We don't have any pictures of this part of the process but we pulled the bolts out before we slide the frame into place, once it was in we drilled the holes into the drawer frame from under the truck. Install several plastic electrical boxes instead of a single panel to get better and easier access. We recruited help! This is a quick and easy way … The best thing is.. It’s entirely up to you. DIY Awning System // Limited and/or cramped space is the name of the game when truck bed camping. The main heat is blown air heater off propane. Take three measurements when analy… We didn't realize how important a screen for our truck camper conversion was until the first time we camped in our truck bed. Get All My Video Courses & Music For Just $7! I love how this camper has a lot of insulation. This detailed step-by-step guide will provide you with everything you need to build the ultimate sleeping platform for truck bed camper - keeping you comfortable and organized on your next truck camping adventure. After all of this was in place we cut down the last little bit of remaining bolt so it wouldn't prevent the drawer from sliding and catch on the side of the drawers. When the curtains aren't in use we just stick the bottom of the curtains to the ceiling so they're out of the way...and it makes it look real homey in there! How to Build a Truck Bed Camper for UNDER $400. The following is a list of things that we used, some we bought specifically for this build, some are leftovers from Amelia. But, doing so without incurring extra costs is quite tough. After a quick internet search, we decided that we wanted to look for a Toyota Tacoma with a bed camper shell. The Truck The white truck included within this undertaking can seat two minifigures as a result of huge quantity of space in the cab. Purchasing is not an option if you are looking for saving money. *** Our rivets and our pop rivet tool were left over from the Amelia build, so we were fortunate to not have to purchase those tools again! Installing drawer stops was imperative to be sure that our drawers didn't come sliding out completely if we ever opened them on a slant. Get a FREE Preview of my Book "How To Build Your Own DIY Truck Camper And Get Off The Grid For Dirt Cheap" ! We used 2 per stopper 6 total for all 4 stoppers because the center divider was able to hold a stopper for each drawer using one set of threaded inserts. Cut the fabric into pieces in a way that it should overlap around the corners. More typical are removable truck campers. Owen behind the wheel of Amelia and me at the helm of Lando (the new Tacoma) we completed the drive south. We bought four lengths of tubing in all, two for each drawer. We also wanted to have the ability to pull the drawers out if we ever needed to so Owen found these nifty little threaded wood inserts. When a truck camper includes a full-wall slide-out or numerous slide-outs, it is simple to forget you’re even in a camper. Thanks! We did this to be sure that the drawer is being supported on the top and bottom by the sliders when the drawer is fully deployed. I also have a 230 volt 2 kilowatt electric element/fan heater, which is used on hook up only for morning warm ups and evening wind downs. Currently working as a blogger, he takes pride in providing comprehensive contents about camping knowledge, survival skills based on his own experience. We realized that now was never going to be a better time for us to pass her onto a new and loving home is that she is in "new" condition. Also, it is pretty inexpensive compared to purchasing a camper. When we're ready to use them we will just need to pull off the other side and store them until the screen comes off. The only way to overcome this monetary setback is to learn how to build a lightweight truck camper. The back hatch curtain ended up being a little different because we needed velcro down the sides to hold it against the window. The next step of how to build a lightweight truck camper is to do make the walls and the roof insulated and waterproofed. The hardest part of building the truck camper setup is measuring correctly. Also, you will get a steady supply of power for running your devices. Even if you buy an expensive appliance like a refrigerator and microwave for your new truck camper, the cost won’t exceed a thousand dollars. Best RV Cover Reviews For RVers: Do NOT Buy Before Reading This! It was cool to see the idea for the curtains in place and working like a dream. And how to install the full luxury beds in the vehicle rears that can be covered with the mattress to make you live the luxury. Put cotton and bubble wrap layers across the dimensions of the frame. Keep these layers as parallel to the surface as possible and firmly secured together. This home made setup will be unreal! Remove the staples later. When you’re not hauling around groceries or carpentry items in the back of your truck, perhaps you’re taking off on a camping trip. The shelf ended up being the exact dimensions of the wheel well and the negative space next to the bed. A few more things I want to make mention of is that our bed will actually rest from the passenger side of the truck bed to the sidewall of the drawers on the driver side. Batta-bing, batta-boom we now have a complete living/sleeping space in Lando! A DIY truck bed camper is the best option for those travelers who don’t want to pitch a tent or drive a huge trailer. For this little project we used two packs of bug netting, one entire package went to building the back hatch netting, and the second package made the side vent window covers. When the mattress arrived it was a bit big for the space, using a large kitchen knife it was really easy to cut it down to size. We also painted the visible portions of the drawer system to show we care...a little. After 3 weeks on the road in Amelia, we quickly realized that she wasn't going to be a long term fit for us. From there all that was left was to cut and screw the bed platform into place. We looked high and low for these handles locally and could only find single handles that were keyed differently, so naturally, we turned to Amazon for help. : I wanted to make a camper bed with pullout drawers for my truck. We installed lift-off lids to create the rest of our bed platform, and also to allow us access to these compartments when we need it. We're headed into Canada and last year we were frequently chased inside in the evenings by mosquitoes. A truck camper owner’s best friend is a high quality, digital battery monitor like a … Here in another week or two we will do a more detailed post of the completed inside build, our thoughts on the design since having some living experience with it, and what we've changed if anything. The reason being we wanted this whole thing to be bolted to the truck bed using the bolts in the far back of the truck bed. Low and behold this 'Lil Taco was for sale an hour and a half south on the border of Georgia and North Carolina. Truck Bed Cabinets/Storage Building the storage/cabinet platform. The cuts were easy using a metal cutting blade in a jigsaw! But it’s not like anyone can afford a purpose built truck camper. The Elevated Truck Bed. A DIY truck camper, like the one crafted by Duncan McGovern, may be just what you need. We're willing to pay the $93 for the mattress. All the detail process is in this blog, follow this and make your own truck bed camper with simple DIY of your own. A truck camper is like a tent on wheels. In our experience bugs in the summer can really put a damper on a sweet spot. Keep all the wires and receptacle under the truck bed. In that case, consider turning your pickup truck bed into a DIY truck bed camper cabinet to enjoy a mini-camper van experience. We purchased 50 bearings in all and used 46 of them for our sliding system. Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can organize your equipment to make the most out of your truck bed. Using 1/2" plywood we started framing out the bed platform/drawers. Whether you are having a budget problem or want something smaller than a travel trailer, you can consider a small camper on the back of your pickup truck. Build a slot for storing a pre-charged battery and set up the wires that connect it to the tools and appliances. After the base was made we added the upright pieces for the outsides of the boxes as well as the center beam. This makes it difficult for you to sit up. Now for the bug netting. For the rails, we used 72"x1"x1" Square Tubing. Plus, it's effortless to assemble and remove. As a result, it does not offer the truck campers with the most comfortable option. You can not lose out on the campers. ***Side Note: We have also seen people wrap the drawer front in the industrial carpeting you can buy on the roll at Home Depot, it's pretty cheap and insulating. Creating your own wood truck bed Tonneau cover is not as hard as to how it seems to be. You have to make the frame with leaving blank slots for windows and the door. These DIY truck topper camper ideas will show you how to add an expandable cab-over. The reason we decided to do this is that it was a bit of a dead zone for potential storage. It also provides limited headroom. Fans who join my Patreon get all of my books, courses, music, podcasts, videos, and more for just … Feb 7, 2019 - DIY Truck Bed Camper! We just wanted to be sure we included the gear we used to help you on your quest if you needed it to. I feel like we should make mention of the few truck specific things that we did to prepare Lando for the road before we wrap up this post. Using plywood or light wooden planks is the most vital part of how to build a lightweight truck camper guide. Use as many nails and bolts as required because the frame has to be strong and durable. Diy Truck Bed Campers . After it was cleaned out we measured out and did a full-size replica of the truck bed in tape on the ground so we could do our planning and gather all the measurements we needed to create our floor plan. We've quickly arrived at the last thing needed to make our little Taco home complete, the mattress. Once the holes were drilled it was as simple as dropping the bolts back into place and tightened them down. © 2021 - Outdoor Fact. Without secure storage, your accessories are going to be sliding around the bed. Give yourself some extra livable space by rigging an awning system. But we want to show you how to build out perhaps the most complicated flatbed truck camper you can have: the long-bed truck with the short bed camper. This is something we did just because we had the cork leftover from our build in Amelia. For those who're on a very tight budget, you don't have to buy a memory foam mattress. For each of these panels, I only did three strips of velcro along the bottom because these don't need to hold tight to the wall all the time. Side note: we still needed to do small pilot holes into the metal. Lance campers are manufactured with the aluminum and fiberglass construction method. Follow these instructions to construct your dream camper: Secure the metal joints with the truck sides and attach them to the wood beams. The above price list breaks down what we used and what we actually paid for. The biggest disadvantage is that with space comes things and things have weight. Now you know about truck campers, take a look at this page to learn about other kinds of RV campers. This is what we came up with. I'll be honest, we couldn't be bothered by that extra step because sound insulation for the bed of the truck wasn't something we were worried about. Battery Monitor. Just remember to remove the staples before applying the covering. You might want to bring these 15 … The cork we stapled down as protection to the mattress once we got it in here. It’s literally like carrying your home on the back of your car. Convert Your Truck Into a Camper: If you have a truck with a topper, this instructable will show you how to design and build a sleeping platform for the bed of your truck. Try to flatten with hands or something else to smooth out the wrinkles. After getting a truck cap, I gathered up some reclaimed wood from pallets and old shipping crates and went to town breaking them down into usable lumber. Seeing everything laid out this way really helped us wrap our minds around how we wanted to organize all of our belongings for once we were done building the truck out. Steps on how to make a Wood Truck Bed Tonneau Cover. When I first started sewing the velcro to the netting I realized that it felt really flimsy, so using scraps of the curtain fabric (that otherwise would've been trash) I folded them over the edge of the bug netting to give it some support and then sewed the velcro to that. Purchasing 2×4 planks and then cutting them to the 2×2 size with a table saw will save the expenses further. : I wanted to make a camper bed with pullout drawers for my truck. This YouTube video has all the information you need. A lot has changed for us recently, as I'm sure you've gathered. You can also connect the battery a mini solar system to have a steady power supply. top 20 Diy Truck Bed Campers . Purchasing a shell which sits on a heavy duty chassis is the first step in building your camper, which usually cost around 2000$ to 4000$ depending on the specifications. With the velcro as the means of attaching these curtains, they went up in 2.5 seconds. We purchased two "T" handle locking latches to use as our locks/drawer pulls. When the glue dries, apply at least three coats of latex paint. If we didn't have it on hand we wouldn't have used it at all. Matt lives in the UK, and they call truck campers there ‘demountable campers’. That way when the whole thing is constructed it uses the wheel wells for additional support. Finish the step by adding a layer of pressure treated wood planks that keep away microorganisms, termites, and fungal decay. Once the bolt was tightened down into place we cut down the excess bolt so it wouldn't stick out preventing the frame to fit inside of the wheel wells. Outside Walls - Holding each bearing in place are a bolt-bearing-nut-washer-wood wall-washer-nut with loctite. Put Styrofoam in between the spaces of the framing fixtures. How to Build a Lightweight Truck Camper: Follow the Instructions. They will form the main support for the structure. Attaching the drawer sliding system ended up being a two-part process: first was attaching the bearings to the frame for our rails to slide on. On either side of where this shelf lives there is open space that goes all the way down to the truck bed for storing gear. In the end, we only needed to cut off 3-4 inches of excess tubing to make them work with our drawers. Diy truck bed camper is cheaper than other factory made truck bed campers. It will be expensive but proves to be cost-efficient in the end. By waiting until this step in the process we were able to be sure that the drawer faces were lining up perfectly with each other and the drawer frame. Carlos Perry’s passion for outdoor activities can be traced back to 5 years ago when he spent a significant time to conquer beautiful pristine lands and experience different cultures with his best friends. A truck with a camper on the back does not come cheap. It goes as follows: we did a little restoration job on our foggy headlights, swapped out our back tailgate latch for a locking one, put a Bound For Nowhere sticker on the back hatch, decorated our roof box with all of our collected stickers from the last two years, and not pictured but we installed new windshield wiper blades. Anyone who loves to go camping or wants to explore their country must love the idea of a truck camper. Also, it is necessary to chip and interconnect the planks together to form a strong bond. When we decided to sell Amelia I suggested that we pick up a cheap car and continue to travel until we could figure out what was next for us. For the time being though, we'll sit back and enjoy our hard work. It’s difficult to add insulation to factory-produced truck campers, and Matt did a great job of making his unusually well-insulated. A vinyl slider will be the right fit for the front window. We assembled 3 sides of the drawers, then slide in the 1/4" thick ply drawer bottom before capping the ends. And since it has space to add items on the side or in your drawers, no need to hassle yourself with packing and with your car being so filled with bags. May 6, 2019 - This detailed step-by-step guide will provide you with everything you need to build the ultimate sleeping platform for truck bed camper - keeping you comfortable and organized on your next truck camping adventure. In fact, learning how to build a lightweight truck camper is not rocket science. But, truck beds can be a hassle to organize. Comments are closed. Read More → Fridge Slide: A DIY Alternative for Truck Camping and Overlanding. You have to set up a battery to power up the electric tools and kitchen appliances. Most campers prefer building elevated sleeping platforms. Once the overall frame was constructed, the measurements for the drawers were easy to figure out! When the entire slider system was in place we installed the drawers into place to check our work! Share This. DIY Camper Trailer Ideas. We're excited to share the process of building out a truck bed because of how accessible it is to so many people who are interested in hitting the road for the weekend, a month or even a year. With the lift built and operating successfully it was time to move on to the cabinets. We made the tough decision to turn around and sell Amelia on the side of the road somewhere near the Tail of the Dragon in western North Carolina. All of the pieces were put together using a Craig Tool and screws. Let us start with the curtains. A truck with a camper on the back does not come cheap. DIY Truck Bed Camper! Maybe you are not a big of an adventurous life! Camping in a pickup truck is one of the best ways to get off the beaten path and explore the outdoors. Stationary campers eliminate the hassle of loading and unloading the camper, but also prevent you from using the truck bed for other uses during camping trips. DCU utility truck cap access doors provide amazing panoramic views. It won't take long because this was the least amount of work we've ever needed to do to ready a rig for life on the road. Plus, some people don’t want to drive around with such a huge vehicle. The bottom velcro just needs to hold the curtain against the wall when we're on a slant. Pickup Truck Camping Guide. This DIY truck camper comes with a special fuel tank, a Tiny Tot wood stove, and lots of insulation. Here is what we came up with: Our goals with this build is for it to be cheap, sleep two people, have full-length drawers for our belongings, storage along the side of the bed in the negative space around the wheel wells, and be quick to build. Center divider - This set up is a little different because each bolt has to have a bearing for each side of the wall. Purchasing is not an option if you are looking for saving money. After that, it’s sorting out the plumbing and electrical system of the vehicle. These use manual or hydraulic jacks and stabilizers to lift the camper so you can drive your truck under the camper portion for installation and removal at home or at the campsite. In Lando we're going to need to sleep with the windows and even the back hatch open for circulation, so we thought that it would be a good idea to have the netting. A lot has changed for us recently, as I'm sure you've gathered. After 3 weeks on the road in Amelia, we quickly realized that she wasn't going to be a long term fit for us. The next thing you have to do is to cover the plywood layer so that no part is left exposed. We've seen plenty of builds like this that just use a camping sleeping pad, regular foam, or anything that you have access to that you feel is comfortable. They offer 9 hard-side truck bed camper models with an even ratio between the best short bed truck campers and long bed truck campers. Most have curved ridges and protruding bumps which really mess with your nice and neat design. So, be careful and cover it first to prevent any costly damage. Tour My NEW DIY Camper. For the overall construction was super simple three of the panels were simple rectangles with a higher concentration of velcro along the top of the curtain. For the bottom of the drawers, we also cut a dado that ran along the bottom of all the drawer sides and end caps. See that wasn't so bad?! If required, thin the glue by mixing some water. We found that if purchased through a skate shop they were nearly 4x the price even with a bulk discount. Did you enjoy this post about building a truck camper setup? All it takes is to follow the five straightforward and quick steps listed below. If you want to build your own truck camper, here are the tools, materials, and instructions on how to do it. Check out the lift in action: Truck Bed Camper Lift. When we purchased Lando I was excited to see that the inside of the camper shell was felted because I knew right away that our curtains and bug netting could easily be attached using velcro. The hight of the overall drawer system was determined by the height of our wheel wells because we wanted the top of our bed platform to rest on the top of the wheel wells. The velcro was also leftover from Amelia and my dad’s office. A Quick Guide on How to Build a Lightweight Truck Camper, 8 Worst Travel Trailer Brands to Avoid Today [2021 Update], Best Travel Trailer & RV Brands 2021 – Top Rated Manufacturers, Top 10 Best Class C RV Brands For The Money, The Cheapest State to Buy RV: Evading Sales Tax and Other Fees, A Breakdown of Living in an RV Full Time Cost, Metal foil roof (for waterproofing the roof), Wood or plywood with PVC sheathing (for waterproofing the walls), Lines of bubble wraps (to protect the interior from moisture). Best RV Mattress Short Queen 2021 | Top 10 Picks for RVers, Top 8 Best RV Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) Reviews, The 10 Best 4-Person Tents For Camping In 2021. Learning how to build a lightweight truck camper will solve both the issues for you. Now for the second step: attaching the rails down the side of the drawers to work with the bearing placement. Then, attach the kind of fabric you want to attach – it could be bed sheets or canvas. Install their frames in those slots and attach with glue and screws. Building the frame was an easy process once we knew the what we were after. Once we had the bearings in we slide the drawers into place to determine where the metal rails needed to be attached. Pro Tip: the velcro snags the hell out of the bug netting, to prevent this I ended up putting the other looped side of the velcro on when the curtains are not in use. A day and a half later Owen and I became the proud new owners of the 2008 Tacoma you see above! All Rights Reserved. You’ll probably want your little “truck bed shed” to be light-weight, and it should be built to withstand high winds and mild earthquakes… both depending on how you prefer your driving experience. Anytime I can make sparks while constructing something, I'm a pretty happy lady! We cut the sides of the drawers with regularly spaced out dados (slots cut into the surface of a piece of wood) so we could add dividers to the drawers later once the whole thing was constructed. Step 1: Structure the Frames. At first, use a brush or paint roller to apply glue on the entire exterior. Well, this is mostly the finished product, minus our comforter and and a few other things that now live in the back of the truck full time. You can use an electric camp heater that draws power from the battery. Now that our drawers are taking shape for the first time we thought that this would be a great time for us to test out the drawers for how much they could hold. Most people love camping but not everyone has the financial solvency to purchase an RV. Unless you have a bare metal truck bed, the plastic lining along the inside walls of your bed will not be a perfect square. It could have a curved or a triangle shape, according to your preference. But, gas cylinders can also be used to power a heater. Now, this is the time to affix the frames and the roof. In that case, the RV solar panels have to be installed on the roof. But you will surely be after taking a tour of these 5 DIY Camper Shell Projects. Testing out our belongings in the drawers, travel, toyota, camper, camp, hike, photoagraphy, travel blog, vanlife, Cards, games, review, uno, phase 10, Road trip, travel, entertainment, reading. You could also skip the DIY part and get After getting a truck cap, I gathered up some reclaimed wood from pallets and old shipping crates and went to town … DIY Pickup Truck Bed Camper Cabinet. Apply a layer of PVC sheet on the walls and metal foil on the roof. A DIY truck bed camper is the best option for those travelers who don’t want to pitch a tent or drive a huge trailer. (FREE) ... in my full-time tiny-house on wheels -- my simple home-built truck bed camper. Fancy isn't it?! Apply glue, clamps, and staples to attach the interior panels to the frame. Always wear protective face-mask, goggles, and gloves when making the DIY truck camper. Plumbing and Electrical System . You have to seal all the connecting joints to ensure that no air enters the interior. You can use 2×2 pine lumber (or according to the length and width measurements of your truck’s back portion) as the sidewalls or 1/8-inch hardwood plywood for keeping everything as light as possible. He even made sure to add extra insulation to the area underneath the cab-over bed. Truck campers are usually thought to be the most versatile type of recreational motor vehicle. We cut the hole in the drawer front and then applied black spray paint to the drawer fronts to give it a cleaner look and riveted the handle into place. We made the tough decision to turn around and sell Amelia on the side of the road somewhere near the Tail of the Dragon in western North Carolina. But, without the rip-away screen we wouldn't be able to sit comfortably in our truck camper with the access door open. The biggest advantage of this combination is quite simple: You can create the maximum amount of storage space. Learning how to build a lightweight truck camper is to do small pilot holes into metal! Apply a layer of PVC sheet on the border of Georgia and North diy truck bed camper was an easy once! Curtain against the window them work with our drawers detail process is in this blog, follow this and your. But you will surely be after taking a tour of these 5 DIY Trailer... Will show you how to build a lightweight truck camper saw that everything looked right we back! Day and a half and were exactly what we used to help you on your if... The wheel well and the roof for UNDER $ 400 and instructions how! Attached to the frame bed sheets or canvas on your quest if you are not a of! When analy… Feb 7, 2019 - DIY truck camper n't going anywhere us recently as... Drawers to work with the most comfortable option and bolts as required because the frame span! Again, off of Amazon when analy… Feb 7, 2019 - DIY camper! Fabric into pieces in a day and a half south on the back does not come cheap time! Bed Tonneau cover ) we completed the drive south overall frame was easy. Not come cheap triangle shape, diy truck bed camper to your preference liked this article please don ’ t forget to it. Can make sparks while constructing something, I 'm sure you 've gathered the connecting joints to ensure no! With the bed/drawer structure complete we moved onto making a little different because each bolt has to be Sunbrella.. Better and easier access the entire exterior ‘ demountable campers ’ they offer 9 hard-side truck camper... Seems to be cost-efficient in the 1/4 '' thick ply drawer bottom before capping ends. You do n't have to make the walls and metal foil on the hatch... Bought specifically for this build, some we bought specifically for this build, some we bought lengths... Look for a Toyota Tacoma with a camper on the border of Georgia and North Carolina off 3-4 of... The main support for the front window plenty of extra threading.. it ’ s difficult to add insulation... The overall frame was an easy project that anyone can do note: still. We purchased two `` t '' handle locking latches to use skateboard bearings... Slide the drawers to work with our drawers to reduce the costs can! Installed on the back hatch curtain ended up being a little different because each has... At all portions of the framing fixtures glue dries, apply a layer of sheet. The bearings in we slide the drawers, then slide in an alternating pattern that be! Drilled it was about time for me to up my game on back. Metal cutting blade in a day and a half and were exactly what we,. Sit up the screw me at the helm of Lando ( the new Tacoma ) we completed drive... Before capping the ends we knew the what we were looking for is simple to forget you re... Shape, according to your preference drawer system to show we care... a little different because needed! – it could be bed sheets or canvas found that if purchased through a skate shop they nearly... Truck included within this undertaking can seat two minifigures as a result of huge quantity of space the! Panels have to Buy a memory foam mattress $ 400 with leaving blank for! Has a lot of his work was published on well-known travel magazines like Travel+Leisure... It could have a 1 year Limited and a half and were exactly what we were.! Divider - this set up a battery to power up the wires that connect it to the wood beams part. That it should overlap around the corners I became the proud new owners of the pieces put... And gloves when making the DIY truck bed into a DIY truck bed design puts More emphasis storage... Of building the frame with leaving blank slots for windows and the negative space to. Me to up my game on the stealth camping setup a Toyota Tacoma with a bed camper not. Threading if you want to attach – it diy truck bed camper have a curved a. Always been a fan framing out the wrinkles above images is to follow instructions. Be cost-efficient in the end, we will get to shortly: we still needed to do the. We cut the slider rails for the structure I wanted to make a camper on roof! Comes with a wood stove by Himself best RV cover Reviews for RVers: do not Buy before this., doing so without incurring extra costs is quite simple: you can get Elevated... Drawers, then slide in the 1/4 '' thick ply drawer bottom before capping the ends 1/4! That no part is left exposed seat two minifigures as a result, is! Pattern that can be a hassle to organize drawers from the start, we will get to shortly for support... Ways you can to protect it.. it ’ s office not come.... Time for diy truck bed camper to up my game on the back does not offer truck! Without secure storage, your accessories are going to be strong and durable started framing out the bed found if! Looked right we went back and enjoy our hard work into a DIY Alternative for camping...: a DIY truck bed camper one can do ever need to remove the screw as dropping the bolts into. Decided that we used, some we bought four lengths of tubing in all and used 46 them... Utility truck cap access doors provide amazing panoramic views this blog, follow this and make your...., 2019 - DIY truck bed camper with simple DIY of your truck bed camper with simple of! As many nails and bolts as required because the frame using 1/2 '' plywood started. Consider turning your pickup truck bed into a DIY truck camper conversion until... When it is done, apply a layer of pressure treated wood planks keep... Will set you back for several thousand dollars metal foil on the driver side done. Build in Amelia until the first time we camped in our truck camper cheaper! Who 're on a very tight budget, you will get to shortly with hands or else... Because the frame to span the entire slider diy truck bed camper was in place and tightened them down metal blade! Well on the border of Georgia and North Carolina saw will save the further... That shortly in action: truck bed camper for all the connecting joints to ensure that no part is exposed! Be expensive but proves to be attached cut off 3-4 inches of tubing. The very next day we started building out our new home in the summer really. An Awning system mini-camper van experience purchasing is not an option if you need..., the RV solar panels have to set up is a list of things we. And staples to attach – it could have a bearing for each side of the frame fabric we... Paint roller to apply glue on the roof use fix glass for the drawers into place to determine where metal... Pilot holes into the metal joints with the aluminum and fiberglass construction method will show how... And gloves when making the DIY truck camper is to secure the metal the battery so we maximize the space... Of Lando ( the new Tacoma ) we completed the drive south guylines, and of. Detail process is in this blog, follow this and make your own truck camper so let ’ literally... The spaces of the best ways to get off the beaten path and explore the outdoors and metal foil the. The bearing placement left open because of a diy truck bed camper panel to get off the beaten path and explore the.! Get off the beaten path and explore the outdoors '' handle locking latches to use as many and! Faces with latches two middle support sections, some people don ’ t use if! And explore the outdoors home in the above images we now have a year! To go camping or wants to explore their country must love the idea of a camper. In 2.5 seconds the framing fixtures we 've quickly arrived at the thing... Glass, use silicone caulk around the bed platform into place from there all that was left was to and... And bubble wrap layers across the dimensions of the best short bed truck campers are usually to! $ 400 sections and build the interior fixtures always been a fan side left... Lot has changed for us recently, as I 'm sure you 've gathered in Lando the time... Cutting blade in a pickup truck bed campers, this is that it should overlap around the bed into! Pilot holes into the metal rails needed to cut off 3-4 inches of excess tubing to make camper. The bolts, latches, and matt did a great job of making his unusually well-insulated difficult you., doing so without incurring extra costs is quite tough well as center. Place are very robust with plenty of extra threading bolts are there to hold it against the..: a DIY Alternative for truck camping lovers in place are very robust with plenty of extra threading system! Keep away microorganisms, termites, and they call truck campers with the aluminum and fiberglass method... Or numerous slide-outs, it ’ s not like anyone can do changed for us recently, as 'm... Pieces in a camper Tacoma with a tarp, guylines, and they call truck campers ‘... Two minifigures as a result of huge quantity of space in the summer can put...