Futon in truck bed

[PuddleJumper]

So I am trying to decide which route I would like to go with my sleeping arrangement in the rear of my truck (T100 6.5ft bed). Plan is to build out the back into a small camping setup. Need to have enough room to sleep two people (my girlfriend and I). Along with some sort of sleeping platform, I would like to have space for storage etc. I would like to be able to sit down in the back and have room to either put some shoes on and a walkway of some sort. I am not a huge fan of the beds that take up the entire rear portion and you must crawl in and out. This brought me to the thought of the Futon. Up, it would give me a seating solution and possibly a small walkway, and then down would give me a full size bed with enough room for my girlfriend and I.

My question is now, have people done this in the past and do they have pictures/constructive comments on it? How much room does it take up and how far off of the bed side is it? Another potential issue is that I put a ARE topper with rear door on my truck and worry that the bed, even in the closed position will not give enough room to get in through the door.

Look forward to what you guys have and appreciate the input!

 

[southpier]

i think your access concern is valid. when you use the term "futon", i assume you mean a thick cotton filled mattress. this will absorb all manner of moisture and wreak like mold in short order. Camp-Babe might not take kindly to that, especially since you've already explained to her that potty is in a 5 gallon bucket.

folding style beds abound on this site and the space vs use is something all have compromised.

 

[PuddleJumper]

i think your access concern is valid. when you use the term "futon", i assume you mean a thick cotton filled mattress. this will absorb all manner of moisture and wreak like mold in short order. Camp-Babe might not take kindly to that, especially since you've already explained to her that potty is in a 5 gallon bucket.

folding style beds abound on this site and the space vs use is something all have compromised.

What type of bedding does everyone else use? I would like to leave the bedding in the truck but it isn't necessarily required. I have found one issue with the plan and that is the wheel well wouldn't allow the futon to sit back all the way. and then if you were to lift the lower portion up high enough to clear this wheel well, it may be too high to sit down in the truck without ducking.

My other idea for the back is two separate beds, one on each side with the walkway in the middle. I just like the idea of the full bed and a fold up option.

Any pics of a futon/fold up bed in the rear?

 

[RiverGypsy]

I have the same truck (T100 extracab) as you and am also building my platform. I will probably be by myself most of the time (it will be my primary residence for six months per year) but wanted to be able to sleep two people when needed. I think some variation of this set up could work well for your topper. Here's what I have come up with so far. Sorry for the poor picture quality, I will try to get better pictures this week as things progress.




Not sure why that pic is sideways... it's right side up on my computer.

My paco pad fits perfectly on the long bench and is waterproof and multipurpose (river trips!). I use the NRS version:http://www.nrs.com/product/2047/nrs-river-bed-sleeping-pad. It's a little cheaper and more comfortable than the Jacks Plastic Paco and fits perfectly in the T. I cover it with a sewn flannel sheet that's easily washable.

I have a huge topper, so I can easily sit up in bed and cook on the "counter top". I like my nice NRS cooler, so it had to be a part of the design. When I want to sleep two people, the cooler goes in the front seat and the wood floor slides up and into place on the rails. The front section took a bit of cowboy engineering, but I think I've got it figured out... A 2x2 rests across the front rail and hangs off a bolt on the other side. Hard to explain, I will try to get more pictures soon.

One of my favorite set ups for two people is the simple "back shelf" method-- just a simple sheet of plywood across the back rails where the topper meets the bed. It allows you to sit up in bed but still have storage bins up high and more room for gear in back. 48" between the wheel wells is plenty for a couple to sleep. Here is my favorite modular variation on that one: http://www.desktodirtbag.com/pickup-truck-camping/

 

[goodtimes]

Back before I bought a camper, we were faced with a similar scenario, but add in a couple of 50 - 75 pound dogs.

We ended up with a storage shelf rather than a platform. It was about 24" side & spanned the width of the bed, at the front (cab) end. When traveling, everything went in boxes (action packers, pelican cases, etc., depending on what it was) and sat on the floor. Once in camp, all the boxes came out, stuff that was used inside the truck (clothes, etc) went on one end of the shelf, the rest of the shelf was reserved for the dog beds. Our sleeping pads were on the floor, & we slept with our feet under the shelf (heads at the tailgate). If we needed a place to sit & relax during bad weather, we just rolled the bedding up against the shelf & used it as a back rest.

for the first couple trips, we used a typical 10" thick air mattress. This didn't leave a lot of room between the mattress & bottom of the shelf for your feet, but was manageable. It didn't take long to ditch that & start using a couple river pads (don't recall the brand - but similar to Paco Pads). That freed up a lot of vertical space under the shelf & was a lot warmer.

It wasn't fancy - but it was comfortable, reliable, & didn't cost much.

 

[Lucky j]

I leave a futton matress on my front proch all year round to sit and sleep on from time to time, and it is in great shape. But I made a cordura enveloppe for it. Resiste to water, sun, ice/snow and criters. 3rd years so far. So it could be done in the back of a truck bed with cap I'm sure!

 

[PuddleJumper]

Appreciate the replies. As there hasn't been anyone to come forward with a futon/folding bed of some sort.. I am going to take that as a hint that it may not be the way to go. what does everyone use as bed pads? I saw where someone used the tri fold outdoor lounge chair cushion.

 

[Arclight]

I also have a T100. I would recommend against raising the sleeping area off the floor much, as I really missed the head room. Unless you have a shell that is taller than the cab. I think you're best off having your gear packed up in totes/boxes that can go under the truck while you're sleeping, or building a shelf along the passenger side to rack up your gear. This is what I had before I got the Flippac:

I would also recommend picking up some foam rubber tiles from the hardware store. Putting these down made the truck much warmer to sleep in. We would then use sleeping bags and foam pads as needed. You might want to pick up a piece of memory foam or regular upholstery foam from a shop to put down. This is easier to roll up or move out of the way than a futon, and can be cut to exact size.

Full build thread is here:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/91893-New-Build-T100-SAR-and-expedition-rig

Arclight

 

[bennysmall]

This.
In my mind this is the ideal set up. It's what I rock.
Can't think of a better way of going about setting up a truck canopy.

You get a sweet shelf to cook on. Can keep your gear inside the truck cap with you, dry and secure.
Preserves head room. Can sit up (and use shelf as desk). Actually easier for hauling lumber, kayaks, etc. Dogs love it.
So many upsides and can't think of downsides.
Let me know if you think of any reason NOT to build this!

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/152981718565812216/
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/e1/25/9e/e1259eb54fcd4f11c0168f55bf1386dc.jpg

 

[ChrisTschoepe]

I'm not sure if mine is anything like you would like but I use a futon mattress in my set up. Mine does slide off the truck since I use it for other purposes. The little camper off the truck is also a nice spare bedroom/man cave.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/124344-Cheap-A-R-E-DCU-Camper-Slide-in-Buildhttp://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/124344-Cheap-A-R-E-DCU-Camper-Slide-in-Build

 

[vanroth]

I ran a futon in my Astro van as our primary sleeping setup and it worked great. Folded up in "couch" mode left tons of room for our gear and a nice perch for our dogs. Our greyhound loved the couch offroad as the cushion incline allowed her to wedge herself into the couch during the rough stuff.

Folded out it nearly spanned the width of the truck and made for a very comfortable night's sleep. I had some Sterilite tupperware that fit perfectly under the futon for storage. The SO sewed a nice cover that was easily washed after trips, while I replaced the metal side supports/legs with shorter and thinner supports. The shorter height gives you more head room and the thinner support reduced the overall length.

And did I mention it was easy?

 

[dbhost]

Were it not for the fact that my wife and I are both heavy, I would be going the route you are... Instead I am opting to go with a more crosswise build which will require a custom camper shell that will be built in foamie fashion. (Canvas with a firming / bonding agent over foam) and painted...

Mind you, my truck is different from yours, and I COULD theoretically go with a build similar...

My truck is a 6.5 foot box F150 4x4, and I have a Leer Hi Top camper shellI have plans to put up a riser for the bed that will clear a 5 gallon port o potty, camp chairs, and 27 gallon gear totes. My biggest concern is being able to have effective air conditioning and heating in the camper shell for given conditions, the 6.5 foot bed, especially since I am 6 foot tall, can be problematic. I can either build a custom topper, or at the very least make an "end tent" that will allow me to enclose the lowered tailgate and raised canopy hatch, and provide a door, a tiny bit of extra floor, and a way to mount a small window unit AC, or floor space to set a Coleman heater...

A cab height camper shell isn't going to offer you much in the way of headroom, you'd almost have to exclude storage, or limit sleeping space to one person and basically put your bed on the truck bed floor so you don't smash your dome on the roof every time you try to sit up in bed...