E.J. Bess of Tigard, Oregon, recently sent us this nifty little space-saving project that immediately had us all thinking of ways we could “convertible-ize” other pickups. She reports that, “By building a convertible DIY camper bed in the back of my 1969 Ford pickup truck, I have hauling capacity but can turn a pickup into a camper as needed.” We were convinced and quickly scratched our heads and wondered why we didn’t think of it first.
My living quarters consist of a bed that can be put up during the day and lowered at night for sleeping purposes. While the bed is in the up position, I have a foldable shelf under the bed which can be used as an eating table or a simple shelf. You can install as many tables as you find convenient.
I wanted the bed large enough for comfort, so I built it as wide as I could and still be able to pivot it up vertically above the wheel well.
DIY Camper Bed
The truck bed was in excellent condition, so I wanted to avoid drilling any unnecessary holes in the original metal when mounting the fold-up bed to the inside of the truck. Fortunately, I was able to use existing holes to mount the support legs.
First, I measured the height above the wheel well to the top of the canopy to see how much space I had. That determined the width of the bed I could build. Then I determined how much headroom I needed at the head of the bed to keep the blankets and bedding away from the front window because of condensation and moisture.
When I started building the actual bed, I made a 2-by-4 frame as a perimeter for the bed. I put plywood on the top of the frame and two legs on the outer edge of the bed (opposite the hinges) for support when the bed was down.
After building the bed and the table area, I added my twin size mattress and took plenty of warm bedding along.
I now have my home away from home that is convenient and easy to set up.
Originally published as “Turn a Pickup Into a Camper” in the August/September 1998 issue of MOTHER EARTH NEWS.
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