UniStrut Floating Sleeping Platform in Truck Bed

For years I've been using two simple 2x3 "tables" to support a sleeping platform in my truck bed. After a very hard hit last summer that launched the entire platform into the air with a few hundred pounds on it, I now need to rebuild the setup. 

One of the issues has always been that the wooden structure underneath got in the way of storing gear. I could've build boxes on rollers, but I was only working with about 9" of under-platform clearance. 

I've long thought that a metal structure to support the platform would be stronger, lighter, and allow more storage clearance underneath it. 

Then I got to thinking - what if the platform was completely suspended? It no longer just sits in the bed, it's actually bolted above it? A floating platform, if you will.  

Pros: 

- Don't need to store a wooden platform when I need a truck bed. 

- Lots more space under the floating platform when installed. 

- More rigid - won't go flying around. 

Cons: 

- More work to install remove the crossbars when I need the bed completely clear. 

- Potentially more noisy. Might covery with some sort of foam tape. 

My idea:

2x UniStrut Channels bolted the truck bed rails, or lower on the inside of the bed. 

3x UniStrut Channel "Crossbars" to across the bed and support the platform.  Each of these might have a support in the middle (may not be neccesary).

4x UniStrut Supports running to truck bed to support side rails (may not be neccesary). 

4x Unistrut 90° Brackets (to lower crossbars for platform)

Misc Supplies:
8 - 3/8” Unistrut Channel nuts 
8 - 3/8” Hex bolts with washers
4 – 3/8” Carriage bolts with washers and nylon nuts. I used 2” bolts, but could be shorter.
Misc. pieces of rubber cut to fit mounting surfaces

Here's a guy who did it in a van:

Thoughts? 

pheller said:

3x UniStrut Channel "Crossbars" to across the bed and support the platform.  Each of these might have a support in the middle (may not be neccesary).

FWIW, Unistrut has a "General Engineering Catalog" with tables of max load vs. span

https://unistrut.biz/resources/literature

Can we get a picture of the area you want to build in?  Have a few other ideas but would like some pics.

Unistrut sort of sucks for this application.  It is cheap which is good and it goes together well enough.  Downsides is it is somewhat sharp - has some rough edges here and there.  Its a pain to assemble since it is made to be universal, the little clip nuts and stuff run away on you and the design is for the most part stuck to use conventional fasteners.

I would much try to use something like e-track or l-track for the sides so its just a pop in, pull out sort of arrangement.  

Not sure exactly what you're working on, but this might at least provide some inspiration:

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/project-cars/2006-ford-e-250/project-van-building-removable-bed/

E-Track was my first idea (in a past life I worked in the trucking industry) but it's pretty big and would require a substantial number of rivnuts. That being said, the ease of use and weight capacity of the load bars would be awesome. I'd also have to modify the shoring beams but that isn't a big deal. They are pretty simple. The 2x4 brackets would work too and be much cheaper.

L-Track does not have load bars/shoring beams aside from German stuff that's pricey. 

UniStrut Span Load capacity is over 600lbs for 60" span, but that's not the problem - the problem is weight applied to Rivnuts in bedside sheet metal used to support the system. Unlike E-Track where I can spread the sheer over a wider area, the UniStrut rails will have a lot of weight trying to tear them out of the bedsides. I think I'd need to add some sort of vertical strut to put some of the load into the floor. 

I'm working on a 06 Tundra:

After consideration, I ordered all the parts and tools necessary to utilize E-Track. Primarily because I wanted to better distribute the weight across four plusnuts/rivnuts vs just a single line of sheetmetal fastners. I found some 4 bolt E-Track plates that are 3.8" wide by 5" tall. Rated for 600lbs each.

My hope is that I can get away with just six plates with four 1/4" Plusnuts each. 2x4 on each, three in total. 

The biggest challenge is how to support the middle. I either need long E-Track that sort of "floats" in the middle, or I try to position each of these smaller plates at exactly the same height. 

You could use a cross plane laser to set all the e-track to the same height, that would be the easy button.  

I would use only two sections of e-track (one per side) and use aluminum spacers between the e-Track and the bedsides in the uneven area.  

Unless you are gonna have elephants tapdance up there, a few rivnuts per side would be plenty.  

93gsxturbo said:

You could use a cross plane laser to set all the e-track to the same height, that would be the easy button.  

I would use only two sections of e-track (one per side) and use aluminum spacers between the e-Track and the bedsides in the uneven area.  

Unless you are gonna have elephants tapdance up there, a few rivnuts per side would be plenty.  

I've got a laser so I'm planning to try that first. 

I did think about using some sort of spacer setup to support the full-length track, but the track is also twice as expensive ($80 for 2x 6ft vs $32 for 6x Plates) to span the same distance, and I'm not planning on using anything but these 3 points on each side. 

Now, if I can't mount the center plate high enough to achieve the platform height I want, and spanning the entire length with track does that better, I'll switch to that plan. 

Two sections of track would make it a lot easier to get trammed in so you are sitting square and not parallelogrammed.  It would also give you more flexibility in the installation down the road, along with way less work to install.

To me thats worth the $48.