Crag Mobile?

I am getting a cap for my truck. I will be doing some roadtripping in my future and it will be great to be able to just sleep/live in my truck. I was thinking about putting a platform above the wheelwell, with a pullout drawer. Then a piece of carpet on that. I was going to put 2 pieces of PVC pipe on one wall for xcountry skiis, then make a table type thing on the other for a double burner propane stove/fuel canister. Anybody have any other ideas/ pictures of things they have done?

hell yeah! Thats what I am trying to do.

there are a few threads on here about this topic. My advice:

If you are buying a topper, get as much headroom as possible, preferably one that rises above the level of the cab. It might affect gas mileage, but would be worth it. Mine is only the level of the cab, and sometimes feels like a slaveship.

Here's my fairly minimalist setup:

I've now covered the entire thing with a layer of carpet foam and carpet. It fits two boulder pads on top for sleeping perfectly.

For maximizing space, I decided not to do the pullout drawer or anything like that. I put most of the weight bearing support around the wheelwells, and left open space beyond that. The front 2/3 of the setup houses four of those bins underneath the platform; I keep my stickclip on hand to hook and pull them out when I need them.

As you can see, the rear third of the platform nearest the tailgate is removable; I can easily lift it up and slide it forward, so that I can haul something that won't fit under the platform like a 5gal water jug or a cooler. It is also nice for opening up space for cooking or sitting in camp.

I would also recommend lining the shell with felt, foam, or something like that, which I plan on doing soon. Right now, the condensation overnight gets pretty bad. I also hope sometime to get some sort of locking device for it.

Hope that helps; there are a lot of options online if you look around a bit.

i don't have any pictures of my old rig

but a few things:

get a raised topper, that 6" of extra room is really nice. also screened windows is great in the summer

I'd vote against making a drawer or a hinged-top. you'll never be able to open the top with all of your bedding on it. and the pull-out drawer is just a waste of space.

I got some plastic rubbermaid bins that were made to slide under a normal household bed, two of them went in there side-by side. then i had a broomstick with a hook on it to snag any items that got lost behind the bins. I kept all of my climbing gear in one bin, clothes in the other, ski boots and skis next to and behind the bins. For big trips I'd have a duffel that sat in the front seat when I was sleeping and on the bed in the back while driving.

also, being able to squirm through the "birth canal" into the cab of the truck from the bed was super nice for sketchy camping areas. Made for the ability for a very quick get away.

lastly...if it's cold use more sleeping insulation than you think. I've had some cold effn' nights in there b/c cold air can circulate below the platform.

Hmm.. These are all very good ideas. This is exactly what I am looking for. Keep it coming

This guy has a pretty nice setup in his Tacoma, I'm sure there are some things you can do to better adapt it into a climbers rig. I like the access up front and the way the whole thing locks up.

bajataco.com/Camper1.html

I like the sliding bins idea and the removable bed section

johnL wrote:Maldaly has the best KISS design I've ever seen.

Here's the link to Mal's photos:

mountainproject.com/v/climb…

I agree with camhead that the above cab shell is the way to go. Some of them look pretty good. Be sure to get white and not try to match the color of your truck. It's easier to sell later. Plus, I like the two color look anyway.

how much did these projects cost? Not including the cap

http://highmileagetrikes.blogspot.com/

This guy has a bunch of cool ideas. He has a nice setup for a truck camper in the archives.

Any dirtbag tips for living out of the back of your truck/car? Any not usually thought of but neccesary items?

Chris90 wrote:Any dirtbag tips for living out of the back of your truck/car?

There are a few “rules of thumb” regarding dirtbagging:

1) Personal hygiene – You smell and look like ass. Don’t be fooled. You have grown accustomed to your odor. To others you are a disgusting nuisance at the least, and through the perspective of most, an enemy combatant terrorizing the Clean Air Act.

2) You are not cool – Despite your layers of Prana and pension for high-dollar beanies, you’re in fact living out of your vehicle. You are essentially wearing your fiscal discipline and social relevance on your sleeve. You are a loser. Other dirtbags are the only people viewing you without contempt – they, however, are casing your outfit in hopes of looting your goods when your back is turned. . . which further emphasizes just how “uncool” dirtbagging is.

3) Nutrition - Despite occasionally feeling “full”, you are in fact starving to death. Vienna sausage and Ramen does not constitute nutrition, and barely passes as “food stuff”. This combination does, however, contribute greatly to your inarguable scent of ass. You will soon became a practitioner of pica due to your total disregard for nutrition. . . and if it were even possible, you will become less cool after you embrace this consumption of dirt and chalk, feeding from your chalk bag like a horse from its grain bucket. There is a benefit of pica, and that is in the loosening of your horrendously compacted bowels – the drawbacks of this “loosening” are in the effects it will have on your already abhorrent personal hygiene.

4) Climbing - Despite all the time you are now able to spend climbing, you will actually be reversing your potential and abilities. You will lose stamina and strength due to your piss-poor nutrition. You will lose your ability to focus and mentally charge a route due to your nearly constant smoking of cheap Mexican sensimilla, and heavy PBR consumption. Furthermore, your fingertips will be coated in a sick, putrid grease from the incessant scratching of your full-body scabies.

5) Ethics - As your life begins its quick downward spiral, you will find yourself throwing all personal ethics down the abyss. It will begin with begging and thievery, first from your immediate family, until they change the locks and their phone numbers, and then from other members of your “society” (mostly to retrieve what they had originally taken from you).
Soon your climbing ethics will vanish as you’ll see you have nothing to show for your time as a dirtbagger. In a desperate attempt to regain some feelings of worth you will begin to “project” and complete FA’s on total piles of choss, and will think nothing of chipping holds, gluing holds (with epoxy stolen from a hardware store) and TR’ing lines that you will happily swear you’ve onsited gound-up.
Very big lies will be your only form of communication to those you’ve managed to corner in a vain attempt to make friends. You will have, “jus’ returned from France, where I proj’d some sick new lines on 5000’ virgin lime, man.” And, “yeah, jus’ got back from Pat’gonya. . . did an upside-down FA on tha north face of Fitz Roy, dude.”

You’ve been warned. Squash the romantic in you right now. . . before it’s too late.