# pickup truck- camper shell or softtop or ?



## bryster

hi folks, I'm looking for a setup I can use when I take my boat down to bolivar and want to stay overnight at an rv park.
I don't know if I trust parking truck, boat, and trailer overnight at the type of motel I can afford.

i've got a chevy extended cab truck

i think a soft top pickup bed thing like Bestop would work, but the hard camper shells have sliding windows I cuold probably put screen over to let air in and bugs out (or even buy a cheap window AC unit and plug it in?)

Thinking air bed in the bed and camper shell/soft top of some type. This will just be overnight for a single night.

It seems easier than packing a tent, and the soft tops are not obscenely expensive.

Anyone have or had a setup like this and can comment, or any suggestions on a different rig? 

I can't get another truck/van/vehicle, and I'll be pulling a boat so I can't pull a popup or other option.


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## Pasadena1944

There was a guy that came to the coffee shop that made his own out of plywood.. Had a door on the back and a SMALL window AC on the back too mounted high up. On each side it had real small house windows...It was painted green. I would guess you could build one for less than $200.00 with the AC. Just be sure to slant the roof for rain run off and keep a good coat of paint on it...His was about 1 foot higher than the truck cab...


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## KW

*softopper*

I have had several fiberglass toppers on various trucks and it never failed. As good as they were for camping and keeping stuff out of the weather, when iI needed to haul something taller than it was I did not have the help I needed to take it off or a good place to put it for that matter. This time I went w/ the Softopper. Put it on a F350 cc lwb 4x4 dually. I have a full size inside the rail tool box presently and will be adding a gooseneck/5th wheel set up next year. With the top on i still have access to the tool box if needed. I used it for the first time prior to Christmas on a trip to Disney World and it worked woderfully. It kept everything as dry or drier thanked the shells or tonnaues I've had in the past. It removes very easily w/ one person and stores very easily.

Camel Back is versatile w/ lots rack options but, pricey. Bestop is made of a material more platiic or vinyl like compared to Softopper being more canvas like

Hope this helps some. If i can answer any questions or help you let me know.

KW


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## smooth move

check out the cabela's catalog for the truck tent. it fits to the bed of your truck, just a tent in the back of a truck, but sounds like what you're looking for. i went the used route and bought a elderly cabover camper and modified it to fit on my flat bed and made a hitch extension so i could pull my boat. i've used it twice on short trips, but plan to really test it this summer while my grandkids are out of school.


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## osobrujo

This is how I would campout when fishing at Port A. Fishing rods went in one leftside of the box, and chairs, rod holders, and other gear went in the rightside. Air or foam mat went on the box, keeping us off the truckbed ribs. 1" stick-on foam window insulation can be used to fill in the gap between the tailgate and bed, to keep mosquitos out. 









Before I build the box, we used (5)1x6 boards, cut to the width of the bed, place on the lip below the window to use as a bed at the front of the camper.


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## bryster

thanks for the ideas. I like that soft top, but my tonneau cover only lasted a few years so I think im more inclined for a hard cover. They are a bit too expensive for my current tastes but I saw some used ones on craigslist so I'll keep an eye out for one. 

I like the storage underneath, osobrujo, i could keep some of the stuff out of my boat and locked away from wandering eyes. 
Now just to find an RV park that doesn't mind some crazy coot sleeping in the bed of the truck...


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