Truck bed camper setups

[AustinL911]

Anyone do this for traveling purposes? Since I live in central Ohio and have started taking on this western hunting thing, I've come to appreciate just how long a 20-32hr drive can be. Renting a hotel for a whole night is a waste of money when all I'd really like is a 3-4hr nap so I can get back on the road. I don't want to take the time to setup a campsite at a rest stop with the loons that hang out at those places. So, I've been thinking about truck camping setups. I took to youtubes, which surprisingly has quite a few vids on there of various setups, however, none seem to be hunting related.

Anyone do this? I'll be running a 2017 crew cab short bed (5' 8") GMC Sierra 1500 with a cap of some sort. I'll need room for a cooler or 2, typical backpacking hunting gear, and room to sleep for one person and maybe a German Shepherd sometimes. Oh, and room for antlers after its all over is a must (well, I hope anyways). I'm 5' 7", so I could probably squeeze in length-wise, but a full bed covering the whole area of the truck would probably be better. The ability to break it down fairly easily so it can all be removed for the other 11 months of the year would be preferable. Just brainstorming here.

Anyone have a setup they'd like to show off? Ideas are always welcomed.

 

[huntsman22]

I'm 5'7" and sleep crossways across a full-size '99 F-350 on top of a bed height toolbox......

 

[archer wapiti]

Get or build a tall cap for your bed and sleep on top of your coolers.
Or just slide your gear to one side (I'll pull some things out and either put them up front or stack them alongside the truck) and unroll a mattress (one of those fancy thick air mattresses) on the bed and get some sleep. Antlers go on top or underneath.

 

[Agross]

I have the same pickup, a little older though, and I'm an inch taller . I have a topper on my truck, a few layers of carpet in the truck bed, and a sleeping bag and pillow. Pretty simple but it works great . Stack yer stuff on one side and in the back seat.

 

[Dinger]

There was a thread like this not that long ago.

I've used a swag, or 'bedroll' in US parlance, for 30 years...they are standard issue down here. I keep a nice thick insulated airmattress in it with my full size pillow and good cotton based sleeping bag. Sleep like a baby. Any gear in the way gets shoved aside or hits the deck.

US supplier - Father son team, they are on a GB podcast.

Canvas Bed Roll | Bed Rolls and Accessories

Random Aussie supplier for reference

mrswagman.com.au

Home sweet home

 

[Superkodiak38]

I was looking at the Canvas Cutter for this, a lot cheaper than a cap or a couple of nights in a hotel, sleep on the ground or in the bed of the truck, roll it up in the morning or after a nap and start driving again. I am thinking about a bed cover to keep items secure and the Canvas Cutter bed roll

 

[406]

Plywood platform is pretty easy to build. My buddy just throws a rollacot up in his and works fine. Last year I just took every camp pad we had and put them on one side, coolers and gear stacked on the other.

Then we bought an old used pop up slide in. You can't put a price on being able to stand up and change your pants when it's 20 outside.

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[ScottinPA]

Last year I did the truck camp thing in MT. I have a F150 with the 6'-6" bed. Put a fold up cot in one side cooler on the other, stack stuff under cot and still have ample room to move around. Miscellaneous bins in the backseat. Didn't use it driving from PA but it probably would've worked well. You'd have to modify a cot to work in the shorter bed or try to get it in diagonally.

 

[LongWayAround]

I bought a used topper on Craigslist for $450 for my 2013 Silverado for sleeping in the bed. I basically do as everyone else said. I did meet a guy at a trailhead who had built a divider and had a 6" foam pad with a few other amenities. It looked like a good setup. Awhile back Reminder Warren had an article in Western Hunter about his truck camping setup. I think he rhino lined the bed up to the rails and carpeted a sheet of plywood. Plywood went on the bed rails. I believe gear went below the plywood and he slept above it. Also, a co-worker of mine built a set of slide out drawers for his truck and he sleeps on top of them.

 

[justinspicher]

Ive never used one for traveling. I did however live in my 96 Tacoma last summer while we were working on buying a house. I had a camper shell and put my thermarest luxury lite cot in the back. Spend a serious amount of time sleeping in this configuration. 30 May to 21 August to be exact.

 

[cnelk]

This is my setup.

Full length bed area w/ storage underneath that holds my chainsaw, toolbox, tire chains, water and other misc items.
The space along the deck is large enough for a 120qt cooler and in front of that is a short wing that I boil water /prep food/coffee

I can lock my tailgate to protect the items under the deck and lock the topper for the rest.

Works well for me for scouting or long weekend hunt trips to neighboring states

 

[BroodBuster]

I recently added a Bedrug and ARE cap to my truck. I'm using as is for now and am sort of figuring out how exactly I want to configure it. That'll be my winter project.

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[slick]

Also do this. And am currently doing it. Have a 09 Tundra with a 6'6" bed. Like everyone else I sleep on one side and gear bin/cooler on the other. Sometimes my cooler goes in my back seat of the truck and opens a bit more room. I just use a foam roll up pad from cabelas. When it's nice enough I'll sleep on top of the truck.

Would like to be able to stand up and throw pants on, but it's better than driving however long to your hunting spot.


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[Elkfitness]

This is my setup.

Full length bed area w/ storage underneath that holds my chainsaw, toolbox, tire chains, water and other misc items.
The space along the deck is large enough for a 120qt cooler and in front of that is a short wing that I boil water /prep food/coffee

I can lock my tailgate to protect the items under the deck and lock the topper for the rest.

Works well for me for scouting or long weekend hunt trips to neighboring states

This is perfect. I will build one of these for my truck. I've always slid things around, but this is just right


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[Where's Bruce?]

truck tent alternative

Kodiak Canvas truck tent I can stand in. it has seen Mother Nature's worst...snow, 70MPH desert winds, major downpours...not a leak or ripple in 9 years of use and still looks almost new. It is awesome! Takes under 15 minutes to erect. 5 to tear down and is about the size of a heavy sleeping bag.

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The Bedrug insulates and provides padding for the knees. Makes it downright homey.

 

[Jimbo V]

My beds a little longer but I do it every year for hunting season. I built a plywood platform short enough so I can sit up, I got one of egg carton pads from wal mart to put on it then a blanket, on top of that my sleeping pad, bag and a couple pillows, two coolers 150 and a 120 go on the other side on top of each other strapped together then I have the remaining 1/4 for whatever isn't in my cab. I also run a MR Buddy heater when it's cold, you can wake up about 5 min early and have it pretty warm before you get out of your bag. I'm 5'7 as well so you should be able to build something that you can sit up on to look at maps eat etc, but your length might be tight. Hope that helps.


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[robtattoo]

I'm lucky, having an 8' bed. I picked up a used camper top on craigslist a couple of years ago for this very reason. I got sick of motels on my way out west each year (especially as I got my card ripped & bank account emptied TWICE in 2 years from motels....)
Paid $100 for the top & grabbed a Wal-Mart cot for $35.
I have a lockable box in the front corner containing my survival kit & tools, that also serves as a side-table & place to cook.
This year I've wired in 2 12v outlets for a fan & phone charger & I can toss my Mr Buddy heater in there if I need. I sleep on a canvas cowboy roll with a feather ticking mattress on top of the cot.
There's still room for 2 120qt + my 65qt cooler. I also have a battery operated LED strip light that's more than bright enough to cook or read by.

The best part is that nothing is fixed to the bed (other than the top itself) & I can go from camper to hauling lumber in less than 5 minutes.

One thing I would strenuously suggest is to keep a couple of large, empty Gatorade bottles in the back.....nothing worse than trying to get out of one at 2am & 20° to pee.

 

[aclawrence]

I always used to think camper shells looked so cheesey on trucks but now they seem to be glaringly practical and I kind of wish I had one.


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[Middleofnowhere]

This is my setup.

Full length bed area w/ storage underneath that holds my chainsaw, toolbox, tire chains, water and other misc items.
The space along the deck is large enough for a 120qt cooler and in front of that is a short wing that I boil water /prep food/coffee

I can lock my tailgate to protect the items under the deck and lock the topper for the rest.

Works well for me for scouting or long weekend hunt trips to neighboring states

My cousin uses a set-up similar to yours. His shelf is removeable. Shifting ice chests have wiped out his leg a couple times though.

 

[Brendan]

Best thing I’ve done to mine. Every truck I own will get something like this immediately: