

I can grab a side shot of the drawers for sure. Not much to see really - just a drawer with a length of 1" square tubing alongside it. Photos later tonight or tomorrow.

-=Doug

 

[Raw7s]

WOW :drool:

I'm actually in the process of building one myself. Drew up the plans and made a cardboard concept today, and will be cutting the pieces tomorrow. Mine will be going in a Hummer H3, with only 64" of overall flattop length in the back, 31" of available drawer space length.

I was planning on posting some pictures of mine once I'm done, but after seeing yours... mine will look like a blind kid built it

Edited:

had a stupid question about how the beds slide, but figured it out. Where'd you find rollers that small?

 

[southpier]

.... I suppose that only time will tell ...

... Photos later tonight or tomorrow.

-=Doug

thanks; this is really a nice build

 

[96discoXD]

Nicely designed and well thought out! I'm hoping to begin building my platform soon, it will no doubt pale in comparison to what you have accomplished. My hat's off to you sir.

 

[camp'n_hunt]

Amazing Work

Wow, I’m super impressed. Top notch work all around. I’m still in the planning process for my bed setup and am curious about your slides. How do the stop from pulling out too far? Also why Birch Ply? I found that Truck Vault use’s a MDO (medium density overlay) is one stronger or cheaper than another?

Again, awesome work, hope you have a safe trip to the north land.

 

[roadtripcrazed]

Apologies

It has been raining here for the last few days and has proven difficult to take the few pictures that have been requested. Hopefully there will be a break in the sky today! Otherwise, these will need to wait until our return from Alaska.

 

[roadtripcrazed]

... why Birch Ply? I found that Truck Vault use's a MDO (medium density overlay) is one stronger or cheaper than another?

Again, awesome work, hope you have a safe trip to the north land.

We chose to use Birch plywood because it is stronger and stiffer than it's spruce counterparts. Being a hardwood, birch plywood also has excellent surface hardness and wear-resistance. And of course - the surface grain looks great with a coat of clear varnish!

MDO is great to work with. I've completed many projects with it. However, being a spruce-cored product, it does not have the same strength or stiffness as Birch. It's still VERY strong though. MDO is a great product if you are looking to paint or bed-line it due to the smooth surface.

You'll normally find Birch to be more expensive than MDO - but this may be regional. And shop-grade Birch can be found at significant discount if you keep your eyes open!

Hope that helps.

 

[roadtripcrazed]

I’m still in the planning process for my bed setup and am curious about your slides. How do the stop from pulling out too far?

The drawers have a small retainer pin in the rear of the drawer that will strike the catch for the latch if it is pulled out all of the way. You just have to pull this pin up to clear the catch and the drawer can be removed.

I am still working on a stopper for the top bed-slides but have yet to come up with anything that I am satisfied with. I will likely end up with something similar to the pin-catch though. Until then, I have tightened the turnbuckles so that the outside walls are a little off of square - this makes the space for the bed-slides a bit snug so it takes a fair amount of effort to pull them out completely. Works for now!

 

[StumpXJ]

I will just echo what everyone else has said. This is truly artful work, amazing ingenuity, and precisely executed.

I was honestly expecting to see another couple sheets of plywood thrown into the back of the truck (kinda like my old platform...lol) when i saw the title. Pleasantly surprised though!

~ James

 

[cmgraves]

I absoletly love it!! :wings:

It is very similiar to what I am planning on building in the future, and took your amazing ideas to add to my design.

Some quick questions.

Could you show a pic of the slider that holds the fridge with the fridge on it? How and where are the supports to hold that amount of weight? Pictures would be awesome.

Where did you get the topper heater, or any guidances of where to look?



Absoletly amazing and outstanding work!! :drool:

 

[Darby Darrow]

Awesome job!

Can you direct me to a source for your roller bearings?

 

[evldave]

WOW :drool:

I'm actually in the process of building one myself. Drew up the plans and made a cardboard concept today, and will be cutting the pieces tomorrow. Mine will be going in a Hummer H3, with only 64" of overall flattop length in the back, 31" of available drawer space length.

I was planning on posting some pictures of mine once I'm done, but after seeing yours... mine will look like a blind kid built it

Edited:

had a stupid question about how the beds slide, but figured it out. Where'd you find rollers that small?

I have an H3 as well, when I built my bed platform, I took the seats out, made for a significant amount of space, especially in the rear footwell. I think it was 4 bolts for the seatbacks and a few screws for the bottoms. I could convert from 5 passengers to 2 pass+bed in less than 30 minutes. If you build 2 platforms (one in the rear and one to add when the seats are out) then you can convert pretty easily and keep your 'essentials' stored in the rear storage so you don't have to change them out when you convert to bed mode.