How do you camp with a 5ft shortbed?

Oh yeah guys we got the shortbed. Looks super cool.
Probably not gonna bottom out/high-center at the top of a sand dune and get stuck.
Cuz it's got that sweet short wheel base, that makes it turn easier like a twitchy little rally car.

But the math is not adding up.
Say you are an average adult of around 6' tall.
The bed is 5'.

How are you supposed to sleep in it?
I am thinking of putting a camper shell on it, though I hear you can also sleep with it open, with enough warmth in a sleeping bag if you trust the area enough.

The main question; how do you do that in 5' bed?
Besides sell the truck for a longbed, can anything be done? Do you have to sleep diagonally?
Or sleep with the tailgate open for more length, and close it off somehow at the end by your feet?
Such as with a flipped open cargo extender with something draped over it.

Sucks to have dreams of overlanding #camping #vanlife adventures,
but then you see the bed is small
(doublecab)

an idea:
(I hear SnugTop is the best quality for camper shells; I forget which window style version people prefer)



guess how much this tent costs:



then you have this guy making the Tundra look nice



and then this, saying 1st-gen Tundras are better...



currently running TRD Sport rear leaf springs from a recall, OEM.
Seems like any weight added to the bed (even a "light" aluminum 700lb unit) starts requiring a leafspring upgrade to handle that weight.

 

The one thing I dislike about my taco is that it is a DCSB. My next one will be an access cab long bed just for that very reason. I have a topper on mine and can sleep at an angle but I would prefer not too. It just takes up too much room. I would prefer to sleep to one side.

 

Id say if you are camping somewhere you gotta lock yourself in the back you are in the wrong spot. Leave tailgate open and youll have that much more room. Have a plan for when it rains i guess (a good tarp). If its super cold layer up, invest in a good sleeping bag and a sleeping partner helps.

 

My first night in Colorado on my elk hunt I slept in the bed with the tailgate down under my tonneau. I'm 6'4"

 

Bend your legs

 

Its not broverlander, but how about a regular tent? Even a big one isn't that expensive, and you can throw a cot in it to get off the ground.

 

I fit a blowup air mattress back there and fold down the tailgate. Perfect amount of room for us tall guys. If you have a topper just throw that tarp over if you’re worried about inclement weather, good to go.

 

Quality tents are a good investment.

 

I sleep underneath. Just don't jump up when you have to pee.

 

I sleep at an angle as well.

 

Sleep at an angle or drop the tailgate. That said, I rarely sleep in the bed because it sucks to rearrange everything.

 

Sleeping in the back with the tail gate down and your legs sticking out ain’t gonna work out so great if it rains or snows especially if it’s windy. Waking up on a cold morning with the bottom half of your sleeping bag soaked will be a memorable camping experience. Other problems sleeping with the back of the truck open include your exposure to various flying insects like mosquitoes and others. (Sleeping under the stars in the Sierras one night I woke up with over 50 mosquito bites and I applied insect repellent before going to sleep).
Your cheapest, easiest, and maybe best option is to get a good easy to put up tent.

 

I have 2 tents. 4 person for when the girl comes. "2" person for when I'm solo. Both are amazing w/ a nice thick sleeping pad, sleeping bag and a pillow. I sleep better out there than I do at home most times and it all fits down into a pretty small storage bag.

 

I used to sleep very comfortably in my old 1968 M38A1 Jeep and I'm 6'4"

 

yeah i mean any tent would solve that problem. i would call myself an avid camper and have never once slept in the truck bed nor desired to. OP maybe you should just stay home if these are the problems that worry you

 

I got this bed tent that sets up with the tailgate down. I am 5'-10" and my toes still are touching the tent as it angles down over the tailgate but it still works pretty well

 

You have to find midget hookers mostly!

 

I’m not much help in this department because I own a dclb but I’ve never slept in the back. I have kids and usually half of my house when I go camping. I have a quality tent for camping on the ground. I don’t know too much about rooftop tents other than they are super duper expensive. I cannot imagine your gas mileage gets much better. I think they are handy but pitching a tent is easy.

 

I’ve slept with the tailgate down and my camper shell windshield down, but it’s during the winter when I’m hunting. I usually now either bring a tent or sleep in the front seat because I usually bring my kayak with me.

If you’re worried about bugs or rain but want to sleep in your bed under a camper shell with the tailgate down, either buy a cheap tent with a rain fly or find some rain fly type material and drape it over your roof and cover your feet that stick out. Probably not very expensive.

 

Sleep on the ground, in a real tent, beside your truck, like a man. Why you people throw money at roof top tents and bed camping crap is a mystery to me. Invest that money in a nice tent, nice sleeping bag, and some real camping gear.