JKOwners Forum banner

Jk 2 door camper/sleeper

18K views 18 replies 9 participants last post by  Wilflo 
#1 ·
I'm trying to come up with a way to camp out/sleep in my 2 door JK. What are your solutions? I know I can't be the only one wondering how to do it. Remove the back seat...then what? Give your solutions and ideas. This will definitely help me, and I'm sure it'll help someone else in the future. I'm not looking to get into a rooftop tent and camping outside the Jeep wouldn't be an option. I'm looking for a sleeping solution for 1 person, maybe 2 snuggled in, where I can sleep flat in the back of the JK. Any help would be greatly appreciated! (Don't say sleep in the driver seat LOL)

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
#4 ·
Had an old CJ back in the day.

I rigged up a cot frame using 3/4 inch pipe fittings. Screwed a couple of flanges directly to the flat dash, ran two horizontal rails towards the back, then turned down to rest on the cargo floor. Then I made a rudimentary cot out of some old military surplus ballistic nylon that slipped over the rails.

The JK does not have the advantage of the flat dash panel and low seatbacks, but maybe something could be rigged to the floor in the front, or attached to the lower bar of a windshield cage. Or completely suspended from the roll cage?

The weight of 3/4 inch pipe would be an issue, but you might be able to fab something up using lighter weight tube and pin it together. Or just buy a pre-fabbed cot, and hang it in there using some ratchet straps.
 
#5 ·
Had an old CJ back in the day.



I rigged up a cot frame using 3/4 inch pipe fittings. Screwed a couple of flanges directly to the flat dash, ran two horizontal rails towards the back, then turned down to rest on the cargo floor. Then I made a rudimentary cot out of some old military surplus ballistic nylon that slipped over the rails.



The JK does not have the advantage of the flat dash panel and low seatbacks, but maybe something could be rigged to the floor in the front, or attached to the lower bar of a windshield cage. Or completely suspended from the roll cage?



The weight of 3/4 inch pipe would be an issue, but you might be able to fab something up using lighter weight tube and pin it together. Or just buy a pre-fabbed cot, and hang it in there using some ratchet straps.
Yeah, I'm trying to come up with something fabbed out of plywood and metal. Just wanted to see others solutions before I start doing anything. The short rear, from the back of the front seat (pushed all the way forward and folded upward) to the inside of the tailgate is too short for me and the wife. We're both around 5'8"-5'9", so we're not giants trying to sleep in a Smart car.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
#6 ·
I see the seats as being an impediment here.

I recently swapped the seats in my old Scout II. I used some "fold and tumble" middle row seats out of a Dodge mini-van for the fronts. They have shorter backs, with headrests that fold up allowing them to lie comply flat on the seat cushion when folded down. This makes getting in the back seat much easier.

Swapping out the front stock seats with something similar might help gain some length for bedding, giving you effectively from the tailgate to the dash, instead of from the tailgate to the back of the seat. That's a much more usable measurement.

Edit:
Like these...

 
#8 · (Edited)
So ... you are 5'9" (I'm assuming you don't have prosthetic legs) and want to sleep in your 2dr wrangler lying flat on your back.
Lack of storage and 5'10" horizontal planes are your restrictions.

But
- you don't want to sleep in a roof-top tent
- you don't want to sleep outside the jeep
- you don't want to change the front seats to lie-flat

You obviously have to go up.
You then have two inexpensive choices and one costly but convenient choice:

- Sleep on a support structure supported from below. (ie a wood/metal frame deck)
or
- Sleep suspended on a hammock or cot that hangs from above.

Seems like material from a hammock or a cot material platform would be the most logical low-cost solution.
A frame structure takes up a ton of space and good luck with all that extra s*&t flying around in a wreck.


If you like the suspension idea
then you need to decide between hanging or tensioned material.

Hanging a "hammock" style bed allows for near-instant setup and collapses down to next to nothing but you and the little lady will be in 2 different sacks.
Here's a purpose-made off the shelf jeep hammock for $189.
https://jkloud.us/products/jkloud-jeep-wrangler-hammock-sunshade-cargo-cover?variant=19030357278789&currency=USD&utm_campaign=gs-2019-06-03&utm_source=google&utm_medium=smart_campaign&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4OPdlcjN5QIVS5yzCh2figYXEAQYAyABEgLr_PD_BwE


Or, hanging an actual cot would mean just cutting the legs off a cot below the tension knuckle and tying it to the roll bars at the desired height.
Takes up some addl room but seems pretty quick as a temporary sleeping arrangement.

A tensioned material platform allows you to maximize the sq ft used and spooning with the missus on cold nights.
It also takes up nearly the same minimal space, offers the most sq ft of flat space and stows away quickly.
You could try 1" poles along the sides as stays or have a cable with corner loops sewn in along the perimeter using a come-along type ratchet.
I would suggest this over a hammock style setup.
Here's another off the shelf option that you'd just have to add solid mesh on top.


IMHO an http://theroadchoseme.com/ursa-minor-j30-pop-up-camper
Ursa Minor (hardtop with a built-in pop up top) would be the way to go, but that's just me.


If you do have prosthetic legs, ignore everything I said and use an inflatable kiddie pool instead. :massey:
 
#9 · (Edited)
So ... you are 5'9" (I'm assuming you don't have prosthetic legs) and want to sleep in your 2dr wrangler lying flat on your back.
Lack of storage and 5'10" horizontal planes are your restrictions.

But
- you don't want to sleep in a roof-top tent
- you don't want to sleep outside the jeep
- you don't want to change the front seats to lie-flat

You obviously have to go up.
You then have two inexpensive choices and one costly but convenient choice:

- Sleep on a support structure supported from below. (ie a wood/metal frame deck)
or
- Sleep suspended on a hammock or cot that hangs from above.

Seems like material from a hammock or a cot material platform would be the most logical low-cost solution.
A frame structure takes up a ton of space and good luck with all that extra s*&t flying around in a wreck.


If you like the suspension idea
then you need to decide between hanging or tensioned material.

Hanging a "hammock" style bed allows for near-instant setup and collapses down to next to nothing but you and the little lady will be in 2 different sacks.
Here's a purpose-made off the shelf jeep hammock for $189.
https://jkloud.us/products/jkloud-j...MI4OPdlcjN5QIVS5yzCh2figYXEAQYAyABEgLr_PD_BwE


Or, hanging an actual cot would mean just cutting the legs off a cot below the tension knuckle and tying it to the roll bars at the desired height.
Takes up some addl room but seems pretty quick as a temporary sleeping arrangement.

A tensioned material platform allows you to maximize the sq ft used and spooning with the missus on cold nights.
It also takes up nearly the same minimal space, offers the most sq ft of flat space and stows away quickly.
You could try 1" poles along the sides as stays or have a cable with corner loops sewn in along the perimeter using a come-along type ratchet.
I would suggest this over a hammock style setup.
Here's another off the shelf option that you'd just have to add solid mesh on top.


IMHO an http://theroadchoseme.com/ursa-minor-j30-pop-up-camper
Ursa Minor (hardtop with a built-in pop up top) would be the way to go, but that's just me.


If you do have prosthetic legs, ignore everything I said and use an inflatable kiddie pool instead. :massey:
Wow! Thank you for the detailed response. I only have one prosthetic leg, so the kiddie pool idea won't really work for me. The elevated sleeping platform is my ultimate plan (although I don't know how I'm going to make it work just yet and if it's going to be long enough for me/us to sleep flat on. That's going to be a job for the spring since I live in the city and only have street parking with no driveway or garage to work in. But I love the idea of the hammock from JKLoud as a "temporary" solution for this winter. I'm a Corrections Officer and if it snows here in New Germany (NJ) they declare a state of emergency and you can't go home. You're forced to sleep at the jail. Either in your vehicle or in an empty cell. As you can probably imagine, the cell option isn't the cleanest or the quietest option hence my desire for a vehicle sleeping solution in addition to the over landing camping I'd like to start doing in my off time.

If anyone has/has seen any designs for 2dr JK sleeping platforms feel free to share them.

Oh and I was kidding about the prosthetic leg lmao!

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
#10 · (Edited)
Dang! You got me. I was like ... 1 leg?
Perfect, that'll fit right between the seats.

I started off intending on just making a sarcastic response but then stumbled on the jeep hammock and pop-up hard top.
So I figured I'd actually make a real contribution.
The elevated platforms (without doing some seat moving and platform assembly after parked) only work for 1 person and if you sleep at an angle with your feet to the passenger seat and the seat is slid forward on the tracks.




Now that I know the what for, at least for the snowed-in @ work part I'd say just using an off-the-shelf regular cot w/back and middle legs down and front propped on the front seats leaning forward and a DC electric blanket. Quick n dirty but comfortable.

like this
 
#11 ·
Dang! You got me. I was like ... 1 leg?

Perfect, that'll fit right between the seats.



I started off intending on just making a sarcastic response but then stumbled on the jeep hammock and pop-up hard top.

So I figured I'd actually make a real contribution.

The elevated platforms (without doing some seat moving and platform assembly after parked) only work for 1 person and if you sleep at an angle with your feet to the passenger seat and the seat is slid forward on the tracks.









Now that I know the what for, at least for the snowed-in @ work part I'd say just using an off-the-shelf regular cot w/back and middle legs down and front propped on the front seats leaning forward and a DC electric blanket. Quick n dirty but comfortable.



like this

Well 72" is very doable! I don't mind having to set up a platform to sleep. A little minor assembly can be accomplished during a cigarette break or 2. I think long term I'm going to go with the elevated platform. I actually bought a cot thinking it would fit, but unfortunately it did not fit in the 2dr. If it was a 4dr I doubt it would be a problem. I'm gunna buy that JKLoud hammock as soon as I get paid and see how that works for me. As much as I like a sarcastic response I do appreciate a well thought out response as well! Thank you for your input on the subject and especially the pictures for my "special" ass.

It's a bit of a challenge to sleep in a 2dr and I like a challenge but wanted to get others input to see what they thought about it.

I've got some measuring to do on my day off to see just how far up I can get the front seats. And how much room I can squeeze out of it at whatever height the platform is set at. I'm thinking I don't need much storage other than a backpack/duffle bag with 3-4 days worth of cloths and some soap and shampoo. Wearing uniforms makes things easier because I really just need to pack socks, underwear, undershirts and maybe a single extra uniform rolled up in a ball (because snow storm, **** looking professional). So I could just hold the back seat down and that'll give me a pretty sturdy base to put most of the platform on. Slicing the platform down the middle (long ways) will make getting it in and out much easier. Cutting and hinging it the other way (driver to passenger side) will make storage easier. Then I just need a square box made from 2x4s the height of the folded back seat to go by the tailgate. That can be bolted to the platform by bolts through the platform and through the 2x4 base held together by hand tight wing nuts for easy set up and disassembly. May need fold out legs or something for the front area right behind the front seats if they'll fit. Maybe a telescoping metal pole or something like that on a hinge to flatter storage.

Your thoughts?

This of course is a more permanent solution if the hammock doesn't do the trick for me

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
#17 ·
Thanks for showing the different setups I have a few road trips planned so looking for something myself. The built up platform looks really cool but its so permanent. My jeep is my daily so the ready hammock by JKloud seems like a pretty viable solution for something simple. I've seen people hanging Eno hammocks in a JK but it looks like they're sleeping in a pea pod. Not for me. The Jkloud seems to make better use of the space including under the hammock. The fold up cot might work but for the same space I'd rather just bring my tent as a backup plan. I don't mind a couple nights crammed or uncomfortable but not trying to overdue it unless one of these options turns out amazing.
 
#18 ·
Thanks for posting this stream.
I'm retiring soon and want to tour the US with my 87# dog for a couple of years--think Travels with Charley.

I've had Wranglers for over 30 years, so I've a bit of experience with them and I have a garage and access and experience constructing things. I also used to do a lot of backpacking/camping where I'd be in the woods for a couple of weeks at a time, so I'm comfortable with just the basics.

I doubt my copilot could get up into the roof tent, and at my age and this time I want a secure compartment to sleep, so tenting on top of the Jeep's not an option.

Any ideas about the following would be appreciated.

Do you know of anybody who could make a popup similar to the Ursa pop up, but without the camping stuff inside-just a hardtop that pops up and doesn't leak ;-) I think trying to customize the top I have (or a single-piece top) is outside my abilities.

I don't need a passenger seat--without it, I could install a light-weight platform running from dashboard to rear door. Any idea how difficult it is to remove that passenger seat? Any tricks/foibles? Any reason it's not a good idea to remove and store that seat?

If I removed the passenger seat, any reason I can't also remove the center console, but leave the gear shift?

Any suggestions/recommendations about a drape/tent off the open rear window/door to accommodate cooing/dining/relaxing?

Really appreciate hearing your ideas.
 
#19 ·
So I am a ski bum with a 2015 jeep jk (2 door). I am 6’4” so if I can sleep in there anybody can lol.

I have had many experiences with sleeping in the jeep. I started out sleeping on the floor diagonally in the back on top of a twin mattress topper. I have since moved to the hammock, although I am currently messing around with a platform that I used 12 inch wide boards that run from window to window in the back. They sit on the ledge of the hardtop where it bolts down. Works pretty well, still trying to figure out a folding piece that lays behind the passenger seat that is pushed forward. The hammock set up is definitely the easiest for me. See images below.
364866
364864
 

Attachments

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top