Hey look, another sleeping platform

[Louisd75]

I've been wanting to build a sleeping platform for the back of my '02 Tacoma for a while. The major constraints that I had were:
* Sleep two people
* Maximize the amount of headroom between the platform and ceiling of my shell
* Allow for storage underneath
* Allow for two bicycles to be stored upright
* Be easy to remove by myself or with help

I don't like storing stuff on the roof of my shell unless I absolutely have to. I prefer the security and protection of having things inside, along with the fuel savings of keeping things out of the wind.

For materials, I used 2x2's for the frame with a 2x1/2 sacrificial strip on the bottom edges that will be sliding in and out of the truck. The top and wings are 1/2" plywood. Each wing is held on with a 72" piano hinge. I made a small storage area at the forward most part using some masonite (hardboard?) that I had laying around.

Determining width:

Mocking up:

Forward storage. There is a partition between the forward storage compartment and the aft space that is made of 1/2" plywood. It adds rigidity and a bit of support:

Main part assembled, mocked up for planning the wings. The plywood is supported on the edge by the wooden 2x2 frame. It's also supported by 3"x3" metal 90* brackets:

Wings assembled and folded up. The passenger side wing is narrower than the driver's side to allow for the hi-lift to be stored over the wheel well on that side. It works out that it allows both wings to lay flat with no overlap when they're folded.

Wings unfolded:

Ready for camping. I wound up using a couple of pieces of scrap to support the corners of wings at the tailgate. The wings are also supported by the top of the wheel wells.

Sorry, no pictures with the bikes. We had two 'cross bikes in the back for the first part of our trip, one on each side. Before heading off into the hills, we dropped the bikes at a friend's place.

I don't currently have anything securing the platform to the bed. I'm trying to figure out a way of attaching it that will hold it securely without interfering with the ability to put bikes in our out. As it is, the platform didn't move even with several days of washboard and rougher roads. I'm also working on a way of securing the bikes. They didn't move around on the highway, but we didn't have them in for the dirt portion. It'll likely be some sort of bike-tight style mount on a board, I just didn't have time to work it out before our road trip cropped up.

I plan on adding additional padding for sleeping, the foam thermarests just weren't cutting it. I'm also planning on carpeting the top portion.


-Louis

 

[18seeds]

Are you leaving the gas cans in there when you sleep?

 

[Louisd75]

Are you leaving the gas cans in there when you sleep?

So far yes. They've both got brand new rubber seals that seal well enough that it can be a real pain to open the can if the temperature falls off, let alone if I descend in altitude. Something like gas fumes is noticeable enough that if it becomes an issue at all, I'll set them outside.

-Louis

 

[Jean-Seb]

Nice ! Well executed. Thanks for giving me more ideas for mine.

 

[Mtn Mike]

The bike storage options bother me too. There's just not enough room to sleep and have the bikes inside. I like your wings because at least you can transport the bikes inside, if not sleep with them at the same time. Nice job :sombrero: And think I have the same Surly...Cross Check right? :bike_rider:

 

[Toyotero]

Great platform. Simple and functional.

 

[Louisd75]

The bike storage options bother me too. There's just not enough room to sleep and have the bikes inside. I like your wings because at least you can transport the bikes inside, if not sleep with them at the same time. Nice job :sombrero: And think I have the same Surly...Cross Check right? :bike_rider:

It'll take a little fine tuning til I'm happy with the bike setup. One person can sleep with one bike inside, but both bikes have to come out for two people to be comfortable. We thought we might only have to take one bike out to sleep both of us, but it's just too tight. I guess one solution is to buy a bigger truck, but I kind of like being able to fit in the compact parking spots.

The bike I used in the picture is my 1x1. It just happened to be nearby when it came time to mock up. It's kind of funny. We've got some really nice bikes, yet the crosschecks seem to be the ones we grab when we're hitting the road and don't want to bring the tandem

-Louis

 

[fifthcircle]

Hey look...another guy who likes your sleeping platform! :sombrero:

I ordered a cab high for my '06 Taco, and It will be installed this Thursday :wings: I am a cyclist too, and have been looking around at the platform threads wanting to build something just like what you have. Thanks for the perfect visual!

Any more ideas for bike mounting? I am wondering if I can set it up with two mounts on one side, so my dog has window access on the other with two bikes in the back. One facing forward and one aft would maybe use less space too. Bit of a pain to put them in that way, but it might be worth it in the long run. That and I could also have a third mount facing aft on the other side for shorter/no dog stuff.

-5th

 

[Louisd75]

Hey look...another guy who likes your sleeping platform! :sombrero:

I ordered a cab high for my '06 Taco, and It will be installed this Thursday :wings: I am a cyclist too, and have been looking around at the platform threads wanting to build something just like what you have. Thanks for the perfect visual!

Any more ideas for bike mounting? I am wondering if I can set it up with two mounts on one side, so my dog has window access on the other with two bikes in the back. One facing forward and one aft would maybe use less space too. Bit of a pain to put them in that way, but it might be worth it in the long run. That and I could also have a third mount facing aft on the other side for shorter/no dog stuff.

-5th

I snagged a couple of pics today with one bike in position.

My shell has a gun box and shovel mounted to the ceiling, which takes away some overhead clearance on the driver's side. If I were sleeping solo, I'd keep the bike on the driver's side and sleep on the passenger side.

When the bike is in, one pedal sits under the platform and one sits on top of the wheel well:

In the above picture, you can see one of the vertical supports for the bed hitting the pedal. The bike isn't all the way back in this picture. If I had planned it better, the vertical support would have been further back so that I could put the bike all the way in easily. As it is, I've kind of got to work the bike around that support to get it into position. Not really a big deal with the windoors on my shell, but something I'd redo if I hadn't screwed and glued those supports in.

As for securing the bikes, I've decided to just do a simple piece of plywood with a bike mount on it in roughly this position:

I'll probably attach the plywood to the lower rail of the frame using a couple of brackets bolted on.

Thinking about two bikes on one side, you probably wouldn't have too much trouble, especially if you 69'd them. Flat bars would be easier to deal with than drop bars, but both should be doable. If your shell has windoors, it would make things much easier for securing the bike that's facing forward. You may run into problems with the wings of the sleeping platform as they become wider. I didn't realize how much of a ledge the forward end of my shell made and I had to trim the corners off of the sleeping platform in order to be able to open and close it without interference. The wings aren't very wide, so it's not a big deal. If the wing were wider, you might have to remove more than just the corners to get it to clear.

-Louis

 

[fifthcircle]

Heh...69...

I will have windoors, and it's on a 2006 Taco, so I may have more "wing clearance" problems with the bed rail tracks and all that. No biggie, I'll figure something out. I have both mountain and road bikes, so I will have to do several trial fittings with all of them.

Thanks for the additional pics!

 

[irish_11]

Very slick design. I'm thinking this is the design I'll have to steal when I biuld mine. Its seems light enough weight while at the same time sturdy and functional. The wings are a great idea for storing odd cargo too. Well done.

 

[ETAV8R]

Nice work!
:bike_rider:

 

[southpier]

Very slick design..... Its seems light enough weight while at the same time sturdy and functional. The wings are a great idea for storing odd cargo too. Well done.

interesting how we get trapped by our own thinking. of all the aberrations i have concocted, i never gave a thought of anything folding twice. it was always a hinge or panel cut right down the middle.

"good job"

 

[Genon]

excellently simple and functional design, plus lightweight.

I'm at the design stage for fitting out the rear of my Hilux and this is definite inspiration. Thanks for sharing.

 

[kmacafee]

Great design

Given the threadless stems on the Surly's, turning the handlebars is quite easy and would give you more room. You possibly could keep both bikes in with 2 people in there.