So after several months of being obsessed with watching videos of guys on YouTube taking camping trips and staying in the bed of their trucks with a topper, I wanted to take the plunge. I am a frugal person and drive a 2010 Ford F-150 with the 5.5 foot bed, which made it challenging to find a topper on the used market. I was able to find one on Facebook marketplace that was only $100! I couldn’t pass that deal up! Danielle, who I had only been dating for a couple of months, and I were supposed to go out that night, but she allowed me to call the audible and went with me to pick up the topper. She’s definitely a trooper, as she went along with my wacky plan to drive all the way to Wheeling, WV (nearly two hours away) to pick the thing up. The guy told me if I came to get it that day, he’d knock off $50! After getting it, I was quickly on my way to becoming a truck camper!
It was only a couple of weeks later that I decided to go for a quick overnight trip in the newly installed topper. I didn’t really have time to think my camping setup through, and ended up just throwing a queen size air mattress in the bed of the truck that I normally use for tent camping. I grabbed all the normal things I take tent camping and threw them in the truck, as I wasn’t really sure what all I would need to successfully and comfortably truck camp.
I learned really quick that not leveling out the truck, and also having the air mattress not be able to properly fit fully inflated was a bit more of a problem than I thought it would be. Although I fit fine in the bed of the truck to sleep (I’m about 5″7′) my feet were a good foot in elevation above my head. It was really comfortable with the tailgate open though, which was very nice. After cooking up a few brats over the fire, I retreated to the back of the truck and did some reading on my tablet.
Overall I would say it was very fun and successful outing, as I learned a lot of what to and not to do. This would be the first of many trips I would take in my truck, and even now a year later, my setup is ever evolving. Check back soon, as I will be chronicling the next trip I took in the truck, a multi-state journey to pick up Danielle and bring her back home. Until next time, keep truckin!
Leave a Reply