Sleeping pod. The ultimate small house for job sites and travelling.

I need a sleeping pod that I can put in the back of my truck,  placed on the ground or placed in any vacant building. It needs to be at least six feet long.  I would prefer about six feet six inches.

 Just about anything that I could build out of wood, would end up being too heavy by the time it is fully loaded with sleeping stuff.

 I really like car top carriers if they are large enough. Garden tools at the farm, stay nice and dry in one of these. They are weathertight and they are easy to drag around.

 Another option, could be a very large storage tub, such as the ones made by Rubbermaid. I once saw a fish cooler that was about eight feet long. I don't know what it weighed.
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 I don't anticipate being out in the rain and snow very often. It's more likely that I will put it in the back of my truck under the canopy or drag it into the living room of the house that I'm working on. These houses seldom have heat or electricity.

 There will be times when I need to take it out of the truck and leave it at a job site, while I use the truck for other things.
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 I have no need to heat my pod. Good blankets and ventilation are key. I have lived in several vehicles (mostly vans), through a number of Canadian winters, without ever getting too cold. None of them were heated.
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 Does anyone have other suggestions,  for a pod type container,  which can store a light mattress and blankets?

Does it need to be insulated? Those large fish coolers look plausible but are expensive and heavy. You'd have to add ventilation openings.

FR300 h21" w21" l66" 89 lbs. $1195 (is that wide enough?)

http://www.alltackle.com/frigid_rigid_coolers.htm

Why a pod rather than a tent?

Half-serious question: have you considered a cheap wooden coffin, the not-too-fancy kind that are stapled together from thin plywood and cheap veneer, with plush fabric lining? They should be light enough, and sleeping in them has already been pioneered and made traditional by the hemophagic community.

The downside of course is that somebody might get inside your personal security perimeter while you were asleep and put a wooden stake through your chest.

i bought some big plastic storage bins that are almost 4 feet long, could get 2, cut the ends off and rivet them together, drill holes for vents. they would be very light. Not sure if they are wide enough to be comfortable though. They were a sprawl mart or target purchase if I remember correct.

I believe the go to person for this would be Paul Elkins. You will see what I mean here. You can modify this to your needs. You cant get any lighter


Here is the rest of his channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVEvg5_CuH3v2Mhb8pQ1Xrg

I briefed over the channel again and I believe this is what you are looking for.

If you are up for crafting your own, how about doing it skinned boat style :
Skin on frame Canoe

Maybe use plastic pipe like PEX instead of wood for the framing..

Alternatively, two plastic 55 gallon drums end to end would be plenty long enough,and easy to craft.

Maybe a one man Hexayurt?

I don't think you're likely to find anything as suitable and low effort as a bigass cargo pod; the poly barrel route would require more effort, and seems a bit narrow and roly-poly for comfort without substantial modification.

Plus, the cargo pod seems like it would stand up to manhandling better than the stitch-two-things-together options. Certainly you could custom fab something nicer but the effort/cost seems disproportionate to the improvement.

The hexayurt is neat, but what's the goal here? If an unstealthy option with a bit of setup time was OK, we'd be talking about tents/shelters as opposed to sleeping pods, no? If we're going there, what about a sleeping hammock?

Do you really need a hard shell?

If you are mostly going to be using it either indoors at a building site, or in the back of your truck I'd be looking at a good inflatable mattress, sleeping bag and breathable bothy bag outer shell. I believe they are even made integrated now so you just roll them out and inflate. I used one a couple of weeks ago on the hills when the air temp + windchill was about -3 degrees C.

Thank you everyone.  Lots of food for thought.
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The fish cooler is out on weight alone. I would never pay that price either. I'll be shopping the used market.

 Along with bedding material, I may store cordless tools and chargers within the pod. They would go into something different, when the pod is needed for sleeping.  I want a slick,  washable surface that doesn't absorb water or buffet in the wind. I will eat in there, so that's two buffets, one battering the pod and the other my stomach. ☺

 A tent is unsuitable because it doesn't provide edges, which contain a mattress or the blankets and it's soft shelled. I'm going to look at some of the larger tool containers.

The bicycle trailer is cool, and far more elaborate than I care to go.

 I don't expect to spend more than $200.
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Then I fell asleep ......  I started  writing this reply yesterday, and then I went over available resources and fell asleep.

 I have a big rain barrel. It could be cut through the center, to make two parts for a quansett. A piece of plywood could be used for the base,  surrounded by a 2x6 frame around the edge. This would give a rigid bed shape for the mattress and the curve of the barrel would provide the free air space above the mattress.

 The ultimate quansett,  could be built from one of those big tubes that are used for children's slides at playgrounds. I don't have one of those.

How about something like an animal ark.

I am in the demolition business. I'll bet that someone I know,  has a garbage chute, that is wearing out on the bottom side.  They tend to wear through, due to abrasion.

An add will go on Used Victoria today. I regularly shop the free section. Wood for the base, is available from my demolition projects.

Random thoughts ...
Sono tubes are sometimes thrown out.

Some materials are shipped in suitably shaped containers.

We just finished an election. The big plastic signs are bendy. Those from the NDP may cause the structure to lean left. The Conservatives seemed very rigid. The Liberals lean whichever way the wind blows. 😂

Some musical instruments travel in really nice containers.

have you seen car top tents? Look like a yakima box, but hinge up with a tent "wedge" to keep it contained. Pricey new, but I have seen them used at a good price and you could DIY the same thing.

And then put the box on a good dolly truck so you can wheel it around easy.

There also are military surplus boxes about the right size, often referred to as "coffin boxes" because of the size. Or roadie boxes from band and show gear.

You are going to have to work to get it light enough to manhandle and still tough enough to survive.

I don't have much to contribute to ideas. But coming from a person who lived outside for years, there's a big difference between camping and poverty, I learned much about sleeping in extreme weather with out having a second option. vapor permeability is extremely important. You will wake up soaked from condensation, sleeping in a ridged "pod". A good bivy sack, and waterproof self inflating mattress fall under your budget. My preferred cold weather sleeping technique, is a winter hammock. It can easily be made with a cheap hammock. And retired down comforters, found by asking high end hotels. Shock cords hold the down blanket under the hammock without compession due to your body weight.

If you insist on a ridged structure. Never under estimate the durability of triple corrugated cardboad. You could reinforce the corners with recycled coil or flashing. And seal the box with a natural oil, wax, or sap. I have used seal and duck lard, and also boiled pine resin, with success. No source of heavy cardboard? Just alternate the directions of the corrugation with thinner sheets.

Dale Hodgins wrote:

We just finished an election. The big plastic signs are bendy. Those from the NDP may cause the structure to lean left. The Conservatives seemed very rigid. The Liberals lean whichever way the wind blows. 😂
.

LOL. I kick myself I didn't collect signs after...or before the election ...for re purposing. It was seeing him using election signs for homeless housing I found deliciously sarcastic.

- Dale has Clearly set his criteria, Which for tool security includes a ''Hard shell", Air exchange/ventilation will seldom be a problem when He is living on-site

at Construction/Demolition sites.

If we are going to expand this topic beyond his specific requirements -Then we should indeed consider Air Exchanges and vapor permeability !

Some long in the tooth friends do 1 or more yearly "Winter Hammock Camping'' outings.Their motto taken from one of the premier Hammock Manufactures

is "any day above ground is a Good Day''.


The present record for their outings is moving in and setting up over a weekend that the temperature never got to 0ºƒ, and dropped to -17ºƒ! Overhead cover

is one or more lite weight traps in a ^ overhead -and tied off to the same trees as the hammock.


Generally in these conditions the ability to sleep the night lying on your back is an aid to a good nights sleep!


Good full sized Down comforters or even regular sleeping bags synched up to the underside of the hammock allows for great insulation there with a zero %

( 0% ) loss of insulation value through the underside as there is No Compaction of the insulating value (due to full-body weight! )


For less hostile weather conditions/locations I can also recommend a hunters Yurt in the 8' range. These models are truncated being no more than 4.5' tall or

less.* For winter camping my wife now insists on a 12' yurt with 6' high walls And A second tent to retire to at night.


I think their is a double the # of people, Square the amount of room rule that quickly takes charge ! For the Crafts Big AL


* many people who buy these ''Hunter yurts'' quickly swap these shorty-tents for something with more head room, If not given to and then distroyed by children

they often end up just taking up closet space! In one case I ran into a wanta-be farmer who got 3 years use out of his hand-me-down Yurt as a chick brooder !

A rigid container is very important to me,  because it is like wearing a hard hat. I like the idea that if a chunk of drywall falls, someone else drops a tool or whatever, I won't to be struck with it,  while sleeping.

 I should have mentioned that I intend to have the entrance right by my head and will not  be breathing the air in the pod. There will be plenty of ventilation and I'm sure that I will be able to manage moisture, just as has happened in all of my other unheated abodes.

 One important consideration is that I won't be hiding, since I will be in my own vehicle,  at my own farm, or at my own jobsite.

 Those who camp in parks or other hidden places,  often are advised to stay out of sight,  for legal reasons. I will position the pod for optimal ventilation and light,
and anticipate leaving the pod open sometimes,  so that it can completely air out in the sunlight.

 No sort of hammock would work for me,  due to the transient nature of the work. When I decide that it's bedtime, I want to simply crawl in and cover up. No fiddling. No looking for a suitable spot.

wood frame bottom plastic barrel cut to make sides and top door on one end think portable toilet type laying down.

That's just about exactly what I described earlier.

There will probably be a simple sandwich board type of little roof that can be placed over the head area. This could allow for plenty of air movement. Sort of like a roof vent. This little roof could overlap the breathing hole, on all sides. A tent type fabric or mosquito netting, could drape from the edges. The roof could fold up and be stored within the closed pod.

I imagine that in many situations, I will sleep with the pod completely open. When working on partial demolitions, there are usually parts of the house that stay clean. When used there, it would function pretty much like a regular bed or crib.
Random thought --- "Hey baby, let's go back to my place and check out my crib".

On many days, the lid will closed during the day, to keep the bedding clean and dry, then opened for the night.

On most nights, it won't be needed for sleeping. I get a few jobs every year, that require sleeping on site. 50 uses per year seems about right.

It could be built to accommodate my battery power pack. It is used to provide light, run the laptop and charger the phone. My 10 inch video player may be mounted inside the lid. When held a foot from the eyes, it's as good as an IMAX screen.

I make lots of phone calls, usually from bed. I wonder if people will complain that it sounds like I'm in a tin can. That happened when I spent 3 weeks living in the small elevator at Chapters book store.

When not in use, it would be a good place to store my cordless tools and chargers.

I'll post lots of photos as the project progresses.

We see these rental campers with these hard shell pop up "penthouses" all the time. It does look just like a gear box, only bigger. It's not a DIY solution, but the weight penalty has got to be sorted by the manufacturer.

A: Use "plastic" folding tables for top and bottom and build a custom sleeping pod "brick".

Make a transportable, rectangle, rounded corner, polyethylene, water resistant sleeping pod. Example Size: 30”W x 96” L x 2’-3’ H. I picture it the shape of a crush proof pocket cigar case.

Usage: Unlatch latches, raise top, put table legs down to support the top. Have 6” foam mattress inside on base, custom cabinets under top to hold tools or boxes. Could hinge on one end and raise other for a triangle shaped pod. Only 1 table leg needed this way.

Use a polyethylene flooding table for top. Use plywood or another table (without legs) for base. Example folding table; buy used to save money; Economy Folding Table - 96 x 30” http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/H-2751FOL/Folding-Tables-and-Chairs/Economy-Folding-Table-96-x-30

Build sides from 1x2 frame covered with 1/4 plywood or poly board and curve corners to match corners on table. Use latches to hold closed, & weather stripping to make water tight, could be lockable.

Unit could be light enough to roll in/out of a 3 foot front door, and one man could put into back of truck, custom storage spaces on one end to keep weight to one end, add 2 wheels!

Custom tool storage cabinet could fit inside of one or both ends, between legs and end of table, like 24” W x 12 D x 20” H, Still allowing room for custom foam mattress and bedding 6’ x 26” or larger.

Here is an example picture of a crush proof pocket cigar case. About the shape I could see a sleeping pod being built using 2 folding tables.

I'mma thinking small project. Get an old fiberglass kayak and make a pod.

Some good ideas there. I don't need separate tool storage. Tools go in, only when it's being used as a tool box. I won't sleep with them.

RV water tanks are sometimes the right shape and size. Probably available free when they leak. I'm calling a dealer.

Children's pools are light. They never seem to be rectangular.

Some garbage and recycling bins are the right shape, but too tall. Remember Oscar the Grouch? A thief shows up at a demolition site, and a belligerent security guard pops up from a trash receptacle, waving a dangerous power tool. 😈

Ann mentioned Penthouse. That might alleviate the boredom on slow nights. ☺

I searched --- Bicycle trailer camper. This really slick model was made in Finland. I have a battery powered bike. Perhaps I should build a trailer for the bike, then take it along, when it's needed on the job. When I wild harvest fruit, it gets banged around, on the ride home. The bags could ride on the 6 inch foam mattress.

Papier mache can be used to build almost any shape. Many pet beds, children's play things and beds,  have been made from papier mache.

I could start by finding a cardboard box that is approximately the right dimensions. Then build a vaulted roof that overhangs the box.

Fabric could be used for the outer surface. Old sheets or denim would provide a more durable and paintable surface.

A thin layer of plywood could strengthen the bottom.

I got to thinking of a "cardboard survival shelter" I saw the other day, and thought of some modifications that might make it work for this. I'm no artist so this is the best I could do with the Paint program.

My idea is a plywood box with the lid folding out to make a pup tent type roof. The sides would be just high enough to be taller than the bedding, plus a little higher to accommodate tool storage. When closed it could have a couple hasps to make it lockable for keeping things safe. In the one I have drawn up, I like the idea of the whole side opening up so that if you want to get out in a hurry you don't have to crawl out the end, and if it is really warm you can just make it so that you can have some legs that could hold it fully open. (Being hinged the 'door' could just flip over backwards but propped up would allow some protection from falling things.

Maybe if this 'pod' was made of 1/2" or 3/4" plywood for the base and the small sides to give it rigidity for moving it around and only 1/4" was used for the 2 roof pieces the weight might be close to a car roof pod?

Being a plywood box tools would be secure when closed and locked. When closed it would likely only be 16" deep or so I would imagine, so it wouldn't take up a lot of room in the truck bed or when stored. It could be made to be fairly weatherproof incase it were rained on in the back of the truck. When set up the sloped roof would add protection from falling things you were looking for.

Here is the article that gave me the idea. They do some in depth testing of how warm a cardboard shelter could be with no heat source other than your body.
http://www.practicalsurvivor.com/urbansheltercoldweather

Here is my attempt to show what I had in mind.

A triangular space is probably the easiest to create from a flexible board. Just 3 weeks ago, I let 2 4x8 sheets of corrugated sign board go as a floor protector in a house that was moved. Can't save everything. Some may be available from the recent election.

Toblerone packaging is a representative of that shape that most people will recognize.

I'm going to look at this bike trailer in a few hours. If all goes well, the pod will be built to double as a camping trailer and cargo containment for the trailer.

I bought the trailer for $300.☺☺☺ It came with some extra wheels.

 The organic food delivery business didn't go out of business. They were absorbed by a competitor who did not need the trailer. All employees now have benefits, and the old owner of this business has moved on to a better job. Everybody won.

They spent a few hundred having the trailer totally revamped a year ago. I got it for the cost of the repairs. It may never be loaded so heavily again.

 The plan for a sleeping pod is still going ahead.  Whatever I build,  will be made to also fit the trailer.

The strongest, lightest and most durable artifact that is roughly the shape of the human body, may be a surfboard. They are thin, and waterproof. My island contains many surfers. That would surely indicate that there are old boards kicking around.  Paddle boards are a more recent addition to water sports.  I had an old Bic windsurfer that cost $25 at a yard sale. An incomplete unit will likely be free.

All of these things could form a rigid base for a sleeping pod.

Dale Hodgins wrote:I bought the trailer for $300.☺☺☺ It came with some extra wheels.

 The organic food delivery business didn't go out of business. They were absorbed by a competitor who did not need the trailer. All employees now have benefits, and the old owner of this business has moved on to a better job. Everybody won.

They spent a few hundred having the trailer totally revamped a year ago. I got it for the cost of the repairs. It may never be loaded so heavily again.

 The plan for a sleeping pod is still going ahead.  Whatever I build,  will be made to also fit the trailer.

Looks good. That would work too.

Sorry to be pedantic (or whatever), But I live just up the island from you (Courtenay) and have lived in the back of a van and under a truck canopy both. The van was more comfortable maybe because I was parked where I had power for a small heater but the truck was not bad either. All I had was a folding cot and sleeping bag. It was high enough for me to sit on without bending my knees too much and also store things under without folding it up every day. I am pretty sure you have at least tried something like this and am wondering why you would want to move from that to something narrower and lower both.... as well as requiring somewhere to put it

Not meant to put the idea down, just pretty sure I am missing something.

I often have a suitably dry place to set up, but there is dirt in many of the houses that I work on. Whenever there is a chance of my bed getting dirty or wet, when not in use, I want to be able to close it up. Think of it as a large hard shelled piece of luggage, containing a bed, some clothes, the radio etc.

Now that I have the trailer, the pod will be more like a small camping trailer. It needs to be just big enough for sleeping. Ladders will need to ride the trailer. Something fairly solid, could have the ladder tied to the roof of the pod. I never sleep at my landscaping jobs, which are usually within 5 km of home. Whenever the pod rides on the trailer along with ladders, the interior will be used to store and keep tools dry. When used as a sleeping pod, it would go into the back of a pick up truck, and travel to distant jobs, without the trailer. It could be used right there in the truck or dragged into the house. A month ago, my brother bid a job at a remote lighthouse, that would have seen me camping in a big unheated room, along with a rag tag crew of loud, obnoxious dummies. A pod would reduce noise, wind and light.

Sometimes there's a power pole at job sites. A hot plate, kettle and cook pot will be part of the pod kit.

This thread is about the trailer. It will serve many purposes.
https://permies.com/t/51729/bicycle/Dale-heavy-duty-cargo-trailer

Two potential demolition jobs have come up in the last few days. Both contain most of the materials that are needed for a plywood pod.

 One house is far enough from home, that I would sleep at it on many of the 30 or so nights.

 I don't think that there is electricity, but there is a fireplace. There is never a shortage of firewood on a demolition site. Every pound that goes up the chimney saves me 7 cents in dumpage cost. Friends will gather most of the unsold remnants for firewood.

I know that this is rather tongue-in-cheek but I kind of like it. Probably a little over the top for what you're wanting but maybe some good ideas in there...




and check out Winston Churchill's flying bed:

-I included a picture so you could see where this Idea came from . The last two modifications were a shorter exhaust system and a full belly pan pieced

from Trashed pick-up bed liners . It cuts down on wind resistance, its Light, super durable adds a little rigidity and keeps the undercarriage clean and dry

and was free The decreased wind resistance got him 3 more MPG ! The testing was done at a small track near a town you may have heard of Watkins' Glen

Link below :

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10206344386349883&set=a.10206344387749918.1073741828.1273896730&type=3&theater

Just a thought ! Big AL

The capsule looks like the ideal sleeping arrangement, but there is something missing. There should be one of those arms that hold a cell phone and a laptop in front of the user. Similar to arms which hold a televisions over a hospital bed.

 Rather than hiding, I would like mine to be a command post. If speakers were mounted to the roof, . I could lie in my bed and bark orders to other workers. That's why I chose to make the elevator in the Chapters Bookstore my bedroom. Workers never knew when the door would open and I would suddenly appear. It allowed me to easily check on activity on all three floors, from within the comfort of my room.😈

If all goes as planned, I will own one of these trailers within the week. For years, I've needed one, but have been concerned about storage, when not in use. Now that I'm building a pod, buying a jackhammer and have already bought over $4000 in cordless equipment, a proper storage vessel is required. This could transport the pod, my bike, and all required tools for distant jobs.

My F150 has a tiny cab and is not suited to store a wide range of tools while still being a useful hauler. Tools are regularly unloaded from the cargo area, to make room for bulky organic materials or salvaged building materials.

Having a good trailer, will make trips more efficient. The pod and tools don't weight much, so heavy salvaged materials can share the ride when returning from a project.

So, now there are three ways that the pod might travel. In the back of the truck, in the big trailer, or behind the electric bike.

I'm leaning more towards a simple rectangular, plywood box that is strong enough to have many things stacked in or on it. Once at a job site, it could be used within the transport vehicle or dragged into the house that I'm working on. Usually, the houses become less and less livable as the project progresses. Utilities are shut down, access becomes awkward, the building is raised onto the giant custom built trailer for transport or in the case of a complete demolition, it's time to tear down the roof and walls. That's when I always move my bed back into the vehicle.

Sometimes, by the time I move back to the vehicle, it is partially filled with salvaged materials. A simple, robust box, could ride on top of heavy stuff, or have light stuff piled on top of it, for the ride home. Every project is a treasure hunt. Over the years I have saved furniture, a trampoline, my children's play house, several small water craft etc. ad infinitum, along with about 15,000 tons of recycled building materials. No two loads have been the same. My pod is likely to be stacked in every conceivable way.

sounds like that trailer might be to small .

jimmy gallop wrote:sounds like that trailer might be to small .

They are always "too small"

I would imagine a 40foot container could become too small very fast. One has to make what they have work for themselves. It is kind of like a budget...