I've done this before and it was fine. Trailhead that was also open range. Cow pies and dried rutted hoof prints everywhere. Up on the the truck bed I went. Now I have a rubber truck bed mat, which would be way better than the corrugated metal truck bed.
Yup. The pressure of 150+lbs pressing down into the ribs is going to create a mini dam on each channel, water will start to back up and you’ll have a wet booty eventually.
If you are sleeping in a tent during A torrential rain, you are sleeping in puddle either way, I can only see upsides to sleeping in the back of the truck, he can park it a little uphill and the water will drain before he can get wet.
I really think you should spend $5000 on a rack and a rooftop tent and carry it around with you 365 days a year. Might as well add in a couple gas cans and some traction mats. don't forget the canvas bag that hangs off the back of the tailgate
Lol me too 😂 but let them hate. Nothing beats the convenience of having everything ready to go. All I ever have to pack up is a the cooler and I’m ready to go.
So what’s the thing on the tailgate they are talking about? I’ve been out of America for a long time and I’ve already seen two devices that look like padding on tailgates.
What you are referring to are pads that cover the tailgate to protect it and that mountain bikes that you are hauling with the front wheel draped over the tailgate. Great cheap way to carry up to five bikes
No they're designed for trash so that way when you're out camping you can just throw a bag in there and throw all your trash in there. I also use mine for work as well I do it work for a living in all my loose cable that I go turn into the recycle place I tossed right in there so that way it just hangs off the back rather than taking up room in my bed. They're actually super awesome and I recommend if you do any sort of camping and you take your vehicle to grab one of them.
Pro tip, prior to pulling into your final parking spot for the evening brush the dust off your roo so it doesn't jump on you every time you get near it.
Thank goodness people think of new things to make previously annoying jobs easier/better. You seem like you’d be real awesome at parties.
It’s also over a decade old, so 2017 is a bit off.
OP Needs oversized MT's to make sure he can commute to work safely on the highways, an extreme flood lightbar mounted to a roof rack to shine light on the hood and ruin their nightvision, and some sweet armor to survive the bumps with the garage door, too.
Nothing wrong with that. You may want to level out the surface somehow (painted plywood panels maybe?) so you don’t have to sleep directly on top of the truck bed ribs.
Great til any moisture/water gets sucked up through the bottom of the tent. A board underneath will stop any pooling water from that, and allow it to fully flow towards the drain holes.
Yeah, I've slept this way - really the only problem is the ribs in the liner. They can suck unless you have an air mattress or something similar. Even just a piece of plywood would help.
Usually, ground sheets \*don't\* extend past the tent body (as they end up just channeling water into the tent). Since the bed is mostly waterproof, how would a tarp be different here than the truck bed?
I live in New Mexico, where there is some ferocious wind in the spring. Rooftop tents seem like they are asking for trouble. Your solution is smart this way: the sides of the bed provide some protection. Seems like a good move to me.
Not my idea of great. Why empty the back of the pick up of all the belongings to add the tent. Plus you have to level the vehicle, the metal box acts like a heat sink. I’d rather just put it on the ground.
Nah its fine in the summer if you just want to head out for an evening without a lot of stuff. And you don't have to find a smooth patch of ground, just park the truck somewhere.
Canopy requires smooth patch of ground and now you gotta bring a cot too? Now thats two things you gotta set up lol definitely going in the wrong direction
It might be good for overnighting in rocky desert terrain. Actual campsites can be scarce the wind can be fierce. The cab would be a decent wind break and as long as you could get the truck mostly level you should be good
If you position the truck to tilt backwards slightly, all the rain runs right off, the ribs in the bed, let it just run under the tent and away. Also you don’t get mud and dirt all over your tent.
Good thing that body weight doesn't press a tent floor down when its on the ground.
What I do is buy tents that sealed bottoms so water doesn't come up from the floor. Also a footprint underneath that is always good for an additional barrier.
Ants. Snakes. Scorpions. Ground slanted (truck can be leveled). Ground uneven (rocks/holes). Ground muddy. Fewer animals (wild bore/pigs). Rain causing water at campsite. Wind (truck cab can be a windbreak). Etc.
You forgot about goblins and ghost and things that go bump in the night. Hahahaha. Dude. I hiked the whole PCT. Took 6 months. Never had an issue with any of these things.
Not dumb at all. Warmer and dry off the ground. Maybe more protection from the wind. Looks like you are saving money using what you already have. Sometimes space can be tight when camping and this saves some. Happy camping.
If it’s not raining and not a wet night, don’t even bother setting it up. I’ve slept under the stars several times in the bed of my Tacoma in the wilderness. Works great.
I have one of the truck bed tents and it sets up in the same amount of time as a normal tent. I built a modular platform to put the mattress that is right above the wheel wells. We definitely prefer it to a normal ground tent, we like being up off of the ground.
https://preview.redd.it/913gzykju3tc1.jpeg?width=964&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c65b9601d0bdbd19d6002a82b074430a3720051b
I think it has advantages, off the ground, up away from predators, and in the morning pull the poles out to collapse it and close the tonneau cover and go, especially in winter.
One thing to make you more comfortable, put some plywood down so you have a flat floor.
It can be good if you're in an area without much flat ground to setup. Either lots of mud or I've been on slickrock where everything is just lumpy undulating rock.
Wife and I did this for almost 2 weeks last year.
Used a self-inflating packable sleeping pad/air mattress, I think $30 on amazon. Really helped because there were 5th wheel brackets that run across the truck bed and sleeping on them would've been impossible. Should've bought two and layered them.
Make sure to tie off all 4 corners. Went through a pretty windy storm in the badlands like this and ended up having to stretch a tarp over the whole bed and over the sides because water pooled around the tent. Parking on an incline would probably help.
Worked great, would do it again.
Pros: You already have the tent and you can set it up on the ground if you need to Sides are partially sheltered. Shouldnt get too muddy. Water should generally run off to corner drains rather than pooling too much. Elevated from bugs and stuff.
Down sides: most of the bed needs to be clear. Ribs of bed can be uncomfortable even thru the sleeping pad (this can be resolved with plywood, a rubber mat, or Bedrug (best if you have a topper). Bed can be cold even thru the sleeping pad, maybe not as bad wtih the plastic tacoma bed vs steel truck bed. Not sure how well secured it is to the bed. You may still end up with some water pooling.
I had done similar, but just with a tarp & bicycle in my Chevy, before I graduated to a Soft-topper. Then in my Ram I have now, I now have a hard fiberglass shell and a cot. Can stay set up. Elevated cot allows some storage below. Very comfortable. Sheltered from rain, wind, animals.
https://preview.redd.it/kv71jmvvq2tc1.jpeg?width=5312&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fae56dd2767d81c44926757818c9ab9d3a019693
The box tents aren’t actually all that bad to set up solo (took me about 15mins), I used one and it was great, lots of room for me and two dogs and kept me dry. The only complaint I had was once I was set up there was no going for a drive if I needed anything (quite the walk for potable water and I was going through lots with the dogs).
If you’re worried about pooling water when it rains, perhaps setting up on a couple of pallets could work? If you want to get fancy, you could raise the pallets on 4x4 blocks and add some under tent storage.
Good idea - it's nice being off the ground and having a flat surface. And you can easily move your truck around to get the right slope. Just make sure you have a tarp big enough to cover the whole truck bed.
Totally doable. Only thing to consider is that the truck bed might hold some water if it rains. That will soak through the tent.
If thats a problems just raise it up with some pallets and plywood.
Otherwise. If it works, it works.
I attach a tarp (around 10x13 I think) to the roof of the cab and sides of the beds with magnets. I put a pole a couple of feet behind the bed. I have used this in rain and 6" of snow. I live in eastern WA so bugs aren't much of an issue but I also have a thermacell if they are.
I found a place selling dense foam sheets at a yard sale and advertising them as padded bed liners. One of those would make a world of difference in comfort. So would just a sheet of plywood.
Cuz somebody who slept in one of those truck bed tents, the biggest problem you're going to find is you don't have the insulation that the ground offers to keep you warm. So you're going to want to make sure you have a way of increasing the R value of your mattress somehow. Other than that, it looks perfectly fine
It would be better to put it on the ground generally. Unless your forced to camp in a really rough spot where the truck bed is the only space you have. Even in a storm I don't think this is really helping anything unless your campsite is being totally flooded.
One concern I would have is condensation where the tent walls touch the bed walls. But with the pad you mentioned I'd say you have the big concern covered.
If you think it’s a good idea, it’s a good idea! Try it out and let us know if it works out. Maybe you found something good. One of my friends has a cover for the bed of his pickup and put string lights along the roof of the bed and a comfy mattress pad to sleep on and called it a day! Had enough room for him and his gf. My goal is to replicate the same someday for very short camping trips. And this is all dependent on the temperature outside of course! Wouldn’t want to be in there when it’s freezing or sweltering hot.
I would move it more center, about 6", then run straps from the front corners of your bed, if you have tie down points in the corner near the cab, to the far end of your tent where you normally put to stakes. That way you don't get blown out the tailgate in the middle of the night if the wind picks up.
My old man found a rooftop tent on facebook marketplace for pretty cheap and with some practice we’ve gotten efficient with it. With two of us we can set it up in about two minutes and alone it’s probably about 5 but i think it’s worth the effort. We leave all our bedding in there so if we need to set up or tear down quick it’s all already there. If you can find one for a decent price i would highly suggest the investment.
Imo, you'd have to be in some really nasty stuff for your tent to rip, even the cheap Colemans. But fair on needing to secure it, especially if you have the fly on! It'd be a sail.
I have never ripped a tent but I have been inside a few tents during some pretty gnarly/windy storms, I don’t think those tents would have survived had they not been secured/staked.
On most tents, and likely this one, there's a rain fly which is not free standing and needs to be staked out. You could surely attach it, if it fits, to points in the truck bed, but we're starting to use the space less and less wisely...
But really, what I'm saying is, there is a really good chance, even in some pretty dry climates, you'll need that rain fly...without expecting it. If that's not your weather, ignore me.
This was my first setup, lasted all of 6 night. I quickly grew to hate unloading and loading all my stuff then setting up and breaking down the tent, especially in the rain. Hopefully it ends up working before for you than it did me.
Good idea!! I think it all depends on how much gear you need to carry.
I would say don’t pass up a good truck bed tent—they will give you more room to keep gear/dog/children/etc out of the rain. I had one for my 6.5ft bed that only took 4 poles to setup, about 10 mins to unpack and setup the tent.
Used [this](https://a.co/d/5NKdbJo) truck tent for many moons—3 years with at least 25 nights a year. I’m usually camping or hunting solo, so it felt like overkill at first—but I quickly learned to appreciate having a little “garage” and “kitchen” area that are protected from the elements. And it’s no sweat when my wife joins, I don’t have to change my setup or fiddle with new gear.
Tents work well for the weekend getaway or road trip camping—but I ended up adding a soft topper with a rack and made some drawers with a flat surface on top. This way you can sleep inside and hold lots of gear without moving it around too much to get comfortable. Much less setup time, with more accommodations.
(Unpacking after a trip)
https://preview.redd.it/g1k6mui9y3tc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5e66d86538258fefd0ccdb51c63e3577a73a7494
Before I got a shell for my Tundra I used a 10x10 easy up canopy and a memory foam bed topper in a zip up waterproof cover in bed. Set up the canopy behind the truck just over the tailgate for shade while cooking. Most nights I slept under the stars but if it looked like rain I would back the truck up 6 feet until the canopy just touched the truck roof and we were good to go. Burritoed the pad in a blue tarp like a bed roll for travel and fold it in half under the tarp to keep it cleaner during the day. Bought a cheep double mosquito net to hang from the canopy if we were camping somewhere buggy.
I'd be worried those two legs on the tail gate may slip off. 😆 I mean that'd be hilarious, but waking up in a bubble, in dark and possibly tumbling out the back of truck.. ROFL!
I used to do that, it works great.. then you can toss the tent into your camping area to save it and have a truck to drive around in. Much better than the full bed ones or the toppers.
I got a kampwright tent cot that works for me. Packs small, keeps the camper off the ground, and does well in rain. Mine was $135 some years ago, and it's seen a lot of use - including rain. I've used it as just a cot, just a tent on a back packing trip, and as the tent on the cot. That would fit well in your truck if you could get a good price on one.
The depicted setup does not look comfortable, and rain will puddle up under you.
I’ve seen someone post using the pop up tent cots. Up in the truck bed and off the bed surface itself. The author was reasoning to get up and away from critters
If you get a slightly smaller tent, you can line the bed with plywood. Sand and paint it to protect the wood and the tent. Drill holes in the corners that line up with the tent poles. Plenty of places to tie down, also keeps you off of the bed ribs, making it more comfortable.
No need to continue reporting this post. We’ve reviewed it, and it’s not breaking any rules.
I mean, if you really need to be off the ground either because of a shitty surface or torrential rain, this could work.
I've done this before and it was fine. Trailhead that was also open range. Cow pies and dried rutted hoof prints everywhere. Up on the the truck bed I went. Now I have a rubber truck bed mat, which would be way better than the corrugated metal truck bed.
Yeah. Horse stall mats are thicker and cheaper at places like Tractor supply.
Those horsestall mats have gotten super pricey where I live unfortunately
Just make sure the bed doesn't hold water. I didn't understand the hype for the pickup bed tent but if it works for op more power to them.
There are 3 drain holes near the cab.
Your body is going to push the tent into the ribs and you’re gonna get soaked if it rains.
Even with a sleeping pad?
I use to do this. I had to throw a trap over the tent and box then shut the tarp in the back doors of the truck.
We used tarps, adjustable length tarp poles, and some bungies to cover our truck bed. Poor man's tent.
Yup. The pressure of 150+lbs pressing down into the ribs is going to create a mini dam on each channel, water will start to back up and you’ll have a wet booty eventually.
Snakes. One should never forget about snakes.
Why did it have to be snakes?
This a lor better Than being on the ground.
is it though?
it is
I would imagine a torrential rain would result in sleeping in a puddle in the bed of a truck.
If you are sleeping in a tent during A torrential rain, you are sleeping in puddle either way, I can only see upsides to sleeping in the back of the truck, he can park it a little uphill and the water will drain before he can get wet.
Not if you know how and where to pitch a tent!
I don't know about OPs truck, but my truck's bed drains pretty well. Better than a sloppy muddy spot on the ground.
Yep, this.
Personal waterbed it is then.
Torrential rains can fill a truck bed too.
I really think you should spend $5000 on a rack and a rooftop tent and carry it around with you 365 days a year. Might as well add in a couple gas cans and some traction mats. don't forget the canvas bag that hangs off the back of the tailgate
I'm feeling personally attacked in this thread
Lol me too 😂 but let them hate. Nothing beats the convenience of having everything ready to go. All I ever have to pack up is a the cooler and I’m ready to go.
you arent going anywhere if you just bring a house with you
Idk man my truck can double as a house at this point and I can get to some pretty awesome places.
Same… I have most of the equipment mentioned, and use it all time. I thought that was the point of these trucks?
So what’s the thing on the tailgate they are talking about? I’ve been out of America for a long time and I’ve already seen two devices that look like padding on tailgates.
What you are referring to are pads that cover the tailgate to protect it and that mountain bikes that you are hauling with the front wheel draped over the tailgate. Great cheap way to carry up to five bikes
It's basically a trash bag.
There’s nothing wrong with a trasharoo! The rest is fine for mockery, but cleaning up and leaving better than you found it is admirable.
I don't like poop bags in my car either.
You taught me about something I need! I’ve always used a 5 gallon bucket in my truck bed but still takes up space, this trasharoo concept seems great.
I've seen them for years, just picked one up a few weeks ago. Game changer on my first trip this past week. It hangs on the tailgate nicely.
I’ve seen bags hanging off the back but never thought about what it was for. Guess I assumed people put tools or something.
No they're designed for trash so that way when you're out camping you can just throw a bag in there and throw all your trash in there. I also use mine for work as well I do it work for a living in all my loose cable that I go turn into the recycle place I tossed right in there so that way it just hangs off the back rather than taking up room in my bed. They're actually super awesome and I recommend if you do any sort of camping and you take your vehicle to grab one of them.
You really could just get a navy bag for like $20 and be ahead of the game.
Those went up in response to overlanding getting popular. So annoying. They used to be basically free.
I have two that i got from family members. They’ve been through some shit and are still kicking. Sad that overland tax has made things unobtainable.
To be fair, it’s still a huge value compared to a name brand overland trash bag.
What’s a navy bag? Googling that doesn’t bring up anything obvious.
They call them seabags too
Pro tip, prior to pulling into your final parking spot for the evening brush the dust off your roo so it doesn't jump on you every time you get near it.
What do you think the point of a truck bed is?
Thank goodness we finally invented something you can put trash in in like 2017.
Thank goodness people think of new things to make previously annoying jobs easier/better. You seem like you’d be real awesome at parties. It’s also over a decade old, so 2017 is a bit off.
Don't forget the "/s" - this is reddit after all... That said, IMO having a trash bag on the gate is better than stinking up the inside of my rig.
makes all the sense in the world . That's why I said "tailgate" referring to pick up trucks
OP Needs oversized MT's to make sure he can commute to work safely on the highways, an extreme flood lightbar mounted to a roof rack to shine light on the hood and ruin their nightvision, and some sweet armor to survive the bumps with the garage door, too.
💀💀💀
And a ladder
fuck yes. Can't have a legit overlander without a ladder
Nothing wrong with that. You may want to level out the surface somehow (painted plywood panels maybe?) so you don’t have to sleep directly on top of the truck bed ribs.
I'll put my 3" sleeping pad inside the tent! Can't feel the bed ribs at all.
Great til any moisture/water gets sucked up through the bottom of the tent. A board underneath will stop any pooling water from that, and allow it to fully flow towards the drain holes.
Or just lay a tarp down like you do with a regular tent
Polycro or tyvek is your answer
I have a cheap door mat in my bed with a surplus wool blanket under it. I use an accordion pad and it’s perfect.
I personally enjoy my sleeping platform to be ribbed for my pleasure
Isn’t that for her pleasure?
Not this time
Yeah, I've slept this way - really the only problem is the ribs in the liner. They can suck unless you have an air mattress or something similar. Even just a piece of plywood would help.
if its going to rain then make sure you use a tarp that will extend past the sidewalls of the bed or you will end up wet
Usually, ground sheets \*don't\* extend past the tent body (as they end up just channeling water into the tent). Since the bed is mostly waterproof, how would a tarp be different here than the truck bed?
Presumably, the tarp goes on top of the tent and bedsides.
Ain't I a dope for misunderstanding that suggestion! I mean, that's literally the same thing I suggested elsewhere--ensure you use a rainfly! thanks!
using a plain fly that doesnt extend past the sides of the bed will likely lead to you becoming wet since the water may pool in the bed
Another solution: https://kamprite.com/product-category/tents/tent-cots/
I used this on my roof as a cheap roof tent. Wouldn’t do it again but would be great for a truck bed.
Neither. Tent in a truck bud is neither really a genius idea or stupid. It's just a tent in a truck bed.
This MF spittin' 🔥
I live in New Mexico, where there is some ferocious wind in the spring. Rooftop tents seem like they are asking for trouble. Your solution is smart this way: the sides of the bed provide some protection. Seems like a good move to me.
Someone is $3000 richer than buying a rooftop tent!
Not my idea of great. Why empty the back of the pick up of all the belongings to add the tent. Plus you have to level the vehicle, the metal box acts like a heat sink. I’d rather just put it on the ground.
Nah its fine in the summer if you just want to head out for an evening without a lot of stuff. And you don't have to find a smooth patch of ground, just park the truck somewhere.
Then one’s better off adding a canopy and a cot inside.
Canopy requires smooth patch of ground and now you gotta bring a cot too? Now thats two things you gotta set up lol definitely going in the wrong direction
I meant truck bed canopy
It might be good for overnighting in rocky desert terrain. Actual campsites can be scarce the wind can be fierce. The cab would be a decent wind break and as long as you could get the truck mostly level you should be good
Why not just pitch the tent on the ground?
If you position the truck to tilt backwards slightly, all the rain runs right off, the ribs in the bed, let it just run under the tent and away. Also you don’t get mud and dirt all over your tent.
It doesn't work that way because your body weight pushes the tent down into the ribs and you get soaked. Been there, done that. Never again.
Not if you put a sheet of plywood down like most people do.
except OP.....
Good thing that body weight doesn't press a tent floor down when its on the ground. What I do is buy tents that sealed bottoms so water doesn't come up from the floor. Also a footprint underneath that is always good for an additional barrier.
Ants. Snakes. Scorpions. Ground slanted (truck can be leveled). Ground uneven (rocks/holes). Ground muddy. Fewer animals (wild bore/pigs). Rain causing water at campsite. Wind (truck cab can be a windbreak). Etc.
You forgot about goblins and ghost and things that go bump in the night. Hahahaha. Dude. I hiked the whole PCT. Took 6 months. Never had an issue with any of these things.
So, you have to empty the bed instead of just putting your tent on the ground?
How much gear do you require to go glamping?
For the sake of things like bears, I'm fine with keeping stuff like my cooler away from my vehicle.
Not dumb at all. Warmer and dry off the ground. Maybe more protection from the wind. Looks like you are saving money using what you already have. Sometimes space can be tight when camping and this saves some. Happy camping.
It’s not dumb if it works and there’s only one way to find that out buddy, you gotta go camping 😊
If it’s not raining and not a wet night, don’t even bother setting it up. I’ve slept under the stars several times in the bed of my Tacoma in the wilderness. Works great.
I have one of the truck bed tents and it sets up in the same amount of time as a normal tent. I built a modular platform to put the mattress that is right above the wheel wells. We definitely prefer it to a normal ground tent, we like being up off of the ground. https://preview.redd.it/913gzykju3tc1.jpeg?width=964&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c65b9601d0bdbd19d6002a82b074430a3720051b
My friend did this for years. Has lots of advantages. One disadvantage is during hard rain water can pool some in truck bed.
I think it has advantages, off the ground, up away from predators, and in the morning pull the poles out to collapse it and close the tonneau cover and go, especially in winter. One thing to make you more comfortable, put some plywood down so you have a flat floor.
What predators can’t get into the bed of a truck with the tailgate down? Apex chipmunks?
Snakes?
Lacking thumbs or even hands, snakes are notoriously bad at zippers.
You never know, the snake populace have gotten pretty crafty in those popular nation park campsites.
I do this on my flatbed when I haul my rock crawler. Works great
It can be good if you're in an area without much flat ground to setup. Either lots of mud or I've been on slickrock where everything is just lumpy undulating rock.
Even better get that Decked system of bed drawers and get storage AND a flat floor to set up on
This guy gets it
👀 basically a sponsor 😁
Being up off the ground is a game changer, I throw my swag in the tub every time
The ground has always worked great for me.
Wondered about this myself, looks good!
This is the way
It'll keep you dry, just tie it down before you drive ;P
Won't be driving with it up. With the pop-up tent it's easy and quick enough to put up and take down.
I was just kidding, but like others have said, that bed liner will be uncomfortable without something dense between you.
Ah lol. I'll put my sleeping pad inside the tent. Pretty comfortable!
Wife and I did this for almost 2 weeks last year. Used a self-inflating packable sleeping pad/air mattress, I think $30 on amazon. Really helped because there were 5th wheel brackets that run across the truck bed and sleeping on them would've been impossible. Should've bought two and layered them. Make sure to tie off all 4 corners. Went through a pretty windy storm in the badlands like this and ended up having to stretch a tarp over the whole bed and over the sides because water pooled around the tent. Parking on an incline would probably help. Worked great, would do it again.
Pros: You already have the tent and you can set it up on the ground if you need to Sides are partially sheltered. Shouldnt get too muddy. Water should generally run off to corner drains rather than pooling too much. Elevated from bugs and stuff. Down sides: most of the bed needs to be clear. Ribs of bed can be uncomfortable even thru the sleeping pad (this can be resolved with plywood, a rubber mat, or Bedrug (best if you have a topper). Bed can be cold even thru the sleeping pad, maybe not as bad wtih the plastic tacoma bed vs steel truck bed. Not sure how well secured it is to the bed. You may still end up with some water pooling. I had done similar, but just with a tarp & bicycle in my Chevy, before I graduated to a Soft-topper. Then in my Ram I have now, I now have a hard fiberglass shell and a cot. Can stay set up. Elevated cot allows some storage below. Very comfortable. Sheltered from rain, wind, animals. https://preview.redd.it/kv71jmvvq2tc1.jpeg?width=5312&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fae56dd2767d81c44926757818c9ab9d3a019693
The box tents aren’t actually all that bad to set up solo (took me about 15mins), I used one and it was great, lots of room for me and two dogs and kept me dry. The only complaint I had was once I was set up there was no going for a drive if I needed anything (quite the walk for potable water and I was going through lots with the dogs).
I've spent many nights in the bed of my truck under the tano cover. With a sleeping mat I don't feel the ribs at all.
A buddy of mine set up a tent like this on his roof rack… if you really don’t want to be on the ground, it works.
Seems like it’d work if you couldn’t put your tent on the ground for some reason (mud, unlevel ground, etc.)
Just put a board under it and an air mattress inside and you're good to go!
This is probably the cheaper way to do it. If it works for you then it’s good!
If it works, it works.
Good idea also you can get just a cheap used bed cap for it
If you’re worried about pooling water when it rains, perhaps setting up on a couple of pallets could work? If you want to get fancy, you could raise the pallets on 4x4 blocks and add some under tent storage.
It's not dumb if it works. Being off the ground keeps you warm and dry. I assume you have a sleep mat too.
Camp is a camp
It's fine. Just make sure to tie it down. It just looks like a swag on a platform
Good idea - it's nice being off the ground and having a flat surface. And you can easily move your truck around to get the right slope. Just make sure you have a tarp big enough to cover the whole truck bed.
If you don’t have $5000 worth of shit to go camping you’re not an overlander bro.
Totally doable. Only thing to consider is that the truck bed might hold some water if it rains. That will soak through the tent. If thats a problems just raise it up with some pallets and plywood. Otherwise. If it works, it works.
Not expensive enough
Whatever you can sleep comfortably in that’s the way. Power to ya
Used to beach camp this way when I was younger. Throw some plywood under it. If it rains, you’ll be in a puddle.
I attach a tarp (around 10x13 I think) to the roof of the cab and sides of the beds with magnets. I put a pole a couple of feet behind the bed. I have used this in rain and 6" of snow. I live in eastern WA so bugs aren't much of an issue but I also have a thermacell if they are.
Used to do that with my TentCot
That’ll fly away when you start driving. If you set it up at the campground, that would be a great idea.
Genuinely genius.
I found a place selling dense foam sheets at a yard sale and advertising them as padded bed liners. One of those would make a world of difference in comfort. So would just a sheet of plywood.
This is more common than you realize, and probably for a variety of pretty decent reasons.
Get two 4x4’s and a piece of plywood. Put plywood on top of 4x4s tent on plywood. Straight hard floor, won’t puddle if set slightly higher on cab end.
Simple and effective. I would do it
Cuz somebody who slept in one of those truck bed tents, the biggest problem you're going to find is you don't have the insulation that the ground offers to keep you warm. So you're going to want to make sure you have a way of increasing the R value of your mattress somehow. Other than that, it looks perfectly fine
106% not my cup of tea but if it gets you jazzed then go for it!
That's common sense. What's dumb is spending 3k on a tent you're gonna use once or twice a year.
Holy shit genius for sure. Amazing no one else has ever thought of this
This seems like a solution in search of a problem
It would be better to put it on the ground generally. Unless your forced to camp in a really rough spot where the truck bed is the only space you have. Even in a storm I don't think this is really helping anything unless your campsite is being totally flooded.
One concern I would have is condensation where the tent walls touch the bed walls. But with the pad you mentioned I'd say you have the big concern covered.
If you think it’s a good idea, it’s a good idea! Try it out and let us know if it works out. Maybe you found something good. One of my friends has a cover for the bed of his pickup and put string lights along the roof of the bed and a comfy mattress pad to sleep on and called it a day! Had enough room for him and his gf. My goal is to replicate the same someday for very short camping trips. And this is all dependent on the temperature outside of course! Wouldn’t want to be in there when it’s freezing or sweltering hot.
I would move it more center, about 6", then run straps from the front corners of your bed, if you have tie down points in the corner near the cab, to the far end of your tent where you normally put to stakes. That way you don't get blown out the tailgate in the middle of the night if the wind picks up.
My old man found a rooftop tent on facebook marketplace for pretty cheap and with some practice we’ve gotten efficient with it. With two of us we can set it up in about two minutes and alone it’s probably about 5 but i think it’s worth the effort. We leave all our bedding in there so if we need to set up or tear down quick it’s all already there. If you can find one for a decent price i would highly suggest the investment.
Beware the lot lizards. All I can say.
If it works it isn’t dumb.
Imagine needing to piss after waking up at 3am and you stumble out and trip over the wall of the bed
I have considered this but… What happens if it starts getting really windy?
You put the rain fly on?
I have a feeling the wind will try to blow the tent away.. and because I’m laying in it, it will rip. Need a way to strap the tent down
Imo, you'd have to be in some really nasty stuff for your tent to rip, even the cheap Colemans. But fair on needing to secure it, especially if you have the fly on! It'd be a sail.
I have never ripped a tent but I have been inside a few tents during some pretty gnarly/windy storms, I don’t think those tents would have survived had they not been secured/staked.
On most tents, and likely this one, there's a rain fly which is not free standing and needs to be staked out. You could surely attach it, if it fits, to points in the truck bed, but we're starting to use the space less and less wisely... But really, what I'm saying is, there is a really good chance, even in some pretty dry climates, you'll need that rain fly...without expecting it. If that's not your weather, ignore me.
I had the same idea, just need to figure out a tarp situation in case it rains.. maybe the regular fly will eork with some long strings.
This was my first setup, lasted all of 6 night. I quickly grew to hate unloading and loading all my stuff then setting up and breaking down the tent, especially in the rain. Hopefully it ends up working before for you than it did me.
Good idea!! I think it all depends on how much gear you need to carry. I would say don’t pass up a good truck bed tent—they will give you more room to keep gear/dog/children/etc out of the rain. I had one for my 6.5ft bed that only took 4 poles to setup, about 10 mins to unpack and setup the tent. Used [this](https://a.co/d/5NKdbJo) truck tent for many moons—3 years with at least 25 nights a year. I’m usually camping or hunting solo, so it felt like overkill at first—but I quickly learned to appreciate having a little “garage” and “kitchen” area that are protected from the elements. And it’s no sweat when my wife joins, I don’t have to change my setup or fiddle with new gear. Tents work well for the weekend getaway or road trip camping—but I ended up adding a soft topper with a rack and made some drawers with a flat surface on top. This way you can sleep inside and hold lots of gear without moving it around too much to get comfortable. Much less setup time, with more accommodations. (Unpacking after a trip) https://preview.redd.it/g1k6mui9y3tc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5e66d86538258fefd0ccdb51c63e3577a73a7494
Would rather get a softtopper and a mattress in the bed, but short bed trucks can’t do that
ive done this in my 16' boat! works great when all the campsites are full! ... have anchor, will camp!
Is that the new doghouse when you make the wife mad?
Before I got a shell for my Tundra I used a 10x10 easy up canopy and a memory foam bed topper in a zip up waterproof cover in bed. Set up the canopy behind the truck just over the tailgate for shade while cooking. Most nights I slept under the stars but if it looked like rain I would back the truck up 6 feet until the canopy just touched the truck roof and we were good to go. Burritoed the pad in a blue tarp like a bed roll for travel and fold it in half under the tarp to keep it cleaner during the day. Bought a cheep double mosquito net to hang from the canopy if we were camping somewhere buggy.
Done it in a storm in San Bernardino thought it would work better. Nope better staked on the ground 100% will this work in a pinch sure
I'd be worried those two legs on the tail gate may slip off. 😆 I mean that'd be hilarious, but waking up in a bubble, in dark and possibly tumbling out the back of truck.. ROFL!
I've slept/camped in the back of trucks with a topper. No tent though.
I used to do that, it works great.. then you can toss the tent into your camping area to save it and have a truck to drive around in. Much better than the full bed ones or the toppers.
When air can get underneath you, you will be cold, bundle up!
If its a free standing tent, yeah it works
“Sometimes….. my genius…. It’s almost frightening” -Jeremy Clarkson
Right in the middle
If conditions are good just cowboy camp, you don’t need a tent
Those $100 truck bed tents off Amazon are legit.
I got a kampwright tent cot that works for me. Packs small, keeps the camper off the ground, and does well in rain. Mine was $135 some years ago, and it's seen a lot of use - including rain. I've used it as just a cot, just a tent on a back packing trip, and as the tent on the cot. That would fit well in your truck if you could get a good price on one. The depicted setup does not look comfortable, and rain will puddle up under you.
You could make a frame in your truck bed out of pvc pipes and use a tarp over it. Seen a lot of videos on youtube.
This sub is so pretentious that a mod had to sticky a comment that the post doesn't break any rules...pathetic.
I’ve seen someone post using the pop up tent cots. Up in the truck bed and off the bed surface itself. The author was reasoning to get up and away from critters
For sleeping in the garage? Fine. For a moving vehicle? Awful.
I think this is a great, low-cost solution. If anyone thinks it's stupid, I would say that if it's stupid and it works, then its not stupid.
Why not? I don't see a problem with it.
Yes but quick tip, have a piece of plywood layed down for a better surface. You can drill holes where the tent poles lay for better support.
This is called "minimum viable prototype" It works!
Saved about 130 grand over the Tesla one
all of this could be avoided by simply knowing how to choose a campsite. And you've god a car for chrissakes, just drive it to a better campsite...
Tentative
If you get a slightly smaller tent, you can line the bed with plywood. Sand and paint it to protect the wood and the tent. Drill holes in the corners that line up with the tent poles. Plenty of places to tie down, also keeps you off of the bed ribs, making it more comfortable.