Build Log: Bed slide
The idea of a bed slide was something I had in mind before I even landed on the RAM 1500 platform. I needed things like a 2nd battery, some charging hardware, in addition to a 12v fridge, and essential camping items. Critical to the design - a functional way to retain the mentioned goodies on an "overland" or "camping" adventure.
I also wanted to have the ability to quickly remove the entire unit and have a normal truck whenever I desired.
Enter my digital brain dump:
The basic idea here was to use some light CAD to "sketch" out what I wanted to have, what I wanted to store, and the overall function/use. I also needed to confirm the total distance I needed for the drawer slide. The tailgate made this tricky as it adds about 20" of additional "slide" distance. It was important to to make sure the fridge could sneak under the tonneau cover without unlatching it.
As you continue reading, you will see I'm not "done" yet. The "sink" portion is still a work in progress. I have a few ideas but am still trying to think of the best way to bring the stove/sink area to life in a functional way. In a perfect world I'll have something slightly different than the draft.
After my digital build out I had a basic list of what I needed to keep in or on this platform:
- Deep cycle battery
- DC to DC Charger
- Solar Charge Controller
- 12v Fuse panel / Breaker(s)
- Auxaliary 12v ports (12v, USB)
- 12v Fridge I picked this Aplicool model, if I did it again I would get something like this.
- 2 burner camp stove
- Basic camp cooking items (pan/pot, lighter, cutting board, knife)
DISCLOSURE: THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS, MEANING I GET A COMMISSION IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH MY LINKS, AT NO COST TO YOU. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.
The Build: I wanted a solid unit, this means 500lb drawer slides, and some 3/4" board. I can sit on the end of the slide fully extended and everything stays put! All finished this thing has some weight, but it's easy enough to slide in and out with the help of a 2nd person (this is mostly due to shape vs. weight).
Utilizing the area above the wheel arch was important, the original design had a longer narrow drawer, as I got to physically use this I learned that would just simply not work well. The idea was scraped the space didn't go to waste. 2 camping chairs and some basics all fit in this space perfectly - the chairs don't even move.
Removed for paint (stain) I decided to use some stain for this, this allows me to easily sand and touch up the wood as needed and it also provides a nice complete finish.
Testing: This continues to be a very iterative build. My goal has been to build, test, iterate, repeat as often as I can. Using this minimal viable product (MVP) approach I have a better and more function bed slide in the end. I have made changes or tweaks along the way as you can see from the original drafted design to the physical bed slide.
What will change? As of right now, the top of the stove space is "wasted". While it does work great for a small tote or a soft bag - I'd like something more functional that will stay put. I also use the tailgate vs the actual drawer slide about 50% of the time while using the stove. So maybe I can better use the space by having the stove stowed in a different way vs. almost ready to use.
I could narrow the overall design by a few inches by remounting the slides. While that could be nice it has not been necessary at the moment.
Stay tuned for the addition of the sink and whatever else I can dream up! :)