Sleep mods for 2020 TRD Off-Road

I'm strongly considering a 2020 TRD Off-road for my girlfriend and myself to do weekend camping and also longer trips. I had a horrible off road experience so want a 4Runner Off-road as I never want to get stuck again. I'm not interested in rock crawling but want the peace of mind that it's there if necessary. We want the security of being able to sleep inside the truck, particularly when it's cold.

I've had a hard time finding any recommended or off the shelf sleeping rigs or mods for this trim. It seems like the rear seats are tough to remove and we may have passengers in between trips so ideally there's something that can fold and adapt to folding 2nd row.

Any recs?

 

You’re going to either need to install the cargo tray or build a platform, because there is about a 2-3” dip when you put the seats down. I built a platform out of plywood and 2x4, then bought a cheap rub and upholstered the entire thing. Then you can go air mattress or sleeping pad. Keep in mind, the air mattress is a few inches too long, so it won’t lay perfectly flat. Nonetheless, it is not bad, as long as you’re 6’0” or shorter. During the warmer months, I put a portable fan next to me to stay cool. I haven’t tried any of this with two people, though, so you may need to figure out where you can store all of your gear while sleeping.

 

what matt said but I would add some custom drawers so that space under the mattress is useable for tools, axe, etc...Then foam pads from REI or somewhere as those are way better than air mattresses.

 

2 persons will be tight....I would not recommend it especially if you are like me and tend to roll around alot while I sleep.

 

What was your horrible off road experience.

 

You can check out Goose gear:

https://www.goose-gear.com/products...d-sleeping-platforms-2010-current-model-years

Or, for less than $100, you can build something like this:



I can fit tools, camping gear, fishing gear, recovery gear all under the platform. I thought about drawers but it's pretty easy to just slide things in and out. This keeps it light so I can remove it easily by myself.

 

Check out my build thread. I modded the cargo area so it is level with the back seats and then had two pads cut from high quality 2" foam. At 5' 10", I can't layout straight in the space but fit just fine at a slight angle. We did a two week road trip in June and slept back there a number of times and it worked out great. And the pads fold up nicely in the back if you need to have the 2nd row seats available. The main thing was getting that cargo area flat, and there are a number of other custom builds posted here.

 

Where did you get the foam? I'm currently using a mattress topper, but it's not quite firm enough. I thought about getting a folding RV mattress, but I like the idea of something cut to size.

 

Purchased from a local Foam & Upholstery shop. Since it's mattress quality it wasn't cheap, but they only charge for the foam, cutting to fit was free. We are going to have covers made as well, but that part of their shop was backed up until August so we made quick covers from sheets.

 

Cool, thank you! I believe there are some local foam product manufacturers in my area, so I'll check around and see if anyone does small orders.

 

4 boltsremoves the bottoms from the middle row seats(super easy!) , this gives TONS more room length wise(Im 6'4", 240#s and I've slept multiple times in it with a gf ).
2 schools of thought here....
1. on top of wheel wells.... gives more width, better drawer space, etc. but feels like a coffin....if you can deal, this is the way.
2. level with hump... lots more moving around room vertically, but narrower, minimal storage capacity, and you have to remove all your gear before sleeping...pita. I have to go this route because I don't like the coffin feel and not being able to sit up.(and still sleep with a gf most of the time, comfortably)

Or another option is a rtt or a awning/room combo like this from ironman 4x4..

 

mattresses
Ive tried a couple of things....
air mattress- cheap 'full size" from duotex (wal-mart) fits perfect and you dont need a platform to level, the air mattress will compensate and squish into place....downsides? its a shitty air mattress, goes flat in middle of night, and if your partner moves you move.
Foam - PITA to carry/store, I stacked my stuff on top for trips but it got trashed quick .. other than that..sleep was nice
Exped Megamat- go this route if you can afford it, best of both worlds!

 

following

 

Seeing some nice setups here and elsewhere online. Important to note that the options will depend on whether you have two rows, or two rows with the slide out cargo shelf, or three rows. I know most people on this forum have two rows, because most are off-road oriented. But those considering a new SR5 or Limited might want to think about the pros and cons of three rows with respect to the cargo area.

In short:

> Two row setups give you the most height from floor to ceiling but the least length between the front seats and the hatch. As has been noted, they also have a 2-3 inch hump between the cargo floor and the folded down rear seats. Not fun to try to sleep on. Also, you won't be able to stretch out straight unless you are pretty short.

> Two row setups with the sliding cargo tray have the same length but eliminate the hump at the expense of raising the cargo floor 2-3 inches.

> Three row setups lose you 4-5 inches in height from floor to ceiling but gain you a good 6 inches in length between the front seats and the hatch. Even more if you slide the front seats forward (or the driver / front passenger have short legs to begin with). This is because the second row seat bottoms do not need to be folded forward and up toward the back of the front seats, where they’d form a thick wall. Instead, the seat backs just fold down on top of them. This creates a lot of extra length for the cargo hold. It's the same result you'd get by unbolting the seat bottoms and leaving them at home, except they're still there if you need them!

Also, the second row seats slide forward and back (and for that matter also recline, though that's not relevant for this discussion). Sliding them forward lengthens the floorspace and creates a trough between the cargo floor and the folded seats. This trough can be used for storage -- or to stuff blankets or whatever in there to eliminate the hump.

I went with the third row because I may occasionally need to fit 6 people in the truck. But the above was also a major consideration, because I want to be able to sleep in there stretched out straight. I'm 5'11" and there's no way I could do that with the two row configuration. With the three row I can do it with a lot of length to spare. And even the hump is not a problem if I sleep with my head at the hatch and my feet toward the front seats. In that position, the seats raise your legs instead of the hump being in the middle of your back.

Hope that's helpful for folks.

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one trying to figure out a way to sleep with that 2-3 inch hump between the cargo area and the back seats! What about the cargo trays I see online, will they level out the back or does it have to be something custom? Thanks!

 

A lot of folks have built a small platform to level the cargo area with the seat-backs. Do you have a link to the cargo tray? Or, are you referring to the Toyota sliding cargo tray?

One thing to consider is that the cargo area is at a slightly different angle than the folded seats. I don't know if you would even notice it while laying on it, but I noticed it while building my platform.

 

The hump is eliminated by the slide-out cargo deck that's a factory option on some two-row Runners. You can't order the slide-out deck from Toyota after the fact, and it's complicated to install if you manage to find a used one from someone else. I'm not aware of aftermarket cargo trays that do the same thing. I have seen cool aftermarket systems that level the floor and also provide storage cubbies, but they involve unbolting the second row seat cushions and storing them outside of the vehicle.

The three-row Runners are a nice solution IMO because they don't have much of a hump, more of a trough between the second row and the cargo floor. So that's easier to work around. And you can put the second row seats back into duty anytime you want. With the types of installations you see on this forum, the second row is unusable.

But if I couldn't have three rows I personally would want the OEM slide-out deck.