Camping/sleeping setups for track trailer

[TheIglu]

My entire trackday/racing career has been sleeping in my truck or FuzzBox trailer on an air mattress. Now that I have an enclosed, I'm looking for something that is up off the ground.

Goals are easy to setup/stash away, lightweight-ish, but most importantly comfortable. Twin or Full size is ideal, I hate sleeping bags so I want to be able to use standard sheets/blankets.


What is your setup for hitting the slumber hard?

[Paul_E_D]

Ikea 4 inch foam mattress( eggcarton on one side) on 1/2plywood is the most comfy bed I have ever slept in. seriously.

[nhbubba]

http://www.nestreetriders.com/forum/...ml#post1411834

Mattress came from Foam factory . com. Product is called HD36-HQ. Mine is 4" sized as a long-twin. I bought the zip-on mattress cover they offer as well. Added some long-twin sheets from Amazons, a nice fleece blanket, and later an electric blanket. I believe I often sleep better in the trailer than I do at home. Could be that I'm usually about to go play motorbikes. Could be the bed.. dunno.

[Garandman]

We have six of these (previous model) at our ski place, so I steal one. Very comfortable and can be locked up to use as a chair or lounger. I like to be off floor level. They fold up easily. You could certainly add a mattress topper.

REI COT

BassPro/Cabelas have nearly the same product. Coleman has a folding bed with foam pad as well. So does LL Bean.

[Zolden]

One setup I saw had two of these Coleman style cots from Walmart.

Guy could configure it to make one large bed with a topper or two cots if a buddy was sharing the trailer. Said it was pretty damn comfy.

I really liked what this guy did for a full queen Murphy bed (would have actually just bought this trailer if I wasn't out of town). Raises you up off the ground enough and folds away without taking up too much room:

2016 Enclosed Look Trailer 7x14 | 13x Forums

[Tekime]

IMO you can't beat foam for comfort and quiet sleeping. If portability is a big deal a self-inflating double wide would work - not as thick as an actual mattress at 4" but something to check out: Sea To Summit Comfort Deluxe Self-Inflating Sleeping Mat, Double

[TheIglu]

http://www.nestreetriders.com/forum/...ml#post1411834

Mattress came from Foam factory . com. Product is called HD36-HQ. Mine is 4" sized as a long-twin. I bought the zip-on mattress cover they offer as well. Added some long-twin sheets from Amazons, a nice fleece blanket, and later an electric blanket. I believe I often sleep better in the trailer than I do at home. Could be that I'm usually about to go play motorbikes. Could be the bed.. dunno.

I saw your bed frame, not sure I'm dedicated enough to the idea for a perm install like that without trying out a few spots/mounting ideas first.

The mattress is ideal. Price is right, and I think I could try to work around Paul's 1/2" plywood style to work up a prototype that could eventually end up like yours.

- - - Updated - - -

IMO you can't beat foam for comfort and quiet sleeping. If portability is a big deal a self-inflating double wide would work - not as thick as an actual mattress at 4" but something to check out: Sea To Summit Comfort Deluxe Self-Inflating Sleeping Mat, Double

$300?

You know I'm a cheap-ass, right?

[adouglas]

I don't have an enclosed but if it were me...

... ball pit.


Or not.

Thinking about this.... I'd rig a simple shelf along one wall of the trailer, hinged on the bottom edge. It would fold up against the wall and when deployed would be supported either by cables from above or drop-down legs from below. Given the stresses, legs are probably better. Unlatch, drop it into place and there's your sleeping surface.

I'd still go air bed for compactness. A regular mattress worthy of the name is going to be thick and space-hungry.

Get fancy and you can use the platform for multiple purposes... for example, make it a shallow box with netting underneath (instead of a plain shelf) and you can use it to carry your deflated air bed, suit, boots, gloves and bedding when folded up against the wall. Doesn't need to hold weight when the bed is deployed, because you're removing all that stuff and using it when you're at the track anyway.

Install at an appropriate height so that it can serve double-duty as a dining table, kitchen countertop, work surface etc. Or, install it lower and use it as a couch. Or, rig up movable brackets with E-track so you can do either one.

Split it into multiple pieces and you get more flexibility. For example, make it three pieces supported by legs, with the movable brackets at two heights. Rig the two end pieces at seating height and the middle one at table height and you've got a dinette. Rig the middle and one end at seating height and the other end at table height and you've got a loveseat with an end table. Rig all three at seating height and you've got a bed or couch. Rig all three at table/counter height and you've got a work surface.

Make it longer than your mattress so you have a table at the head of your bed.

[Falko]

Hammock, corner to corner. Rock yourself to sleep.

[Kurlon]

I've done the cot thing, great at first, over time inevitably the fabric stretches and it ends up rolling you into the center, no matter how you try to position yourself. Roll in your sleep, get unrolled back to starting position by the cot. Blech. Slightly better than being on the floor, but not massively. I used a self inflating camp mattress at first on mine, then went to a 2" folding mattress.

[Tekime]

If space wasn't an issue I think Walmart has a full 8" memory foam twin for like $80-100... would probably be comfortable as heck and easy to try and return if need be. Just FYI

$300?

You know I'm a cheap-ass, right?

Yeah for $300 even a regular-ass would probably avoid that one.

Camping stuff is ridiculously expensive.

[loudbeard]

I had a setup in my 5x10 enclosed that was....cumbersome....but the concept was excellent. I built a frame out of 2x4 that was the width of the trailer (minus a 2x4 on either side) and as long as a full sized mattress (plus the rounded front.) I had two sets of cleats, upper and lower, that I could land the bed frame in. In the upper setting, I could have my bikes, tools, gear, everything for transit. When I arrived at the track it got unloaded into the garage. Once there I would lift the bed out of the upper cleats and drop it into the lower set and had myself a tiny house. I had the frame topped with a 4" foam mattress from Amazon and it was the best sleep I ever got at the track. The frame was too heavy and the 2x4's I built the frame out of didn't like living in a trailer so they warped and became more difficult to move the bed from upper to lower position.

Of course I got my idea from the toy hauler lift style beds. I too can be a cheap ass, and didn't want to pay for one of these things.

I hated my coleman cot, got sick of spending and hour on the front and tail end of every race weekend setting up tent/air mattress/bedding/etc...and what I built was a good idea, but not executed well. I'll try and find some pictures of it.

[Tas]

Ikea 4 inch foam mattress( eggcarton on one side) on 1/2plywood is the most comfy bed I have ever slept in. seriously.

I totally agree. I have the twin size mattress. Doesn’t look like it would be that comfortable but really is.

[nhbubba]

I saw your bed frame, not sure I'm dedicated enough to the idea for a perm install like that without trying out a few spots/mounting ideas first.

The mattress is ideal. Price is right, and I think I could try to work around Paul's 1/2" plywood style to work up a prototype that could eventually end up like yours.

Seems like everyone is in agreement about the foam mattresses. I think my frame is part of the success. I used pine for the frame and poplar for the slats underneath. The whole thing is pocket screwed together. If you haven't used a kreg pocket jig setup, check it out. I borrowed the kit to build this and was so in love with it I now own a kit for myself. Key part of my shop now. Over the poplar is 1/4" hardboard and some scrap ply at the bottom. The poplar + hardboard combo gives just the right amount of give. Jeep style hood latch assemblies from fleabay hold it up out of the way. The legs are meant to swing out, but do not. Instead I stow them with the pillow elsewhere.

My whole setup is pocket screwed to the wall. So it could be moved with a power driver and a few minutes.

Were I doing it all over again I'd do poplar slats again, but use 3/4" ply for the box. I'd also make the box deeper and have less frame on the wall. When I close mine up with the bed made it is kind of a mess and sheets and blankets stick out in every direction. I'd also oversize the box by at least 2" in both dimensions to accommodate linens. And I'd position it higher on the wall. This would mean taller legs underneath. But hopefully it would be high enough to be able to store totes underneath it. As is my bed is just low enough that my gear totes do not fit.

1x lumber is the way to go. 2x would be heavier and waste more space. Not sure the beefier construction is called for.

I experimented with stays from the wall to hold it up. It sucked. I imagined I'd get caught in it every time I got up to take a leak. Also I didn't trust them and wasn't convinced I could build enough up from the wall to hold. Legs work well.

[Zolden]

All my recent truck and trailer research just brought me back full circle to the idea of a used diesel sprinter, that could remain bare for the current season to store bikes in with comfortable enough sleeping arrangements. Intent would be to build it out in the future. If it has haul capacity and a hitch it could be built out to be living quarters, then a future trailer reserved for bikes?

If I snagged one long and high enough, I would wager the useable space ends up being about the same as a trailer I'm in the market for (6 or 7 ft by 12-14-ish) ? This is the main solution I need right now - something mobile to store bikes at the track in for the season that can be slept in with a lot more comfort than a damn tent.

If I factor in the cost of that decent aluminum trailer, then the very wide price range of my recent tow vehicle shopping, it nearly seems more economical to pick up a decent condition used sprinter. I guess it is hard to completely predict what maintenance & tires will end up costing long term.

The downsides I can think of:
- Less safety/security as it is easier to break into.
- Not as multi purpose as a truck and trailer.
- More long term maintenance cost.
- Higher initial investment (than if I just bought a trailer for now)

Are there downsides to vans as track sleeping quarters? Less stability than a chocked trailer? More difficult to build out than a trailer I imagine?

[Paul_E_D]

Hmm, lot of questions. I have had the sprinter. They are getting cheap and at some point, below 5k it's a no brainer. Awesome vehicle. I think a LOT more useful than a truck. Vans are just awesome. Sprinters are a little awkward to build out for sure, but thy become quite valuable once they are. Repairs can be quite costly if you are not doing them yourself.