When you're looking in order to turn your rig in to a weekend hotel, building a 4th gen 4runner sleeping platform is truthfully one of the best mods a person can do. There's just something regarding pulling up in order to a trailhead past due at night, jumping in the back, and being in bed in five minutes without messing around with tent poles in the dark. The particular 2003 to this year 4Runners are renowned for a lot of reasons, but their interior freight space causes them to be a good absolute top-tier choice for car camping.
However, in the event that you've spent whenever looking at the floor of your freight area, you know it's not exactly a flat, ready-to-sleep surface. You've got that weird step-up where the rear seats fold down, and if you might have the "double decker" cargo system, things get also weirder. Building a platform fixes all of that, yet you've got to decide how basic or complex you want to get.
Why A person Need a Level Surface
Let's be real: sleeping on the folded-down seats of a 4th gen 4Runner without a platform is a formula for the bad back. The seats don't fold perfectly toned, and there's a significant gap between back of the particular seats and the cargo floor. This is exactly why a 4th gen 4runner sleeping platform is a game-changer. It levels out there the entire back section, giving you a regular surface through the tailgate almost all the way to the back of the front seats.
Beyond just the comfort, it's about storage. When you sleep directly on the floor, all your gear—coolers, recovery gear, clothes—has to end up being moved to the top seats or thrown outside every night. Along with a platform, a person create a "basement" for the stuff. You sleep on top, and your gear stays organized beneath.
Design Options: Simple vs. Complex
When a person start planning your own build, you'll most likely fall into 1 of 2 camps.
The first is usually the simple plywood bed sheet . To the person who desires to move out right now there this weekend. A person basically cut a piece of 3/4-inch plywood to match the cargo region, use some 2x4s or 4x4s because legs to clear the wheel wells, and call it each day. It's cheap, it's light, and it works.
The second camp is definitely the full drawer program . This is definitely where things obtain fancy. You build a frame along with heavy-duty slides so you can pull out your own kitchen or gear bins like the filing cabinet. While this looks amazing on Instagram, keep in mind that every inch of drawer height you add is an inch of headroom you lose. In the 4th gen, headroom is already in a premium. If you build it as well high, you won't be able in order to sit up to put your socks on without striking your head for the headliner.
Dealing with the Rear Seats
This is usually the big discussion in the 4Runner community: do you pull the seats out or maintain them in?
If a person leave the back seat bottoms within, you have in order to flip them ahead, which eats upward about six ins of length. Intended for shorter folks, this particular isn't a huge deal. But if you're over 5'10", you're going to desire every inch. Eliminating it bottoms will be actually super easy—it's just a few bolts—and it gives you a massive amount of extra room. Many people go even further and remove the particular seat backs completely to save pounds, but then you lose the opportunity to have more than 1 passenger.
Nearly all 4th gen 4runner sleeping platform builds use the "folding wing" style. This means the primary part of the particular platform stays in the cargo area, and a secondary piece flips forward within the footwell area after the front chairs are pushed forward. This gives you a full 6-foot-plus sleeping surface while keeping the vehicle drivable during the time.
Choosing the Right Materials
Don't simply grab the least expensive OSB at the hardware store. It'll flake, smell weird, plus probably give a person splinters. 3/4-inch ACX or even birch plywood is generally the sweet place. It's strong enough in order to support two adults without bowing in the middle, but it's not too heavy that it kills your fuel mileage or can make your rear suspension system sag.
Regarding the finish, a lot of people go with automotive-grade carpet. It's cheap, it matches the particular interior, and it also retains your mattress through sliding around. Professional tip: use squirt adhesive and also a staple gun to obtain the floor covering tight throughout the edges. If you're feeling extra, you may use the roll-on bedliner intended for a more durable, waterproof finish, however it can be a bit abrasive on your sleeping equipment.
Storage and Organization Tricks
The beauty of a custom 4th gen 4runner sleeping platform will be that you may tailor the storage space to your specific equipment. When you have a specific fridge or a specific stove, build a cubby just for this.
I'm a big enthusiast of leaving 1 side of the platform open underneath for long products like camp seats or recovery boards. On the some other side, drawers are great for the small stuff that usually will get lost, like headlamps, lighters, and espresso grounds.
Also, don't neglect about the aspect cubbies in the particular 4th gen shipment area. In case you build your platform wall-to-wall, you might prevent off the access to the jack storage space or that small storage bin on the right aspect. Many people cut "trap doors" in to the top associated with their platform so they can still reach these spots without taking the whole thing apart.
Comfort is definitely King: Mattress Options
You've built the platform, it's level, and this looks great. Now, what are you sleeping on?
A lot of people start with a cheap atmosphere mattress, but you'll quickly realize they're cold and vulnerable to popping. The solid foam mattress is usually the ideal solution. You can buy a 3-inch or 4-inch memory foam topper and cut it to suit the actual contours associated with your platform with a bread knife.
If you want something more packable, look into inflatable camping pads such as the ones through Megamat. They're expensive, but they think that a real mattress and so they insulate a person in the cold atmosphere underneath the platform.
Lessons from the Trail
After testing out a few different 4th gen 4runner sleeping platform setups, a few items become clear. Very first, weight adds upward fast. If you construct a massive maple cabinet system, your 4Runner is going to feel sluggish and your rear end will squat. Retain it as light as is possible.
Second, think about airflow. Sleeping in the closed car gets humid fast. You'll want to choose up some of those mesh window covers so you can keep the back windows damaged without letting the particular bugs in. A few people even wire up a small 12V fan to the inside cargo light circuit to keep things moving.
Finally, make sure you can still be able to your spare wheel tool kit. On the 4th gen, the tools are tucked away within the side -panel. If your platform is bolted straight down and covers that panel, a flat tire on the trail becomes a total nightmare.
Final Ideas
Building your own 4th gen 4runner sleeping platform is a bit associated with a rite of passage for proprietors. It turns the great SUV in to a legitimate tiny home on wheels. Whether or not you go with the basic plywood deck or a master-crafted drawer system, the particular goal is the particular same: getting out there there and taking pleasure in the view. Simply remember to calculate twice, cut as soon as, and leave enough room to actually sit up and enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning. Happy developing!