How To Make A Homemade Truck Bed Tent. | Complete Truck Bed Tent DIY Guide.
Table of Contents
Camping is an experience that provides landscapes, peaceful moments, campfire, fun time with family and friends. For adventure-loving campers, it’s traveling to remote locations. To enjoy the camping without any hiccups one should be well prepared and carry all the essentials. One of the key elements is to be able to sleep well protected and comfortable.
Camping tents come in a variety of options but can be expensive. The truck tents are designed to be used with SUV & Pickup truck models like Toyota Tacoma, Ford F150, Dodge etc. You can design it by using the roofs and the truck bed to enjoy a comfortable sleep. In harsh weather conditions, the truck tents keep you warm and dry. It is gaining a lot of popularity especially with family or group campers. They are compact and require less space and made of canvas. Additionally, they are easy and simple to set up. There are specific models designed for specific SUV’s and pick trucks. All the truck tents do not fit all automotive. Sometimes modifications are required to be made to the SUV or pickup truck. It may not be cost-effective. A better solution in this scenario is to build your full-size truck bed tent. The good part is it is easy to make a homemade truck bed tent.
A recent development in the market is the truck bed tent. A truck bed tent is an excellent option if you are a camper or love to sleep outside gazing at the stars. It provides comfort and mobility. Since this is a recent development in the market, there aren’t many companies manufacturing these. Here is the complete diy truck bed tent for you. So it’s an excellent option to make one yourself.
Let’s Look At How To Make A Homemade Truck Bed Tent.
Before you jump on making your homemade truck bed tent, ensure to measure the dimensions of the truck floor. It must fit your vehicle. Also, note the truck beds come in various styles. Some of the popular styles are:
The tents available with these also come in different styles and shapes.
Material Required To Build Truck Bed Tent
Step 1
- Set your pickup truck on the parking brake and lower the tailgate. It is good if you have help to set it up. You would be able to do it faster. Then, begin by measuring the dimensions of the pickup truck. Visualize how you want your tent bed. Make a rough diagram.
Step 2
- The PVC pipe is going to fit in the 4 holes along the bed of the truck. We would try and build an A-frame or canopy structure on top of the truck bed. We can add a tarp on top to protect from the rains.
Step 3
- Start by cutting the legs on the pipes that are going to go inside the 4 holes. Cut them approximately 1 foot long. The goal is you should be able to sit upright inside the tent and also should be compact to pack and fit in a tent bag. We are going to connect the PVC pipes using the 45-degree elbow. At the one end of the 1-foot pipe fixes the 45-degree elbow and it a tee connector. As this connects in the 4 holes of the truck bed, the tee connector can be used to support the frame. The frame should be sturdy and strong.
Step 4
- Cut all the 4 legs and connect the 45 degree elbow and tee connector. Start by fixing the legs in the 4 holes.
Step 5
- Connect a PVC pipe in between the two tee connectors on one side of the truck bed. This to add extra support and make the frame strong. It would be able to withstand the bad climatic conditions.
Step 6
- Repeat the same on the other side of the truck bed.
Step 7
- Next we would start building the A-frame. Now cut 4 pieces of the PVC pipe. Cut them approximately 3 feet long. Now connect the two 3 feet long pipes with elbow clamp L shaped. Fix them in the basic frame on the truck bed. Repeat the same on the other side of the structure. Voila, your basic A-frame is ready.
- An alternative option to the above is to cut the PVC pipe 1 foot and 2 feet long instead of making it 3 feet long. We can add a tee connector in between the 1 foot and 2 feet long pipes. Fix these on all four sides of the frame structure. Using the tee connector we can insert two approximately 5-foot long pipes between the sides. This would make the structure stronger and more studier. It’s slightly more effort in cutting the pipes but its worth the extra effort.
Step 8
- Now put the tarp over the A-frame. Use the clamps to keep it in place. Clamp it at the back too so that it does not fly off. Use multiple clamps so it does not pop up. You are done making your own homemade truck bed tent. You can gear up to go camping.
Some Additional Tips About Making Truck Bed Tents
- The pool noodle is optional to fix. It would help reduce the sound when the wind is blowing. The basic A-frame structure would by noisy when the wind starts blowing. Cut the pool noodle to fit in the legs of the PVC pipe. This would help reduce the sound.
- You can hang lights too from the top.
- Always take precautions, while performing all this.
- For extra comfort, you may put up a blowup mattress on the bed.
Conclusion
This is the quick article about making truck bed tents in a home. You can make ti using easily available materials. This truck tent can fit with Toyota Tacoma and with all ford model pickup trucks. No expert skills required to build this tent. You can also add your creative inputs into it to get this product more useful and beautiful for you.