Want to Try Truck Camping? Here’s How to Prepare

Truck camping allows you to explore the outdoors and enjoy all the comforts of home. Nevertheless, it isn’t as straightforward as throwing a sleeping bag into your vehicle and setting off into the great outdoors.

Fortunately, this post will discuss the most critical aspects of preparing your truck to become a home-from-home that will allow you to truly enjoy your trip.

Create A Sleeping Area

As the anime implies, truck camping will involve camping at some stage! Therefore it’s essential that you set your truck up with suitable sleeping areas. This will depend entirely on the type and size of your vehicle, but in most cases, you have three distinct options:

1. A rooftop tent
2. An extendable awning
3. Inside bedding

Rooftop Tent

A rooftop tent is a vehicle accessory mounted to the top of a truck bed. It provides living space on the top of your truck or an open truck bed that you can access by climbing up a ladder. A rooftop tent is typically made of canvas, aluminum, or fiberglass and has a floor, windows, and doors. It can be used as an extra sleeping space for camping or as a place to store goods when not in use.

Moreover, some of the best rooftop tents have seen advances in design and new materials used to make them more durable and lightweight. While they provide the highest levels of comfort, security, and convenience, they are also more costly than other choices. Nonetheless, if you like the sound of the added convenience, there are some things to bear in mind when shopping for one:

• Material: The first thing you should consider in these tents is the materials used in their construction. It is possible to choose a hard-sided or soft-sided model, each of which has its advantages and disadvantages.
• Size: The size of your tent affects the sleeping area and how much space it will occupy in or on your car when stowed. Moreover, you should ensure that the tent’s packed size fits into your home’s storage space when not in use.
• Ease of set up: Truck camping should be fun, not a finger-pinching experience! As such, any tent you select should be straightforward to erect and disassemble.
• Ventilation: It is believed that ventilation is necessary for fresh air to circulate. While this is true to some extent, you need efficient ventilation to avoid condensation buildup that could run down the sides of your tent and damage your belongings.
• Quality: These are the type of products whereby the more you spend, the higher the standard of the product. Therefore, you should aim to get the highest quality within your budget.

Extendable Awning

An extendable awning is a retractable awning installed onto the back or side of a truck. It protects against the weather and enables you to camp underneath while providing an additional layer of protection from the elements. This is arguably the most affordable choice, and even if you go with other options, you should still consider an awning for the convenience it offers.

Inside Bedding

Setting up your bedding inside your van is probably the easiest option out of the lot. All you need is a space for a sleeping bag, and away you go. However, you might feel cramped when sleeping and have to stow other gear away, which is more complicated than sleeping under an awning or tent on the roof.

There Should Be A Place For Everything, And Everything Must Have A Place

Truck camping is a fantastic way of traveling, but because the storage space for truck camping is limited, items need to be organized carefully. The key to efficient storage is to create multiple areas that can be labeled with what they are storing.

For example, one space might be labeled “clothing,” while another might be labeled “food.” Items will then only need to be placed in these spaces, not all over the place. Additionally, each article should have its own designated spot within the area so there’s no confusion about where it should go.

Additionally, you will need to decide which items are essential and which should be left behind. Aside from general things, prepare areas for storing mechanical equipment to fix problems and waste.

Regarding the last point, you should avoid littering and comply with all local laws. When it comes to human waste, you might consider investing in a portable camping toilet that stores the waste until you reach an area where you can dispose of it.

Think About How You’ll Store And Cook Food

Storing and cooking food isn’t as much of an issue as it might be if you are traveling by foot, but you still need to make arrangements. For example, if you intend on traveling for a long time, it could be wise to install a small refrigerator or freezer to store perishable goods.

Moreover, you should ensure you have lots of space for cans, water, and other essentials. When it comes to cooking, you have a little more leeway, as most camping stoves are highly portable. However, you should also consider other peripheral items like chairs and tables that should make the entire experience that bit more civilized!

Bring Everything You Need To Make Emergency Repairs

You can not only help yourself if and when things go wrong with a solid array of truck tools, but you can also help others in similar situations. Your truck kit should contain only items dedicated to your truck. You run the risk of not having those tools in your car if you start using them for other purposes, rendering your entire effort moot. Your kit should include the following items:

• Spare tyre/s: If you can get a puncture, the chances are that you will! One or two spare tires are essential if you want to enjoy your trip.
• Jumper cables: These are great for restarting your car when your battery is flat or helping someone in the same situation.
• Recovery straps and lashes: If you or someone else is completely stuck in the mud or snow and need assistance, these high-tensile strength straps are ideal for pulling you out.
• Gloves: Working on motorized vehicles can be a messy and callus-inducing experience, and gloves can keep your hands safe.
• A shovel: If you find yourself stuck in mud or snow, the humble shovel can be a lifesaver.
• Metal traction plates: If digging alone can’t get you out, you can place traction plates under your wheels to give you enough purchase to get moving again.
• An electric and manual tire pump with gauge: You might find yourself in situations where you need to deflate your tires to provide more traction. However, once you pass these points, you will have to re-inflate them.

Truck camping has many unique advantages. It’s budget-friendly, fun, and gets you closer to nature. By following the tips in this article, you should be well on your way to getting the set up of your dreams and out into the great outdoors!