'88 Ranger Sleeping Platform/Camper Build

[MeanMark87]

Hi everyone. I thought I'd share this with the forum since I think it's kind of a neat concept and I've seen some other builds like it before. My wife and I are taking a camping trip this summer across the US (to go to Denver to see Iron Maiden, among other things), and I happened across this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jO87kCU5lvU


I thought that would be a neat idea, so I went ahead and built one of my own.

Here's what I started with. The truck had a duraliner in it, and I knew in order to make things easier on myself, that baby had to go, so I ripped out the liner and put the topper back on.

First step was to make the rail supports. For these, I used 2 pieces of 3/4" sanded plywood 13 inches high and 72 inches long.

Next I built a right-angle support anchored to the tailgate end of the support rail. The idea was to make the whole unit fit tight against the inside of the box, to eliminate the need to drill any holes into the truck itself for mounting.

After I got the support in place, I attached the rail piece that the sleeping panels would actually slide on. I used a piece of 2X2 for this.

The next few pieces were two more supports for the right hand rail. The one closest to the cab was basically the same design as the one I put on by the tailgate, but the one near the wheel well was just a couple pieces of 2X2 oriented so the weight was borne by the top of the wheel well itself.

I repeated the process on the left side, and braced the two halves with a piece of 2X4 right behind the cab.

For extra support and to keep the rails tight against the truck, I braced the middle with a second 2X4, being careful to keep it at the same level as the slide rails to make sure they could still slide out.

Next move was to actually cut the sleeping panels. I had some problems here because the 13X72 rail pieces were actually slightly warped, making some sections of the bed wider than others. So my kinda half-assed solution was to just cut the pieces narrow enough to fit, but wide enough so they'd still sit on the rails. Then I secured the cargo compartment lids on the sides with some cabinet hinges for easy opening.

Closeups of the hinge assembly.

The completed project. A little rough and not nearly as polished as the one in that guy's video, but everything works, lays flat, and most importantly, supports the weight it will need to support with two people sleeping in it.

I had a ton of wood left over, so I threw together this, to solve my lack of a place to put my drink when I'm driving. (Damn bench seat with a manual tranny makes for zero cupholders...)

Next steps:

- Put in a thin mattress and bedding
- Sand some of the rough edges
- Drill holes in the sleeping panels to use as handles for removal

EDIT: Here's a video of yours truly giving an overview:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQLT_H1qfrc&feature=youtu.be

That's about the size of it. Rate/hate/let me know what you guys think!

 

[trail B2]

You did a better job than me trying to describe one of these.I tried to explain this on another thread had everyone confused.The ones that i've been around were covered in carpet though.

 

[MeanMark87]

Yeah, I thought about carpeting it, and I still might, but I figure it's going to be covered by either a thin mattress or some sleeping pads anyhow, so what am I really gaining by carpeting it, other than looks maybe.

And I know what you mean about trying to describe it....nearly everyone I've tried to explain it to (without actually showing them) didn't really get it.

 

[AgPete139]

I saw this in YouTube! Great build. I'm using it for reference. I think I will want to try and use rollers and a long drawer for the center section. We will see, since I don't do wood work. :-( I liked the fused connections.