The biggest constraint in this project is the size of the truck itself. The bed is 73.5” long and 42.5” wide at its most narrow point in between the wheel wells. Similarly, the wheel wells are pretty constraining as I have to design any drawers around them. Another constraint is budget. I have some plywood lying around, but I don’t want to spend more than $200 on additional materials. I am also constrained by time. I’m hoping to finish this project over spring break before the pre- finals week crunch. Finally, my experience is primarily in woodworking, and I’m an amateur at best. Originally I was looking into using extruded aluminum, until I realized I don’t have any experience working with aluminum; not to mention extruded aluminum is pretty expensive. 

As far as specifications go, I mainly want a way to camp in my car during the ski season, so I need to have space for at least 3 or 4 pairs of skis under the sleeping platform. Other than skis I also want a sleek way to organize all of my stuff, especially my cooking set up. I’m planning on having two built in drawers and dedicating one drawer to my camp kitchen. I also want the sleeping platform to be big enough to accommodate two people and or one person and a large dog. Even with this size, I want the camping setup to be easily removable. Finally, I want the set up to be durable and resistant to ski edges and some moisture.