How we converted our Ford Ranger into a camper (CHEAP and EASY) 

When your lady helps you mod your truck, shes a keeper...and so is the truck! Dope!

Any woman willing to camp in the bed of a truck, let alone help you deck it out, is something special! You two have an awesome Ranger setup here. Looking to do something similar with mine as soon as I track down a shell & locking tailgate.

I've had my 2003 Ranger since 2005, and have used the last 4 years to camp in out West, actually just sleep in. There's 2 layers of cardboard on the painted truck bed (no liner), 1/2 OSB board, moving blanket, Thermarest camping air mattress, sleeping bag, cotton blanket, twin sized electric (for cold nights with power), and a comforter. It's layered so I can adjust the temp. An 80's wine crate turned sideways for shelves. I used green cammo material for curtains, my Ranger is green. To hook them up I added little picture hanger brackets (about 5/8 long, bent at 45 degrees - or offset), to the window frame screws, spaced out, and shock cord in the hems so I can stretch the curtains over the windows like shower caps. The hatch frame has a channel so I just slid a piece of shock cord through one hem and put "S" hooks on the ends. They hook the bottom of the channel, with the curtain hanging down under the rods that lock it down. I don't have any storage areas because I just use it to sleep in on long trips....well....that, and I'll be 70 in August and need the headroom when I sit up in the morning. Stay safe out there.

Thanks I had a dream of getting a van but I got a ford Ranger instead and this is inspiring!

I have a Ranger, love your conversion. I will try. Walmart mattress, carpeted board, pump shower, you’ve done all the work for me!

Very nice! Great suggestions on hanging the curtains. Our old Ranger had flat spots in the side of the bed where we could run a 2x6 across as support for the plywood. We also cut the plywood in half and put hinges on it so we could easily get to stuff underneath.

Sweet setup. Love the idea of not going overblown for what's needed. My 1994 Ford Ranger thanks you! Enjoy your travels.

So basically a camper shell some draps and a small mattress........... Sounds about right

Thanks for sharing it looks cozy. I like that you guys aren't so materialistic, & make it simple.

I love it, basic and practical. Gotta love the Ford Rangers.

Affordable, functional simplicity IS luxury. Enjoy your awesome camper.

Cool video nice to see you young people doing truck camping my wife and I in our late 50s still are truck camping .I built wood cap camper rustic like old cabin only modern this is solar power. Enjoy your travels.

Great vlog you guys! Some serious talent here making your camping comforts 🔥🙌🏻 Cheers!

I have similar setup. Love the idea of the spray bottle, although when going to bed I found that most of the time the cell phone needed to be charge. I had a charging station on the rear of the bed and converted the interior light with LED. It is a blast.

Just found this video. Great job yall. When I get my '01 ranger to run consistently Ill be applying some of this new knowledge.

I bought a 2011 ranger a few months ago and got a a nice camper shell for it, looking forward to building something similar! So exciting

I like the simplicity. We've got a '99 same color but it's not the extended cab 6 cyl. 70k and it's clean. We'll probably pack a small tent or screen room for those rainy times you aren't ready for sleep. Nice job. Thanks.

Nice build. Simple and effective.

Awesome,enjoy the vacation time,one day I will try

Good video guys! I’m trying to do a ranger conversion too. This is simple and is good inspiration!

Keep it simple, I like it. Great job. My next next vehicle is a pickup, my small SUV is too small to camp in, so it's on the way out.

I just bought an 01 Ranger Literally 20 Hours ago. I LOVE your ideas! The one change I would make make would be to get a slightly TALLER Camper Shell. The extra headroom would be a godsend for you. I have NOTHING critical to say about your simple, neat project. WELL DONE!

Sweet set up 😊 we enjoyed your ideas 👍🏼

Great build guys, just bought my self a ranger. Going to build a living space too

Cool guys Liken the Vans shirt Rad ! I'm building my sleeper right now

This is identical to how we made our Ford Ranger a camping vehicle, including the slide containers. It worked great until we got tired of doing truck yoga every night. We upgraded to a taller Shell and it makes an AMAZING difference!

Great Job! Love how the wood framework can slide out or stay in place! The shower is great too!

Great info! Thank you 🎉❤

yall are goals ! stay true

Good job you can have a lot of fun with that truck

Nice little setup...I subscribed

Just got a 96 2 wheel drive ranger and added a contractors canopy for the same reason. Has a side access with a box storage we use as the kitchen with the addition of a table and tarp

Badass ranger man! props

You guys are awesome will be doing something similar

Great job. I love my Ranger.

Great setup man👍

Cool man I just got a new one but no cap . Once I can get one this is what my plan was and add heat and AC to the back via foldable solar sheets that deliver electricity to a output it’s rad

Nice utilization of space.

Nice setup.

Very nice an simple

Well done!

Great job

The pump sprays are really great for cleaning dishes with very little water or taking a showemr washing your hair ,they are . amazing.where do camp i have land i berly utah,holbrook,az and hudspeth,tx.

Thank you, very interested in made one for my 2002 Ford Ranger been looking into getting out there and do some camping.

Your lady seems like a sweetheart, I can't wait to have something like this going with my wife.

My wife would kick my ask if I put her in this small space...but cool build Iike it going to do it for myself for work save some money$$$ Thanks for the video

It's two years. Have you married her yet? What a keeper.

Stoked ! yall look happy, I love to surf also but i live along the gulf Coast :-( I subscibed, I only have one little issue, I have found so many people i would love to watch buuuuut I wont watch folks that are in a van or a truck or an RV and not married - aint right, so i fingers crossed with yall

I'm looking 5o convert my Mazda that is identical to your truck and cant wait thanks for making it possible

Im getting the same exact ranger color and all with same canopy, mine will be a 2.3 though, but hey it’s at least fuel efficient for a truck!

Nice set-up.Im working on my Nissan frontier in a similar way.Missin the girlfriend part...she got a sister?Haha..thanks guys

Thanks for sharing. Good ideas. Would like to see you actually pull the whole bed system out. Can it be done by one person?

The 2x8 allowed clearance over the top of the wheel well? I’m building mine similar to yours, I have some questions if you’re willing to help out! Thanks

Nice box

What size is that foldable matress

Nice video I recently just got my first truck and wanted to make it a camper! But I was wondering how do you lock your truck tailgate when camping?

Great video! I have a Ranger aswell. I know you got the mattress from Walmart. Was wondering what the manufacturer of the mattress was? Thanks! You guys Rock!

I keep looking that mattress pad yall got but cant seem to find it

I cant find that mattress on Walmarts website. Any help would be appreciated! Got a trip in my Ranger coming up in June. Thanks.

how did you deal with the two outermost 2x8s -- wouldn't the wheel wells block them?

Where’d you get the camper shell from?? I can’t find any anywhere.

I'm interested in doing this to my truck, but can't find a way to open my back box from the inside. Do you just pull it down and not fully close your back doors, or do you have a way to unlatch them from inside?

how did you make the flat piece with the 2x4’s underneath?

Is this the normal sized bed on a ranger or is it a longer option?

Is that mattress comfy? Looks a bit thin

What did you lay over the Bedliner?

Tie a small rope to the items that are under the platform way up in the front. You can than grab whatever is up there nice and easily. I also recommend a power inverter for fans and music. I like the conversion. Can you make a video on the cap though? I am looking for a truck cap but there are no how to videos on them. Or did it come with the truck?

What is the pad called you got at Walmart for a mattress??

I am super stoked I just got a little Ford ranger and I’m setting it up as my little camping zone I’m in Lake Havasu Arizona if there’s anybody nearby I’m new here as well

I see this video is a little older. I like the back curtain I think I want to make one from a no see em screen for my Nissan. I'm not wild about the drawer under bed idea because I can barely sit up in my camper top on the floor

Do you have the link for the mattress that you used?

Dude i have a ranger as well this is sick! Is that a 4 banger or a 6 ?

Thanks for the video. I am about to do the same thing with my '03 Mazda B2300. It has a 6' bed, and I finally found a Leer camper top for it a couple weeks ago that was within my budget. The top is not a perfect fit, but I am pretty sure I can make it work. The top was made for a similar size bed, but it is about 1" too wide on each side to be able to utilize the Leer clamps that came with the top. I am going to have to add something to the bottom of the camper top that extends farther into the bed so I have something to clamp to the bed. I may also buy some larger c-clamps and use them instead of the Leer clamps that are actually pretty small. The camper top came off of a later model Ford Ranger, and it apparently had a slightly larger bed than my '03 Mazda B2300, which is exactly the same as the '03 Ford Ranger that my sister owns. Once I figure out how to securely attach the camper top to my truck, I want to adapt your ideas for the inside. As they say on Game of Thrones, "winter is coming" and unfortunately I will be living in my truck for a while. Sometimes life just deals you a bad hand. The way you play the hand is how your life is defined.

There's a Dometic Fridge on Amazon for $379. 55quart. Runs on low wattage. Could run off a 100 watt panel. This could be a great addition to the camper!

Nice set-up, looking to do something very similar to my 04 suburban. Any info on that shower contraption?

Hey, I'm a simple guy from Poland who bought 1999 Ford Ranger few months ago, my daily car but also want to make sort of Camper conversion smiliar to yours. Got question about safety - how you guys lok your tailgate? I know about popNlock but it's to expensive to order it from US (shipping will cost me more than popnlock). Got hard shell with T-handle to fix but have no idea how to lock tailgate to prevent from stealing. Next one - did you seal your shell somehow? Cheers! David :)

Is that 1/2” plywood? About to do a very similar thing with my ranger and was curious what size plywood y’all went with. Awesome video! Great content on your channel!

how is the moisture from breath etc

Can you put in the information for that mattress? Where in Walmart can you find it? Patio section??

Hi, like so many I wonder what you do if weather comes? laying down all day looks rough.. I have one side a platform ( for 1 ) and the floor ( with pad) for the other sleeping person. this way two people can sit on chairs inside and for sure one person has a nice chair inside to sit on.

Any chance you have a model # or something for the mattress, if you still have it? Can't seem to find it, or even something comparable on Walmart's website. Thanks!

Hello. I was wondering about the mattress you have. I have a very similar 95' ranger with a 6' bed. But I measured and it looks like the biggest mattress I could fit would be about 51" x 69" which is just short of a double. It doesn't look like there's an easy way to get a mattress that size. I found a similar trifold mattress on amazon that's 73" x 52" which would be just too big. Any suggestions or what size yours is?

Really trying to find that exact mattress pad! Any help?

hey how do you reach for those plastic storage bins underneath the platform? i have a very similar build

What hard topper is this?

Doing this to a Ford F-150 Supercab 6.5ft bed Blacked out + solar generator with panels + garmin, computer, crossbow, hunting tags, and speakers that'll wake up bears in the next fuckin county. lol

How long is the box ?

I'm looking at doing basically the same thing in my ranger. is it a pain in the ass to climb in and out of the back?

Dope

What’s the bed length of that ranger?

Maybe a stupid question but where do you guys park when sleeping?

Great video! Where do you keep your surfboard?

How do you lock your shell from the inside for security?

Please tell me where you got the portable shower!

👍

Good job guy's. I like the color of your truck, what color is that?

im kind of jealous of this guy. in a healthy i can do this too then attitude of course lol

What kind of ranger do you have?

Q: How tall are you sir (I know you said she's 5 foot 5) and how long is that bed? The term is "6 6 foot" but I'd love to know exactly how many inches internally length/width. One guy said he "took out the back seat" but obviously that entails using a Sawzall. Total cringe and water leakage risk. Thanks

I'ma do the same thang