Sleeping in 4R, a Heads Up

I had a '21 Venture and used to sleep in it by taking out the back seat bottoms and pushing the seat backs forward. Now I have a '23 ORP, and I took it camping after removing the seat bottoms. I'm out in a remote area and push the seat backs forward to make a large sleeping area, but crap, in this 4R there is a center cup holder arm rest that won't depress forward flat. So no way to put my sleeping pad down.

A warning to anyone getting a new 4R who intends to sleep in the back. Check to see if it has this POS option.

After I got home I noticed that there may be two bolts holding this unwanted arm rest down. Has anyone had this experience and tried to remove the arm rest/cup holder?

 

My '23 ORP has the center cup holder armrest in the back seat and it folds down completely flat. I've slept in it about 20 nights, some the seat bottoms removed, and some with the seat bottoms just folded forward. Are you sure there wasn't something else in the way?

Edit: Added pic of the back seats folded down, with the platform in back.

 

Same as @backpacker , my seats fold flat with the center armrest/cup-holders.

 

If you have a high leveling platform, so that a mattress can make it level with the folded forward seat bottoms (not taken off) then it’s ALL leveled even the tops of rolled forward seat bottoms, so if you then move the front seats forward you can just lay down with your head by lift gate and let your ankles just hang over the seat bottoms (unless you’re short). This won’t be uncomfortable even for tall people (and even for two people), we fall asleep with our ankles hanging off the edges of recliners all the time and it’s comfortable! A high leveling platform like this setup…

https://bambeds.com/products/bambed-4runner-10-23

 

I don't know if the venture is different somehow, but did you by chance fold the middle seat down separately? (Using the handle on the middle section?) This makes the center seat back fold in the middle, and won't fold all the way down.

With all seat backs up and the armrest raised, you should just have to hit the two handles at the tops of the outside seats (after dealing with the seat bottoms).

 

OK, thanks for the responses. I see what the issue is and apologize to Toyota. When I tried to get it all flat in the back, I approached it from the driver's side and lowered the driver's side seat back. Then I tried to lower the middle thing with the cup holders. It would not go flat. Now I see that it will go flat when I finally lower the passenger side seat back.
I have a piece of 2 inch thick foamed plastic insulation that I place in the back to make everything flat and level.

 

That sounds interesting. How stiff is it? If it's not suitable to pile gear onto, can you roll it up when you're not sleeping on it?

 

You must pull the seat bottoms forward and fold the headrests down to fold the seats flat.

If you reach in with your finger you will find a fabric loop that will release the seat bottoms to fold them forward. Then there's a lever on the side of the headrest that you pull to fold them down. After all that just release the seat at the top corner and it will all fold flat.

 

I slept in the back of my 2021 ORP. I slept with my head towards the front and the difference in level actually made things better for me because I like for my head to be higher than my feet. I use a 10-in twin size air mattress and couldn't tell if it was a difference in the level of the platform.

 

I've slept on the Luna mattress without the leveling platform with reasonable comfort. I don't think it's 10", but thick enough to mitigate the step pretty well.

I'm still interested to hear about @lowflyer 's setup.

 

OK, here is the way I level the back sleeping area. It is 2 inch plastic foam insulation from Home Depot cut to size with duct tape around the edges to prevent flaking. It is hard and does not fold. Heavy objects do not dent or compress it. Right now it has some puncture marks from my German shepherd's claws It weighs next to nothing and obviously is easy to take out and store and was cheap. Just a quick pic in the dark.

 

Ok cool it looks like you have the seat bottoms removed. With those removed, I wonder how long a mattress can be until it hits up against that center console. Without the seat bottoms removed it’s 66” or 67” before a mattress hits the rolled forward seat bottoms. But even if that center console maxes out mattress length, with front seats all the way forward two people could still comfortably have their ankles over the edge (like we always do anyway on recliners).

I’m checking out a mattress that is 75” long, But I’m not sure if that length will be too long or not.

 

Yes, my seat bottoms are removed. I use a Paco pad that is 72 inches long. There is room to spare for that, BUT there is the open space between the top of the folded down rear seat back and the center console (about 8 inches). I usually stuff stuff I'm not using down there to support the head end of the Paco pad. The tail gate is usually closed when sleeping.
That's what I do, others may have a better solution.

 

Oh wow, 72” and room to spare, sounds like 75” will definitely fit then even if I have to shove it in a bit!! Awesome. Yeah I definitely have to fill that gap in with something that is properly sized in height to be level with the front of the folded seats.

 

Later today I will try to get a photo up with the Paco pad in place.

 

Here is the 72 inch Paco pad in the truck. I keep it on the driver's side with random camping stuff on the passenger side. You can see that there is still about 4 inches between the head of the pad and the center console. This works for me. The only issue is putting stuff in the space below the head of the Paco pad to support the pad.

 

Thanks! I’m checking out mattress options. I would prefer a tri-fold, but I was also checking out this website that lets you customize your dimensions, with a bi-fold hinge point, I’m thinking of ordering 76” long and hinged right in the middle at 38”. Thickness is 6”,

https://wildernessrvmattress.com/products/wilderness-dream-bunk

This tri-fold 5” this mattress looks like top of the line ideal quality! But unfortunately their width dimensions don’t help me, and you can’t have one cut to size. Damn I really wish I could find this exact mattress quality build, but in a useful size…

https://flatlinevanco.com/collections/transit-interior/products/ford-transit-mattress

WAY cheaper option here, so if it’s not a winner I won’t be out too much money,

https://egohome.com/products/ego-tr...er-3-inch-4-inch-white?variant=41287049248861

This one is totally sized for 4Runner, but looks like it might feel too thin IDK…

https://engineeredsleep.com/products/on-the-go-suv-mattress

If anyone has come across any tri-fold mattresses that look promising please drop a link! This search for the perfect mattress setup is entertaining. I am also thinking about just going with a length of 66”, and leaving the seat bottoms in (because I have a higher leveling platform that would make a 5”/6” thick mattress become pretty much totally even with the rolled forward seat bottoms…so the rolled seat bottoms themselves would act as a little extension to the 66” length that my ankles can then hang off of, albiet a non-soft extension)…and sleep flipped around, head by the lift gate.

I have two leveling platforms. A low one that fits between the wheels wells which would definitely call for seat bottom removal…and a high leveling platform that becomes even with the wheel wells, that one seems like it could work with or without seat bottom removal (66” long if not removing, or 76” long if removing). The short platform between wheel wells has me looking at 43” of width, and the tall platform that’s level with top of wheel wells has me at 54” of width. The way I see it is that short platform is the solo sleeper setup, and the tall platform will be the go to for two people!

 

I’ll just keep posting links. I’m not even opposed to having a conversation with myself lol…

https://www.mattressfirm.com/4-traditional-trifold-mattress/5637473826.p?variantid=5637474580

 

You are certainly doing your research. I can't help with any of that. I'm old and have in my lifetime not tried more than two different mattresses for camping, including no mattress at all

 

Lol I wasn’t implying that I was annoyed that you didn’t reply ha. I figure that I can just stuff all my links into this thread so it’s easy to reference. And hopefully if somebody knows about a hidden gem they could help my search by dropping a link!! So far I definitely think that those Sprinter tri-folds look like the best (and 5” instead of 6” is also helpful), but DAMN the sizing is a big miss unfortunately!!

 

New here, my wife and I just bought a new 24 ORP and are outfitting it for some camping. Been researching a sleep mattress that would fit and bought a New Horizon mattress made for a Tacoma. It is a self inflating foam and air mattress and we find it really comfortable for both of us. It fits perfectly around the wheel wells and length is just right with the seat bottoms removed. Found it on Amazon.

LOSTHORIZON Tacoma Truck Bed Mattress, Camping Sleeping Pad with Foam, Fits 6ft Long-Bed, 4.5" Thick, with Carry Bag

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CR6CY1V5?ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_product_details

 

Looks great! What are the seat-back organizers you are using? They look pretty good too...

 

I haven’t considered going with air mattress, but the storage advantage of them are definitely a big plus. Interesting, so they have 53.2” wide at the lift gate, 52” wide up at the front seats, and 72.8” long (damn, I’m assuming then that the mattress has seat bottom removal factored in…Luno air mattress length is 67” long and is pictured as going up to the non-removed seat bottoms). And they have it at 41.7” wide between the wheels wells.

So do you notice a little bit of wiggle room with it? Basically I was estimating custom fit mattress dimensions of 43” wide between wheel wells, 54” width the entire length from back to front (for a high platform that sits flush with top of wheel wells), and 76” long (hoping that that would still be able to fit…tightly…up against the center console). Based on how this air mattress fits for you, do you think that my dimensions would be too big to fit anywhere?? I don’t mind a tight squeeze with no more space to play with, but I’ll obviously screw up if it’s too big to even fit!

 

Looks great! What are the seat-back organizers you are using? They look pretty good too..
auspilot.....My wife picked those up on Amazon..they are Carhartt seat back organizers....

Chozen....I think your numbers will be fine as long as the wheel cutouts are in the right place...I have about an inch or so of wiggle room between the wells.

 

That’s great! Thanks for the reply. I actually won’t be trying to contour around the wheel wells for the mattress that I plan to get for between the wheel wells, I would just have the entire thing 43” wide.

 

Do you have some kind of leveling platform underneath your air mattress?

 

Looks like they have the cargo slide out, which makes it level.

 

I've got a new one of these for sale in OKC I'll make someone a screamin deal on. Super comfy but we're going the small rv route.