/ mike.hunts I built this out to take my kids with me on adventures into the wild. I haven't had to make any changes. The only thing it needs now is a heater. Follow me in instagram / mike.hunts
I've got 2 8ft trucks and I wouldn't trade for a small one but if I could afford it I would get a small one for a toy. But both my trucks are old. 88 GMC K 2500 EXT CAB it's my whatever truck and the other is a 94 Dodge Ram 2500 single cab and it's my nice one and last week i just got a raised roof topper to start work on for getting away and enjoying the outdoors. I've watching these type videos and it amazes me what folks come up with and a whole lot of help and ideas for a dummy like me. Thanks to everybody!
This is def. the BEST truck bed camper build on YT because it was constructed by the number ONE Handyman on YT!!! It's so awesome to see you & little man interacting. He's the next generation of Patriot in the making!! Hoping all is well Big Mike, Dirty Jersey out!!
Plan to do the same thing for my truck, I'm in a similar predicament where I want a solo duo camper solution so I can take my dad camping with me, a suggestion I've seen with others is to cut your raised platform which your son sleeps on into 2 sections, one about 80% the other 20% so you can have a nightstand whilst solo camping. For my truck since I am located in Canada I plan to incorporate a diesel heater into my storage section on the right hand side which will vent out the side and top for heating with both setups, my truck is old so drilling holes in the box sounds like fun. Don't forget a Co2 beeper so you can stay safe if something goes wrong with your heater. For electrical I will get a few high AH 6v batteries to build a budget battery pack which will live in my cab and be routed in with a little rubber boot to provide power to the few gadgets I want to incorporate. Great build sir.
I went with a a diesel heater to heat it during the winter. It worked out great. I have over 40 nights with this setup. My diesel heater video will be coming out soon.
Excellent video Handy. Reminds me of me and my dad from 40 years ago sleeping in the bed of his 72 Chevy long bed with a cover on it. We only had a couple of thick cushions for a bed.
Missed this latest video. Nice work. I like how the platform on the passenger side slides up to match the sleeping heigth of the drivers side. (Removeable to provide transport of the e bikes) You've got a lot more room than my tacoma lol
That’s awesome Handydude! For heat, could you put a little electric heater in there and power it with your solar battery? You could put that under the bed. Or sleep with electric blankets.
Like it. Stretched the old 30.06 out to 443 the other evening. Totally missed the first shot! 2nd and 3rd were true and the beast was down. 😂 Need more hunting videos Mike!
Turned out great! Really get a kick out of cap conversions. You & your son will have great times taking this out :) As for heat, a small 750 watt electric heater should warm this space pretty easily if your power bank can handle it? You might want to consider carrying a few foil insulating window panels to keep the heat in, so you can set the thermostat low.
Thanks for the suggestions. Most of the power banks are around 1kw of storage. So a 750w heater would empty the battery in a little over an hour of use. there is a little 250w heater that would get 4 hours of use and if it turned on for only 30 minutes per hour you could get close to 8 hours of heat. I have larger batter banks but they are to big to practically take camping in the truck.
@@MikeHunts Got, thanks. I totally underestimated the power of these battery banks. My next thought would be an 100-150 watt electric blanket but even this is cutting it close, all night. A generator sounds like the best bet, yes. 👍
with the diesel heater just a thought (what i did ) I purchased the portable unit with the diesel tank on the side and have it out next to my RV and have a heat pipe that comes in the side vent (just as easy to plumb it into a side window , ) Rob NSW Australia
I've got questions Mike. I'm going to be doing my first buildout. 4x4 Dakota. I've moved to Colorado and through my first season I've discovered the Bi Polar weather. The first thing I noted was all carpet interior. To be clear, I'm not referencing the added carpet, only the original. Can you expand on why, and, it appears yours is custom molded as opposed to "dry" fit. I mentioned my truck because if I also want to, I want to explore cost/benfit of either? I'll stop at the first question for now. Thanks for the vids. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge on so much. Seasons coming! i build by the way.Outstanding work!
I ordered my topper with carpet on the inside because I like to look and it doesn't cause condensation. I have a "Bed Rug" Made for my truck because its a perfect fit. Here is the link to the bed rug. amzn.to/3V1Y90R
Wow! Somehow I don't think the translation will be recognizable with my few Dewalt and Baur tools when done by a single 56 yr old woman without help. Although I don't let very much stop me, so we'll see. Very impressive just the same.
Build came out really nice. How did you compensate for the change in the bedrail height? I'm building a unit on my '07 Ram and the bedrail near the tailgate is about an inch taller than up by the cab. To the eye my square cabinet looks odd compared to the truck. Thanks for any tips. MIKE
On the passenger side I made the top then the bottom then cut all the vertical pieces then the large side panel. It was custom made to fit. On the drive side its square.
@Mike Hunts Hey Mike. I may go same route, but I also have a drawer in the space above wheel well. I have to see how bad/good it looks. Thx again. I think your the only other guy who even mentions the difference in dimensions
Great looking setup! Just got a new truck and want to step up from just throwing a cot in the back ha ha. I was lucky the truck came with the "old man" topper with a 6" step up. Just curious how you keep the small side attached to the side of the truck? I see most people use a full sheet on the floor and figure that keeps them from moving around, did you mount it to the tie downs or something?
Its just friction fit. there is a panel that keeps it pushed to the passenger side. It can't fall over because its tucked under the latch of the topper.
@@MikeHunts Awesome, ok I see. I was looking at mine and I have the "T" slot rails I think I can tap into. Very cool thanks for sharing, I doubt I will get mine done before this season but will get a start on planning it out!
I think you've done this a couple times. Lol. You know exactly what you're doing. Lol. I'm a bit confused why you're glueing it tho. It's easier to take out when you're done with it. With it glued you'll have to break it apart and that'll be a waste. Or is it a permanent fix?
@@MikeHunts True. I was just thinking it may provide a few good ideas that you could incorporate into your hunting/camping setup. How do you feel about the Mr. Buddy propane heater rather than the diesel heater?
@@not2intoutube I have used a buddy heater for years camping. The big problem with them is they put so much moisture into the air. I have some ideas for the diesel heater. I'm going to work on it this weekend.
I use a piece of plywood covering the space with my tailgate down with a hole cut for my a/c. You could do that for the heater. Store it under the mattress when not in use.
