Question about sleeping in cargo area

If I pull the trigger on this 4Runner I’ll
also buy this, I suppose I could try to make one myself but I’d rather just buy this because I know it was done right, and I’m certainly not skilled in carpentry…

https://bambeds.com/products/4runner-leveling-platform

Anyway, somewhere I read something about somehow creating more sleeping length, which involved removing the bottom part of the back seats, then sliding the front seats all the way forward, and adding two objects in front of the folded down seats at a specific height.

Does anyone do this? And if so how simple or annoying/difficult is it to remove (and replace) the backseats? Hell if it’s 1 or 2 people I imagine it’s no big deal to leave the backseat bottoms at home as your primary setup (I have no kids anyway, there hasn’t been 3 or more people in my vehicle in over a year lol). And also, has anyone actually bought this product, and if so do you like the decision to buy it? Even if I did try to make one myself, I have even less confidence in my ability to make one that comes apart into sections very nicely like this, and stores away nice and compacted together like this!

Finally, if anyone does take out the back seats, and adds two levelers in front of the folded down seats, what are you using, and what height are they? Thanks.

 

It's crazy easy to build your own. But capitalism rocks, too. EDIT wait, $450 for that? No, fuck that. Make your own man. $40 in wood. Literally take two 2x4s, lay them flat, and screw some plywood to the top. You want to try and achieve close to 2.5" of height to fill in the hatch void.

As far as the seats and more room goes: for non 3rd row models unsnap the plastic fascia covers from the "legs" of the back seat bottoms (4 of them). Take the bolts out (4, 14mm heads). Remove the bottom cushions of the back seats by lifting up and away and store elsewhere. Remove the 2 larger headrests (leave the middle one). Then fold the seat backs forward and flat. Slide the front seats all the way forward. In that recess you can fit any number of boxes to extend the floor, I personally use 8 gallon Rubbermaid Action Packers.

As shown:

 

A piece of plywood and 2 2x4 works perfectly to level the back

 

I used a ply wood and had the place I purchased from cut it for me, free

https://www.4runners.com/threads/18-orp-build.5141/page-4#post-494036

I'll try to find the original post

 

If you don't have kids, then you can afford to pay for a nice hotel room, like an adult; or buy a nice tent.

Don't sleep in your car like all the other California hobo's!

 

What a confused reply. An “Adult” isn’t able to magically create a hotel room in locations where there aren’t hotel rooms, so what an irrelevant point. It’s bad enough to conflate car/tent camping adventures with car/tent sleeping for necessity, but it’s even more strange to do so in a forum that’s full of overlanders and campers. It makes no sense to claim that a tent would somehow look less hobo in a location where people don’t camp, when a tent would actually look more hobo in such a location. Hence the modern day Hoovertown tent cities. I’m referring to a 4Runner adventure off the beaten path, not the guy who keeps sleeping in his car across the street from you lol. Are you lost? You’re in a 4Runner forum lol

 

Those Rubbermaids are perfect!!

 

I can't figure out if that guy is a tool or just fucking around. Some of his posts are pretty funny so I'm going to go with he's fucking around.

Indeed. I've been rocking them since 2015. One lives in the truck all the time with tools and recovery gear and a flashlight and fire extinguisher and the other gets filled with dry consumable goods for trips. We drop them into the footwell each night and lift them back intot he cargo area each morning. I bet I have 200+ nights in a 4Runner so that would be 200+ nights with my head on one of those contraptions!

 

Since you haven’t bought one yet, my lazy idea for your consideration - which I didn’t actually do personally though - is to get a three row 4Runner.

You give up:

• a few inches of vertical interior space
• the money it takes to get it
• TRD Off-Road/Pro goodies since it’s SR5/Limited only

You get:

• To have a flat, if slightly angled, plane from the hatch to the gap behind the front seat backs
• No seat bottom removal
• The second-row footwells are still open

 

I bought this

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1547440935/double-bed-platform-for-toyota-4runner

 

C'mon man, don't discount me. I can be both! A tool who's fucking around.


I was joking, but it wasn't taken that way. No biggie. Sarcasm can be difficult to interpret on a screen. That's my fault. I'll go remove one of my mod's as punishment for my bad behavior.

 

you could also get one with built in cargo tray, which I wish i had done

https://trail4runner.com/2021/12/29/5th-gen-4runner-sliding-cargo-tray-swap/

 

@Borracho Loco it took some time to figure him out, but I do find his contributions mostly helpful or funny lol. Anyway he rocks a barc. Red so he must be all right.

@MeefZah I love your simple detailed reply, never saw such a clean example of the leveled cargo with seat bottoms removed. Makes me want to try sleeping in the back one more time...

@Chozen , don't discount your ability to build a platform. You may not be the best carpenter but you won't get better by never doing carpentry projects. This is definitely a good place to sharpen your skills, and you can use some spray glue and cheap automotive carpet if you want to class it up in the end.

 

The new guy is 0 for 1 at taking a joke. Wow new guy, please do try to keep up!! Lol

 

That’s interesting, I didn’t know that 3rd row was more leveled!! However I’m being a snob right now and wanting a brand new 4Runner, I already have one held on deposit (not 3rd row, and with the KDSS that I want), and it feels like options are starting to get slim as the 2025 model breathes down our necks. I’ll poke around and look at dealership websites in my area (for 3rd row), but I definitely do feel good knowing that I have one secured!!

 

I completely removed the rear seats for my platform, but I made that section of the platform to be easily removable so I can put the rear seats back in if needed. Going to upgrade it in the near future with a 60/40 split so I can have the option to put either rear seat back in.
Another benefit of ditching the rear seats is that you gain a bunch of storage space. It’s where I keep my camp tables, chairs, rumple’s, etc.

 

Super easy. There's a trim piece over each bolt that just pops off. (2) 14mm bolts hold each seat bottom. You end up with about 75" from the hatch to the center console, and potentially more to the back of the front seats.

I don't have any experience with that product, but it seems like it would be pretty easy to build something similar if you're handy.

 

That's some expensive plywood

 

More Bear secure than a tent.

 

@Chozen Throw up your location and I'm sure theres a member near you with some sort of setup you could take a look at.

 

I am 5'11" and don't need to take the bottom of the seats out and i do a lot of car camping in my 4R. I didn't want to waste any space so i made the leveling platform a dual table pull out.

 

I agree with you, but at the same time agree with Boracco Loco. Understanding the thought process behind someones post can be difficult. Loco can be like others where they are at a different stage in their life. Car camping is definitely fun given the right conditions. I have done it many times when I was in my 20's and 30's. Would I chose to repeat it frequently today? Probably not. I have had plenty of experience in my life for "roughing it" all over the globe. With age sometimes comes wisdom. Also for some more financial stability to afford other luxuries. I have a feeling Borracho Loco was trying to convey some of that wisdom. What I read out of his post is: "Don't bother wasting your time or money" with car camping accessories. There aren't many WILD LANDS left in the world where a hotel, or campground in a State or National Park isn't a few hours away. Sooner or later you may change your mind either by choice or forced to by a loved one. Your spouse may come to you some day and say NO MORE - No Thank you. She doesn't want to sleep in the back of your 4 Runner anymore. She wants to sleep in a larger bed with AC / Heater and have her own kitchen and bathroom.

By all means you can continue to funnel your dollars into your over landing or car camping accessories. I can assure you the owner of that business is relaxing with his spouse in something like this:



Overlanding / Car Camping. Isn't that something the poor people do? Haha Just kidding. I would do it, but choose not to.

 

What's funny is that I'm 45, and I just got into "car camping" over the last few years. I don't think there's any inherent wisdom in choosing to stay in a hotel, or in choosing to camp at a National Park, or the middle of nowhere. Everyone should explore and enjoy nature in whatever way they prefer.

Don't get me wrong; I enjoy a nice hotel room occasionally. And, I also enjoy camping at a nice park. I even bought a used pop-up that's roomy and comfortable, and it rules for trips where there's room, and I'll be in the same place for a few nights. But, I also really enjoy staying in some more remote areas. And, I prefer sleeping in the 4Runner in those types of places.

 

Funny thing is that there are certain people who would be cracking up at the suggestion that sleeping in the back of a 4Runner, on top of leveled off plush memory foam, would even be allowed to count as ‘Roughing It’ ha. What confuses me though is that your own post points out that YOU yourself were one such person lol, roughing it all over the world. Also Boracco was actually joking, and I took it the wrong way.

Yeah man these are the people I love to watch in videos, and judge ‘Rough’ and ‘Easy’ against. The cats who are throwing down their Hillebergs in blizzards and whatnot…both young and old, they will actually refer to a higher end hot tent in the middle of a snow storm as luxury (having to saw all their wood, erect their tent alone, etc).

Damn I’ll meet you halfway and tell you what would probably be the perfect mixture of roughing it AND luxury at the same exact time…renting snow mobiles in Alaska and driving them out to a nice remote spot (the luxury part would start with not having weight restrictions, and not having to lug the heavy gear around yourself)…and setting up…wait for it (this is what I consider to be the GOAT of hot tents…an Arctic Oven 12 tent with vestibule, from Alaska Gear Company (well they have several different ones, but that’s my favorite). OMG check those hot tents out, SO bad ass!! The insulation quality is so good that people will actually get too hot and need to dial down their wood stove, even though they’re in the middle a snowy wilderness. Ha now that to me would be roughing it and being in luxury at the same exact time (luxury gear, glamping). You’d also have no problem lugging the most comfortable tent mattresses, or cots, etc.

 

LOL

 

That seems like an elegant design. There’s something to be said for ease of breakdown for when you need the extra height in the trunk area.

 

That’s funny you mentioned that because I just got a tent last year so that I could “ move out” of my 4runner. You definitely lose that sense of security when you know there are bears around. Or when you know there are creepy people around lol. I like having the option of doing either depending on the situation.

 

I dropped some pretty stupid money on a simple Hess roll up memory foam mattress. I’m a big guy, but once I stuff myself into the back of the forerunner that narrow little foam mattress is ridiculously comfortable. That definitely counts as glamping!

 

I still like tent camping, too. I plan on doing some of that this summer, also. But, it's definitely more spooky when you hear animals creeping around knowing that the only thing surrounding you is a sheet of canvas!

I plan on picking up a smaller tent this year for island camping. I have a so called 2 person backpacking tent I purchased for the purpose, and it's hardly a 1 person tent. I think I'll upgrade to a 3-4 person tent.

I like having options. 2 tents, a platform in the 4Runner, and a travel trailer pretty well cover my needs. I can't imagine having to choose only one thing.

Edit: If I get ambitious, I might start working on platform design #5 pretty soon. Sometimes it's as if I enjoy building them more than I enjoy using them.