Truck bed topper help

Hello everyone! I’m looking to build out the back of my truck so I can live out of it for a couple months. I have a GMC Sierra 1500 standard size bed (approx 6.5ft). I’d love to hear ppls experiences with certain brands, best way to score one relatively cheap, and things to look out for. I’m also curious about what ppls experiences were/are like living out of their truck. Things that you might like or not like, etc 

Thanks! 

It's best to scour Facebook and craigslist every day for someone who posts a used topper. The price of brand new ones are absurd, and not worth it. You might get lucky. I found a lightly used topper for my tacoma with a roof rack and crossbars for $850. Brand new that would've ran over $3k. 

I built a fairly easy drawer and platform system. The platform is 3/4" plywood supported by a pair of 2x6 slats running the width of the truck bed. The drawers are built with a 1x8 circumference and 1/2" plywood bottom. It slides on 1/4" hardboard on the base of the truck bed. That means there's no bearings or drawer slides I need to deal with, and I have more storage space since the drawers span the entire circumference. I like it because the platform lets me lay out my 6 foot by 4 foot crash pad to sleep on or to store.

Whatever brand topper you get, expect leaks and carry towels to deal with them. 

+1 for all of the above. One hot tip I have is using a pair of vise grips to lock the inner door handle mechanism so you can lock yourself in. I got an ARE topper for my 1st gen Tacoma after sleuthing through FB marketplace for a couple months and scored a deal. I advise only buying a topper that is made specifically for your vehicle, as others may "fit" but increase chances of leakage. I built a quick and dirty wood/fiberboard platform in the back and have an Amazon special memory foam tri fold mattress. There are countless videos on YouTube showing how people built platforms; takes a little creativity but very doable if you're handy. It's more comfortable than the bed at my apartment. I have a Jackery battery/transformer that i use to charge my phone and laptop and small fan if needed, and use a MR Heater Buddy sparingly when it gets cold (don't leave it on when I'm sleeping). I lived out of it for a couple months, and now I live out of it about half the days of the week. Not a bad way to be!

Stay away from Leer is my experience

Also if you can find one, get the taller topper as it's nice to have the little extra head room

I inherited a SnugTop with my used truck. I have to turn a single key to open the back, which sounds convenient until the flimsy latch mechanism falls apart. I’d rather have two locking handles, as on some Leers. I would also like to have locking, screened side windows that could open for bugless ventilation. 

I have had two ARE toppers in the last 16 years on two different trucks and had them custom built as I am a contractor and have specific needs. They are well built and last but are not cheap but you get what you pay for

I bought a topper for my 91 ranger and have lived out of it for 1.5 years now. Here's my thoughts:

Never buy new because they are crazy expensive. I got mine on Craigslist for 250 which was a great deal. There was some mouse shit.

You'll want it to have a carpeted interior but that's probably easy to install

Be careful of brands if it's gonna break at any time. I broke the back window backing into a semi, all the places I called asked what brand it was before they could fix it. It is a Raven, some out of business Canadian brand you can't get parts for. I got lucky and one guy said he'd improvise some fiberglass. But if you're really living out of it, got a broken window,and can't get parts, that sucks ass.

It will never be as watertight as a car interior nor as insulated. I sometimes (ok fairly often) wish I had an explorer that could fit my cabinet setup the same, for those two reasons and the main disadvantage to living out of a truck: you have to get out of the car every morning to drive away.

Mine doesn't leak per se but condenses through the cracks, kinda unavoidable in humid/cold. You can't just ride out rainy weather like you could in a van. Drive far away. 

Curtains are important, I prefer blackout to the thermal ones because then it isn't so obvious someone's sleeping in your car.

If I could go back and do it all again, I might choose a 4wd explorer with a bigger engine that would hold the same plywood build/cabinet I have. With a ton of money. Might choose a van. But a bigger more powerful truck would be better too I'm just a broke climber. And a truck will get you more places, as long as it's not a 4 cylinder 2wd 1991 ranger.... I suppose I'll upgrade sometime.

Edit: as you said a couple months of truck life, disregard all that about suvs and vans, a truck w topper is perfect for that amount of time.

Gus Barnett wrote:

best way to score one relatively cheap, 

Thanks! 

Move to southern California.

I lived in my '94 GMC Sierra 1500 for some time, mine was a long bed at 8ft and I had a topper that originally came with the truck.

To help with leaks I found some kind of rubber/foam strip and put that between the topper and bed before attaching the topper. Didn't waterproof my truck bed, but I think it helped, but also my topper wasn't in the nicest shape and was cracked at the bottom.

I opted against a platform build because to me, having the space to sit up straight was more important. But I built a platform/shelving in half the bed lengthwise for the storage space and left my bed on the floor. Also, I fitted a large rubber matt in my truck bed to hold me and my stuff above the floor for when those inevitable leaks come.

Bug screens are also great. Some toppers have sliding windows on the side with bug screens already. I loved having this.

Bring weather stripping, learn how to use epoxy, get a rear awning, have a back up plan for consecutive rain days, learn to hang and live outside but sleep in the topper. Don’t try and make the bed if your truck your entire home…just your bedroom and tailgate as the occasional kitchen.