If it’s just overnight, sometimes we don’t even deploy our scissors camper stairs. A lot of times I use my truck camper as a base camp for hikes, canyoneering, exploring, etc. “I guess I could be considered a minimalist like you guys. If you’re interested in truck bed camping, or leaning how to go camping in the bed of a truck, you’ve come to the right place! We will be adding a screen tent for the next time out.” – Randy Smith, 2017 Ram 3500, 2017 Adventurer 910DB, “If we are going to be at a place for more than a day, we will unload the camper and put the awning, mat, and gas fireplace out. “It really depends on how long we stay at a campsite, and what our intensions are for the trip. So, unless we spend more than one night in a campsite, we pull in, plug in, lower the jacks to level and stabilize, pull out a footstool and lawn chairs, and we are set up. When we do, we have lots of people stopping by.” – Bruce Erickson, 2006 Dodge Ram, 2016 Adventurer 8.6FB, “We are very similar to you folks, except for the cat. If it’s hot and there’s no shade, we’ll put up the 10×10. We’re not fond of neighbors.” – Daryl Davis, 1997 Ford F350, 2014 Palomino SS-1500, “Sorry to say, but we go all out with food tents, eating tents, a dishwashing station, wood for campfires, propane stoves, BBQ grills, and two picnic tables – one for kids projects. Upgrade your truck with the world’s highest quality tailgate pad — The Basecamp System.Backed by an industry-leading five year warranty, The Basecamp System comes with two Lounger Chairs, a Jeffrey Cooler and one Basecamp Pad. This allows us to sit and relax outside the rig and talk with other campers walking by. We used to carry a large screen house, but didn’t use it and wisely sold it to another truck camper who got much use out of it this past winter in Florida.” – Chuck and Jodie Ramsey, 2012 Chevy Silverado, 2014 Adventurer 116DS, “We’re not as spartan as you guys. Then we send out the slide, and we’re done. At night, we have a two burner cookstove and maybe a fire. It seems like an easy step, but in order to maximize your space, you have to contour your design to your truck bed. Therefore, we’re adding more stuff every time we go out. The generator is out front so I just run it while it’s on the carrier. We have a couple of camp chairs if we want to sit outside and hope to meet fellow campers. Bobbi likes to sit outside and read. Boondocking - Home Made Truck Canopy Camper Setup, Camping In Winter -10 Degrees Made my own "truck camper" under the canopy in the box of my pickup truck. That’s about it for outside. But, we pretty much keep it tidy.” – Greg Sellers, 2002 Ford F250, 1980s SunLite pop-up, “We do pretty much as you and Gordon do. 2. We once woke to seeing a wall cloud in the distance, dressed, and got the camper ready to roll in ten minutes before the storm hit in Nebraska.” – Laurel Wilson, 2018 Ford F-350, 2016 Four Wheel Camper Shell. If it’s an overnight or two, things don’t get set out. “Because we are also minimalists, we don’t have much outside our camper. Too bad radios, barking dogs, and loud talking people aren’t banned too.” – Vic Smith, 2015 Ford F350, 2013 Adventurer 89RB, “Our idea of setting up is to plug in and drop the steps. We are very blessed to have an awesome truck and camper that allow us to go to many beautiful places which so many can not go. In fifteen minutes we are packed and ready to move to our next cool and exciting location. If I have a campfire, I will have water nearby to put it out if the wind picks up or I go to bed. Urban and suburban people live where there are lights 24/7 and maybe the threat of intruders. We also have a table for the stove (we never cook inside) and chairs.” – Bill Richcreek, 2013 Ford F-350, 2017 Lance 855S. We’ll bring out a shade shelter for the cat pen, unload the bikes, balls and toys for our kid, and a solar panel. KISS.” – Ed Krech, 2006 Dodge 3500, 2011 Northern Lite 8-11, “We are minimalists. If others are joining us, then we will also get out the other folding table, hang lines for lanterns, and try to get wood for the fire pit. If we’re going to cook dinner over a campfire, usually a “pan of stuff” or hamburgers, the axe, and small bow saw come out so that I can get firewood ready. We camp in grizzly/black bear country, so we keep everything inside when we are gone for the day on our quads. Then I will set up the standard picnic table with a covering, a stove top, some folding chairs, etc. We have also eliminated extra chairs, the awning and – unlike you – we never put the jacks down. They’re probably out for half of our camping nights. We have a quad trailer with an awning for the outdoor kitchen. The name of the game is minimalism and multi-use when it comes to truck camping in general, and the same should go for your truck camping gear. Even when I stay at an organized campground, a camp chair and maybe a recently purchased bundle of firewood is all that you will find outside of my camper. Unless you have a bare metal truck bed, the plastic lining along the inside walls of your bed will not be a perfect square. I do carry a small roll-up outdoor rug for use in muddy or sandy situations, but I don’t generally roll it out except for then. Camping in your truck bed is a little different than regular tent camping so it’s important for you to be prepared. We both like food prepared on an open fire because it tastes better. If I am traveling with my wife and we are at the same place for more than one day, we’ll set up the awning (weather permitting), get out the chairs, and the folding table. That said, one reader admits to not only putting out pink flamingos, but naming them. If we’re just passing through, a couple chairs and a grill is about it. We always set up a sign of who we are and where we’re from. We camp to enjoy the outdoors. We have outdoor games we play and always set up our chairs around a fire pit. We don’t take that lightly. EASY truck camping install! Sometimes we’re minimal, other times not. Now we’re back to minimalists. If we are going to stay in a campsite for a week or longer, we might take a screen house along to set over the table, but we have only done that once or twice in ten years of truck camping.” – Allen Brummel, 2013 Ram 2500, 2016 Northstar 650SC, “Less is always better since storage space is always at a premium. A quality sleeping bag and camping … Various other things go in and out like dish pans, food, binoculars, a bird book, Banana-grams, etc. My usual setup is a camping chair, small folding side table, and a folding footstool. The less we get out, the less we have to put away before we move on.” – Bob Nelson, 2015 GMC 3500, 2013 Arctic Fox 1140, “We set up exactly like you and Angela (including the cats). Getting to those remote trail heads is one of the main reasons I purchased a truck camper. I have no awning. I drive in and look around to see if it’s safe. If the site has services and we will be there more than one night, we hookup. The picture above is on BLM land in Nevada.” – Kenneth Dunn, 1998 Dodge 3500, 2010 Arctic Fox 811S, “The first thing out is a clothes line, then the small speaker with an obnoxious small barking dog with the intent that it will get other potential campers away from our spot. We have a Coleman screen tent which literally sets up in one minute. Build a Truck Bed Camper for UNDER $400. Also I don’t normally spend more than one night in one spot unless I am feeling under the weather, in which case I am not interested in decor. We sometimes eat outside, but mostly inside is more convenient. Keep it clean and sealed. If we are just exploring or passing through, we become pretty minimalist.” – Ron Meredith, 1994 Ford F-350, 1991 Lance 8.6, “We are minimalists. For extended stays with a group, I’ll break out the big kitchen; a Camp Chef two-burner stove, prep table, and side table lights. Being in the bush means we have room to set up our cook tent and lights so we can see at night. Sometimes we’re minimal, other times not. But, that is about it.” – Dan Robinson, 2017 Ram 2500, 2014 Palomino HS-8801. All rights reserved. An oilcloth goes on the table if we’re eating outside. Invest in a High-quality Sleeping Bag for Cold Weather Camping. “Usually we just unload if we are staying more than one day. Copyright © 2021 Outdoor Life. We pull a cargo trailer for the toys and extra stuff. Realizing that our behavior is rarely typical, we asked Truck Camper Magazine readers about their own campsite rituals. “Most of the time we have a campsite that has electric. We don’t bother lowering the jacks. This week’s Question of the Week was, “How do you set up your campsite when truck camping?”, “Brimming! We do not have a mat for outside. You can use your truck cap to haul all your camping essentials to your most favorite campsite. I'm going to frame a raised platform (bed) with storage underneath. To each his own. We have since upgraded our camper, but have not changed what we bring with us. Five minutes later, a ranger drove by and said there was a tornado warning and I should close the canopy and put anything loose inside. There are not a lot of storage options in a pop-up, so we pack just what we need and nothing extra. We have an awning (bag awning) that gets deployed for sitting under in the lawn chairs and cooking outside on a fire in the evening. I cleaned out under the bed in the old pop-up prior to selling it, and off-loaded lots of stuff that we used only once.” – Kathy Claycomb, 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 HD, Getting a new Northstar in two months, “We are minimalists. We don’t advertise where where we are from, nor do we light up our campsite or play loud music. “It depends. Build this truck bed camper by spending less than $400. They want to reduce polluting the air. “If we’re in a spot for more than a day, then the stairs go down, the oilcloth goes on the table, and the clothesline goes up – in that order. We park, hookup, unhook, and go. It’s usually on a flat bit of ground unless there is a picnic table handy. I get my wife/best friend her beverage and a beverage for myself, and we relax.” – George Visconti, 2015 GMC 3500HD, 2016 Arctic Fox 990. Or she may sit in the camper and read. We usually don’t have anything out except our chairs.” – John Bull, 2004 Dodge 3500, 2015 Arctic Fox 990. The TopperEZlift works with your existing topper and comes in two camper packages which create a “pop-up camper” like shelter right from the bed of your pickup truck. We’re generally in the truck camper for seven straight months, so we try to keep it simple. Maybe later we take out the charcoal grill and grill up some burgers or brats. We do use a portable barbecue and sometimes a tablecloth on the campground’s picnic table if it’s dirty or greasy. If I’m really adventurous, I’ll make a fire and enjoy the evening.” – Tim and Linda Zeh, 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 3500, 2007 Arctic Fox 1150, “I am a minimalist. I remote camp whenever possible. When we had the Adventurer, we never used the 10×10 pop-up we carried. I pull out the aftermarket folding stairs (not the useless concertina factory ones), roll out the awning, lay down the ground sheet, and put up the camp table. We will sit there with our wine or beer and enjoy the outdoors. One Mega Mod will... Just for fun, here’s a crossword puzzle on truck campers. This fall we’ll migrate to a truck camper for our six months of winter travels – includng Mexico. “Bare minimalist, mostly. I like running as light as possible since we mostly camp disbursed off road. All in all, it makes for a cleaner camp and less stuff to pack in the camper as well.” – Dave Riddle, 2015 Chevrolet 3500HD, 2017 Host Mammoth, “Out comes two tables and a camping gear stored in floor/walkway, one 10×12 outdoor rug/carpet, a pop-up shade over the tables and folding chairs, three milk crates of solar LED stake lights, firewood, and miscellaneous extension cords and a water hose. The flag goes up, rear step go down, and chairs, grill, and tablecloth are deployed. “There normally is a few of us camping together. Camping chairs. And if we need everything we take with us then we can’t add anything new. Portable Solar Panels. Our campsite normally only consists of a couple of chairs, sometimes a small table, and once in awhile a screen room, depending upon needs. Generally, we less is more when it comes to set up for camping. I also hate clutter. “The only items I set up are a Coleman folding table, a couple of camp chairs, the hibachi, and the American flag.” – Frank Kaye, 2005 Dodge 3500, 2008 Northstar Arrow “It varies for us. We bring a lawn chair for each of us. Maybe I’ll set up the generator since I’m still working on the solar thing. We do have our nice folding chairs, a doormat, a step stool, a bucket for the grey water, and a screen house pitched over the picnic table. Everything else is contained in the trailer. Everything does double duty if possible. Again, my truck camping build is somewhat transformer-like in that things can change around as I see fit. Campfires are almost obsolete, and banned during hot season. The bikes come out if we are staying for more than a day. That way we can wipe off excess dirt, mud, and pine needles before going inside. It’s less work that way. We hardly sit or cook inside if the weather allows. “As full-time RVers in a fifth wheel trailer for almost three years, we have also embraced a minimalist life. See more ideas about truck bed camping, camping, truck bed camper. I just jump in the truck and go wherever. Sandra and I enjoy the quiet times so much; we can have devotions, and just talk. Nothing too fancy, just a place to crash and stay relatively warm and dry. A picnic shelter tent. If we are stuck inside, we will read or craft, sometimes listen to a small portable radio, but we have never had a television in any camper we have owned. We’re generally in the truck camper for seven straight months, so we try to keep it simple. “We take our two chairs off the bed and put them outside. Now with our new Eureka we’ll probably spend more time outside in nice weather due to the more confined spaces inside. We are almost always are camping in the bush in the middle of nowhere. It’s our home, rain or shine, and we make it so since we like to be outside.” – Cathryn Curtis, 2010 Chevy 2500, 2008 Bigfoot 25C9.4. We usually bring our own if it’s legal. I set up chairs, put down the awning, and my wife sets up a little sign, doggy play area, and planter!” – Frank Makin, 2010 Ford F250, 2010 Bigfoot 2500 9.6, Home » Question Of The Week » How Truck Campers Set Up Camp. We have a disabled cat so we set up his pen the moment we arrive (unless it’s raining) and get the dog’s tether tied up. Part of your identity. We only use the electrical shore power. A Note About Security: For both personal safety and peace of mind, make sure your truck bed camping build-out is secure.Both your tailgate and the canopy should have locks, but make sure they’re up to snuff. Maybe we’ll put the camp stove on the table. Below I’ll be showing my truck camping setup as it is actually used while on the road as well as a few tips and tricks that I’ve picked up after so many miles. 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