Truck bed camp.

[Hunterharris427]

I'm gunna do something similar with a Kodiak canvas tent for my pickup box. Gunna do a buddy heater. My only concern is warmth in Montana mountains in early November.

 

[Scott85]

A little more progress today.

 

[buffybr]

I've been hunting out of the back of my truck for many years.

I've thought of making a bed "box" like the OP did, but because I use my truck for other things, I just sleep on a folding army cot with a foam pad for insulation in cold weather. Extra gear fits under the cot and I use 2 coolers on the other side of the truck bed for a table.

I have a Honda 2000 generator, but it won't hold enough fuel to run all night, so I just use a Buddy propane heater that I use as needed.

Here's sunrise in eastern Montana antelope hunting last year.

 

[MNElkNut]

It really scares me to use a propane heater in their truck. Aren't you worried about oxygen depletion? Wouldn't be good to wake up dead. For that reason, I only use a generator and electric like mtmuley.

 

[rke]

I've been hunting out of the back of my truck for many years.

I've thought of making a bed "box" like the OP did, but because I use my truck for other things, I just sleep on a folding army cot with a foam pad for insulation in cold weather. Extra gear fits under the cot and I use 2 coolers on the other side of the truck bed for a table.

I have a Honda 2000 generator, but it won't hold enough fuel to run all night, so I just use a Buddy propane heater that I use as needed.

Here's sunrise in eastern Montana antelope hunting last year.

Try running an electric blanket while you sleep rather than a heater. It uses much less fuel in your generator. A friend of mine runs the same generator and will get 8+ hours of run time on a single tank of fuel when only using the blanket.

 

[2rocky]

I couldn't imagine running a generator all night.

In college I slept in my truck bed with a topper while overnighting between home and campus at the start and finish of summer. The need for cargo room made me generally go towards sleeping outside on a cot in the years after that. But I sleep better with a lil bit of frost on my blankets anyway.

The likelihood of sitting up bolt upright at a strange sound precludes me from an elevated bed arrangement in a canopy. A simple tarp or pop up tent keeps the thunderstorms off me. I'll use the truck itself as a windbreak.

 

[LuckyTom]

It really scares me to use a propane heater in their truck. Aren't you worried about oxygen depletion? Wouldn't be good to wake up dead. For that reason, I only use a generator and electric like mtmuley.

Never mind, wrong reference.

Definitely don’t want to wake up dead tho.

 

[buffybr]

Try running an electric blanket while you sleep rather than a heater. It uses much less fuel in your generator. A friend of mine runs the same generator and will get 8+ hours of run time on a single tank of fuel when only using the blanket.

I'd rather listen to the sound of nature at night rather than a generator.

 

[elkduds]

I'm gunna do something similar with a Kodiak canvas tent for my pickup box. Gunna do a buddy heater. My only concern is warmth in Montana mountains in early November.

Welcome to HT. Not sure about a truck mount for Kodiak tent, however my Kodiak is comfortable w propane heat during CO November @ 10K elevation. Agree w all those who don't run propane heat while sleeping.

 

[TheJason]

Pretty certain the odds of waking up dead are zero.

I just use a heavier sleeping bag.

 

[mtmuley]

I'd rather listen to the sound of nature at night rather than a generator.

If you position one right you can barely hear the modern generators. To each his own but warm until bed and warm waking up is nice. I rarely run the generator all night. A few times when it was below zero. Have done it in a tent as well. Nothing wrong with being comfortable. mtmuley

 

[3855WIN]

Put the buddy heater within reach and turn it on before you get out of your sleeping bag.

 

[coleslaw]

Put the buddy heater within reach and turn it on before you get out of your sleeping bag.

Yep. Only takes 2 or 3 minutes to warm up the box. Add some carpet for my bare feet and I'm cozy in the morning.
Just make sure you don't burn your bag on the heater.

 

[grizzly63]

This will be hard to describe without a pic but I do not have one handy. Maybe I will take one this fall. I have an 8' box with a tall Leer topper. I have a tool box inside the topper at the front with 60/40 wood lids. The hinged lid would not open inside the topper. It is mounted on two pipes that span the box sides. Just behind the tool box is a 2" x 6" that spans the width. Towards the topper door is another 2" x 6" that spans the width. An army litter spans the two 2" x 6"s and levels up flush with the toolbox lid. I use the toolbox lids as a night table so to speak. Two large coolers fit under the litter. I use two sleeping bags as a mattress and sleep in a cold weather bag. I use a little buddy heater hooked onto a 20lb tank that sits on the tailgate. There is a slider window on each side that I use for cross ventilation. In one of the cooler is kept all the little things a person needs, canned food, small propane bottle single cooker, utensils, pans, etc. I keep my clothes in a duffle bag and keep a trash bag for dirty clothes and another for garbage. There are all kinds of tools in the toolbox and in a mechanics toolbox underneath it as well as a second spare tire cuz you just never know. Condensation is usually not a problem and if it is, you turn down the heater and open the back window and curl up tighter in your bag. I have only had one trip where it was bad but the moisture level in the environment of that hunt was the main reason. It is a pain to have to step over that first 2" by to get in and out but a cost I'm willing to put up with for the tradeoffs. Being a solo hunter means if you get your quarry, you can dump the coolers and make them your meat haulers whilst you haul butt for home. One of the great things about truck camping is you can park wherever the heck you decide to that is comfortable enough. You can park within walking distance of where you are going in the morning if you wish and it is legal. I do keep a piss bottle in truck as who wants to climb out of the truck in the middle of the night. Its cold out there.

 

[Toofdoc]

Post ain’t worth a darn without pictures!!

Ok. Took me a little time to finally get around to it!

 

[kevine001]

To respond to the questions about spiders and heat/warmth.

Have not had any spiders, now going on 4 years sleeping in back of my Tundra crew max. I build a wood box over my wheel wells, with cubbies on top. I have to sleep diagonally from corner to corner because I have the shorter bed. To see my tail gate, I used the adhesive foam (1/2" thick around the contact points on the sides of my tailgate and bed. This creates a seal around 95% of my tailgate for bugs and cold weather.

Also, for cold weather, if it's really cold, I put a couple hand warmers in my sleeping bag. Works like a charm. If I get up at 3 or 4 in the morning and plan to sleep any longer, I'll put another fresh hand warmer in my bag. But typically, I'm getting up at 0400 anyways if it's hunting season.

 

[grizzly63]

Pretty basic, interior toolbox with a custom two-piece top. Two 2 x 6 for litter support. Side windows open for cross ventilation. Large coolers fit under bed. Drivers side left open for walking, dressing, Big Buddy heater by tailgate with tank left on tailgate with topper rear closed. Keeps plenty warm. Clothes kept in duffle bag which doubles as a chair if needed. Trash bag goes along passenger side by tailgate behind fender by cooler. I have two dog matts that fit nicely in between the bars of the litter. Makes it a little more comfortable. Have to park into the wind or get up and move if it shifts and is snowing etc. There are two bolts going through the 2 x6 into the rear of the litter supports so you dont fall off. Lights, handgun, phone etc goes on toolbox lid as a headboard. An 8' box is nice. Most of the cooking essentials and canned or dry food goes in large cooler to include pans etc. Cold stuff goes in smaller better quality cooler. If you get a critter, dump large cooler into bed or bags, place quartered meat into big cooler, get ice and head home. Head and feet in garbage bag so they dont bleed all over everything. Most of my hunting is within 8 hrs of home. Note the newly installed 2" discharge hose cut and glued into the tailgate crease. Kid floaters seal up side of tailgate. Its never perfect but does a pretty good job. Left the topper open one time and travelled about 12 miles to next spot. Oops. Good luck.

 

[grizzly63]

There is room under the toolbox for a large toolbox, spare tire and extra boots, etc.