Sleeping in your truck doesn’t sound all that glamorous, but it can be a worthwhile pursuit when camping. Popping up a sleeping space wherever your truck takes you can be pretty convenient. Given the size of a truck, you perhaps can squeeze in some comfort while enjoying the convenience. Here are five ways you can sleep in your truck while you explore the great outdoors.
Matching Your Camping Getaway With Your Truck
1. Get A Truck Bed Tent
This is a straightforward option that matches wonderfully with truck camping. You don’t have to put your vehicle through massive modifications or spend a fortune. Getting a top rated truck bed tent can fix that problem for you. As the name implies, truck bed tents are best used with pickup trucks. The bed can then be used to host a tent, and of course, you!
The limitation here is the size of the truck. Those with large trucks with enough space on the truck bed will find the tents comfortable. If you have a toolbox on the truck bed, don’t fret, many tents accommodate the position of the toolbox. Plenty of manufacturers match their tents to specific truck models. So there shouldn’t be much of a problem in getting the right fit.
One thing to remember when sleeping on the truck bed or inside your SUV is to maintain a good sleeping orientation. Ideally, your vehicle should be parked on level ground. If that is not available, park in a way that when you lie down, your head will be comfortably above your feet. When sleeping inside an SUV, consider placing your head towards the front of the car. That gives you more elbow room and the wheel wells can stay at your feet.
2. A Platform For Your Truck
When you see a truck bed tent, you’ll probably notice a problem. Between the wheel wells and the toolbox, there isn’t much room to sleep. And what if you need storage on the truck bed? The solution to that is a platform for your truck.
Simply put, the platform goes above the wheel wells, which effectively increases the available sleeping space. You also get more storage below the platform, so that’s a win-win. The problem with this approach is that it doesn’t leave much of headroom in the sleeping area. All you can do there is to crawl in and go to sleep.
It may seem convenient for a while. However, if you go outdoors enough to justify adding a platform, the low headroom is going to get irksome. It’s cramped, there is not enough room to change or even sit up straight, and the roof is just inches away from your nose. It gets tiresome!
3. Campers For Your Truck
The broad idea here is that the truck bed remains available for storage use, and the sleeping area is raised. Some campers can cover a significant portion of the cabin’s roof as well to provide more area. Theoretically, they sound amazing, practically, not so much!
For one, campers can still be as cramped as a simple platform for sleeping. They can offer more privacy and headroom in the truck-bed area, but the sleeping area isn’t going to be a drastic improvement. They’re good for some luxuries you may want while camping, unfortunately, a spacious sleeping area is rarely one of them.
Campers also add a lot of weight to the truck bed. You can’t simply remove them like you would to a truck bed tent, as required. Instead, consider campers a fixture for your camping trip. All that weight and changed aerodynamics are going to take a toll on the mileage and maneuverability of your vehicle. If you had any plans for tackling a particularly adventurous terrain, it’s best to give up that idea with a camper attached.
4. Go Big With A Trailer
Where comfort is concerned, a trailer is tough to beat for truck/ car camping. Haul it with your vehicle, and you’ll have a relatively spacious and comfortable sleeping area. Not just the sleeping area, you’ll also be able to live in luxuries for a home away from home experience.
One thing that sets apart trailers from other solutions here is the cost. Luxury comes at a cost and these things are expensive. Heck, there’s a good chance a decent trailer will cost more than your truck! However, depending on how much you spend, the interiors of the trailer can be very luxurious, all the way from a kitchen to a well-furnished bedroom.
There are other possible issues with taking a trailer along for your truck camping adventure. It will obviously affect the mileage of your truck, but that’s a secondary issue. More importantly, a trailer thoroughly limits the trails you can navigate. Sure, your truck may be able to handle rough terrain, but a trailer isn’t going to be all that thrilled about it. Secondly, trailers have a nasty habit of breaking down and needing frequent maintenance. Also, trailers put a hard limit on your top speed. You’ll have to go remarkably slow with a trailer in tow.
On the plus side, trailers are easily removed from the vehicle. You could leave the trailer at the campsite, and go around in your truck to enjoy the views.
5. Rooftop Camping
Rooftop camping is most relevant for SUVs, though you could rig any vehicle to handle a tent placed on the top. You might need some reinforcing of the pillars and a platform to keep the vehicle’s roof from being damaged. However, there’s plenty of space to enjoy, and you can sleep in relative comfort. The living area does not have to use space inside your vehicle, so there’s extra room all around.
On the downside, it’s a terrible thing to do to your vehicle! The gear needed for a rooftop tent will mess up mileage and fuel economy, affect handling, mess with aerodynamics, and add extra weight to your vehicle. And the idea of taking a ladder to get to the tent does not seem all that alluring.
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