How dumb would it be to put a long shell on a short bed?

Hey gang,

I'm the happy owner of a 2014 double cab with a 5ft bed, and I'm looking to turn it into my camping rig for the spring/summer. I rock climb and ski, so I was planning on quitting my job and just driving west starting in ~March.

I'm on a bit of a budget here (a constraint that comes from my desire to quit my job haha), so although buying a different truck would be ideal, it's not in the cards. Also in terms of shells, I have a lead on both a 5ft and a 6ft used leer shell for a gen 2 tacoma bed.

I intend on pretty much living out of the truck, so I'm a bit worried about my 5ft bed (I'm 5'11"). I've thought about diagonal sleeping, and it sounds like it would be pretty marginal at my height. I've also thought about building one of these, but it seems like it would use a lot of space which will be at a premium for a long trip. I've read through this thread as well for inspiration.

So that brings me to my (hopefully amusing) dumb question. How feasible would it be to put a used 6ft shell on a 5ft bed? Obviously it would hang off the end, but my thought is that I could have the tailgate up for "travel mode", and then possibly put the tailgate down and have some more platform/mattress fold down for "sleep mode".

I've attached a few whiteboard sketches of some ideas on how I could pull it off.

Travel mode:


sleep mode idea 1: Would require some sort of side panels as well unless I want to freeze in march and get eaten alive by mosquitos in may.


sleep mode idea 2. simpler, results in less head room but more storage under the platform:


I'm no stranger to fabrication, and have access to a full wood shop, a laser cutter and a 3D printer for any bits and bobs that I end up needing to create the DIY panel. I'm more curious on any issues I might have with the actual shell fit and attachment.

Issues I already foresee:

• I know the exterior of the bed isn't square, so I imagine there will be some discontinuity against the body. I couldn't find any pictures of anyone trying it though!
• It's not going to be very secure against theft unless I do a bang up job on the DIY panel, maybe fiberglass it even.
• It's going to look like sh*t (I'll embrace it though)

Let me know what you think!

 

When I had a shell/cap. I made this simple platform. I'm 5'10" and sleeping diagonally was fine with the extra room above the wheel wells. Very little loss of storage too.

Too much work to make a 6' cap fit.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/how-do-you-camp-with-a-5ft-shortbed.637925/page-7#post-25412539

 

Fairly dumb.

I see a few issues. One, if you accidentally back into anything or worse, you get rear ended, you just thrashed your cab. And with a contraption like that is going to be real easy to back into something.

Two, it's going to be very difficult to make that bugproof or otherwise suitable for camping, unless you are really good at fabricating and gasketing all of your panels. At that point, you might as well ride with the tailgate permanently down.

Three, if you do ride tailgate down all the time, you risk thrashing your tailgate.


If it were me (and it was me, once upon a time, back in the ancient days of being a broke ass student) I'd stick to a ground tent and a cot that fits in said ground tent. I did that in all weather and at all altitudes, comfortably, and didn't look like a dork doing it either.

You damn kids these days... So allergic to sleeping on the ground.

 

If there is any way you can trade and get a 6' bed, that would be ideal. I know you're on a budget, and I guess it comes down to how familiar you are with your current truck, but it is so nice to have a 6' bed with a platform that has your bed waiting for you wherever you pull over, stretch out, and sleep. Especially if you have company over
Yes, you could do your shelf or platform underneath the 12" that stick out from the 5' bed. I'm a wood worker as well, so there is a solution to every problem.
What about a 5' shell and an RTT? Might be able to find one cheap this time of year.

 

Where there's a will, there's a way... but is that the way you want to go?

Among other things:

- Aesthetics are negotiable.
- Possible handling/suspension impact from having weight hanging that far off the back. Probably can be dealt with or accepted.
- Waterproofing, less negotiable. Got to figure it so water doesn't get in.
- Rear end impact behavior, probably even less. 100% of crash force will go into the camper shell if the other vehicle is anything with a tall-enough front grille or bumper. Maybe that's good as it absorbs & crumples a lot, or maybe it's bad if it tends to drive the camper shell, entire, straight into the back of the passenger compartment.

Maybe consider some kind of diagonal steel tube framing that ties the overhang down into the rear bumper and/or frame of vehicle...? That's a stretch...

 

Really dumb

 

Since you have a double cab, maybe look into going about it the other way:

I've seen some posts on TW forums where people have removed the entire passenger side seats in a Double Cab, & built in a sleeping platform there, inside the secure & waterproof interior of the passenger compartment.

 

There’s a landscaping work truck that lives around me. It’s green with a red cap that was too long. They crudely cut it with a sawzall or something.

Just buy the correct size. You’ll spend more of your time driving instead of camping so it’ll make more sense.

 

I have serious bohemian lifestyle envy. You do you.

 

Agree with all your points, but one advantage to sleeping in your camper shell is the ability to sleep in rest areas, truck stops, and pretty much anywhere without having to set up a tent, which sucks if it's below freezing, or raining sideways.
The last time I camped remotely in Moab, the winds were so strong one night that my mountain bike wheel was lifting off the ground as I returned from a ride, and I had to use a scuba mask to be able to see and a bandana over my mouth when I went outside my slide in truck camper to pee.
My buddy was down there at the same time and had his quality tent rip apart, leaving only the ground sheet and floor of the tent held down by their bodies!
I love sleeping in a tent and do it all the time, but there is something very reassuring about looking in the rearview mirror and seeing your bed, already made, with fluffy pillows and your duvet just ready for whenever you pull over.
FWIW, Ikea folding futon mattresses are EXACTLY the same width as the tacoma bed width between the rails. Just trim 6 inches off the length.

 

Best quote of the day! Let us know what you do decide to go with, or show some pics of the set-up you build.

 

This is great.. for Access Cab (or DCLB) owners like myself with 6' beds.. OP has a 5' bed. It's the 5' bed length that is the issue. I think best answer is probably remove passenger-side seats in the cab of the truck, & build a nice sleeping platform there with plywood or similar.

 

Buy the 5' cap. Regardless of color. You're homeless, who cares about color.

Take your foam roll, bag and pillow and try it a couple of nights. The diagonal is about 6'6.

Or reverse that usage and use that to store gear/cargo. More secure.

And yea, a ground tent will work 75% of the time just fine, hop in the truck for extreme foul weather.

 

Same for me, camping in Moab with buddies, they stept in their tents, I slept in the back of my truck under the canopy. I had the best sleep ever while they battled wind and rain in their tents. Canopies are way better. I would not want to try to sleep in a 5 foot bed though, diagonally or whatever technique you want. 5'10 in a 6' bed works great, using an exped mega mat.

 

If you're willing to remove seats from inside the passenger cabin, here's an answer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXD-56auTpU

TBH this is the way I would go if I did not need to carry passengers.

 

Welcome to the Forum.

What ever works for you !! Always think out of the box.

Remove the rear section of the cab make your own custom camper Giving you lots of room.

I built something like this 20 years ago I know it can be done.

I did this with a short bed pick up I did real well till i tried to pull a trailer with the nose as high as the extended box . Crash!! I had to really be very careful turning it made backing up a real pain.

I did the very same thing in 1974 with my67 Dodge Dart.

I had plans to do this but the price of fuel and food I would not have made it to far.

Best of Luck!

 

It's Friday already?

 

It would be approximately one foot closer to a stupid idea.

 

In the pre internet days I know I had all manor of off the wall ideas some worked some did not.

 

"I want a truck with a short skirt and a looooooong jacket"

Do you have access to a garage or a mild January day? If so, try out the diagonal sleeping option and the back cab sleeping option before going to plan Z. I do respect your creativity!