Truck camping with bed liner?

[vidkun]

I wasn't sure if this should be in camping or rig, but figured it was more about the camping side.

I'm just getting started on our overlanding adventures and was hoping to just sleep in the bed of the truck (2006 Ram 2500 CTD Mega Cab) since it has a hard shell topper. But I actually use my truck for truck so it has a bed liner that is is pretty dirty, scuffed up, and puts off that....chemical/automotive smell.

So I'm curious if those of you that sleep in the beds of your truck have bed liners or what you do to deal with those issues. Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated.

 

[buckwilk]

Cot, pad

 

[vidkun]

Cot inside the bed?

Do you have a spray on bed liner? Does is put off some chemically fumes/smell? No concerns about sleeping in there huffing that all night?


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[000]

An air mattress would smooth out the ridges and just toss it on top of everything when you load back up so you don’t have to inflate and deflate when you’re on the move? I’ve also seen some pretty cool frames made of pvc with plywood on to to put a pad on so you could store stuff underneath. A cot would do about the same though you could make the frame as tall as necessary to slide coolers totes etc under. I remember back in the day my grandpa had these cool cots that attached to the side of the bed and folded up against the sides of the shell when he wasn’t using them. I haven’t seen them since, but it wouldn’t be too hard to fab something like that. Or you could get simple and cheap with a sheet of plywood on the floor to smooth things out and roll out a foam pad. I use a smell/moisture absorber I found at the hardware store in my rtt to keep things fresh, I don’t remember what it’s called but it’s basically a small burlap sack with bamboo charcoal in it. Just throwing out some ideas.


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[vidkun]

I use a smell/moisture absorber I found at the hardware store in my rtt to keep things fresh, I don’t remember what it’s called but it’s basically a small burlap sack with bamboo charcoal in it. Just throwing out some ideas.

Thanks. I actually have some of those also. I'll give it a shot hanging them in there for a few days to see if it helps.

 

[overl4nd]

Queen or full size air mattress. Costs 8-15$ (intex)

Works great and smoothes out everything.

Bonus.. You get workout of 10 min with hand pump to fill

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[Boort]

@vidkun

has a hard shell topper. But I actually use my truck for truck so it has a bed liner that is is pretty dirty, scuffed up, and puts off that....chemical/automotive smell. So I'm curious if those of you that sleep in the beds of your truck have bed liners or what you do to deal with those issues. Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated.

My Truck has been Rhino lined since the early 2000's, Never noticed any smell from the liner after the first week or so it was installed. I did run the truck for about a year with the sprayed in bed-liner before I got my shell so it likely out-gassed in that time.

As for the ridges, I sleep on my deck over the storage area/drawers so no problem with the bed ridges. I also keep my shell's screened windows cracked an inch or so for ventilation, as long as it's not raining. If it is raining I'll crack the beer window up front and roll up something to stuff between the top edge of the cab/shell to keep the water from rolling down and in.

Boort

 

[FJ81]

When I had my older dodge ram I was trying to get a bedrug for it, but they did not make it for my older model truck. Those seemed nice and they smooth out the ridges so it is flat back there. Maybe you could give your bed a good pressure washing before you go out on the next trip.

 

[Overland USA]

I

I wasn't sure if this should be in camping or rig, but figured it was more about the camping side.

I'm just getting started on our overlanding adventures and was hoping to just sleep in the bed of the truck (2006 Ram 2500 CTD Mega Cab) since it has a hard shell topper. But I actually use my truck for truck so it has a bed liner that is is pretty dirty, scuffed up, and puts off that....chemical/automotive smell.

So I'm curious if those of you that sleep in the beds of your truck have bed liners or what you do to deal with those issues. Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated.

have a 2017 F150 and am having a rack made for a RTT. I use the bed for gear and tools.

 

[HEYElliott]

I slept in my short bed under the topper for a 7day road trip; camping pad, sleeping bad and a layer of reflectix smoothed over any ridges.

 

[Yumafolks]

We have the bed rug carpet liner. Has worked awesome for 20 years now but it's really starting to show its age.


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