Meateater article on Truck camp. Question on bed drawers....

[2rocky]

The latest article out of the Meateater fellas, talks about setting up a pickup for a truck camp. One of the components they feature is a set of bed drawers.

My question is , has anyone had luck making the top level surface a slide out as well?

The reason I ask is that I see people with truck toppers who want to load six 80 pound sacks or 3 bales of hay on the top of those and it is a PAIN to get the one into the front.

Thought if the lop level could pull out you could load it without ducking under the canopy, then slide the deck in.

Something like this on the top of the drawers....

 

[BackofBeyond]

I have some home-made drawers in the back of my truck, and yes, it would be nice to have something like that BedSlide on top, but (and it's a big but) that would put the sleeping surface another 4" +/- closer to the roof. That's headroom that I'm not willing to give up myself, but may be worth it for you.

If my garage door was another 2' taller I'd put a cargo rack on my canopy, but I've got about 2" to spare. I'm working on a rack for my cooler that mounts into my receiver hitch. I want it to be big enough for my big Yeti cooler, but have a knuckle/hinge in it to fold down and allow access to the tail gate without taking it off. I have a couple "idears" but have to do some testing to see what works out.

 

[2rocky]

I have some home-made drawers in the back of my truck, and yes, it would be nice to have something like that BedSlide on top, but (and it's a big but) that would put the sleeping surface another 4" +/- closer to the roof. That's headroom that I'm not willing to give up myself, but may be worth it for you.

I can set up a tent and/or cot pretty quick. I did the Truck bed sleeping in college when I'd drive 2 days from home to school. But that was on the floor of the 8 ft bed.

 

[bnickelson]

I follow Sam Soholt on Instagram and he recently did something similar in his van.

 

[KB_]

now that all looks like a giant waste of money. Walmart totes and a cot. Done

 

[hank4elk]

I was a cabinet maker/carpenter at one time and almost made drawers and such for my trucks ,several times. The stopper was it instantly limited my use of my truck for other things.
Folks I know with just bitchen bed jobs done found out how much your bed gets flung around and full of dust on a real dirt/forest road. Things would be a mess inside,that came off the rails, and it radically limits your head space with a shell and gets wet without one.
I found that the tool boxes,bins,coolers,buckets,etc I have are easier to just take in & out to make room for what I need at the time. Job or trip.
Now I do know some of the folks I see with their immaculate trucks,gear,boots,etc. But they spend all their time at it. They do not live off a dirt road and do not stay that clean if they went anywhere here in NM.
The clean boots? Only one way I know that happens. They never step out of said vehicle...lol

 

[rwc101]

I've thought about throwing some 2x6 boards and a cut sheet of plywood in the truck to make a bed once I get to camp.

 

[MT Bound]

I've thought about throwing some 2x6 boards and a cut sheet of plywood in the truck to make a bed once I get to camp.

that's exactly what I do and it works out well, I think I use 2x10's to get above the wheelwells. I can store stuff under it and I sleep on top and put all my tupperware's with food & clothes in there also, makes a nice mobile hunting rig, and keeps me dry for short $$'s

 

[BucksnDucks]

I've had one very similar to the one first pic with side boxes for twenty or so years. It was very handy for sleeping on and waterfowl hunting, transporting dogs while keeping guns in drawer. To answer the OP question, a slide out would be nice but would take up space and add weight. In the current form I can remove the two drawers and side boxes, then pull out main unit by myself.

 

[Lucky_Lep]

I've been thinking about trying to configure a drawer system by Decked combined with a tent system on top. Good idea/Dumb idea. Thoughts?

 

[Dsnow9]

I've been about trying to configure a drawer system by Decked combined with a tent system on top. Good idea/Dumb idea. Thoughts?

View attachment 176396View attachment 176397

I think it’s a good idea, the only issue with the decked is it doesn’t have good tie down brackets. When you add their awesome slider tie downs you no longer have a perfectly fly deck. Pros and cons but I am happy with my decked system so far. Personally I have always been a fan of pitching a tent in the dirt though, even next to the truck.

 

[Lucky_Lep]

I think it’s a good idea, the only issue with the decked is it doesn’t have good tie down brackets. When you add their awesome slider tie downs you no longer have a perfectly fly deck. Pros and cons but I am happy with my decked system so far. Personally I have always been a fan of pitching a tent in the dirt though, even next to the truck.

I am still looking into all of this. What do you mean about the tie down brackets? Pic? FYI, my F-150 has the extra tie downs on the side walls of the bed.

 

[Dsnow9]

I am still looking into all of this. What do you mean about the tie down brackets? Pic? FYI, my F-150 has the extra tie downs on the side walls of the bed.
View attachment 176403

I have a tundra and had to pull mine, if you have high tie downs that’s a different story

 

[1_pointer]

I've been thinking about trying to configure a drawer system by Decked combined with a tent system on top. Good idea/Dumb idea. Thoughts?

View attachment 176396View attachment 176397

With a topper, I could be on board with that idea. If I'm going to pitch a tent, doing so on the ground is sufficient for me. And if on the ground I can leave it and not have to take it down pitch it every day. So, at least for me and how I hunt/travel the idea of a truck bed tent doesn't work.

 

[Beignet]

I've thought about throwing some 2x6 boards and a cut sheet of plywood in the truck to make a bed once I get to camp.

I rigged up something like this for my own truck. Used metal dowel rods in the vertical support to hold the cross beam together making a support frame. The top platform comes apart with four hex bolts (into the cross beam supports) so I can have access to a regular old truck bed when its not hunting or fishing season. Takes about five minutes to disassemble. The "drawers" are just under-the-bed storage tubs I picked up at a big box store. There's a divider in the middle to keep the "drawers" from sliding around, and the cab-side plywood just lifts up for additional storage space. Perhaps a little over engineered, but cost less than $100 and an afternoon worth of work all said.

 

[LuketheDog]

I have a tundra and had to pull mine, if you have high tie downs that’s a different story

Such a pain about that, next time I take my drawers out I'm going to through-bolt some tiedowns into the corners of it...

 

[Runnin_Chupacabra]

that's exactly what I do and it works out well, I think I use 2x10's to get above the wheelwells. I can store stuff under it and I sleep on top and put all my tupperware's with food & clothes in there also, makes a nice mobile hunting rig, and keeps me dry for short $$'s

I’m considering doing the same thing. Do you just leave yours in the bed or only put it in for hunting/camping trips?

 

[MT Bound]

I’m considering doing the same thing. Do you just leave yours in the bed or only put it in for hunting/camping trips?

I only have it in the bed when I put the truck topper on, otherwise I store it under the topper when it's off.

 

[wa_archer]

I had a lot of plans last year to put in some slider drawers, making myself of course. After the more I thought about it I didnt want to loose the headroom when camping in back. I have a shelf two feet deep behind back window. I can set things up there while camping like an end table. Last year camped a bit in in and put a small stove so in mornings could sit up and start coffee and breakfast while staying a little warmer. would just open side windows a bit.