4 runner Camping

First time Camping with my 2013 4 Runner Limited, its nothing like some of the wildly cool set ups I have seen on here but I am excited to see where else this will take us!

OBX was extremely windy but it was amazing to camp at. This Napier tent was awesome, and detached easy so we could head out to the 4x4 beach.

Who else has any tips or tricks for 4 runner camping? I want to know more!

 

Napier tents. Going to look that one up later as that setup looks awesome!

 

The Napier tent is one of my best investments! I love that we can detach the truck and hit the trails.

 

Wow, I'm surprised there weren't more replies here.

Looks like a cool setup!

 

Why not just set up a tent? Then you don't have to attach and detach anything, and you can position the truck to block any wind.
I can see that with this setup you have access to what is in the truck. Any other advantages?
To each his own, I'm just curious.

 

I do both. It’s nice if you have a drawer system in the back.

 

Curiosity here as well
I have a tent n a setup for in the truck

how well do these guys attach as far not letting bugs in?

 

I pull a starcraft tent trailer with mine. Park it, detach, and free to go. Plus light weight for towing.

 

Just got invited for a camp/beerfest/fireworks
We’re sleeping in the 3rd Gen there’s just about 6 feet. It’s nice having ac on demand.

 

I just sleep in the 4R. The Napier might be a decent addition for more space.

 

Some good questions here.

I have a few different setups, depending on where I'm camping. I like to sleep in the 4Runner in remote areas, especially when I'm solo. I figure the truck is more secure than a tent. And, if the shit really hits the fan, I could slide into the front seat and take off.

I prefer tent camping when I'm with a group, or if I plan on being in the same spot for a few days. The tent is more spacious, and I can leave a lot of things in there while I go exploring during the day.

There's pros and cons to everything. Ground tent, RTT, sleeping platform, travel trailer, etc.

I honestly would love to get a nice travel trailer eventually. You can keep all of the cooking and camping essentials in there and just hook it up and go.

But, these are only good if you're setting up camp and returning to the same spot every night. Still, I like the idea of being a little less terrified when a storm rolls through.

 

The way we use it is that we unpack our stuff into the corner of the tent and then sleep in the back of the 4Runner (used to be a Honda Pilot) with an air mattress. We had 2 large dogs (now just 1, unfortunately) so their crates would be in the tent for them to sleep. This leaves a lot of room in the tent in case we need to set up a table to play cards or eat when it rains and gives bunch of extra room to move around when changing or whatnot. Plus if we have an extra person with us like we did last weekend, they have plenty of room for an air mattress in the tent as well.

I don't know if it's necessarily advantageous to do it this way but it's comfortable and seems to work well for us. We only camp a few times a year and it's not usually terribly remote, so we just make it comfortable with a bunch more space than is actually needed. When we want to go somewhere for the day, the air mattress comes out of the back of the 4Runner into the tent and we have a nice empty vehicle to drive around in.

Hiawatha National Forest - Lake Huron

 

Dang, I guess I just got too old. I like hotel rooms. LOL

 

I might switch to a travel trailer eventually. But, I don't think I'll ever prefer a hotel over sleeping in the woods.

 

I think my advice would be a different tent and table. If you’re not doing a roof top tent that’s is attached to the vehicle I’d go with equipment that doesn’t involve the 4Runner at all. The biggest advantage of a ground tent is vehicle mobility, try to keep it that way.

 

@DogoPilot couldn't have explained it any better. My wife and I sleep on an air mattress inside the 4runner and use the Napier for extra space to change, cook, hangout, etc. We recently camped up in the mountains with some friends. My buddy slept in his tent with his family and they were complaining the next morning on how cold it got and how windy it was. My wife and I slept like babies lol didn't feel a thing.

 

This is exactly why we got this tent. We can easily connect/disconnect and leave the tent standing while we hit the trails. When you disconnect the truck you can easily zip and close that part off and you have a ground tent

 

Very well! The part that connects to the hatch/car hugs it nice and tight. No bugs get in whatsoever

 

I just got done watching the Canning Stock Route by Andrew St. Pierre White on 4x overland. He spent nearly a month doing over 1000 miles in the middle of absolutely nowhere in the Australian outback. Boy that gets the wanderlust feelings going!

And what a cool youtube channel! He’s got a ton of trip documentaries (or “content” as the youts say) going way back before pre-internet days. His age makes it easier for a guy like me to enjoy his style. Im just starting go through the documentaries now.

Anyway, he’s hot a brand new Land Cruiser troop carrier that he cut the roof off, and he set it up as a pop-top. Looks like a pretty nice way to sleep inside and still keep storage area the same. What’s old, is new again. Lol

Now Im wondering if you can get something similar for 4runners!

edit: dangit! Just looked at some roof rack pop-ups, and I think the hatch would get in the way of a real “cut the roof off” pop-up. As much as I don’t like the grill, a lexus GX might be better suited for this type of setup. Not that they sell that type of pop-up here in the US.

I wish I could get my hands on a Troopy here stateside!!!

 

Canvas tent, great for raging thunderstorms and blizzards.

 

this tent looks nice. how much was it? how is setup and take down?

 

Oztent sells some nice HQ style tents like this. Which one is yours?

I’ve thought about big heavy duty tents like this too. The big issue w them is that they are big even when packed. Not so much an issue on the roof rack as it is finding a place to store them at home.

 

Teton sports is the brand, if I was going to do it again I would've bought Kodiak.

As for the size it's big at 150 lbs packed, they're not for everyone but given my style of camping year round in harsh environments they're a wonderful option.

 

Those Napier tents look pretty cool! I can definitely see why people would want to use them.

So not really a camping tip, but I always try to bring twice as much water as I think I'll need and don't forget the soap! Also the yakima roof basket that came on my venture is perfect for camping because I can load it up with all the things and still have plenty of room in the truck for the 2 dogs.

 

lol, me too, and the concept of a hot shower at the end of the day.

 

A lot of campgrounds have hot showers and laundry.

 

Get a Kickass shower tent for $150.
set up and teardown and 30 seconds or less

 

One of the campgrounds I visit every year has nice hot showers. As much as I enjoy roughing it, a good shower is pretty refreshing!

But, what's also really nice is wading into a nice lake or river with a bar of soap.

 

It’s Rightline gear. I’ve been using it for 3 years with no issue.