Flat bed truck tent?

[Awent]

Hello everyone! I’m new here, and I hope this is the right spot for this post! Recently, my husband and I have been getting into truck camping with our 3 young boys. Our current set up is an ‘08 tahoe with a homemade rooftop tent for us, and a fold out bed inside for our kids (we have screens for the windows for air). However, our tahoe is not long for this world. Our next vehicle is an ‘06 (I think) dodge 3/4 ton pick up with a flat bed. Someday we’ll do a slide in pop up camper but for now we’re looking for another option. I had an idea to rig up a large, sort of hard shell roof top tent, but the dimensions of the truck bed. Has anyone thought/done this? We’re thinking 2-3’ high to allow storage inside, and a possible bunk situation because 6,7”x7’ isn’t going to cut it. We ride bikes so we’re hoping to be able to put them on top. I hope I’ve given enough info here and I look forward to everyones thoughts!

Thanks in advance!

 

[givemethewillys]

I'd love to see what you come up with!

 

[The Artisan]

You could do a very simple 3 foot tall box the size of your flatbed with liftup sides. What are the dimensioms of your flatbed?
Kevin

 

[Awent]

You could do a very simple 3 foot tall box the size of your flatbed with liftup sides. What are the dimensioms of your flatbed?
Kevin

The flat bed is 6,7” wide by 7’ long, it’s a quad cab. My original thought was something like a foot tall hard shell tent the full size of the bed, my husband thinks for storage we’d probably want about 3 feet tall and he could be right. With 5 people even trying to go minimal we have a lot of stuff. My main question is what to use to lift the top of the “truck bed tent”. It’ll be considerable weight just with the size, then adding about 150lbs of bikes on it. Ideally the struts or whatever we use will lift the top and the bikes so we don’t have to unload them every time we stop. However we don’t always have the bikes so we’d need to be able to close the “tent” without weight on it.

 

[The Artisan]

so 6.5 × 7 and you need storage and a tent with a hard roof that sleeps 5?
Kevin

 

[shade]

My main question is what to use to lift the top of the “truck bed tent”.

If you mean that you want to open the top of the notional 3' tall box like a lid, with the RTT and whatever else on top of that lid, the box design will become more complicated since the underlying structure will have to support moving all of that weight, you'll need hinges, struts or actuators to lift the lid, and sealing the lid when closed. Getting into the box from the top will also be difficult with it being so high up.

Making the box with a fixed top and sides that open up would be much simpler, and you'd still have good access to the interior of the box, with better visibility inside. The open sides would provide a little overhead cover from the sun or rain, too. It would be similar to the way a GFC camper's sides work.

 

[The Artisan]

Op I have something coming out that might work for you with a low box. You could popup the topper say 48" inches over the 3 feet and still add your roof top tent store and sleep 3 inside. Never considered using my topper like that but you could cut a hatch in the roof to get to the tent. Production would not start for several months though.
Kevin
Universal Potopper soon to be patent pending | Expedition Portal

Patent Pending Universal Poptopper

This might interest some. I am just waiting on my pending number and then will build my prototype on my 4runner. This is a self contained hard sided poptopper that can be added to any lower structure. I pshopped my design on a 4runner I found since mine has not been restored. What makes it...

expeditionportal.com

 

[Awent]

so 6.5 × 7 and you need storage and a tent with a hard roof that sleeps 5?
Kevin

Yes, looking for the tent and storage to be one. I will sketch something up and post a pic later today.

 

[Awent]

If you mean that you want to open the top of the notional 3' tall box like a lid, with the RTT and whatever else on top of that lid, the box design will become more complicated since the underlying structure will have to support moving all of that weight, you'll need hinges, struts or actuators to lift the lid, and sealing the lid when closed. Getting into the box from the top will also be difficult with it being so high up.

Making the box with a fixed top and sides that open up would be much simpler, and you'd still have good access to the interior of the box, with better visibility inside. The open sides would provide a little overhead cover from the sun or rain, too. It would be similar to the way a GFC camper's sides work.

View attachment 521243

My thought was to have the storage box be the tent/sleeping area. Hard bottom, hard top, when it lifts it has fabric tent walls and maybe lifts to a total of 4’. Basically and extra extra large tent. I’m going to do some sketches and post them later today.. i’m not great at explaining things with words haha ??‍♀️

 

[The Artisan]

What you are describing is one of my poptoppers but mine has hardsides and can hold 500+ lbs. It can mounted to your flatbed.
Kevin

 

[shade]

My thought was to have the storage box be the tent/sleeping area. Hard bottom, hard top, when it lifts it has fabric tent walls and maybe lifts to a total of 4’. Basically and extra extra large tent. I’m going to do some sketches and post them later today.. i’m not great at explaining things with words haha ??‍♀️

I look forward to the sketches.

 

[Awent]

Does this pic help?

 

[Awent]

What you are describing is one of my poptoppers but mine has hardsides and can hold 500+ lbs. It can mounted to your flatbed.
Kevin

The pictures make it look like it would fit a standard truck bed with sides, do you have a variety of side sizes you make?

 

[The Artisan]

The pictures make it look like it would fit a standard truck bed with sides, do you have a variety of side sizes you make?

There is a standard size but on the stand alone pods they are custom to customers specs. Depending on budget, I have frp compsosite kits to make the lower half as well. Feel free to shoot me a pm to discuss further.
Kevin

 

[The Artisan]

Does this pic help?

Yes exactly what I had envisioned but since my topper is hardsided it would be a split door then full door when up. Do you hope to sleep all 5 in it?
Kevin