Who has heard of a truck bed heater?

[Jettech1]

So let me set the stage first.  Last weekend we planned and went on a trip to NC with my aunt and uncle.  I wanted to take my beloved truck due to it being 4wd and for the possible unexpected snow or ice we might encounter.  I was worried about the extreme cold temps on any liquids that might be put in the bed of my truck while we traveled.  So we ended up taking my wife's Explorer, which is amazing but not 4wd because we could get all of the luggage in the back and it would stay warm.  

 

So anyhow I started thinking....before anyone says anything.....I know that's dangerous at times...lol...No comment @Pryme

 

After we got back I did some research and believe it or not, there is a bed warmer that someone has a patent on but I can't find it for sale anywhere.  I'm guessing someone had the same idea I do and just threw out some diagrams and patented it.  Smart dude actually, or dudette.....so I dug even deeper and found waterproof electric blankets that only use 100 to 150 watts of power, our 120 outlet is good for 400 watts.  That got me thinking even more as I do have the tri fold hard tonneau cover to help keep the heat in.  

 

And that's where the story ends....sorry, no climax to it lol.......BUT....I'm still thinking about covering up the 5th wheel holes more than the plastic covers and trying out the waterproof electric blanket in the event I want to take my truck on a cold weather trip to make sure nothing freezes in the back.

 

Have I completely lost my mind with this idea or am I just bored being semi retired?  No comment @Pryme LOL!!!  Ok you can comment if you want buddy.....

 

 

[garagerog]

 

Sounds like a plan as long as you don't have a teenage daughter with a boyfriend that wants to borrow it on a cold evening. 

Edited December 6, 2025 by garagerog

[ManyCamaroz]

[Pryme]

I don’t think an electric blanket would give enough heat off to warm a truck bed enough to keep things that warm unless you’re talking pretty mild temps. Here in the upper Midwest it’s already getting below zero at night. 
plus you have to have the truck running to have that bed outlet working. 
 

Good to have you back posting though Jett

[Jettech1]

23 minutes ago, Pryme said:

I don’t think an electric blanket would give enough heat off to warm a truck bed enough to keep things that warm unless you’re talking pretty mild temps. Here in the upper Midwest it’s already getting below zero at night. 
plus you have to have the truck running to have that bed outlet working. 
 

Good to have you back posting though Jett

Thanks my friend.  Good to be back when I can.  It was quite a change going from being the big guy at a major airline to supervising 15 people, but I love it!!  It's nice to be able to breathe and live a nice quiet life now.  My dream has come true!  I am one lucky guy for sure.....

[Chuck FB]

5 hours ago, Jettech1 said:

So let me set the stage first.  Last weekend we planned and went on a trip to NC with my aunt and uncle.  I wanted to take my beloved truck due to it being 4wd and for the possible unexpected snow or ice we might encounter.  I was worried about the extreme cold temps on any liquids that might be put in the bed of my truck while we traveled.  So we ended up taking my wife's Explorer, which is amazing but not 4wd because we could get all of the luggage in the back and it would stay warm.  

 

So anyhow I started thinking....before anyone says anything.....I know that's dangerous at times...lol...No comment @Pryme

 

After we got back I did some research and believe it or not, there is a bed warmer that someone has a patent on but I can't find it for sale anywhere.  I'm guessing someone had the same idea I do and just threw out some diagrams and patented it.  Smart dude actually, or dudette.....so I dug even deeper and found waterproof electric blankets that only use 100 to 150 watts of power, our 120 outlet is good for 400 watts.  That got me thinking even more as I do have the tri fold hard tonneau cover to help keep the heat in.  

 

And that's where the story ends....sorry, no climax to it lol.......BUT....I'm still thinking about covering up the 5th wheel holes more than the plastic covers and trying out the waterproof electric blanket in the event I want to take my truck on a cold weather trip to make sure nothing freezes in the back.

 

Have I completely lost my mind with this idea or am I just bored being semi retired?  No comment @Pryme LOL!!!  Ok you can comment if you want buddy.....

 

 

 

I have a crazy idea to add to your crazy idea 

 

Since a truck box has exactly zero ( or close to it ) insulating value, how would making a container or could be called an insulated storage unit that was made entirely out of high density foam boarding seem. It could consist of a build using the special glue to fasten walls to a base and then a lid that sets over top or could be constructed in such a way that it could be disassembled completely for storage purposes when not in use. A thick enough foam that would insulate well enough would also help in creating a more sturdy structure. Then use the heated blanket type idea as the method to heat it but if you felt the need and you had one of those power bank station units and set it inside the insulated assembly so it stays warmer as well ( lithium battery after all ) and then run your power from your 120 volt in the truck box into the insulated structure to your storage battery unit which in turn would power your heated blanket. That way when the truck was turned off the power unit would take over completely and keep the blanket powered until the truck was run again or you had access to power to run a cord into the truck box to recharge the battery unit and/or run the blanket directly. 

 

 

[KARNUT]

They make waterproof battery powered electric blankets for camping. 

[Jettech1]

10 hours ago, Chuck FB said:

 

I have a crazy idea to add to your crazy idea 

 

Since a truck box has exactly zero ( or close to it ) insulating value, how would making a container or could be called an insulated storage unit that was made entirely out of high density foam boarding seem. It could consist of a build using the special glue to fasten walls to a base and then a lid that sets over top or could be constructed in such a way that it could be disassembled completely for storage purposes when not in use. A thick enough foam that would insulate well enough would also help in creating a more sturdy structure. Then use the heated blanket type idea as the method to heat it but if you felt the need and you had one of those power bank station units and set it inside the insulated assembly so it stays warmer as well ( lithium battery after all ) and then run your power from your 120 volt in the truck box into the insulated structure to your storage battery unit which in turn would power your heated blanket. That way when the truck was turned off the power unit would take over completely and keep the blanket powered until the truck was run again or you had access to power to run a cord into the truck box to recharge the battery unit and/or run the blanket directly. 

 

 

Not bad, I like it!

[Jettech1]

3 hours ago, KARNUT said:

They make waterproof battery powered electric blankets for camping. 

I'll have to look at those to see if that would be feasible.  Thanks!

[StingerZ16]

You could always use a couple hand warmers in an insulated box. No power required.

[Jettech1]

Ok, I think some of us have a lot of fun with this topic.  But let's get back to the real world for a second.  We have a cold ass (weather dependent) giant space in the back of our trucks.  If you have any kind of tonneau cover, hasn't it ever crossed your mind as to day?......Like hey, That's a lot of space, it would be nice if it was heated just a bit?  So you could throw luggage and whatever back there and not worry about it freezing? 

Edited December 7, 2025 by Jettech1

[Pryme]

4 hours ago, Jettech1 said:

Ok, I think some of us have a lot of fun with this topic.  But let's get back to the real world for a second.  We have a cold ass (weather dependent) giant space in the back of our trucks.  If you have any kind of tonneau cover, hasn't it ever crossed your mind as to day?......Like hey, That's a lot of space, it would be nice if it was heated just a bit?  So you could throw luggage and whatever back there and not worry about it freezing? 

Spent most of my life in the upper Midwest. No sir. 
most trips of up to a few hours you won’t have any issues with things freezing if it’s packed in luggage. There isn’t much that you would need to worry about either. 
a cold truck bed keeps things fresh too. Like beer soda or meat. So on a long trip it keeps it chilled for ya haha. 
 

same with the garage. My kids made a bunch of cookies and they are sitting out in the garage to keep fresh. Also have various canned beverages out there since it’s mid 40’s out there it’s almost like a big fridge. 

[KARNUT]

4 hours ago, Jettech1 said:

Ok, I think some of us have a lot of fun with this topic.  But let's get back to the real world for a second.  We have a cold ass (weather dependent) giant space in the back of our trucks.  If you have any kind of tonneau cover, hasn't it ever crossed your mind as to day?......Like hey, That's a lot of space, it would be nice if it was heated just a bit?  So you could throw luggage and whatever back there and not worry about it freezing? 

That’s easy really. Don’t put weather dependent stuff in the bed. I’ve been in extreme cold left luggage in my vehicle. That covers cars with a trunk to camper shells on a pickup. Never had a problem. The stuff that had any potential of freezing like maybe toothpaste went inside with us. Ultimately after many vehicles my chosen trip vehicle turned out to be a minivan. Also the very little research I’ve done I like the battery powered electric blanket idea. You can wrap it around the sensitive product it wouldn’t freeze. I don’t see any reason to climate control the whole back. Maybe you could give us an example of what you’re talking about. I’ve travel all my life and I’m a little confused on what you would have a problem with.

[Chuck FB]

I wish there was an easy solution to heating up that space but that's why it is such a challenge due to the nature of a truck box or lets say one had a basic shell or topper instead of a low tonneau cover. I have a friend who has done the camping/sleeping theme inside of her shell and she and her boyfriend freezing their butts off sometimes but they have never used any sort of supplemental heat and in that situation the engine isn't running to power up anything. I've seen various youtubers doing that very same theme and also in the back of their suv and using a buddy heater which I would think is rather suspect as far as safety in being in the space when its running but the heating concept is using a fuel and generating btu's that a small electrical power source isn't capable of producing. There would be that option of using a battery bank with an electric blanket lets say for camping in the back of a shell. However or at least my friends situation in what she has been doing, that it just dips down below the freezing point a little at night as its winter time but in southern NM or AZ, not in the middle of winter in Colorado from where she lives. 

 

Put another way, it takes a considerable amount of btu to heat a space that is poorly insulated and be that fuel powered with propane or lets say one of those little diesel heaters that van lifers like to install into their van, or running a coolant system from the engine into the rear of the truck. Insulate a space well and naturally it will take a lot less btu of heat to keep warm. 

 

When winter comes and I am buying groceries, I can't just put everything in the back of the truck in a tote or sitting there in boxes etc under my bak flip like I can easily do when its not freezing, its great for the frozen foods if I want to put them back there but other items that can't be frozen like all canned goods, eggs and so on are going into the cab and why a crew cab truck works so well over the days of a standard cab pickup, not as well as a spacious larger suv though. Also when it gets very much at all below the freezing point its not like I can buy groceries and then piss around town for hours after or go visit anyone, I am committed to go straight home to get the groceries into the house. For example in a few days time they are forecasting -30f temps, it does not take long to freeze items at that temperature which is way below the temp of a typical freezer in ones house. 

[Chuck FB]

There is one other item that one may have kicking around and that is old sleeping bags no longer being used and using them as an insulating tool and if they are huge double wide sleeping bags they would not even have to be opened up. Example would be laying out a sleeping bag on the bottom and laying the luggage on top of that and draping another sleeping bag over top. Or incorporate a heated blanket into the mix by laying it on top of the lower sleeping bag before setting the luggage in and covering it over with the remaining sleeping bag. If not too cold and that supplemental heat as well as if the luggage came straight out of a heated location so it had its own retained heat as well, that could prolong the cooling process.