How to Camp in a Truck Cap
While camping in a pickup truck cap will never be as comfortable as an RV, there are times when it will be preferable to camping in a tent. In the desert, scorpions and rattlesnakes seek warmth wherever they can find it. In the mountains and woods, animals may be searching for food. Deer, elk, and moose may be more aggressive due to rutting season, tearing and knocking down tents as they fight one another for territory, fodder, and mates.
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Things You'll Need
- 1/4-inch composite board
- 2-inch by 2-inch angle iron
- Power saw of your choice
- Continuous-rim diamond saw blade
- 110-volt gasless MIG
- Welding helmet and full leathers
- Power drill, 1/4-inch diameter bit
- Box of 1/4-inch diameter, one-inch long bolts
- Box of 1/4-inch diameter fender washers, lock washers, and acorn nuts
- 4-inch thick memory foam mattress or futon
- Alpine-rated bedding
- Hat, gloves, heavy socks
- Two large, plastic coffee cans
- Plastic wastebasket bags
- Cold campfire ashes or 100% clay kitty litter
Instructions
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Optional: Build a Bed Frame
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1
Measure your truck bed from wall to wall and front to back. Cut composite board to the width and length of your truck bed.
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2
Use your choice of saw with a continuous-rim diamond blade to cut two pieces of 2-inch by 2-inch angle iron to the interior wall-to-wall width and two pieces to the front-to-back interior length of your truck bed. A continuous-rim diamond blade is used "... to cut concrete, cinder block, marble, ceramic tile, and slate," according to ToolsToday.com (Reference 1).
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3
Don your welding helmet and full leathers. Use a 110-volt gasless MIG to weld the four pieces together into a metal bed frame.
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4
Measure the height of your truck's wheel wells inside the truck bed. Cut four pieces of 2-inch by 2-inch angle iron to that height to make supports for you bed frame. Weld supports to each corner of the frame. Place frame in truck bed.
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5
Lay the composite boards you cut in Step 1 on top of the metal frame you built. Drill 1/4-inch diameter pilot holes every six inches around the edge of the bed frame, beginning at the front left corner.
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6
Place a 1/4-inch diameter fender washer on 1/4-inch diameter, one-inch long bolts. Push bolts through composite board and metal frame. Place a second fender washer and matching lock washer on each bolt and secure with a 1/4-inch diameter acorn nut.
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7
Place mattress or futon and bedding on bed frame.
Organization
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8
Organize your gear so that frequently-used items such as cooking equipment and toiletries are closest to the tailgate, underneath your bed frame.
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9
Use the ledge on both sides of the cap to store small items that you need at night, such as your alarm clock, toilet paper, and flashlight.
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10
Use two large, plastic coffee cans with tight-fitting lids and standard plastic wastebasket bags as an emergency toilet for times when it is too cold or wet to get out of the truck. Line the solid-waste can with a bag. Do not line the liquid-waste can.
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11
Use cold ashes from your campfire in the solid-waste bag to prevent odors, if available. If ashes are not available, use 100% clay kitty litter. Add one or two handfuls of ash or kitty litter before and after each use. Dump contents daily in an approved dumping station.
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12
Use alpine-rated bedding if you are camping when temperatures are likely to drop below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Wear a stocking cap, gloves, and socks for added protection against loss of core body temperature while sleeping.
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Tips & Warnings
Big Sky Fishing.com states, "A sleeping bag temperature rating is ... the best guess of the manufacturer as to how warm the bag will be for the average person." Your comfort level will depend on several factors, because "people sleep at differing body temperatures. If you are what is known as a 'cold sleeper' - you are going to need a significantly warmer bag than ... a 'hot sleeper'" (Reference 2).
