Finished Sleeping Platform & Drawer Build

TL/DR: I finished my sleeping platform & drawer system.



I finished my sleeping platform/drawer build this past weekend for winter & spring camping when the pop up is in storage or when taking the popup is inconvenient. This, in addition to the 270 Ironman awning and shower tent complete our 4R camping setup.

Total cost to make the platform & drawers was around $500. It's not perfect craftsmanship, but it's functional and has all the features I wanted.

The setup is constructed with 3/4" plywood, heavy duty 36" drawer slides, and a couple of odd end drawer boxes I bought from a local cabinet place for $20 each.

I have the rear sliding deck so I had a flat surface to start.



At first i was hesitant to use a sleeping platform that reduced headroom (this platform is 8.25" high above the cargo deck leaving us with 27" headroom at the lowest point of the ceiling) and the extra weight associated with the platform, but I ultimately decided to go with this setup after
a) spending too much time setting up and packing down while using the action packer boxes that fit into the rear footwell spaces. I want to be able to roll out of bed and go & the storage under the platform will let us do that.

b) the platform puts us even with the tops of the wheel wells and provides an extra 10" of sleeping room from side to side.


It's built in 3 sections:
1. Cargo section (44.75" x 36") with 2 pullout drawer slides (will most likely stay in place all the time unless I need the extra cargo space). The rear cargo section is anchored by the d-rings behind the back seats


The passenger side drawer is the kitchen section and contains a sink, spot for a small stove with shelf, and an undermounted work space. I added holes at the end for telescoping tent poles for extra support for the work space on the end.





Driver's side has 2 drawers with enough room for kitchen supplies, towels, etc.




2. 40 split section with cargo access (35.75" x 21.25")

3. 60 split section with cargo access (33&1/8" x 35.75")
The notched out area is perfect for hammock. The black brackets are folding shelf brackets for extra support. They easily fold for better access if necessary.








The 40 & 60 split sections are easy to remove to allow extra passenger seating for daily use.

To complete the project I used carpet tiles to keep things from sliding around (dogs and cargo).

We used it the weekend of November 8th and it was great. We were mostly functional at that point but the left drawer slide and the carpet tiles were not installed yet.

Temps were in the mid 30s to low 40s and we were very comfortable.

We set up the bed (3" memory foam topper under a small futon mattress and our sleeping bag) before we left and that stayed in place the whole trip.



I still have some tweaking to do. I will be looking into the mod that allows you to put the rear window down. We're currently tucking and rolling to get out the side doors. I'd also like to get some kind of coverings for the rear passenger windows to block light and the screens that go over the windows.

 

How was the headroom? Your last photo looked like it might be a bit cramped. Could you sit up? How about the length? Did you sleep with the door closed?

 

Great questions. That last photo is slightly deceptive because the sleeping bag is very fluffy as it's rated for zero degree temps.

For reference, My husband is just under 6'3 and I'm 5'11.

We can't sit up fully since the ceiling is about 24" clearance with the memory foam, futon, and sleeping bag but we can sit up partially and there is enough room for us to move around and it doesn't feel like sleeping in a coffin. The lowest height of the ceiling without any sleeping gear is about 27".

It's definitely a trade-off, with the platform and lower headroom, but we do gain the extra side to side room since we aren't stuck between the wheel wells due to the platform height. We've camped in it before the platform, and after doing it both ways and I'd personally rather have the extra side to side room.

Yes, the rear hatch closes for this setup for sleeping. I just measured and the length from the front seats in normal driving position to the closed rear hatch varies from about 72" to 74" inches due to the rear hatch bump out. My husband says his feet touch if he's stretched out but he doesn't feel cramped.

 

Very nice!

 

Looks great, thanks for the reply.