Life on the Road
Nov 12 2023
Truck Camper Build With a LEER Cap and Ford F150
Outdoor adventure photographer Elisabeth Brentano shares photos of her Ford F150 build with a LEER 180 XR truck cap, and details on why she chose this camper shell.
After nearly five years of living out of my Jeep, I made the jump to a Ford F150 in late 2020. Rather than hauling a trailer or throwing a five-figure sum of money at a pop-up camper, I knew a LEER shell with a DIY build was the next logical step. The turnaround time was quick (I received my 180 XR truck cap in five weeks), and building out the back cost me about $500 in lumber and tools. I love living on the road, and not only has it made me more of a minimalist, but it has taught me to be even more resourceful and creative. Thanks to trial and error, I knew exactly how I wanted to configure my truck build, so hopefully this article can give inspiration and valuable information to folks interested in creating similar setups.
Not only is my memory foam mattress and topper combo comfortable, but it has 12 cubic feet of storage space underneath.
Before I started sketching out designs, I made a list of must-haves. Headroom was the most important thing to me, as I often sit in the back of my truck. The LEER 180 XR is 4” above cab height, and I knew if I built a platform bed above the wheel well (about 9” high), I’d be able to sit up without hitting my head. But I didn’t want the sleeping platform to take up the entire bed of the truck, so I built a bed extender, thus creating the option of pushing the bed in by about 30% and creating a place to sit with even more space. With a tri-folding mattress, this is a piece of cake. Not only do I have unlimited headroom, but this is a great spot to stow dirty backpacking gear and firewood, rather than tossing it directly onto my bedding.
When the bed extender is pushed in, I have an extra two feet of depth in the bed of the truck for items like a cooler, a backpacking bag, boxes and all kinds of gear.
Maximizing storage space was crucial as well. Rather than building drawers underneath the platform bed, I opted for a set of zippered storage bags with handles, which protect my clothes and gear from dust and bugs. (Before I put the platform bed in the truck, I used silicone sealant to fill in every inch of seam on the truck bed. That, combined with a tailgate seal, has made a huge difference in the amount of dirt that creeps into my truck.) I planned on building a fully-enclosed cabinet around the bed, but I later opted to make it a table. I’ll admit: this was partially due to laziness, both with the building process and knowing it would be easier to cram bulky items like sleeping bags into a more open space. I transitioned 65% of the gear in my roof box into the bed of the truck, plus about a duffel’s worth of gear that I don’t use as often. While I know I’ll still need my roof box for larger items like my backpacking bag, PFD and bear canister, it won’t be as jam packed as it was before, which will make it much easier to find things.
The windoor is set up next to my table, so if I’m working or sipping coffee from bed, I have a gorgeous panoramic view.
Beyond a luxuriously large bed with plenty of headroom, screened windows were also a must. On the passenger side, my LEER cap window has a screen slider that only opens from the inside, while the driver’s side has a windoor with a smaller screen slider. While the screen portion of the windoor opens from the inside, the dual lock windoor itself only opens from the outside. In a split second, I can pop the back hatch from the inside, and I can also lock it via my F150 key fob, as the devices were synced during installation.
The carpet on the inside of my shell not only helps with insulation, but it provides a great surface for attaching velcro blackout curtains
I couldn’t find anything at the fabric store that blocked enough light, so I bought an extra long set of blackout curtains from Walmart, cut them to fit my windows and sewed a thick strip of velcro on the top. The top strip always stays on, and the smaller strips on the bottom are tacked to the area under the window when they’re down. When I want them up, I either roll them up and use ties, or attach them to the ceiling if I’m in a hurry.
I’ve seen some amazing camp kitchens in the back of rigs, so I wondered if putting mine in the cab was a mistake. But on my very first road trip in my new truck, I remember sprawling out on my memory foam mattress with a huge grin on my face, knowing I made the right decision. I removed the back seats from the cab, and this is where I keep my Dometic CFX3-55 electric cooler, my Goal Zero Yeti 1500x lithium battery, solar panels, a water can, camp stoves and other kitchen gear. The fridge and battery are secured to bolts in the truck via tie-down straps, and I built a platform with shelving underneath. The back door on my SuperCab opens parallel to the truck, so I like this configuration.
I spent hours, if not days taking measurements and creating digital renderings and pencil sketches of what I wanted everything to look like. Since I don’t have a background in carpentry or construction, this led to fewer mistakes, and it really helped me to visualize my setup.
Over the years, I have grown quite comfortable living with less. Fewer belongings means more freedom, and I love being able to say, “Home is where I park it.” But as I’ve become committed to long-term mobile living, I realized I needed more space. Going from an SUV to a truck with a mid-size cap is like moving from a studio apartment to a two-bedroom condo, and I couldn’t be more pleased with this upgrade. LEER is the perfect match for the perpetual road trip that has become my life, and this is just the beginning.
For more info and behind the scenes footage visit https://www.elisabethbrentano.com/