Dorm rent was eating this student alive, and the answer Eli Peterson landed on was to turn a pickup bed into an actual home. A security deposit became the seed money, and the whole thing cost about $350 and took 10 days total. Built entirely solo, it is a wooden canopy with an elevated topper, an upward-swinging rear hatch, and a small square access window, all tied to a ladder rack on the truck. For the price, that is a serious amount of shelter per dollar, in my view.
The construction is straightforward plywood and dimensional lumber for the framing and cabinetry, with reflective foil insulation, piano hinges, latch closures, and rope pulls throughout. The single side bench converts into a bed roughly 6.5 by 5.5 feet by sliding wooden support slats across the center aisle, with modular foam cushions on top. Underneath, storage comes through sliding bins or a hinged platform. The blue roll camping pad foam was apparently already sitting at home, which seems like a smart way to keep costs down.
The small-space details are what stand out to me. There is a fold-down desk, a chalkboard with tasks on the wall, a spice rack with jar lids secured overhead, a camp stove beside an enclosed 20-pound propane cylinder, a seven-gallon water container, and clothing bags on the cab-over shelf. Elastic bands hold items on the shelves and the cabinets lock, which sounds sensible for a rig that moves.
It is not without friction. Closing everything up is a pain, so the camper usually stays shut and the maker hops through the window, and there was one close call nearly dropping the tailgate while reaching out. How long it was lived in is also unclear, with about six months and four to five months both given.
Project by Eli Peterson. Watch it on their YouTube channel: