I haven’t had to sleep in my truck as much on this trip as I would have had I left a week earlier, but I’m glad to have saved a couple of nights at a hotel and will do a couple more nights in it on the way to Mexico and one night in Mexico (as per information received from two people about a very safe location to do so).
I have the back of the truck set up with a cheap cot from Cabella’s that I had to shorten to fit. Over that, I have a mattress my step-mother picked up at Costco that folds up into a square for storage. It’s the perfect length for the truck bed. The two items combined make for an incredibly comfy bunk, a huge improvement over the slab of plywood on crates that I used up to and including to this summer’s camping trip. I packed a huge pile of bedding, anticipating several cold Montana nights, but I left later than planned and haven’t had to use all the bedding the two nights I’ve slept in the truck.
The truck isn’t usually as full as it is now, so I usually have room for a little bucket to use as a porta-potty, but I have to do without on this trip.
Sleeping in the truck leaves me rather vulnerable. I do have a way to secure the tailgate from the inside, but I feel a lot less secure than I do in the RV. So I do not advertise where I am staying for the night nor do tell anyone that I am sleeping in my truck. A good overnight spot in the RV is not the same as a good overnight spot in the truck, but the same principles apply. I can recognize a good one and just know that it’s the right one.
The main thing is that I need to find a place where a truck parked overnight will not look suspicious and where I can have a modicum of privacy. It’s nice to have a bathroom nearby, like at a McDonald’s or Starbucks. So the logical place to look for an overnight spot is a large hotel or motel with overflow parking at the rear that is well-lit and has a retaining wall or some other obstruction that I can back against.
This sounds like a tall order, but it’s really easy to find a place, surprisingly enough. The first places I tried in Billings and Pocatello on this trip were pretty darn near perfect.
I have blackout curtains, so I back up right under a light. Backing up means that my license plate is not visible, especially important in the States (I don’t think I’ve ever seen an SK license plate outside of Canada except in northern Montana and North Dakota!). This is all part of trying not to be conspicuous. It also means that no one is likely to walk behind the truck and that I’m less likely to be spotted clambering in and out of the back.
Speaking of clambering, I used to put the tail gate down to get in and out, but have stopped doing that because it’s so heavy that it makes a racket going down and is hard to pull up. I’ve gotten very good at climbing in just through the topper window part!
I visit the nearby bathroom before bed to brush my teeth and change into my sleep clothes. I sleep in something that can be seen in public should I need to make a quick getaway, including a comfortable bra, so that I can get up and go in the morning. I keep slip on shoes handy as well as my phone. I make a note of my location in case I have to call the police in the middle of the night. I think that if you’re prepared for an emergency, you’re less likely to encounter one!
In the morning, I head back to the nearby bathroom, wash my face, and brush my teeth. If I’m going to encounter a rest area very soon (like this morning), I wait for then to change into my clothes for the day. I have had times where the truck wasn’t full and I could relatively easily wash and change in the truck, but I don’t mind not having that option on this trip.
Finally, I try to arrive at my overnight spot not too late, but still under the cover of darkness, and I don’t dawdle in the morning. If at all possible, I try to have everything sorted so that I can park and immediately get into the back. My theory is the quicker I get from the driver’s seat to the back with the door closed and the curtains in place, the better as I’m less likely to be spotted.
Once I am settled in the back with the blackout curtains, I am invisible, so I can easily wile away an hour or two on my iPad reading or watching a movie on Netflix (with earbuds) to relax before going to sleep. I’ve been told that turning over in bed doesn’t shake the truck, but other movement does, so I try to be still!
I definitely don’t sleep well or deeply in the truck because I do feel a little vulnerable. But it’s still enough sleep and the cost savings are worth the risk to me.
I do like having the option to sleep in the truck, but wish I had more room. I’m keeping my eye out for a slightly taller topper. I don’t mind the coffin-like setup I have now as I find it very cozy, but a taller topper would give me a bit more room to move around.
One of the main reasons I bought a truck when I was forced to replace my car was to use it for camping. I am happy with that decision even if I had to compromise on space to get a truck with decentish gas mileage that could be towable behind the motorhome and available with a manual transmission. My truck is really comfortable for road tripping and a joy to drive. I continue to be very happy with it!
