What to do with the space between camper & truck-bed walls?

[MarkBC]

Bill, you're a genius! I have eyed that big wide space between the camper and our bedrails for years thinking I could use the space somehow. Extra gas tank? Fresh water tank? Grey water tank! Excellent. A new project going on the list.

Ted made the point above here. Bill had one good answer, but I don't think I want a gray water tank.
And yet, I have quite a bit of empty space between camper-outside and truck-bed-inside, too, and in a truck-camper combo in which space is at a premium, it seems a waste to let space go to waste...

I didn't want to hijack that thread to discuss other options, so I'm starting this new topic.

How (if?) have others made use of their camper/truck-bed-wall inter-space?

I know that ideas/answers will be different depending on model of truck and model of camper; some combos have a lot more/less space than others and whether or not the space is accessible from the rear varies, etc.

Seems like I've heard of people using it for storage -- accessible from the turnbuckle-access panels on the inside...for example. Some kind of storage that doesn't result in stuff sliding around and getting out of reach.

What other ideas?

 

[MidnightRider]

I slide logs, and small chunks of firewood along the space between the bed and camper. On fishing trips I store the rods along one side.

 

[MarkBC]

I slide logs, and small chunks of firewood along the space between the bed and camper. On fishing trips I store the rods along one side.

Yeah, that's a good one.
I have room to slip stuff over the top of the bed wall/rail, under the overhang of the camper, but I wouldn't be able to get it out again once it dropped down in there...and not enough room (on mine) for access from the rear.

One thing about Bill's application that's great is that it makes use of the area but doesn't require access to that area (once the stuff is installed)!

 

[Ted]

Once the camper is on the truck, those areas are nor accessible at all short of a filler and drain like Bill's idea. That is why I was think about tanks of some kind. On the new Tundra, it is really quite a large area. A custom made rectangular tank fit into that space could hold a significant amount of something. Granted it would add a lot of weight when full as well.

I have also wondered about moving the camper batteries there to make more storage room under the couch. That may be more practical.

 

[ski3pin]

<snip>
I have also wondered about moving the camper batteries there to make more storage room under the couch. That may be more practical.


If I had enough space - I don't - to place aux battery/batteries in this area, I would have designed hold downs and connections to free up the easily accessible interior storage space.

 

[brett13]

place aux battery/batteries in this area, I would have designed hold downs and connections to free up the easily accessible interior storage space.


I like this idea, wish I had thought of it. Now I'm too lazy to take the camper off and figure some sort of disconnect that won't confuse wires.

I suppose if a grey water tank could go there, so could a fresh water tank(s). It would risk freezing a bit in colder weather though, but it would be nice to keep water storage low and towards the middle of the vehicle, outside the camper in case of leaks and free up that room.

 

[Desert Rancher]

I mounted a battery bracket to the bed of my truck before I put the camper on. It is located in front of the wheel well on the right side. The older Grandbys had a panel to access that space on both sides.
It is easy to get to the battery to check or replace and it works very well!

 

[Mark W. Ingalls]

Once the camper is on the truck, those areas are nor accessible at all short of a filler and drain like Bill's idea. That is why I was think about tanks of some kind. On the new Tundra, it is really quite a large area. A custom made rectangular tank fit into that space could hold a significant amount of something. Granted it would add a lot of weight when full as well.

I have also wondered about moving the camper batteries there to make more storage room under the couch. That may be more practical.

I bought a flexible water tank for that purpose; ended up putting it inside the camper for peace of mind.

My truck has room for a second battery under the hood, so that's where I put it. My reasoning was that emergency personnel expect batteries to be there, not hidden in funny places. Well that and i could check the water levels easier under the hood. Well that and I could use my 'house' battery for auxiliary power in the cab when the camper is not on the truck...

I use the space in front of the camper -and there's a lot of it on my truck- to store things like come-alongs, log chain, recovery straps, extensions cords, ... all stowed in their own nylon sacks that are labelled with a sharpie. I had the experience once of needing the chain and not being able to get to it because it had snaked itself into an inaccessible area from vibratory motion.

Be careful that you don't stow stuff there that can damage the siding on the front of the camper.

 

[MarkBC]

I use the space in front of the camper -and there's a lot of it on my truck- to store things like come-alongs, log chain, recovery straps, extensions cords, ... all stowed in their own nylon sacks that are labelled with a sharpie. I had the experience once of needing the chain and not being able to get to it because it had snaked itself into an inaccessible area from vibratory motion.

Mark, do you get at the stuff stowed there via a turnbuckle access slider? Or can you get at it from the outside in your rig?

 

[Mark W. Ingalls]

Mark, do you get at the stuff stowed there via a turnbuckle access slider? Or can you get at it from the outside in your rig?


Unless it vibrates back along the sides of the bed, I reach it from outside. I stand on the back door sill and reach over into the box. i'd get a picture, but my truck is getting a tune up right now.

EDIT: Found a couple...

 

[nixfwc]

I also saw this free space when I upgraded from my 05 Tacoma to my 03 Chev 2500HD Diesel. Unable to let the free space just exist, I have built a new cabinet under the passenger side, accessible through hatches from the inside. Cabinet is 6 inch by 8 inch and about 4 feet long.I also pushed out the passenger front side 6 inches to line up with the rear. The extra interior space feels good.There still is a space at the front outside which will be for the battery. I was going to do the same cabinet on the drivers side but I like the idea of a grey water tank better. There is a nice concave space on the side of the trucks bed that should hold a 6 inch PCV pipe and plumbing nicely. On going mods; it would be great just to be able to use the dam thing. Beginning to look like the Winchester house.

 

[billharr]

I also saw this free space when I upgraded from my 05 Tacoma to my 03 Chev 2500HD Diesel. Unable to let the free space just exist, I have built a new cabinet under the passenger side, accessible through hatches from the inside. Cabinet is 6 inch by 8 inch and about 4 feet long.I also pushed out the passenger front side 6 inches to line up with the rear. The extra interior space feels good.There still is a space at the front outside which will be for the battery. I was going to do the same cabinet on the drivers side but I like the idea of a grey water tank better. There is a nice concave space on the side of the trucks bed that should hold a 6 inch PCV pipe and plumbing nicely. On going mods; it would be great just to be able to use the dam thing. Beginning to look like the Winchester house.


We need pictures. I wish I had that much room.

 

[EdoHart]

I used to stuff extra canned food into both sides of the area in front of the wheel wells. I realized that I could fit a 150 AmH battery in that same space. I welded a custom battery box and bolted it to the truck bed and tied it down with a 3 inch wide nylon strap. I still put extra canned food in the other side.

 

[BSS]

I fill my front wheelwells with canned beer in heavy duty nylon bags. Makes for good out of the way storage. No can has never broken or rubbed thru yet, even on the slow 4wd roads.

I don't know if moving the camper back in a longbed would increase drag coefficient / decrease MPG and by how much?

 

[ntsqd]

I centered our short bed camper over the axle of our long bed truck. Gives a bit of a porch to step on at the rear while still leaving room at the front of the bed to stow the camp chairs, jack, etc. Still pondering the best use of the volumes on each side. Am tempted to build a grey water holding tank on the DS for use in those areas where a simple drain hose isn't the right choice, and an ABS holder for the base station antenna mast on the PS but that still leaves a lot of room. Moving the batteries out of the camper is tempting, but I am a little concerned about keeping them warm enough in cold weather. If/when I build a flatbed the batteries will have their own insulated box in the bed structure.

 

[BobM]

 

[PaulT]

We put charcoal briquets and two white Weber solid starter blocks in an egg carton and stuff in that space. When it's time to use the charcoal grill, pull out a carton and start your fire. With the smaller grills, a dozen briquets is usually plenty for burgers or brats, etc. In wet weather, stuff the carton in a bread bag before storing in that space. Keeps camper cleaner and better organized.

Paul