I have 2013 F150 with a 6.5' bed with a cab height topper and a BedRug. I measured 49" between the wheel wells and I want to put a futon there for ocassional camping. There will be two of us sleeping in the back.

A full size futon measures 54" wide and I'm wondering if that will fit fine or be too bulky? I talked to a futon maker who offeres custom sizes to only find out that it would be about triple the cost to make one 49" wide.

Also looking at a futon with a foam core with polyester batting covered with a thinner layer of cotton batting...is that a good choice?

Thanks in advance because I've been in a tent my whole life so I don't have any experience setting this up.

 

Dude, I have no idea but that is an awesome idea! Futon frames are simple tho.. Maybe you could cut the 54" futon down to 49" then just squeeze the mattress in there. Start making some measurements! I'd love to see this.

 

Got the futon last weekend but since I live in two different places the truck ended up being in WY and the futon is in CO. I have it spread out in the garage on a balnket to keep it clean and so far a few minutes of test time says its comfy. I didn't get to do a fit test yet...maybe this weekend or next. Hoping I can just sort squeeze it in between the wheel wells without having to trim it.

We did a test run sleeping in the back with a couple of camp pads. Not quite enough padding even with the BedRug helping to level and cushion a bit. Of course my dog wanted to climb in so I let her...even a 40 lb heeler can take up a lot of room, but I could see how happy she was to join us.

If I get some time I'm gonna make a shelf along one or both sides of the bed where the topper sits. I think I can use the clamps to secure it in place. Just something that will stick out about an inch and have a small lip. That should make the bed rails large enough to store some things while we are in the back.

I got the blue flexible LED lights installed up under the bed rails and they are a bit too bright for me. I just wanted a bit of mood lighting so I'm thinking of putting a piece of electrical tape over every third LED or spraying some of that Night Shades paint on it.

 

What are the dimensions of the new futon you got? Also, what are the dimensions of your bed? Are you putting it in parallel to the cab or perpendicular? I like the light idea too. Then all you will need is a removable cover. I had to sleep in the cab the other night because the mosquitoes were horrible..

 

doesn't the futon legs put it up over the wheel wells? i want to see pics of this thing. i'm waiting for mention of a flat screen. how tall are you?

 

The distance between the wheel wells is 49" in my 2013 F150 with a 6.5ft bed. The size of a full size futon is 54" wideby 60" long. The one I ordered does not have a frame, it will be laying flat on floor of the bed which has a BedRug.

I am 5'9" and my wife is 5'3" so we can sleep long ways in the back.

To beat the mosiquitos you need a topper like mine with the screens on the side windows. I have a Snug Top and you can see some pics in my "garage" but I'll add some more pics on Monday with the futon in place.

 

Ha! Yeah I wish I could afford something like that! My truck is older as well and I don't think SnugTop makes a cover for mine.. Maybe I'll fabricate my own. Nice truck BTW.

 

Thanks

The dealer I bought the topper from has lots of used ones...just call around and see what diferent dealers have in stock.

 

What I did with my truck is I made "shelves" that rest on the top of the bed rails and allow about 8" between them that is open, I think they are about 20-24" wide. These make great platforms to roll out a sleeping pad on for camping. Though, I need to lock mine together with a bar in the front (cab side) and middle so they don't bounce off the bed rails going down the road.

I've camped in mine several times and it works great.

Though, my cap is a mid-height. It is about 4" taller than the roof line of my truck (2011 F350/8ft bed).

 

I put the futon in this weekend and even though it is pinched a bit between the wheel wells it sin't noticable when you lay on it. My wife and I both stretched out on it and there is plenty of room to lay on. If you move over toward the endge you can notice the pinch point but it's not bad enough to bother trying to trim the futon.

Here are some pics of the futon and the $10 blue led lights.

 

Dude, carpet!? Nice! It's like a damn VIP room in there. Sweet setup.

 

Yes, compared to a tent it pretty deluxe.

The blue lights aren't quite as intense as the picture shows but I am going to try to tone them done a bit this week. I'm thinking of puting electrical tape over every third led...any other ideas on how to make them dimmer?

Kind of needs a disco ball hanging from the topper...

 

How are the lights powered? I'd put a resistor in series with the power supply. Or if your feelin extra deluxe, you could wire a potentiometer as a rheostat and have a dimmer. It would just be a matter of measuring the current draw of the lights and supply voltage to find the resistance via ohms law (that would be the resistance with the lights on, it's different when off) and figure what size resistor or potentiometer you need.

 

LED's are either on or off...they can't be dimmed with less current or voltage. It's a characteristic of the device.

So the brightness is determined by the way it is manufactured and how many per square foot you have.

Maybe I should just add a disco ball and some spotlights to complete the effect.

 

Where's the mini-fridge, and the power plug? I sure hope the windows are all tinted really dark.