>>965545
Curtains are the first things that come to mind. If you can fit an actual mattress in there it'll make a huge difference.

>>965555
I was thinking that too.

And i have a Single size air mattress i use for camping that actually fits perfectly between the wheel wells.

Shouldve mentioned that the truck is a 2003 Tacoma with a 6' bed.

I have other camping gear i can use.

And the cabinets would have some of my tools stored in it along clothes, dry food stuffs, etc.

Uh, so the obvious question is if you're considering abandoning your current residence to live in your truck, why not just move closer to your job to avoid the commute?

A 6" bed in a Taco is really damn small. Your head and feet will touch both ends. Your picture looks like a full size chevy with a tall camper shell with a bit more room. Your truck, even without the raised bed will be like sleeping in a coffin. I wouldn't recommend a raised bed, but wheel well boxes are pretty easy to build, make 4 of them out of plywood and 1x1 bracing. They're 3 panels (2 sides, 1 lid) and a couple radius cuts over the wells. They don't need to be super strong and reinforced; they're just containers.

If you must have a raised bed platform, don't make it too tall, you may find yourself missing sitting up in bed to drink water.

Whats your budget? What are your goals with this other than the obvious sleeping in it? With any amount of money and time, a lot of things can happen. I would suggest power converter and a couple outlets to plug and charge common things. These are inexpensive and can simply plug into a cigarette 12v power port with no installation. Alternatively, you can find some to install cleanly under the hood, or in the cab. You wouldn't want to park for the night and find your laptop, phone, or whatever else wasn't charging while you were running the engine.

You could also look into a battery bank, charging setup, and a better (or secondary) alternator to power small comforts like lights, fan, and anything else overnight. Smaller batteries may fit under your raised bed, or in the back of the cab. Get creative and find a spot under the hood, or under the bed itself. Be sure and protect the batteries against the elements as well. You'll want deep cycle batteries for the expectation of running them empty.

If you don't mind looking like a weirdo you could put a couple solar panels on the top of it. It may help charge your batteries if you install them.

>>965602
Get LED lights, or light strips, some switches for accent lighting, reading lights, these will draw the least amount of power on whatever your power source will be.

Get a method of storing and procuring water. A 5 gallon jerry can designed for water or water storage would be preferable than the disposable jugs from the super market. You could put these behind the seats.

You'll also want a way to lock the tailgate from the inside and a way to open the tailgate from the inside. Take off the 8-10 screws to reveal the locking mechanism inside. You will likely need to cut a hole in this plate to make an actuator.

Another obstacle you'll need to figure out is where to park. Most shopping centers don't mind an RV parking there for a couple nights because they're usually buying supplies, they park in the back, and are expected to leave. You cannot park at walmart for years at a time and never expect police, security, or burglars to leave you alone forever.

You haven't said your location, but you should also consider some kind of heating and cooling for the bed space. For winters, you'll want to crack the windows allowing airflow. There aren't usually vents for the bed like the cabin, and while the tailgate doesn't seal well, you do not want an enclosed space. When you breathe out thats CO2 and water vapor. Your body will sweat emitting even more water vapor. You want a decent amount of airflow; but you don't want to freeze at night, or during the summer sit in uncomfortable heat. Both heat and cooling will need consideration for oxygen (if your heat burns any fuel) and electricity because cooling is very power hungry.

I'm already rambling, ask what you want to do one thing at a time. /diy/ has at least 2 of these a week where some kid wants to live in a van or build a house on a trailer. Kinda like yours just asking how to do everything then gets mad when people don't give a step by step how to do it, or get mad when they realize it'll cost way too much

>>965602
Currently living at my fathers house, im too broke (was paying siblings college tuition).
Ill be going back on the weekends though, i just need this for M-F so i dont have to kill 5-6 hours a day with commuting and getting ready.

Im 5'9" so id barely fit in the bed but id make it. I was hoping to keep the middle area of the bed raised but i can see where youre coming from.

I actually have the 2x4s and plywood stacked up at home, free wood i got to take from work.

I have a plug-in power inverter and a small Solar powered battery pack for charging my phone.
I dont own a laptop so my phone would be the only thing needing power.

I was thinking of buying a solar panel and mounting it on top of the camper shell between the roof rack rails.
Down low to keep it kinda hidden.

Ill have to look into getting a jerry can, maybe from a Military Surplus store. I was just going to buy water bottles but your idea is more sound.

Locking the tailgate is def somethingi need to figure out, atleast for the camper shell.
The lock got busted but its all exposed on the inside so i can reach it no problem.

For parking i would just park at my jobsite.
Theres currently one guy (operator) who lives on site and i could just park next to his van. Hes got a Class B van with EVERYTHING youd need.

Im actually right outside of San Francisco.
Winter doesnt actually exist here.
And the camper shell has 3 sliding windows, need to add mosquito net to them though.
Good thing is that the jobsite is right next to the water so its always cool.

And i see where youre coming from, im prepared to invest a couple hundred into doing this, plus i have most of the supplies i would need

>>965732
Its going to cost more than a couple hundred; if you're doing it for longer than a couple weeks and doing it well, you should be looking at a couple thousand. Your other problem with be bathing. You can do campsite hygiene for a little while, but showering on the weekends only is going to get raunchy. Not to mention taking a dump at night will be miserable for anything longer than a week.

I know SF renting is atrocious, but thats normal there. Search on craigslist for a studio, room for rent, or room mate thing. It'll cost more than living at home for free or living out of your truck, but it'll be normal. You've already said you want to get a bit of your life back from the commute. Living in your car isn't getting a life back.

I imagine you're not coding for silicon valley, otherwise you'd have money. I imagine your boss living in his van has something to do with construction or manual labor. Seriously, look closer to home for work. That will be the best solution if you're just not ready to leave home.

>>965934
Meh, I live at home and with a short haircut, one whores bath on Wednesday night gets me through to Friday and Sunday, my 2 shower days. I like to call it 'water conservation,' but everyone else just calls it fucking disgusting.

>>965934
>couple thousands
Wat.
Im not going full bug out mode here.

As far as showering is concerned, i have a gym membership for that.
And im not living for free, im renting, cheaply though until i can afford to move out again. (The sibling graduates in 2-3 months so ill be free to save up my money)

And im a construction worker by trade.
The Operator isnt my boss, hes the dude the drives the lift up and down the building.

As far as shitting goes, jobsite im at has 8 port o potties and i have the entrance code for the fancier bathrooms, and those are maybe 40ft away from where the parking lot is.

I already live pretty frugaly so living in my truck M-T wont be too bad.

>>965934
A couple thousand is fucking BS, look at the vids of this shit on YT, it is a few hundred like OP anticipated

Shag off, real estate shill

BTDT, with both a van (comfy) and a Subaru Outback (cramped, but worked).

1. Comfy bed. You may have to lower your standards depending on what will fit. 4 inches of padding is a good rule of thumb if you want to make your own mattress with upholstery foam or something. Weather appropriate bedding. Have enough blankets to be comfy with no power.

2.Curtains/100% tinting

3. Ventilation. You want two large openings for hot weather to get air passthrough, and one small rain-proof opening for cold weather, to prevent moisture buildup and vent CO2. Otherwise it will feel like being stuck inside a coffin.

4. Control your bio breaks. Always visit the shitter before turning in. Always. Make it a religious habit. This will let you reliably get to the morning without having to crawl out awkwardly into the parking lot.

5. Storage. Leaving shit on your bed sucks. Shoes are lumpy and really aren't comfy when intruding on a body part other then your feet. At minimum, a reach through to the front seat to store your spare clothes in, etc, will make you much more comfy.

After these things, you can add luxuries. That'll depend on how much space you have, if you want to install a battery rack, etc and so forth.