What do I do with the back seat in my double cab truck?

[lee]

I looked twice, didn't see any rules so here goes:
Plan to pull a trailer with the SxS in the trailer.
But I live in Ohio so Colorado is 2 days out, Utah 2.5 days out.
Multiple ways to pull up to a ride area and ride, camp in the toter when I am done for the day .
But I need to be able to stop and overnight quickly and easily with out unloading the SxS.

I have 2 double cab trucks I could use.
The obvious thing to do is add a slide in or a shell conversion to the truck.
But what do I do with the back seat of the truck?

There is way too much space there to just throw lose stuff back there.
I have not seen too many double cabs where anything interesting was done with the back half of the cab.
It Seams a van has obvious advantages by swiviling the front row seats and having more camping space in the camper.

As storage the cab is isolated from the camper.
In southern hemisphere overlanding the sleeping is in the camper but most the living / cooking is done out side, probably not the best approach in a Wal-Mart parking lot.
So what have you seen or considered for a rear seat of an overlanding rig conversion?

 

[Admin]

 

[JTW]

Are you wanting to sleep in the cab or just storage? Are you planning on doing the slide in camper? You said it’s the obvious thing to do... but is that what you plan to do? If you’re not set on the slide in maybe a jack knife bed in the rear cab would be a good option. If you can sleep in the rear of the truck that takes care of heat and air when you’re traveling without needing hookups and allows the bed of the truck to be used for storage with many more options. A truck topper with one of those slide hit drawer systems would be slick! I guess it depends what kind of amenities you’re looking to have.

 

[lee]

I purposely left it wide open.
I have thought of sleeping in the back of the cab.
But then an SUV starts to sound more roomy.

Honestly I like the idea of a pop top camper.
However a Four Wheel Camper has suddenly become trendy.
Despite that, they offer great flexibility for 3 season camping.
(When I was a kid in the '70s a buddy of my Dad's had one)

 

[Vikes79]

For me it comes down to how often you plan on making a trip like this.

Once or twice I’d just haul tail as far as I could and sleep on the back seat as is, provided I had a place to stay at my destination (or trailer). I’d stick to the truck stops.

 

[Neohio]

What are the 2 double cab trucks you have available to you?

 

[lee]

What are the 2 double cab trucks you have available to you?

An 04 Chevy 2500.
Bought it cash as a one time deal (I knew I would never have cash like that again, couldent afford payments for what I got).
120k on the clock, it doesn't get a lot of use.
But when I need to tow there is no better way.

And a Honda Ridgeline.
Ridgeline is a company vehicle so I can't make permanent modifications to it.
But putting miles on is free so there is a lot of incentive to figure out how to use it.

In the end I see myself getting a small toy hauler.
There are just a few single axle light weight TH that will just fit p500.
I have only found 2 that allow sleeping on top of the load for on the road stops.
Single axle helps keep the weight down, thease TH are intended for SUVs.
Then I can tow with the Rigeline.

But this set up is not perfect.
There are places I want to go that are not trailer friendly and don't allow ORVs.
I can park the trailer but then I have to carry camping equipment or be home by dark.

 

[Neohio]

An 04 Chevy 2500.
Bought it cash as a one time deal (I knew I would never have cash like that again, couldent afford payments for what I got).
120k on the clock, it doesn't get a lot of use.
But when I need to tow there is no better way.

And a Honda Ridgeline.
Ridgeline is a company vehicle so I can't make permanent modifications to it.
But putting miles on is free so there is a lot of incentive to figure out how to use it.

In the end I see myself getting a small toy hauler.
There are just a few single axle light weight TH that will just fit p500.
I have only found 2 that allow sleeping on top of the load for on the road stops.
Single axle helps keep the weight down, thease TH are intended for SUVs.
Then I can tow with the Rigeline.

But this set up is not perfect.
There are places I want to go that are not trailer friendly and don't allow ORVs.
I can park the trailer but then I have to carry camping equipment or be home by dark.

Will the ridgeline handle a slide in?
Is it setup like the Avalanche? Does the rear of the cab fold down and allow you to drop a mattress into the bed and sleep that way?

 

[JACKAL]

I purposely left it wide open.
I have thought of sleeping in the back of the cab.
But then an SUV starts to sound more roomy.

Honestly I like the idea of a pop top camper.
However a Four Wheel Camper has suddenly become trendy.
Despite that, they offer great flexibility for 3 season camping.
(When I was a kid in the '70s a buddy of my Dad's had one)

Having slept in a pickup cab way more nights than I care to admit over the last 3 years, a lot depends upon what tow vehicle you are looking at using.

Are we talking a Honda Ridgeline size car with a pickup bed, or a full sized pickup 1/2 ton - 1 ton crew cab, or a full sized SUV like Suburban / Excursion?

I can certainly say, if you can't straighten out your legs, it makes for not a good nights sleep. If this is 5 days a year well I suppose you can overlook that. I have tried these inflatable mattresses made for rear cabs.

They just don't cut it for me, guess I'm too tall, old, fat to get comfortable. The worst part was being unable to straighten legs after driving all day. I have seen several fabrications on the above premise using a single size memory foam mattress and a 2x4 lumber frame after removing rear seat had under bed storage of 30"W x 64" L x 14" H Still though if taller than 5'8" still bent up pretty good sleeping on your side.

I mainly used the back seat or floor board area to store a bag with clothes and toiletries, a soft sided cooler with ice and drinks, three polar fleece blankets, a full body pillow and regular pillow.

That said, in my situation I found my most comfortable option in cab was, put up light blocking panels in windows and windshield, lay back drivers seat, use full body pillow along drivers door and cover up with blankets as needed. I always left the truck run with AC set pretty cool. It actually works OK but after 4 nights in a row loses its appeal fast. But for one or two consecutive nights, much better for me than the rear seat option.

I typically tried to park at Flying J with the Denny's as they have several dedicated RV spots on restaurant side away from the big trucks. I always used the truckstop showers, if using thier rewards card you got a free shower credit for every 50gal of Diesel bought. Using the Pilot app on the phone always made it easy to find and plan my stops and reserved showers before even getting out of the vehicle to go inside.

For occasionally doing this hard to beat the 365 day versatility of a pickup outside this topic. That said a full sized SUV like the suburban would make for more room, especially if another person was with you.

 

[JACKAL]

Will the ridgeline handle a slide in?
Is it setup like the Avalanche? Does the rear of the cab fold down and allow you to drop a mattress into the bed and sleep that way?

There is a company in TX called Capri Campers that makes mid size pickup slide ins to order. They weigh half of a typical slide in camper. Example a Lance 850 is right at 2K lbs typically equipped made for 3/4 ton + the same size Capri is under 1k lbs.


I think thier midsize pickup campers are about 600 lbs. Might be a doable option? They offer a setup for 5.5 & 6ft beds with or without cab over options.

 

[rickoshea]

our setup.i pull out the back seat every spring so i can pop the camper without alot of junk on the floor if we need to overnight in a rest area and store stuff in the back seat area.we pull a boat or a trailer with the honda with a 5.7 hemi no problem.

 

[lee]

Will the ridgeline handle a slide in?
Is it setup like the Avalanche? Does the rear of the cab fold down and allow you to drop a mattress into the bed and sleep that way?

Ridgeline has a 5' bed and the rear axle is pretty far forward in the bed, so not ideal for a slide in.
I have thought about a shell or a pod that drops in, pull the lid off the in bed trunk and gain a foot well.
For half the bed you gain 18" of head room.

No pass through like the Avalanch.
Never did understand why they did not take off.
I almost whent that way when I got my truck (having the Ridgeline is giving me the same experiance of having a truck everyone hates).

 

[ohanacreek]

there are a couple of SMALL light toy haulers that might be within the load ratings of the Ridgeline. Work N Play 18FS is one and the bed is in the front I believe so you can sleep with the 500 loaded. Wont fit a modified 1000 though...I almost bought one.

 

[Jas sxs]

An 04 Chevy 2500.
Bought it cash as a one time deal (I knew I would never have cash like that again, couldent afford payments for what I got).
120k on the clock, it doesn't get a lot of use.
But when I need to tow there is no better way.

And a Honda Ridgeline.
Ridgeline is a company vehicle so I can't make permanent modifications to it.
But putting miles on is free so there is a lot of incentive to figure out how to use it.

In the end I see myself getting a small toy hauler.
There are just a few single axle light weight TH that will just fit p500.
I have only found 2 that allow sleeping on top of the load for on the road stops.
Single axle helps keep the weight down, thease TH are intended for SUVs.
Then I can tow with the Rigeline.

But this set up is not perfect.
There are places I want to go that are not trailer friendly and don't allow ORVs.
I can park the trailer but then I have to carry camping equipment or be home by dark.

hey you can look up some of the hot shot drivers trucks they set up beds in the back seat of the trucks

 

[lee]

hey you can look up some of the hot shot drivers trucks they set up beds in the back seat of the trucks

It's like the old wag about 'going to war with the army you have, not the army you want'. (US has a history of doing this)
I got the crew cab truck because I had kids - and I don't regret the trips we made as a family.
But the kids are grown now and it's just the wife and I.

If I had an extended cab with a long bed I could throw the P500 in the bed and tow any camping trailer (small & cheap to full time lux-o-yacht).
But I think I would rather figure this out than invest in a trade on the truck.
Seriously considering an aluminum trades man canopy and set up sleeping in the bed.
Then we can do overlanding trips with the truck to see the stuff that is not SxS friendly.
Like a trip in the spring with just the truck, then in the late summer pulling the cargo trailer.
Seams more flexible that way.

Bottom line I need to start making more trips out and use up this truck before the government starts to collect them (or make the 'force you in to an electric cat' fuel tax shy high).

Family picture to prove I have no regrets:
(Chimney Rock, Redington pass area AZ ~7 years ago)