There were so many different types of plywood, most of which were not marked. We found it strange that, when we asked the price to ensure we were getting the correct wood, three different employees remarked on how expensive the plywood was. It was precisely the wood we were looking for, and we didn’t mind paying the price for what we needed.

Finding the rest of the supplies turned into a scavenger hunt. It was time-consuming but fun looking for everything we needed. Our tactic was to look it up online to find the location in the store. They did not have everything we needed, but we found the most important things we needed to get started.

Shopping took a lot longer than we had anticipated. By the time we arrived at DJ’s house, it was almost time for him to go to work. We planned to work around his schedule to get our project done. We decided to drop the lumber off and come back earlier the next day.

The Build

Since his daughter would be home all day, DJ said it was okay for us to be there while he was at work.
It was a beautiful, pleasantly warm, sunny day. We couldn’t have asked for better conditions in which to work. After assembling the tools we needed and sawhorses, we got to work.

Or I should say, Chris got to work. I helped hold and lift things as needed, but mostly just pestered him with a thousand and one questions about what he was doing, why he was doing it that way, and have you considered this or that.

Chris has a past in contracting, but I have never seen him build anything. I was pleasantly surprised to find he knew very well what he was doing. He started by making the back part of the base where we would be sleeping. It is a simple design, which allows a bed to sleep on with storage underneath. He assembled a platform on three risers with a back piece that fit neatly between the wheel wells.

Next, he built a platform that would sit on top of the folded down seats to allow us enough room to stretch out fully while we sleep. He made this platform with folding legs, allowing us to move it when we want to use the back seats.
We had a little more work to do, but we could see storm clouds moving across the top of the mountain, and the temperature suddenly dropped drastically. It was time to call it a day.

Before we left, DJ’s daughter, Harley, invited us to come back for dinner later. We gladly accepted. We had met his wife, Erin, briefly. The dinner invite allowed us to get to know her better before DJ came home from work. We had a lovely visit before returning to our hotel for the night.

The next day was bitterly cold, so we spent the day picking up the supplies we were unable to find on our first trip to Home Depot, as well as cooking for our upcoming trip.

Finishing the Platform

Saturday was once again beautiful warm weather. Chris attached hinged wings to our platform, allowing access to storage over the wheel wells. This task was easier said than done as the wings needed to contour to the truck’s sides. Chris carefully and skillfully cut them to fit.

We planned to cover the platform with carpeting. We had noticed that the plywood was extremely heavy when we bought it but had not realized just how wet it was. Two days after the install, we could still feel water seeping out of the wood. We thought it would be best to wait for the wood to dry out before attempting to adhere the carpet.

We were happy with the results. The truck was not complete, but it was ready for us to start traveling. It was a gorgeous day, so we decided to celebrate our success with a leisurely lunch on the patio at TAPateria.

Storage Containers

The next day we went in search of storage containers. We didn’t realize how tricky that would be. There are tons of storage containers of varying sizes available, just not the size we needed. We wanted something big enough to hold a lot, but that would still fit under the platform.

Most of the containers we found were just a touch too tall to fit. Finally, after looking at several stores, we came across a box that was the perfect size.

When we repacked the truck, we found that we still had too much stuff, even with the ample storage space. We ended up having to decide what was most important and leave the rest in storage.

Even after downsizing, we still had too much stuff stored on top of the bed, our cooler being one of those things. We bought a tow hitch cargo carrier and bag to solve the problem.

Our first night in our camper was a great success. We were comfortable, albeit a little warm at first, and slept well. We decided to add a screen to our sunroof to leave it open at night for ventilation while keeping bugs out. It worked very well the first few nights, but then we had problems with the Velcro sticking to the ceiling. We are still figuring that one out.

The Finishing Touches

Sleeping in the desert without window coverings was fine for that first night but wouldn’t work when we camped near other people. In the morning, Chris cut Reflectix pieces to fit snugly in each window. Not only does it give us privacy, but on cold nights it keeps the truck warmer.

Over the last few weeks, we have tweaked how the truck is packed, added more containers, and are happy with how it has turned out. I’m sure there will be more tweaks along the way as we figure out more efficient ways to do things.

We are now in California, where out of state visitors are asked to quarantine for two weeks, so that is what we are doing. We found a great spot to camp with a spectacular view of the mountains and some conveniences within walking distance.

We took advantage of the time quarantining to pull the truck apart and finally attach the carpet to the platform. When we repacked the 4Runner, we rearranged to make better use of our space.

We still want to beef up the truck by switching to a marine battery, changing to a better braking system, and adding a bumper guard with a winch on the front. Those things will have to wait until they are in the budget.  For now, we are proud of what we have accomplished and are looking forward to the many exciting adventures that await us.