Lets see some "set up" Regular Camper shells
- Thread starter trailbuilt
- Start date
BlueBomber
Adventurer
Have you come up with any ideas on what you want to do yet. i want to set up my truck with a camper, but still have some repair work to do.
theMec
Adventurer
1st generation truck sleeping platform
The following 2 pics show what I started with in my short bed Dodge. I call it my 1st generation setup. It's simple and low. Low means good for headroom but not for under bed storage. It easily sleeps the 3 of us - wife, daughter & me.
Note that this truck has 3 "notches" on each side for boards. The wide boards (4 of them) sit on top of this. The vertical board is only a divider and not a support.
Here's the sleeping mode:
Here's the travel mode (the 4 boards can be stacked as needed to put gear and crates on the floor):
I'll follow this post w/ my 2nd gen sleeping platform.
The following 2 pics show what I started with in my short bed Dodge. I call it my 1st generation setup. It's simple and low. Low means good for headroom but not for under bed storage. It easily sleeps the 3 of us - wife, daughter & me.
Note that this truck has 3 "notches" on each side for boards. The wide boards (4 of them) sit on top of this. The vertical board is only a divider and not a support.
Here's the sleeping mode:
Here's the travel mode (the 4 boards can be stacked as needed to put gear and crates on the floor):
I'll follow this post w/ my 2nd gen sleeping platform.
theMec
Adventurer
2nd generation truck sleeping platform
Here's my 2nd generation setup for my short bed Dodge.
Here's the overview w/out the center boards
Here's a closer view of one side. Note the leg height can be adjusted by added 2x4s or whatever.
Another view of the attachments - the outside height is adjusted by cinching up on the clove hitches (both ends). This allows the height to equalize.
Here's another shot of travel mode w/ a cooler and crate in place
Finally here's a shot w/ the center boards in place. Of course, we (my wife, 7 YO daughter & I) sleep on 3" thick foam pads which go on top of the boards.
I hope this helps generate some ideas ....
I am working on my 3rd generation setup now.
Here's my 2nd generation setup for my short bed Dodge.
Here's the overview w/out the center boards
Here's a closer view of one side. Note the leg height can be adjusted by added 2x4s or whatever.
Another view of the attachments - the outside height is adjusted by cinching up on the clove hitches (both ends). This allows the height to equalize.
Here's another shot of travel mode w/ a cooler and crate in place
Finally here's a shot w/ the center boards in place. Of course, we (my wife, 7 YO daughter & I) sleep on 3" thick foam pads which go on top of the boards.
I hope this helps generate some ideas ....
I am working on my 3rd generation setup now.
hikingff77
Adventurer
I really like some of the ideas on here. My only issues are building something that's a complete pain in the MMM to remove when I go to the hardware store.
I want my bed to be useful both ways.
I really like the one layout the guy has here where he has the two sides and then the piece that can slide in the middle and make a complete platform.
I always have something back there. Be it fire gear, small toolbox, my dogs, luggage or a cooler or something. Then there's the home depot runs where I bring home drywall, etc. I'm really liking the idea although I don't know if I could ever sleep in it since it's not a raised roof.
Something to play around with.
I want my bed to be useful both ways.
I really like the one layout the guy has here where he has the two sides and then the piece that can slide in the middle and make a complete platform.
I always have something back there. Be it fire gear, small toolbox, my dogs, luggage or a cooler or something. Then there's the home depot runs where I bring home drywall, etc. I'm really liking the idea although I don't know if I could ever sleep in it since it's not a raised roof.
Something to play around with.
hikingff77
Adventurer
Metcalf
Expedition Leader
I have been watching this thread too. I think there are a lot of good ideas.
The design process for me boils down to choosing a sleeping/camping system that either is easily removable ( for truck multipurpose flexibility ) or a system that is modular enough to be flexible without removing it from the truck.
It looks as though with my new big tires I am going to have to tub the rear wheel tubs inwards a bit. I will no longer be able to lay a 4x8 sheet on the floor in the truck I don't think.
The design process for me boils down to choosing a sleeping/camping system that either is easily removable ( for truck multipurpose flexibility ) or a system that is modular enough to be flexible without removing it from the truck.
It looks as though with my new big tires I am going to have to tub the rear wheel tubs inwards a bit. I will no longer be able to lay a 4x8 sheet on the floor in the truck I don't think.
theMec
Adventurer
Thought I'd post up my new (3rd generation) bench / sleeping platform setup. I now have a taller shell so I can have higher benches but other things are different also - like the standalone table that can be easily pulled outside.
Here's a cut & paste from my build thread:
Here's some pics of my benches / sleeping platform setup. This is nowhere near as cool as Sönke's hard-side popup camper setup but it's functional enough. I'll probably drill some holes at some point to save weight but I'm going camping this weekend and don't have time now.
1st two pics show the setup outside the camper. It takes 5 minutes to put it in. Note the free-standing bench can easily be pulled outside for a table.
Click on pics to display a larger size.
And after clipping the side benches in place w/ 6 quicklinks (3 per side). The quicklinks are attached to a predrilled strap that I bent and screwed to the existing bolts (which attach the bed to the camper).
This last pic has the board in place for sleeping. When not in place, this board can be a backrest for lounging. Also I anticipate using this board for an inside table - after I figure out the best way to do it.
Covering all this are a number of 3" thick green foam slabs. Once I have everything dialed in, I'll get the foam pieces covered w/ fabric - like the professionals do. :ylsmoke:
Also in the above pic is a 66 qt. Sterilte container for size. There is 14" space from the floor to the bottom of the benches.
Here's a cut & paste from my build thread:
Here's some pics of my benches / sleeping platform setup. This is nowhere near as cool as Sönke's hard-side popup camper setup but it's functional enough. I'll probably drill some holes at some point to save weight but I'm going camping this weekend and don't have time now.
1st two pics show the setup outside the camper. It takes 5 minutes to put it in. Note the free-standing bench can easily be pulled outside for a table.
Click on pics to display a larger size.
And after clipping the side benches in place w/ 6 quicklinks (3 per side). The quicklinks are attached to a predrilled strap that I bent and screwed to the existing bolts (which attach the bed to the camper).
This last pic has the board in place for sleeping. When not in place, this board can be a backrest for lounging. Also I anticipate using this board for an inside table - after I figure out the best way to do it.
Covering all this are a number of 3" thick green foam slabs. Once I have everything dialed in, I'll get the foam pieces covered w/ fabric - like the professionals do. :ylsmoke:
Also in the above pic is a 66 qt. Sterilte container for size. There is 14" space from the floor to the bottom of the benches.
I put together all the pictures from this thread on a drop so they can be more easily oggled. :coffeedrink:
tader
New member
Newby here... not sure if Trailbuilt has decided or built his setup yet, but here is what my dad and I set up in a Dodge Ram shortbed for hitting the OBX.
Wish I could find some better pics. Any ways the center piece pulls out and lays on the deck and both of the sides are on piano hinges as well as the front wich is divided into 3 compartments. My mother made the mattresses as well as matchin curtains for the windows. This setup has worked right well for us and have spent several weeks in it just fishing on the beach.
Sorry, for the crappy paint drawing of it. Did this when I was 13 or 14....
Wish I could find some better pics. Any ways the center piece pulls out and lays on the deck and both of the sides are on piano hinges as well as the front wich is divided into 3 compartments. My mother made the mattresses as well as matchin curtains for the windows. This setup has worked right well for us and have spent several weeks in it just fishing on the beach.
Sorry, for the crappy paint drawing of it. Did this when I was 13 or 14....
I build houses for a living so I have had several A.R.E. fiberglass truck toppers over the years. They are well made, except the conventional tailgate and lid design is way to easy to break into, even with dual locks (one on each side of the lid). I personally have had my topper broken into twice by someone using a prybar to bend the locking mechanism. I beefed the locks up with garage door locks and was still able to break in with a hard arm pull.
My next topper will be an ARE DCU series with solid barn doors and a backup camera. I plan on using interior slide bolts to secure the left door and a shackle-less or internal shackle pad lock (like the one produced by Kryptonite) in addition to the factory lock to secure the right. I know a few contractors who have had their tools stolen out of those "lockable" side boxes. They are also really easy to break into. I guess someone could always come by and steal the entire truck with a flat bed, happened to my friend Jim while he was having dinner at his brother's house.
....And this all happened in the Sub-burbs of Pittsburgh, where there are some really affluent neighborhoods intermixed with the middle class.
My next topper will be an ARE DCU series with solid barn doors and a backup camera. I plan on using interior slide bolts to secure the left door and a shackle-less or internal shackle pad lock (like the one produced by Kryptonite) in addition to the factory lock to secure the right. I know a few contractors who have had their tools stolen out of those "lockable" side boxes. They are also really easy to break into. I guess someone could always come by and steal the entire truck with a flat bed, happened to my friend Jim while he was having dinner at his brother's house.
....And this all happened in the Sub-burbs of Pittsburgh, where there are some really affluent neighborhoods intermixed with the middle class.
Dale thanks for that info, I just thought with the hinged hatch back open ability that this camper has .someone would have made a tricked out camper set up by now,whick is the direction i think im heading .Being active/camping type person seems like a good option on a camper. thanks for everyones pics some good ideas out there.
Sorry, my rig is stock and I typically camp in the back with backpacking equipment. I tried the sleeping platform approach but it didn't work for me. I would recomend barn doors instead of a tail gate so you don't have to pull your guts out reaching for things inside the topper, maybe an awning or tarp off the back so your equipment doesn't get soaked. Hope this helps, just things picked up through my experience.