Bed air mattresses and tents?

New guy here and I was wondering if anyone here has tried any bed air mattresses and tents in there first gens and might have recommendations for me? I tried searching for them but didn’t have any success.

 

@Jerry311SD

 

I do not have a tent for my truck bed, but have a Softopper and use an air mattress in the back when camping. When measuring the width of the bed between the wheel wells, I discovered that a full-size air mattress would fit that width perfectly. I have used a cheap Coleman full air mattress with a battery operated pump on 10+ camping trips and love the simple setup. I like that the air mattress doesn't "cover" the entire width of the bed (like the AirBedz), as I can use the remaining gaps to store my shoes, gear, etc. However, the only downside is having 2 people on the air mattress, as you feel their movements throughout the night. But overall am happy with my setup and would recommend a full size air mattress.

Here is a picture of a recent camping trip with the air mattress and Softopper setup. It is hard to see the gaps I am talking about, but on each side of the air mattress from the tailgate to the wheel well there is a small amount of space that comes in handy.

 

AirBedz makes an inflatable air mattress that fits our trucks but has pretty bad reviews.
https://truckairbedz.com/Airbedz-Lite

It seems all the inflatable ones will eventually lose air. Most guys have gone the route of building a bed frame and using a 4" memory foam topper to sleep on.

@Rheywood456 did this.

 

I used a Full in my Truck tent.
fits perfect in-between the wheel wells of the bed. I dont have any pictures of the inside

 

I have a camper shell like you and made a platform that allows a queen air mattress to easily fit. Get 2x6's and cut them to fit the slots that are already molded into the front and back sides of the bed and put a sheet of 3/4" plywood on top of the 2x6's, thats it. The 2x6's are the same height as the wheel wells. It works great!!

 

I run a 4” queen size memory foam mattress. It folds which is nice. Pretty comfy too!

Fits perfectly on top of my PVC Platform

 

Exactly this!!!

Blow up mattresses never stay fully inflated. Especially when cold. And when you move, your significant other feels it. And vice versa...

 

I have used a full size in my truck before. I also liked the room on the sides for extra crap. Water, beer, clothes, whatever. I eventually got a queen size and a bigger tent, but the full size in the bed went well for a while.

 

Thank you guys for the awesome replies. My family bombarded for my bday yesterday so I wasn’t able to get back with you guys but you guys have gave me some awesome ideas.
After looking over all the posts I’m actually thinking of running more then one style of setup.
I think I will build a quick down and dirty one for overnight/early morning hunts and a second one for when one of my kids wants to go. Thanks again guys!!!

 

I agree an air mattress typically doesn’t last long. But I went ahead and bought this I figured for 65 bucks can’t go wrong.

https://www.autoanything.com/hitch-bed-accessories/proz-adventurer-truck-bed-air-mattress

 

Welcome from NY.

 

Looking to buy one of these for the kids at the drive in, how is yours holding up?

Thanks

 

Make sure you contact @eccracer104 first for a discount. Just send him a PM and he will send you a link.
Purchased several things from him.

 

Thanks for the tag!


Yeah guys, shoot me a message with what you’re looking for from AutoAnything.com and I’ll happily see what kind of a discount I can get for you

 

Thanks for hooking us up.

 

Off topic... but how do you like those step bars? I've seen them online, and thought they looked like a good solution. Do they mount to the frame or the body?

 

From the wide stance of the mounts I'd wager they're attached to the body mounts rather than frame or cab. Not sure what steps they are though.

 

Haven’t taken it out yet sadly. But for the drive I think it would be perfect.

 

These are the iBoard running boards, I purchased them on Amazon. These are the 5" steps and I feel they are the perfect size. The 4" would be too small, and the 6" would be so wide they would look goofy. I was hesitant to purchase them at first, as their advertising looked somewhat sketchy and I worried that they would be cheap knockoffs. However, I would purchase them again and would recommend them as a less expensive alternative to other steps.

They actually do mount to the frame, and feel really sturdy. I have been extremely happy with them, installation was a breeze and they have held up well (going on 2 years with them on my truck). I really enjoy being able to reach up to clean my roof, and my fiancé appreciates them due to her shorter height. One piece of advice: be careful not to over tighten the nuts on the bottom of the boards. The hardware is not the best, and I accidentally stripped a few of the nuts.

 

Can you post a pic or two of the mount?

 

here is a BED tent from last summer

 

Sorry for the delay, here are the mounting points of the iBoards to the frame!

 

Those mounts look really solid and well designed. Thanks for posting.

On a side note: I'm jealous of you West coast guys. Out East, we haven't seen a frame that looks like that in a decade.

 

I love my back seat inflatable bed. It is very comfortable, and suitable for my car. What size bed air mattress do you need?

 

@bmf4069 git em!

 

I use one of these tri-folding foam mattresses. Super comfy.

$115 Milliard Trifold Mattress, Cot Size, 4", Portable Foldable Mattress Cot with Medium Firm Foam, Washable Cover, Tri-Folding Floor Bed, Fold Up Guest Bed, RV Travel, Camping, 75" x 31”

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FMYFASA

 

not cheap, but the best air mattress out there.
https://www.rei.com/product/113720/exped-megamat-duo-10-sleeping-pad

 

Those look promising if they are worth the price

 

I used a lot of different setups. Cots, air pads, air mattresses. Before this I had a mattress from an RV that was alright but lacked density.

This one folds up easily and you can get a weatherproof cover/bag to put it in. Wish it were available in more outdoor oriented colors beside bright white, but I think it's worth it.

Now I want this one..

$150 Milliard Trifold Mattress, Cot Size, 6", Portable Foldable Mattress with Memory Foam & Washable Cover, Tri-Folding Floor Bed, Camping, Fold Up Guest Bed, RV Travel, Sleepovers, 75" x 31"

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KWFNHMH