I drag RV trailers for one of the northern Indiana transport companies. Many of the rides are to the west coast or Canada so finding a place to sleep has never been easy. Motels are usually to expensive so sleeping in the truck is the usual way I have gone.
The problem is that a pickup truck doesn't qualify under the FMCSA (49 CFR 393.76) in that the back is only 72 inches, not the required 75 inches.
I found this company while looking for a way to legally sleep in the truck:
I bought the product as soon as I saw it but had to wait for several weeks for delivery because the demand has outstripped the resources of the manufactuer. But it all arrived by Wednesday of this week and I just finished installing it. Fit and finish as well as the material are excellent. The instructions including photos were pretty good but could probably stand some revision. The company advertises 2 hours for the install but mine took a little longer because I managed to cross thread one of the cabin attaching bolts and had to wait overnight for a new part from Ford.
All in all a good experience and a welcome addition to my truck. I am looking forward to using it for the first time as I drag a 5'er to the southwest part of the country this weekend.
Budman
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BudMan5
"A couple of quarter sticks of dynamite can turn an otherwise dull day fun!"
2006 F350 Crew Cab 2WD DRW 98 gal Transfer Flow aux tank, Crew Cab Sleeper, Ride Rite Air Bags with Dual Air Command II compressor and tank, B&W Companion 5'er and Gooseneck, Garmin GPS, XM Radio
Actually could of headed your way tomorrow but the weather looks iffy.
I am picking up a 37 foot 5'er tomorrow and headed for a delivery in Carson City NV.
It may be Spring before I visit Canada.
And I have been having a very good time.
BudMan
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BudMan5
"A couple of quarter sticks of dynamite can turn an otherwise dull day fun!"
2006 F350 Crew Cab 2WD DRW 98 gal Transfer Flow aux tank, Crew Cab Sleeper, Ride Rite Air Bags with Dual Air Command II compressor and tank, B&W Companion 5'er and Gooseneck, Garmin GPS, XM Radio
Tool a 37 foot 5'er to a dealer in Carson City. I-80 all the way .
Slept the first night in the parking lot at a WalMart in Grand Island, NE. I had previously removed the center consiole so getting into the sleeper from the inside was no problem.
Well, there was a problem. It seems that I have bulked up a tad since I quit smoking a while ago (six years, eleven months, and 26 days ago but who's counting?) and the bed could have been just a bit lower. I used a mummy sleeping bag rated at 0 degrees F and slid in because it was cold. It got down to minus 13 that first night. I had brought two `liberated' Army wool blankets with me and also wrapped up in those. I was so cold at 1AM that I sat up and cranked the truck for half and hour. By that time, the temp was down to minus 19.
But, the bed was pretty comfortable. My 10 hours DOT mandated rest was up at 5 AM so I quickly checked every thing and shoved off again.
It was snowing hard when I crossed into Wyoming. My aux fuel tank had frozen up and glycol hadn't freed it up, so I started transferring fuel with a siphon hose.
Because the trailer was just over 13K, and I was climbing the hills the whole time, my fuel milage really sucked. I made it to the Flying J in Rawlings at MM 209 and found that they had never removed any of the ice and snow from the parking lots so I had a real exciting time getting the combo into the lot and safely parked but finally managed to get it done. Then i had a fun time watching all the semis trying to get into the lot and not making it. It got so interesting, I actually started filming it with the CB blaring away in the back ground.
Once it got dark, I made up my bed again and this time, the temp dropped to minus 24 degrees. I started the truck about every two hours that night,
Next morning, I was really hesitent to start up the on ramp to I-80 west after watching all the semis and the trouble they were having making it over the ice. I finally worked up the courage to try it and started off. I kept the speed low and consciously did not add enough power to break the rear wheel traction. It took me a couple of minutes but then I was off and running again.
Getting through the Wyoming mountains was pretty tense. Had some decent cross winds, lots of blowing snow and a couple of exciting moments when I came around a down hill curve and there were eleven elk standing in the roadway in my lane. I got the rig stopped without jack knifing and then blew my horn to get the elk moving. That didn't work so I jumped out and through a snowball at the bull. I missed but he decided to saunder away and the cows followed him.
I hit a white tail doe while on my notorcycle three years ago and survived. I couldn't imagine hitting one of these monsters.
Tuesday night was spent at the Flying J at Rock Springs, WY. Nice place, the temp that night was a balmy minus 9.
Up early the next morning and made it to the dealer about 200 miles away. Carson City had about 6 inches of snow dumped on it the night before so getting the trailer in their lot was a bit tense but turned out to be no problem.
Hard to have a problem when you're only moving forward at about 2 mph.
Dumped the trailer, got my paper work signed and off again. Spent the night at Tooele, Utah in another Flying J. Truck was running great and the temp was up to 35 degrees. When I started it again the next morning, the aux tank pump suddenly kicked in and started transferring fuel. I filled up both the 38 gal main and the 98 gal aux at $3.17 and blasted off again.
The last night on the road was spent at the Flying J at North Platte, NE.
Yep, I sort of cribbed a bit on the hours of service rules on the way back as I got home to Illinois in midafternoon Friday.
All in all, the crew cab sleeper was a huge plus and a great purchase. it will be even better if I could manage to lose one or two pounds. I do need to hook up some type of LED light so I can read while in bed and will probably get that done tomorrow.
HookemHorns was right and I added a curtain behind the front seats today as well as a screen across the back window, That window is tinted but to much light was coming in.
If you're a transporter or running a hot shot business this is an easy solution to a major problem.
BudMan
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BudMan5
"A couple of quarter sticks of dynamite can turn an otherwise dull day fun!"
2006 F350 Crew Cab 2WD DRW 98 gal Transfer Flow aux tank, Crew Cab Sleeper, Ride Rite Air Bags with Dual Air Command II compressor and tank, B&W Companion 5'er and Gooseneck, Garmin GPS, XM Radio
Sounds like a good idea. But I'm an old codger and refuse to try to sleep on a foam rubber mattress. Not even on a gee-whiz fancy TempurPedic. The Serta name doesn't impress me. Serta makes cheap mattresses, good mattresses, and very good mattreses. I insist on only the very good ones, in the Euro-top style, including a thin layer of memory foam on top of an otherwise extra-firm interspring mattress.
So if your mattress is close enough to a standard size sold in any mattress store, then I could probably go for that rig with the good mattress installed.
Will a standard Twin Mattress Size 39" x 75" fit? Or is that 75" long mattress a tad too long to close the doors?
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My Sierra Blanca is a '99.5 PSD CrewCab hot-rod Towing Machine! BTS tranny; TurboRamAir intake and 4" stainless turbo-back exhaust; DP-Tuner tunes flashed into an Edge Evolution tuner; ISSPRO EV gauges and TTM; AIC; SP-Diesel exhaust brake and torque converter controller. I special-ordered it new and plan to drive it until it quits.
Last edited by SmokeyWren : 01-27-2008 at 06:28 AM.
Sounds like a good idea. But I'm an old codger and refuse to try to sleep on a foam rubber mattress. Not even on a gee-whiz fancy TempurPedic. The Serta name doesn't impress me. Serta makes cheap mattresses, good mattresses, and very good mattreses. I insist on only the very good ones, in the Euro-top style, including a thin layer of memory foam on top of an otherwise extra-firm interspring mattress.
So if your mattress is close enough to a standard size sold in any mattress store, then I could probably go for that rig with the good mattress installed.
Will a standard Twin Mattress Size 39" x 75" fit? Or is that 75" long mattress a tad too long to close the doors?
The width would limit before length I believe. Does the sleeper bed limit the front seat adjustments any?
I was puzzled when the kit arrived because it only had one window insert. I called the owner, Tyson L:abbe, and he explained that the kit makes the truck legal to sleep in at 75" so they were not including a right window insert in order to keep the cost down. But because of demand, they atre making right window molds and will soon offer them.
The front seats still have their full range of fore/aft movement with the exception that the driver's seat will no longer recline as far as it did.
I do use a TempurPedic at home. I broke my back in 1997 and have three fused vertebrae. The TempurPedic was pretty expensive but well worth it. The Serta tn the crew cab sleeper does not measure up to the Tempurpedic but it is not meant too. When compared to sleeping on the floor or in the back seat, the Serta is miles ahead. It does solve the major problem in that it makes the truck DOT compliant.
BudMan
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BudMan5
"A couple of quarter sticks of dynamite can turn an otherwise dull day fun!"
2006 F350 Crew Cab 2WD DRW 98 gal Transfer Flow aux tank, Crew Cab Sleeper, Ride Rite Air Bags with Dual Air Command II compressor and tank, B&W Companion 5'er and Gooseneck, Garmin GPS, XM Radio
Tool a 37 foot 5'er to a dealer in Carson City. I-80 all the way .
Slept the first night in the parking lot at a WalMart in Grand Island, NE. I had previously removed the center consiole so getting into the sleeper from the inside was no problem.
Sounds like you are still enjoying yourself. We pretty much crossed paths. I came down 81 and cross I80 at York, NE. That was on the 21st.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BudMan5
Because the trailer was just over 13K, and I was climbing the hills the whole time, my fuel milage really sucked.
Don't blame the mileage all on the weight and hills. Cold air is denser and it takes more to push that trailer through it. When I left town it was -31C. It took 1/2 a tank of fuel to go 60 miles. I couldn't believe it. Less that 8mpg us. Had a hard time getting to 60mph and pulling 12psi of boost to do it. It was like pushing a 20-30mph head wind, yet there wasn't any to speak of.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BudMan5
Next morning, I was really hesitent to start up the on ramp to I-80 west after watching all the semis and the trouble they were having making it over the ice. I finally worked up the courage to try it and started off. I kept the speed low and consciously did not add enough power to break the rear wheel traction. It took me a couple of minutes but then I was off and running again.
BudMan
A couple of years ago I had the backend break free while doing 55mph. Hit some ice while pushing a strong head wind. I had visions of scrap aluminum and insulation all over the ditch. Fortunately, the wind helped straighten things out, but not before we cover both sides of the highway. I use 4 wheel drive a lot more these days.
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Here is most of what you need to know on getting your 7.3L started and how to operate it in the cold winter months. These posts use to readily available, but they've been hid in a subforum top of the 7.3 Power Stroke Engine and Drivetrain forum. Winter Operation (How I Do It) Hard/No Start? Check here first
Beware!! Your sleeper is not really DOT approved. If some DOT officer does ALL the measurements the height of 24" from the top off the mattress is not met in the window opening. I have met two guys hassled by DOT officers for logging sleeper berth tme wth these conversions. Since you are still taking 10 hours off just log off duty and avoid the hassle.
I used a mummy sleeping bag rated at 0 degrees F and slid in because it was cold. It got down to minus 13 that first night. I had brought two `liberated' Army wool blankets with me and also wrapped up in those. I was so cold at 1AM that I sat up and cranked the truck for half and hour. By that time, the temp was down to minus 19.
Once it got dark, I made up my bed again and this time, the temp dropped to minus 24 degrees. I started the truck about every two hours that night,
Tuesday night was spent at the Flying J at Rock Springs, WY. Nice place, the temp that night was a balmy minus 9.
BudMan
That's got to work on you mentally knowing you have what could be a nice TOASTY condo hooked behind you, just waiting
Then i had a fun time watching all the semis trying to get into the lot and not making it. It got so interesting, I actually started filming it with the CB blaring away in the back ground.
BudMan
You got that video on youtube, sounds interesting
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2000 Ford F250 7.3l diesel of course with 137,086 original miles, new waterpump, AEM intake, ATS Turbo Housing, TS Performance 6 pos chip, guages (exhaust temp, boost, onboard air gauge), 4 inch MBRP exhaust to the turbo, CB Radio always on ch. 14, 60 gal. Aux. Tank/tool box in bed, Rotella Oil 15w40 soon to have HPOX on there, Train Horn hehe, Viair Onboard air (150psi),Pioneer head unit, some kind a drop in bedliner, 32in Nitto tires, and cant forget the pintle hitch
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BudMan5
"A couple of quarter sticks of dynamite can turn an otherwise dull day fun!"
2006 F350 Crew Cab 2WD DRW 98 gal Transfer Flow aux tank, Crew Cab Sleeper, Ride Rite Air Bags with Dual Air Command II compressor and tank, B&W Companion 5'er and Gooseneck, Garmin GPS, XM Radio
and keeps the DOT off your butt.
2005 Chev Duramax/Allison 3500LS DRW Crew Cab
2006 Chev 6.0L/4L80e 3500WT DRW Ex-Cab 9'Flat-GN
Ford F250 7.3l diesel of course with 137,086 original miles, new waterpump, AEM intake, ATS Turbo Housing, TS Performance 6 pos chip, guages (exhaust temp, boost, onboard air gauge), 4 inch MBRP exhaust to the turbo, CB Radio always on ch. 14, 60 gal. Aux. Tank/tool box in bed, Rotella Oil 15w40 soon to have HPOX on there, Train Horn hehe, Viair Onboard air (150psi),Pioneer head unit, some kind a drop in bedliner, 32in Nitto tires, and cant forget the pintle hitch