Tiny truck bed campers?

[aggie79]

How much vertical height is necessary (and how much would be nice to have) above a full or queen bunk?

Having owned a teardrop, I would want at least enough room to sit-up in bed without hitting my head. This so you can spin and maneuver around in tight quarters. That height would be around 36" clear of structure and compressed thickness of mattress.

Pros/cons to the single loveseat vs. two-person dinette arrangement? Any alternative ideas?

Given the small available volume, a single loveseat arrangement would be more space efficient, leaving room for other things like a porta-potty.

Any feedback on the hard pop up concepts, other examples, alternatives?

Complexity usually equals cost and/or weight. Based on other designs I've seen here and elsewhere, I would consider a design with panels, hinged on the bottom side of the panel, that fold up vertically. Hinging the panels on the lower assembly keep weight off of the pop-top roof.

Ideas on how best to raise and support such a rigid pop-top, manual or electric?

I'd consider two gas struts on both sides of the exterior mounted diagonally.

Thoughts on a camper that projects beyond the truck bed with tailgate down or removed vs a short one inside the bed with tailgate up?

I'd consider cantilevering on/past the tailgate with the tailgate mounted.

[RJ Howell]

• How much vertical height is necessary (and how much would be nice to have) above a full or queen bunk?
  
  My lift is 26". I have a 8" well that I figured would accommodate the mattress/pillows before the lift. No enough to sit up in, yet plenty shoulder to shoulder while in bed.
  
  
• Pros/cons to the single loveseat vs. two-person dinette arrangement? Any alternative ideas?
  
  Believe I mentioned before, I'm for the love seat for the storage, additional uses
  
  
• Any feedback on the hard pop up concepts, other examples, alternatives?
  
  
  Hard top yes! Hard sides, not so much. I have a full lift on mine and still look at the 'wedge' styles as a very good system. Pro's n con's on each that you need to weigh out.
  
  
• Ideas on how best to raise and support such a rigid pop-top, manual or electric?
  
  Mine I do manually and at 68yrs of age.. no issue. If I build the roof any heavier I would consider a hinge-lift spring system. The greatest issue with the pop-tops is wind and movement. Most commercial units use gas struts and the fabric to hold it steady. I see this as an issue of durability of the wrap. Mine has a lift hinge that removes E/W movement and a brace that removes any N/S movement. Same would be required of hard sided.. IMHO
  
  
• Thoughts on a camper that projects beyond the truck bed with tailgate down or removed vs a short one inside the bed with tailgate up?

This is one of COG.. center of gravity.. If the area behind the rear wheels is space only, have fun with it. Yet if that space carries weight, take care of what you have back there. I build a spreadsheet back in the days of trailering To fully understand loading and weight upon tongue and axle. Extending beyond the tail gate, being just open or removed is to me according to what is back there. When math is applied, a single pound can equate to several depending on distance from axle.

If you haven't seen this dude's build yet. Please do check it out. He has much of the simplest ideas in place at light weight. A friend wants to build one on his Taco and asked if I will assist... obviously yes I will, he's a friend! We're going to use much of his design, mainly because I really like and it makes sense. We will change a few things from pricing and personal choices/needs of my friend's.

https://ripcordhq.com/collections/camper-blueprints-cut-files

Again. I hope some of this helps. Just thoughts from my experience from my truck camper build.
and of course... MHO

Safe Travels!

[cluttonfred]

Thanks, RJ and Aggie for the feedback, I've got design options to think about. In the meantime, here's a hard-side pop-up design I had not seen before, not too far off from my sketches though on a Maverick there would be no bottom bunk.



https://duckworks.com/slidacab/

[2bits]

I bought an A.R.E. Commercial truck topper off Craigslist for $300. It has nice vertical double doors and side storage. I cut a hole in one side to allow a passthrough so I can wake up, plug in the percolator and push the side door open to enjoy the sunrise while still under the sheets. I put a single innerspring mattress in the bed slid to one side and built shelving at the bed height to cover the wheel wells and they just sat in there so it could easily be turned back into a truck bed by simply siding out the mattress and the two side shelves. It worked great for months and I camped in it three times until I finished my canned ham rebuild, it worked great.

[2bits]

More Pics

[2bits]

Last pics

[cluttonfred]

I bought an A.R.E. Commercial truck topper off Craigslist for $300...

Thanks for sharing, 2bits, some neat ideas in there even if you had a lot more space in your truck than in something like the Maverick. How would you compare your truck cap camper experience with towing your canned ham? I am still debating whether or not a small truck camper is the right solution compared with towing a teardrop and outfitting the truck bed with a basic cap to serve as galley and storage. Both have pros and cons. Cheers, Matthew

[Pmullen503]

The nice thing about a trailer is that it's easy to hitch or unhitch. For me, since trips nearly always involve kayaks or canoes, having a base camp and driving the TV with the boats to whatever lake or river that day works for me.

I have a friend with a big PU camper. It's too big and heavy to leave on all the time and kinda a PIA to take on and off so it gets used less than he planned.

Each option has advantages and disadvantages.

[RJ Howell]

I have a friend with a big PU camper. It's too big and heavy to leave on all the time and kinda a PIA to take on and off so it gets used less than he planned.

Totally agree with this. I talk with so many that have the full hard-side truck campers (even those with commercial pop-top) and they are shocked as we talk weight and much lighter mine is.The biggest item is COG (center of gravity) being much too high. I do love the hybrid designs I see using lightweight materials and metal skeleton framing.

[2bits]

I bought an A.R.E. Commercial truck topper off Craigslist for $300...

Thanks for sharing, 2bits, some neat ideas in there even if you had a lot more space in your truck than in something like the Maverick. How would you compare your truck cap camper experience with towing your canned ham? I am still debating whether or not a small truck camper is the right solution compared with towing a teardrop and outfitting the truck bed with a basic cap to serve as galley and storage. Both have pros and cons. Cheers, Matthew

for a truck camper for your size truck, I would probably need to increase the height. check out Capri cowboy campers. you can find them used and they still make them new exactly like they did in the old days so it has that vintage feel to it. With a truck camper, removability is key, at least for me I couldn't live without my truck bed.

It is a different experience completely from teardrop or truck bed to a tiny trailer. A truck bed camper or teardrop is the same as the name of my first teardrop a "Luxury Tent" since the whole camper is the bed and everything else is done outdoors. My '68 Scotty was literally the same size as my teardrop except 1 foot wider and for that same footprint I got so many more amenities indoors. Some people smugly say "I camp outdoors" like you are somehow cheating if you want to put your pants on while standing up. Teardropping IS great, it is just a different experience, sort of like driving an ATV or a side by side, they are both cool. I wanted options... I love sitting outside having my coffee in the morning BUT I also love sitting INSIDE having my coffee when it is 30 degrees outside and raining. After 8 years going to the bathhouse I moved into campers with a bathroom and shower for that same reason. While many people just move into a huge new camper after a while, when I got my brand new camper 6 mo ago, I never lost the same tiny trailer mentality that I first began with, so I have literally the smallest production trailer made that has a full dry bath, 14 feet long and 2500 lbs, I am still stopping traffic with people laughing at me at how small it is so I feel like I am still in the club I have my camper van also for when I want to pull my side by side to go off roading. That is also a huge benefit to a truck camper, you can pull an ATV or a boat. A truck camper also has no title, registration, no tires to go flat or wheel bearings to maintain. I guess it all depends on the level of amenities to the experience you prefer. for me I had to try on a LOT of shoes to find the pair I truly liked.

In 2008 I started in literally the exact same place as you... wanting to build a truck camper, my buddy turned me on to this site and I was hooked on the coolnees of teardrops. Since then I have been through 12 campers finding what was just right, 2 teardrops, 3 truck campers, 2 17 foot vintage campers, 2 10 foot vintage campers and 2 vans and now my new production model 14 foot camper which of course I customized since by nature, us camper builders just want it our way haha.
I think I am finally done

[cluttonfred]

Thanks, all, and especially 2bits for sharing your experience and photos. To be clear, I was talking about a very light DIY truck bed camper in the teardrop spirit, not a big monster. It shouldn't end up significantly heavier than a comparable size teardrop, actually less with no trailer involved. The Capri Cowboy models are interesting but for the little Maverick bed (about 4' 6" x 4' 6" x 1' 8" deep) the only way to fit a bunk without a cabover or substantial rear overhang is across the width of the bed on top of the rails. That would work for a twin size bed (40" wide, one of these little foam couch/beds below could work) and still fit in the truck bed with room to close the tailgate and leaving about a foot of clear space inside the camper to stand on when you get out of bed or fold/unfold it. You could go up to full or even queen size with overhang over the tailgate. In the sketch below, the orange areas are dedicated storage (drawers between floor and truck bed, and drawers under bunk platform, cubbies in the nose fairing. There would also be small cabinets and nets inside the camper itself, not shown.

Maverick camper ideas (5).jpg (107.9 KiB) Viewed 347 times

foam sofa bed.jpg (113.68 KiB) Viewed 347 times

[alyoko03]

My sketchup of a truck camper. Fits 5.8, king size top bed, twin bottom. Fridge, microwave, diesel heater, propane hot water, porta-potty, 2-11 pound propane tanks. Peak roof is about 7ft, enough room to sit up comfortably on the top bed. About 20gal water in 4 jugs. 2300w gas Gen on cargo carrier. 2 peace door allows you to close tailgate.

[cluttonfred]

My sketchup of a truck camper. Fits 5.8, king size top bed, twin bottom. Fridge, microwave, diesel heater, propane hot water, porta-potty, 2-11 pound propane tanks. Peak roof is about 7ft, enough room to sit up comfortably on the top bed. About 20gal water in 4 jugs. 2300w gas Gen on cargo carrier. 2 peace door allows you to close tailgate.

Neat design, I like the rear external locker extending your storage, could do that on both sides of the door even in a camper that fits with the tailgate up. The angular roof looks straightforward to build as well.

[cluttonfred]

Random thought...for trucks with very small beds, what about a horizontally-telescoping camper to add extra length only when you need to bed down for the night? Basically you'd have a little couch or dinette, a tiny galley, and maybe a slide-out portable toilet in the main part of the camper in the pickup bed. When you want to sleep, the rear wall complete with door would slide out to form an extension with hammocks or fold-down bunks or just mattresses on the floor. It could be a couple of rigid sections, like the Hitch Hotel pictured (but T-shaped to fit the truck bed, of course), or it could be tunnel-like tent, or a combination of the two. Anyone ever seen anything like that? Any particular pros or cons that come to mind? Cheers, Matthew

capri cowboy snow.jpeg (14.29 KiB) Viewed 265 times

hitch hotel.jpg (140.5 KiB) Viewed 265 times

[rebapuck]

I've gone "tent" camping in the back of my VW truck.