Sleeping/storage platform for 3rd Gen Expedition

[Sneeky Camper]

Hi all, I'm a new 2016 Ford Expedition Platinum 4x4 owner with plans to solo and occasionally bring my wife on stealth camp/overland adventures in my retirement. I'm going to add at least 200W of solar and battery(s) to be totally off-grid for extended periods. I was looking for design ideas on building/buying a rear platform for sleeping and storage. My Expedition is not a MAX. I plan on bringing food, water, a solar system, 12V refrigerator/freezer, an induction cooktop, CPAP, my e-bike, backpack, toilet, and overland gear. I have rear captain chairs. Do I remove the 2nd/3rd rows for max space? Metal and/or wood frame with a platform and storage? Any plans out there for a guy with a limited budget? Any thoughts would be great, as this is all new territory for me. Thanks in advance for your creativity and advice.

 

[cmc3]

I took out the 2nd & 3rd rows. DIY wooden platform. Cut so I can optionally reinstall one or both of the outside 2nd row seats. Walmart queen size mattress toppers, trimmed to fit wheel wells. Queen size sheets. This rig sleeps two comfortably on multiple weeks long trips.

 

[reklaw]

Hi all, I'm a new 2016 Ford Expedition Platinum 4x4 owner with plans to solo and occasionally bring my wife on stealth camp/overland adventures in my retirement. I'm going to add at least 200W of solar and battery(s) to be totally off-grid for extended periods. I was looking for design ideas on building/buying a rear platform for sleeping and storage. My Expedition is not a MAX. I plan on bringing food, water, a solar system, 12V refrigerator/freezer, an induction cooktop, CPAP, my e-bike, backpack, toilet, and overland gear. I have rear captain chairs. Do I remove the 2nd/3rd rows for max space? Metal and/or wood frame with a platform and storage? Any plans out there for a guy with a limited budget? Any thoughts would be great, as this is all new territory for me. Thanks in advance for your creativity and adv

I would almost recommend one of those rooftop tents. But then you said limited budget and I know that they can get pretty pricey.

 

[Steve5472]

I'm interested in this as well as I plan on doing exactly as you in my retirement in the near future. I've slept in my 22 Expedition a fair bit just by putting a 6 inch memory foam mattress down. It works pretty well but storage is a bit of an issue. I question whether or not adding a platform would make it not very roomy by the time you add a mattress of some kind. I find even with just my mattress now I JUST have enough headroom... I have considered using a rooftop storage system for my gear but I'm curious to see what others are doing.

 

[smahaffy]

If you want a really great example of what an Expedition can be built out for overlanding. The couple has a youtube channel Adventure Driven. This Expo is awesome. And they go through all the adaptations they made to their Gen 3.

Adventure Driven Ford Expedition – Blue Oval Trucks

You never see people on an expedition, driving a Ford Expedition. I keep my eyes open for Ford Expeditions that are used off road, and came across this Expedition owned by Seth and Kande Jacobsen of AdventureDriven.com. This Ford 'Expedition' actually lives up to its name.

www.blueovaltrucks.com

 

[Steve5472]

That's a great looking rig! For my style, a roof-top tent isn't for me. I want to be able to pull into a spot and not really set anything up. Also as the OP mentioned, the ability to stealth camp is important as well. I wonder how those RTT work in the winter too? Any issues with the materials cracking, freezing up so you can't open/close it, etc.?

 

[fuzzmanmatt]

Not exactly a sleeping platform, but it folds pretty close to the same height as the second row, so I can lay down and nap if I stick my feet through the middle seat, and I don't even have to take out the kids car seats.
It would be super easy to add a battery box underneath where the third row folded into, and the switches for the seats take a standard Carling style switch, so you can add switched circuits off a house battery without too much work, just putting in an on-off-on switch in the hole the seat switches left. I bought some switches, a fuse panel, battery isolator, and an AGM battery, but haven't wired them up. I managed to have a second kid after I built this and, well, I just have had other priorities since then.

Third Row Seat Replacement

I finally got fed up with hauling around a 55 gallon tote of crap for search and rescue stuff that I carry, so I pulled out the third row of seats and built a little box to shove everything into. 2007 Eddie Bauer Standard wheelbase. The box ended up being about 4'x4', give or take an inch each...

www.expeditionforum.com

 

[melackey]

I camp regularly with the Boy Scouts. About half the time I sleep I n my Expedition. Originally in my 2012 standard length and now my 2022 Max. Concur with above that with a 6 inch air mattress there is barely enough headroom to sleep but still not enough to sit up. I leave one middle row seat up for a place to sit to get dressed. Honestly my old Honda Odyssey was MUCH more suited to sleeping.

 

[Sneeky Camper]

I would almost recommend one of those rooftop tents. But then you said limited budget and I know that they can get pretty pricey.

The US is vast and I also want to stealth camp on my way to different destinations. Walmart Parking lots, etc.

 

[Sneeky Camper]

I took out the 2nd & 3rd rows. DIY wooden platform. Cut so I can optionally reinstall one or both of the outside 2nd row seats. Walmart queen size mattress toppers, trimmed to fit wheel wells. Queen size sheets. This rig sleeps two comfortably on multiple weeks long trips.View attachment 77683View attachment 77684

Nice, looks like a lot of space with bunches of headroom. Did you only go to the level of the rear where the flip-up door hides the jack and tools? Did that stop you from installing drawers or was that all the space you needed? Looks like a great space for batteries, solar controller, inverter, etc. as well as a loadout for a backpack. Thanks for the picks.