PVC sleeping platform in a 2010 Xterra X

[scarysharkface]

It's been awhile since I've been active here. Things have changed. Jeep is gone and I bought a nice used BMW R1200GS. One kid is out of college and one is out of high school. I picked up a 2010 Xterra X as an inexpensive daily driver, and wouldn't you know it there's room to sleep in the back on the fold-flat floor. My lovely wife mentioned that we could take it out west and sleep in the back this summer, since it would be just the two of us this time.

I'd been looking at sleeping platforms for a while now (actually, since 2009 for the Jeep), and finally settled on what I hope will be stout, yet light and easy to remove when it's not needed.

This is the vehicle:

I bought a small selection of 3" and 2" PVC pipe, fittings and adhesive and went to work with the chop saw.

I'm concerned about distributing the weight where the platform frame rests on the rear of the rear seats, so I'm hoping this will be adequate to prevent damage. If need be, I can slip a thin piece of plywood or luan under it to further distribute the pressure.

I added a removable structure to the front, that comes off for driving and that is held in-place with a couple of short screws when in-use.

Trimmed plywood to fit and installed carpet remnant with lots of staples on the underside. There are a couple of strategic nails dropped into holes to keep the plywood in position on the PVC.

I'm pretty happy with it and can't wait to test it later this summer.

John

 

[outback97]

Looks really cool, I'm interested in hearing how you like it. I also have a 2nd Gen Xterra and have just used the seats folded flat + an 8GL actionpacker tote to make a sleeping surface. Works great, but you have to remove pretty much everything behind the front seats to use it for two people.

I'm curious about the decision to use PVC versus other material options. Can you comment on what influenced your decision? Do you have any containers in mind that you can put under the frame for storage?

 

[scarysharkface]

I used PVC because it was easy. Really, there's not much more to the decision than that. I knew it would be strong and light and that I could make all my cuts with a chop saw. I had existing scrap plywood that only needed trimming on one short side. We've both got back issues, so PVC allows for a structure that is light enough for one person to lift it all out without any drama. That's a nice unintended consequence.

I generally travel on a motorcycle, so I pack light and use small bags for everything, so that should work for this. My wife wanted just enough space to be able to slide camping gear underneath, and it meets that criteria. We don't cook when we camp, so we're only packing a jetboil french press for coffee. We have a cooler for drinks and snacks, and that will move to one of the front seats when we're sleeping in the vehicle.

Later this summer we're heading west with not much of a real itinerary and we're still planning to tent camp or hammock camp when and where possible, but this is our plan b for rain and camping in bear country.

John

 

[dnellans]

I think thats a very cool design I haven't seen before - how much does the whole PVC structure weigh? With Plywood on top of it I bet you could have gotten away with even smaller diameter piping potentially, not that it matters that much. Plus you now have a spot to put your fishing rods while on the road!

One possible improvement to make - you could add some form of eye hook to the middle of the board in the back with some p-cord that goes up to another one attached to the roof or around the top hatch somehow, you'd have a little p-cord pully system to lift your platform up sort of like a tonneau goes up on a pickup truck bed. would let you have full access to everything underneath without also having to hold the board up.

 

[scarysharkface]

I think thats a very cool design I haven't seen before - how much does the whole PVC structure weigh? With Plywood on top of it I bet you could have gotten away with even smaller diameter piping potentially, not that it matters that much. Plus you now have a spot to put your fishing rods while on the road!

One possible improvement to make - you could add some form of eye hook to the middle of the board in the back with some p-cord that goes up to another one attached to the roof or around the top hatch somehow, you'd have a little p-cord pully system to lift your platform up sort of like a tonneau goes up on a pickup truck bed. would let you have full access to everything underneath without also having to hold the board up.

I thought about the fishing rod bit, but I haven't fished since we moved away from Alaska in '91. The unit is light enough for me to handle by myself, as it comes apart. The idea of a pulley system is a good one and I'll look into that. There are things in the under compartment that I hope I don't need, but that I might and anything I can do to improve access is probably good.

John

 

[chet6.7]

Is the PVC and plywood secured well enough to remain in place in an accident?

 

[scarysharkface]

Is the PVC and plywood secured well enough to remain in place in an accident?

It's not bolted down, no, but with the seats in driving position, it's too big to move enough to get forward of the seats. Right now I've got a strap across it, running between the hardware that the rear seat backs lock into when upright, and I think I'll keep that as well (sans the pvc tube it's running through at the moment to keep my music gear from sliding forward). Excellent question.

John

 

[Camelfilter]

That's a pretty slick set-up!

 

[tienckb]

Great idea


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2002 LX470 expo ready
2008 Ford E350 EB V10 4x4 Sportsmobile PH top
Custom off road trailer

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

That is pretty neat.

 

[madmax718]

Slicker if you filled the pipes with water and tapped it as a water supply. Also to make it stronger, you have to use gussets to distribute weight over the pipe. Not necessary in your case, but you could have definitely sized down.

The other thing is, what about the space below? Any plans or ideas?

In my jeep, I went without storage below- Totes get moved to the front seats. Not being able to sit up sucked. I know the xterra has a high roof line, so maybe this isnt an issue for you.

 

[M35A2]

I wonder if next time you use smaller diameter pipe to pick up an inch or so of headroom.

 

[outback97]

I used PVC because it was easy. Really, there's not much more to the decision than that. I knew it would be strong and light and that I could make all my cuts with a chop saw. I had existing scrap plywood that only needed trimming on one short side. We've both got back issues, so PVC allows for a structure that is light enough for one person to lift it all out without any drama. That's a nice unintended consequence.

I generally travel on a motorcycle, so I pack light and use small bags for everything, so that should work for this. My wife wanted just enough space to be able to slide camping gear underneath, and it meets that criteria. We don't cook when we camp, so we're only packing a jetboil french press for coffee. We have a cooler for drinks and snacks, and that will move to one of the front seats when we're sleeping in the vehicle.

Later this summer we're heading west with not much of a real itinerary and we're still planning to tent camp or hammock camp when and where possible, but this is our plan b for rain and camping in bear country.

John

Nice, thanks for the reply. Really cool that one person can lift it out.

I am curious about headroom... I'm 6'4" and it's nice being able to mostly sit up inside, but it's probably not the end of the world if the floor were raised. On the other hand my wife is a foot shorter than me, and climbing down off the higher floor would probably not be fun for her!

One possible improvement to make - you could add some form of eye hook to the middle of the board in the back with some p-cord that goes up to another one attached to the roof or around the top hatch somehow, you'd have a little p-cord pully system to lift your platform up sort of like a tonneau goes up on a pickup truck bed. would let you have full access to everything underneath without also having to hold the board up.

Great idea!

 

[scarysharkface]

I could have gone with 2" pipe, in fact that was my original plan. The 3" pipe is more forgiving, structure-wise, and allows for a larger, uninterrupted open space underneath. The notion of sealing it and using it for water storage is a great idea, but I won't need it for the car-camping we're going to be doing.

I wish we could sit up, but we can't and it's no big deal. We could without the platform, but then there are storage issues that the platform addresses nicely. Overhead storage was considered, but then there goes the headroom. I've got a hitch carrier, but we are fond of the notion of having everything inside the vehicle with us. So compromises were definitely made and we'll figure out if we can live with them or not. We've got a tarp and chairs. Getting in and out is a bit of an exercise, but we're accustomed to indignities and will get over it.

The whole mess was cheap enough to construct that I don't see any great loss if I decide to ditch it and build a steel-tube frame or some such for the next outing. And if it works, well, then it works.

I think I mentioned earlier that we pack in bags, and somewhat lightly. Soft compressibles fit easily under the platform even though the 3" diameter pipe makes for a smaller opening. I'm of the stuff-it-in-a-bag-and-shove-it mindset, and although my wife is less-so inclined, she's starting to come around.

It looks like we're heading to Glacier N.P. mid-July. We'll grab a hotel room enroute, because it will be hot and muggy across the plains. Once we're in the mountains, we'll have tent and hammock options in addition to the sleeping platform. The beautiful things about the sleeping platform are that we won't have to setup a tent in the rain and can camp in the hard-sides-only spots in grizzly country. I LOVE traveling on the motorcycle, but those are definitely issues and they'll be largely moot in the Xterra.

After Glacier, we'll definitely either head north to the Icefields or south to somewhere or west to the coast if we don't do something different. Gotta be back at work August 1st, so we won't have a whole lot of time.

John

 

[wreckdiver1321]

It looks like we're heading to Glacier N.P. mid-July. We'll grab a hotel room enroute, because it will be hot and muggy across the plains. Once we're in the mountains, we'll have tent and hammock options in addition to the sleeping platform. The beautiful things about the sleeping platform are that we won't have to setup a tent in the rain and can camp in the hard-sides-only spots in grizzly country. I LOVE traveling on the motorcycle, but those are definitely issues and they'll be largely moot in the Xterra.

After Glacier, we'll definitely either head north to the Icefields or south to somewhere or west to the coast if we don't do something different. Gotta be back at work August 1st, so we won't have a whole lot of time.

John

Sounds like we might run across each other. I'm headed up north July 24-Aug 5. Couple days in Glacier, two nights in Crowsnest Pass, take the Forestry Trunk Road to Nordegg for the night, then on to Jasper. Four days in Jasper, then down the Icefields Parkway to Banff for a couple days before going home.

Absolutely amazing country up there.