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BurbMan's avatar
BurbMan
Explorer II
Dec 13, 2020

Back Porch Ideas

I just read through 8 or so old threads archived in TCU, and unfortunately almost all of the pictures are gone due to hosting changes. If anybody has some pics of their back porch project, I would love to see them.

I'm still in the process of drawing plans, but here's my idea: The TC today sits on 2 2x10x8' planks in the truck bed because I need the 1-1/2" rise for bedrail clearance and also cab clearance over the sharkfin antenna.

I'm thinking of taking 1-1/2" square steel tube and running 3 lengths under the entire camper front-to-back to take the place of the 2x10 planks. Continue the steel out back about 26" past the back of the camper. Weld on more 1-1/2" steel tube side to side to make the platform 8' wide across the back of the camper. Add tail lights to the back.

This cantilever design should allow me to skip any tether to the rear jacks for additional support. I'll fasten this frame assembly to the camper with "ears" welded to the sides that I can screw into the side of the bottom camper frame. The camper is sitting on the frame both on and off the truck, so I only need to hold it in place while it's up on the jacks during loading/unloading.

Probably add storage underneath for the Honda 2000 and gas can, so it won't fold up or do anything else fancy. I would love to use aluminum but I don't have a TiG welder.

Comments welcome!
Truck Campers

9 Replies

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  • notsobigjoe's avatar
    notsobigjoe
    Nomad III
    Dec 15, 2020
    Bert the Welder wrote:
    BurbMan wrote:
    Good point hedgehopper, and that gives me pause also. Maybe leave the planks in there along with the steel?

    Given the design of the camper, I don't have a good attaching point at the rear, so I'm mulling some different ideas. I was also thinking of building up off of a hitch-mounted cargo carrier, but give that the camper is on/off the truck in season, that's just one more piece of hardware to deal with.

    Here's what I have to work with:



    If you're using 2x10's, just use longer ones so they stick out the back further. Then build your deck and attach to those with good hinges so it can fold up during travel. Double up the 2x10 ends with a 2x cross member. Have the deck and the ends pressed together tight when installing the hinge. Cable with a turnbuckle off the jack mounts. Or just have the deck hitch mounted, if you have a hitch. If it's bed height, could be handy as an extension for hauling long stuff in the bed.
    If you leave around a foot and a half on the section extending from the back edge of the camper to where the hinge is. That would give you a traveling storage area for something like a gen or fire wood. Just add a lock for when the deck is folded up.


    I was thinking along these lines as well. Maybe you could manufacture something for your truck gate area. Something that would attach to that area and sit on your hitch receiver? Aluminum would be light and easy to move around if you had to.
  • Bert_the_Welder's avatar
    Bert_the_Welder
    Explorer II
    Dec 15, 2020
    BurbMan wrote:
    Good point hedgehopper, and that gives me pause also. Maybe leave the planks in there along with the steel?

    Given the design of the camper, I don't have a good attaching point at the rear, so I'm mulling some different ideas. I was also thinking of building up off of a hitch-mounted cargo carrier, but give that the camper is on/off the truck in season, that's just one more piece of hardware to deal with.

    Here's what I have to work with:



    If you're using 2x10's, just use longer ones so they stick out the back further. Then build your deck and attach to those with good hinges so it can fold up during travel. Double up the 2x10 ends with a 2x cross member. Have the deck and the ends pressed together tight when installing the hinge. Cable with a turnbuckle off the jack mounts. Or just have the deck hitch mounted, if you have a hitch. If it's bed height, could be handy as an extension for hauling long stuff in the bed.
    If you leave around a foot and a half on the section extending from the back edge of the camper to where the hinge is. That would give you a traveling storage area for something like a gen or fire wood. Just add a lock for when the deck is folded up.
  • BurbMan's avatar
    BurbMan
    Explorer II
    Dec 15, 2020
    Good point hedgehopper, and that gives me pause also. Maybe leave the planks in there along with the steel?

    Given the design of the camper, I don't have a good attaching point at the rear, so I'm mulling some different ideas. I was also thinking of building up off of a hitch-mounted cargo carrier, but give that the camper is on/off the truck in season, that's just one more piece of hardware to deal with.

    Here's what I have to work with:

  • hedgehopper's avatar
    hedgehopper
    Explorer
    Dec 15, 2020
    BurbMan wrote:
    The TC today sits on 2 2x10x8' planks in the truck bed because I need the 1-1/2" rise for bedrail clearance and also cab clearance over the sharkfin antenna.

    I'm thinking of taking 1-1/2" square steel tube and running 3 lengths under the entire camper front-to-back to take the place of the 2x10 planks.


    The steel tubes would provide less than 1/4 of the surface area of the planks to support the camper -- and would not have the give of the planks. I would not be comfortable with that.
  • Slymer's avatar
    Slymer
    Explorer
    Dec 13, 2020
    This may also provide some ideas.

    https://www.truckcampermagazine.com/camper-mods/contests/camper-aluminum-deck-fabrication-project/

    I just don't like the amount of time it would take to get in when pulling over to make lunch, etc.,........especially with a toad attached.
  • ranholago's avatar
    ranholago
    Explorer
    Dec 13, 2020
    Check out "covet the camper" on YouTube. He made a pretty good back porch.
    He has a ton of pretty good videos on Truck campers and mods
  • notsobigjoe's avatar
    notsobigjoe
    Nomad III
    Dec 13, 2020
    Personally I always liked this one from TCM. Just a little more room to get in and out. Place to take your shoes off and with a little bit of plastic fencing the dog could sit out there. Third one down on the page.

    https://www.truckcampermagazine.com/question-of-the-week/custom-truck-camper-porches-and-decks-revealed/
  • notsobigjoe's avatar
    notsobigjoe
    Nomad III
    Dec 13, 2020
    The steel tubing is going to be a little heavy.

    https://duckduckgo.com/?q=truck+camper+deck&t=newext&atb=v242-1&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images

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