Sleeping mattresses for the back

I bought a 10-inch thick Full size gel memory foam mattress on a lightning deal from Amazon for $130. Worked out pretty well, better than any air mattress.

 

I slept in my 4R for 17 nights out of a 20 day road trip and one evening it was warm enough to sleep with the rear hatch open. That was fantastic being able to enter and exit from the rear instead of the side door. I did not have that view though! I was in a campground in Bentonville, AR.

 

I have the deepsleep overland solo mat with the leveling mat. Comfortable but pricey and I know it is not worth it for everyone.

 

that's pretty awesome. What's the overall length from bow to stern of a 5th gen's area behind the front seats?

 

I think just under 6’ which is one of the reasons I haven’t tried sleeping in back. But, with current outrageous hotel prices, I am tempted to re-explore the idea.

 

71” L according to a website of which I do not remember the name of. I believe this includes the seats in the vehicle. (I am Baja camping now on the mattress I recommended.) It is like being on my mattress in my regular bed. Plenty of length. Approx $138.

https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=comments&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbHZjQTJjdGNhNjF2N24tOFdKRVFPNVdSUGVkd3xBQ3Jtc0trMlBUYnNwSWo3UTZ5OTBGcW9mZFVOVE1RcF9YY2V3YmN2cmJiRUZlbjRrdlMzcHhCSlgxSnprampJb3FsWlpLV2w0MUYzbHk5WTlFUU5ra2dHZFdBODNPRGM4dTh4TWJCdDhqRFZpV1BVMFd2REYxMA&q=https%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F3y7rt9z&stzid=UgxjVKEp_Kzk2rFT6v94AaABAg

 

For someone who is new and just shopping, you seem to have quite the sales pitch.

 

Wish my Limited with 3rd row laid completely flat. Pretty good elevation difference.

 

I know what you mean Rocko, there isn't much head room either with a thicker mattress. I have been parking on a slight decline and put my head by the back window, gives a little more head room with the 3rd row.
Currently looking for a lower profile mattress.

 

Build a little leveling platform!

 

Yeah, would have to.

 

https://www.4runners.com/threads/wh...h-gen-4runner-today.2261/page-810#post-449840

 

In the 3rd row equipped runners the second row folds differently than non 3rd row. A platform like you made wouldn't help us much (I wish it would), the second row sits at a slight angle but meets up pretty evenly with the cargo space.

 

Correct. The platform would need to be the entire length of the required sleeping area. I made one for my Rav4 for this exact reason. 2nd row didn't fold completly flat and had a bit of an angle to it. I tried to stack up multiple mattreress to 'level' it out. Was the most miserable sleep I ever had. I built this and couldn't have been happier.

 

what kind of would did you use for the top?

 

3/4" MDO plywood.

 

I bought a foam queen mattress off Amazon, blue one, and cut it to size and then made a fitted sheet for it.

 

Feel pretty solid? Still trying to decide what kind of would to go with. It will be more square and probably 1/2" rather than your long piece but want clean edges that I can paint black or bed liner.

 

I wouldn't go with 1/2". With 3/4" there is a tiny bit of flex so I through a 4x4 block under the center and it's perfect. 1/2" would flex way too much unless you added multiple supports underneath. I only use the 1 4x4x4 for support.

 

That's good to know. I am 6'3" 225 lbs so the more solid the better!

 

I am 6'2" 175. Worth going 3/4. You will need one or 2 supports. 4x4 blocks are easy to cut and use. Can move them around for the perfect support location.

 

74-75" depending how far forward the front seats are, and if you take out the rear seat bases for the extra few inches. I cut wood to total 73" and it fits great. Under the rear half is an Organic Briefcase pad which levels it perfectly and can double as a place to sit while camping.

https://organicclimbing.com/products/briefcase-pad

 

I will mostly tent camp with the occasional night sleeping in the back of the 4Runner if I'm only camping at a spot for one or two nights and don't want to have to set up and take down a tent. I will travel with so much stuff on long trips that the best I'll be able to do is create enough space to sleep on one side of the full cargo area with the back seats down. My vehicle has the cargo tray so I'm working with a flat area. I put the self inflating camping pad I already have (REI Camp Bed 3.5) in the back and although it's longer than the back of the 4Runner (it says 78" on the cover, I measured 76"), there is enough slack in it inflated that the top portion folded nicely up against the back of the front seat like a headboard. It's not as thick as a normal mattress, but I'm doing to try a sleeping bag on top of it for at least a night or two to see if it's enough. I've been spending like a drunken sailor on vehicle mods, portable power station, portable refrigerator, etc. and want to see if I can avoid spending $200 or so on a custom self inflating mattress for the 4Runner. That's a lot of money for an inflatable mattress.

I'm 6'2", 175, and I believe the back of the 4Runner with the front seat shoved forward is about 5'10". I am a side sleeper who sleeps with my knees bent, so I can fit back there. One more thing to think about if you're sleeping in the back of the vehicle is ventilation. I bought a set of mesh covers for the back windows on Amazon for about $10. You open the back doors and slide them over the windows, then you can roll the windows down partially or completely to let air in and keep bugs out. I also bought a little portable fan with a rechargeable battery.

 

I'm looking at this setup for myself, planning a cross-country roadtrip & wanting to save on hotel costs etc. In your opinion, is the leveling mat really needed for the 5th Gen?

 

I sleep in my 2023 4Runner three nights a week and have done since I bought it in October 2022. I'm 6' 3" and 185 and what I did to fit in the back was to unbolt the bottom portion of the rear seat.When I am getting ready to go to sleep, I simply remove the bottom portion of the rear seat (the one behind the driver) and place it in the footwell of the front passenger area. With that removed, and with the driver's seat moved forward a bit, I can easily stretch out fully on my stomach with my feet dangling down or sleep on my side or back very comfortably.

I have a 3" thick futon that I roll out over a yoga mat and that's perfect.

 

For a cross country road trip, you might want to consider adding the sliding cargo deck which would not only level the back for sleeping but potentially add a lot of value for camping. I didn't care much that the 2018 Limited I bought a couple of months ago had it, but since I sold a teardrop trailer and decided to tent camp out of the vehicle and sleep in the back some nights, I'm really happy I have it. I have a Jackery portable power station, a camp kitchen, an induction cooktop that will plug into the Jackery, and other things to access at the back of the cargo area. It will be nice to have the slide out so I don't have to do as much bending and reaching to get things out and put them back in.

 

FJ Cruisers had big knob headed bolts holding the lower back seats in, so it was easy to quickly remove them. Do you use a ratchet every time? I wonder if the knobs could be retrofitted over? I haven't been able to find a P/N yet.

 

I don't know how people can sleep on a super thick mattress, let alone a pull out draw system as well as a mattress, its like sleeping on the top bunk with a low ceiling. I'm almost 6' and it would kill me to not be able to sit up, roll over. So I went with a ThermArest 2" thick base camp mattress and made my own 3" platform. Great insulation, wont create mold under it and its easy to clean and pack away if I need more space.

 

79226-35010
Awaiting info from the FJCruiserforums to confirm thread pitch. I will definately be ordering a set of these if they fit.