Since I’m settled in one place for the moment, I decided to take the RoadArk off the back of the truck. I wasn’t at all unhappy with the way I had it set up, but I just didn’t need it on there right now, so I just slid it out of the cargo basket and inside the back of the truck. I was really surprised at how easy it was to maneuver it into the truck, even though it was fully loaded.
My initial intention was to just store it in there until I needed it again, but things seem to evolve in ways that feel like they were just meant to be. I had it sitting length-ways in the back of the truck, and one day I just took a look at it and wondered if there was any way that it would fit cross-ways, and take up less space back there. So, I opened up both of the rear side doors and pulled it into position cross-ways between them. I then closed both doors, and to my surprise, it fit perfectly!
There wasn’t even a quarter of an inch to spare, but it did go in there and, after some fiddling around with it in that position, I also discovered that it fit perfectly into the foot well, which was intended for the rear seats, that I took out long ago. In this position it was low enough to make it possible to open up the top cover almost to 90 degrees, but not quite.
Now I was starting to think that this setup might be even more convenient than having it in the cargo basket on the back of the truck. With some small modifications I was able to get the cover into the full up position, and the RoadArk would be just as usable where it is now, as it was on the back of the truck. Add to that the fact that the weight would now be in the center of the truck instead of hanging off the back. Also it was inside and definitely more convenient in case of inclement weather.
I started to really like this idea, so I went with it and did some more designing around it. I made a sleeping platform on one side, and a sitting platform on the other side, with storage containers as the supports for both platforms. The sleeping platform would also double as a table inside the back of the truck. Here’s a picture of the setup;
You can see that, with the cover on the RoadArk being in the up position, it also provides some privacy, since the view through the front windows is blocked, and all the rear windows are dark tinted. The containers under both platforms will give me adequate storage space, along with the cargo box I already have on the roof.
So, I have a nice little living space built into the back of the truck, almost like a mini-RV. This is not what I designed the RoadArk for, but who am I to argue with evolution? Sometimes you just have to go with what works best.
Presently Travelling 