Bed Sleep Platform + Mattress (Budget Overlanding)

The Power Wagon's bed is 76" long × 66" wide between the wheel wells (with the tailgate up). Add the tailgate down and you get 100" of length — enough for one tall person diagonally or two cozy. The catch: the wheel wells eat into the floor about 8" on each side, so a bare-bed setup means sleeping on a narrow 50" × 76" strip.

A sleep platform fixes that. Build a level surface that bridges the wheel wells at wheel-well-top height (~24" above the bed floor) and you get a true 64" × 76" sleeping surface — wider than a queen mattress.

DIY platform path ($300 for platform + $380 for mattress = $680 total):

• 3/4" Baltic birch plywood, cut to 76" × 64" with notches for tie-down loops
• 2x3 pine supports underneath, 4 cross-members
• Cargo carpet on top for finish
• Storage underneath the platform — the 24" of dead space is huge for gear

Premium path — Decked Drawer System ($1,400):

• Pre-fab tough polymer drawer system specifically sized to the Power Wagon bed
• Top surface is sleep-platform height
• Two huge drawers underneath for gear (each rated 200 lb)
• Bolts to the factory bed cleats — no drilling
• The "I want to be done in 2 hours" answer

Mattress: The Exped MegaMat 10 LWX is the reference. 4" thick self-inflating mattress, R-value 8.1 (4-season), 6'6" long × 30" wide (you'd want two for a couple). About $380 each.

Mandatory weather protection. A Power Wagon bed without a topper or tonneau cover floods in any rain. Three options:

• Soft tri-fold tonneau ($400-700) — manageable install, removable, won't stand up to wind sleeping inside
• Hard tri-fold tonneau ($800-1,200) — better wind sealing, still removable
• Hard topper (Leer, ARE) ($2,500-4,500) — proper headroom inside, sealed weather, the right answer for serious overlanding
• Rooftop tent (pw-rooftop-tent) — sidesteps the issue, sleep on the roof

Comparison vs. the pw-rooftop-tent route: bed-sleep is $500-1,400 + topper. RTT is $1,200-5,500 + bed rack. RTT is faster setup, bed-sleep is cheaper and works without a roof rack rating concern.

The plywood-and-mat path is the one most owners land on once they price a Decked unit. Plan a weekend and basic carpentry.

1. Measure your specific bed. The 6.4' Power Wagon bed runs ~76" long between the bulkhead and closed tailgate and ~66" wide at the rails, but the wheel wells pinch it to ~50" at the floor. You're building a deck that bridges those wells at their top height (~24" up).
2. Cut a 3/4" Baltic birch top to ~76" × 64", notching the corners to clear the tie-down loops. Birch over construction ply — it won't sag under a sleeper and finishes cleanly.
3. Build a 2x3 pine frame underneath with four cross-members, sized so the deck rests on the wheel-well tops and the bedsides, not on the bare floor. That keeps the 24" of under-deck space open for gear.
4. Skin the top in cargo carpet or indoor-outdoor carpet so a mattress doesn't slide and so you don't gouge the wood.
5. Add the mattress. The Exped MegaMat 10 LWX (R-value 8.1, 4" thick) is the reference for cold nights; two side-by-side make a true couple's bed on the 64" deck.

If you'd rather skip the saw entirely, the pw-overland-drawer system arrives at the same deck height and adds two lockable drawers underneath — more money, but storage and platform in one bolt-in unit.

Weather protection is not optional. An open Power Wagon bed floods in any rain, so budget for a topper or tonneau alongside the platform — a soft tri-fold runs $400-700, a hard topper $2,500-4,500. Skipping this is the mistake that ends bed-sleeping for most people after one wet night.

Condensation is the second issue. A sealed topper over two breathing adults soaks the underside of the lid by morning. Crack a window or run a small vent; a 12V fan moves enough air to keep the bedding dry. And mind the under-deck gear — anything stored beneath the platform is directly over the rear axle, so heavy totes there stack with a rear bumper and water tank against payload.

Why it works

• Cheapest sleep solution if you accept the topper requirement
• Decked option doubles as storage (massive functional value)
• Inside the truck — warmer in winter, more discreet for stealth camping
• No roof load — no rack capacity concern

Trade-offs

• Needs topper/tonneau for weather (additional $400-4,500)
• Climbing in and out via tailgate is awkward at night
• Bed floor with a topper has condensation issues without ventilation
• Decked system at $1,400 is close to entry RTT pricing — consider both

Tools required

• circular saw or jigsaw
• drill
• measuring tape
• tie-down hardware

Parts

Sources

• Exped MegaMat 10 LWX — R-value and dimensions
• Decked DS-Series drawer system — Ram 2500 6.4' bed
• Power Wagon (Ram 2500) 6.4' bed dimensions — Ram body specs

Related

• Overland Setup — Rooftop Tent and Bed Rack for the Power Wagon
• Bed Drawer System for Power Wagon (Decked DS-Series / Goose Gear)
• All Ram Power Wagon guides & tools
• Browse the full DIY database

Written and maintained by an AZ wheeler and driveway wrencher. How we source guides. Always cross-reference your factory service manual — modifications affect vehicle safety and warranty. Work at your own risk.