Looking for new ideas on setting up the rear bed/canopy area.

[Brian894x4]

I'm starting over on the rear canopy/bed area, for hundreth time. The area was so incredibly filthy and full of dirt and dust there was no point in trying to clean, without ripping it all out. So, I found the culprit for the dust. My swisscheese bed floor for starters, after all those years of drilling holes and screwing stuff down. Also, the bed underside railing apparently has vent holes to the outside, via the double wall bed. All that's going to get plugged up.

I have a canopy tent that will increase the length of the bed by about 2 feet making for an 8 foot bed for camping. I plan for my wife and I to sleep back there. I think I know what I'm going to do, but I'd really like to see other's canopy/bed area set ups if you don't mind me asking, so I can see if there's ideas I can borrow this time around.....

Thanks!

 

[Grim Reaper]

I have been following your bed builds for years. I think the most practical in regards to sleeping area was the full deck you had with cubby hole. I know my wife is really bad about curling in a ball and jamming her knees in my back. That design gave the most room for sleeping.

That design was also the worst for gear access. You had to crawl in to get what you needed.

How about a nearly full length bed drawer? Mount your AUX battery at the front and some of the other stuff you don't need easy access and then a drawer for the rest with a flip up section in the last 2ft of the sleeping floor. That would allow you to get at gear without having to crawl in.

Much easier to build then you would think. I have a bunch of service vehicles where I work that I have been looking at their bed set ups. A lot of them have bed slides. A couple of them the design is SO SIMPLE its not even funny. 2x2 angle for the frame with a 1/2 inch ply floor. The slides it rolled on are garage door track and rollers. :wavey:

Unfortunatly the truck with that design I won't be around for another two weeks so I can't get you a picture. Its the bed slide that comes in these shells http://www.brandfxbody.com/fibrebody/inserts.htm (I have been trying to buy one of those off the company to make a trailer with)
No good shots of the slides on the options page http://www.brandfxbody.com/fibrebody/topper_insert_options.htm

Here is what I am doing so I can carry my dogs. It s 4Runner and I plan to pull a safary trailer with a tent.

 

[Life_in_4Lo]

I really like that one in the back of your 4R, Grim Reaper

Where did you get it?

 

[Grim Reaper]

I really like that one in the back of your 4R, Grim Reaper

Where did you get it?

That a drawer from a decomissioned service vehcile we stripped before turning in. Places like MasterRack would sell them. I just made a enclosure to fit it.

 

[Brian894x4]

Thanks much for the suggestions!

I wouldn't mind a drawer system at all, but I need all the height I can get, since I'm finding myself using the truck more and more to haul stuff around town.

I also have a slim drawer tool box, at least one 5 gallon water container and a Engel refrigerator that I need to pack in there and be reasonably easy to access.

I have a plan, so we'll see how it works out. Basically, I'm working on filling in all holes to make the area as dust proof as humanly possible. Then I'll relay a sheet of plywood to make the floor entirely flat and give me something to bolt things down too.

On the passenger side, will be a single 5 gallon water container in the back with a pump and some plumbing. The wheel well will be boxed in with some storage space, the drawer tool box back in its old place.

The driver’s side will be the interesting part. The wheel well will be boxed in with box extending towards the cab with space to house the relocated aux. battery.

Engel refrigerator will return to its old place, but be removable for a bunk type bed that will normally be folded up and to the driver’s side, but will be able to swing down.

When folded down the bed will sleep one person and at the level of the top of the wheel well. There should be just enough room for another person (probably me, since my wife would prefer the upper bunk) to be able to sleep on the floor next and slightly under the bunk. The lower deck may seem cramped, but with the elevated bunk there will be a good bit of stretching room.

My wife and I are both under 6’ tall, so we have no problem fitting inside the 6’ bed length wise. However, the "truck tent" and its additional 2’ of length should be welcome in that it would leave us a place for dry storage of our gear and allow for some stretching and sitting up room.

One of the things that I’ve decided to do is to have as little “permanently” mounted storage boxes so I can have open space to carry and move stuff when we're at home. I think I can pack most of my spares and excess tools in the little cubby holes that will be created from boxing in the wheel wells. Whatever is left over can go on the roof. Otherwise, the rest of my gear will be carried in easily packed and removable boxes. This way, I can have as much open space for camping, while the gear lives either in the cab or under the truck at night.

Anyway, this is my idea so far…..

 

[Grim Reaper]

Thats pretty slick. Only thing that I think will wear you out is the constant loading and unloading at camp.

Here is an idea. Make you gear storage on a removable tray. Think ambulance Gurney. That way when you are home and need the space you can slide it right out roll it to the corner of the garage. As long as you use some fat tires like you would see on a hand truck. That would let you unload it on dirt at camp. Then use the top as a table for cooking and eating.

 

[esh]

WilderNest?

A few shots- http://corralcanyon.net/toy.htm

..and from a trip last summer. They are rare as hens teeth and would add more top weight to your "active" suspension.

 

[Brian894x4]

I did see a few advertised on Craigslist a while ago and actually inquired about one. Almost bought it. They're going for somewhere around $1000 when you find one. Sometimes less.

One of the things I don't really like about them is the top weight you mentioned, although it's probably not that much. But I also have a ton of things bolted to my canopy, both in and out, which makes my aluminum framed and skinned canopy a little more useful for me.

But those Wildernests are nice. I wish someone would get into the market and make more but I would design it slightly differently.

I went a different route and for less than $100 got a tent that extends the bed about 2', turning my 6 foot bed into essentially an 8 foot bed. I haven't tested it in the field yet, but it's really easy to set up and looks like this:

http://www.brian894x4.com/images/Trucktent008.jpg

My dream set up would be basically building something along these lines from scratch, but for a mini-truck and probably a little more compact. http://www.brian894x4.com/images/InnovationHZJ74c.jpg I think that would be really fun, but for now, I'm just going to work with what I got.

I'm working on building my new set up right now. I hope I can add back enough weight to the rear so I can the truck back out of the garage.

By the way Ken, if you're who I think you are, how's it going? Have you talked to Tim Williams lately? I haven't heard from him in a long time.....