Yes, it is another of a million posts about sleeping in a 4runner. I have searched around and have not specifically found an answer to this. I was not wanting to build a platform, but rather I wanted to get a cot for this thing. I saw a post where someone had a Helinox Max convertible cot, but I am not really made of money and this thing is $450.

Has anyone tried a more traditional cot in their 4runner? Did the seats need to come out?

I was looking at this:

https://www.rei.com/rei-garage/produ...lade-cot-large

Looks pretty tall from the specs:
ALPS Mountaineering: Unfolded 80 x 31 x 20 inches
vs.
Helinox: Unfolded 82.7 x 29.5 x 6.7 inches

On a budget, I would just get a sleeping bag

I have a 3" thick sleeping pad coming. Maybe I just take some blankets and see where that takes me.


This looks like a shorter, cheaper option

https://www.rei.com/product/130067/k...covery-low-cot

have you considered an air mattress?

I have, any help on what size air mattresses will fit? Will I need to take out the seat bottoms to make it fit (I am 6'2" tall)

They've changed the design now since I got mine, but the travelchair sleeprite cot can be had for under $150:

https://www.amazon.com/TravelChair-2...25033005&psc=1

I haven't slept in the back with the cot yet (I've slept in there with an airbedz truck bed air mattress - PPI103 fits right in), but I can confirm that neither the air mattress or cot will fit in there unless you remove the rear seat bottoms.

i have a fill size cot, it's way too high to use in the 4runner- you'll need one of the low profile or backpacking type cot. if you're not sure if you'll like it and don't want to spend a lot of money, aliexpress has a lot of knockoff versions for cheap

i hate hate hate air mattresses, but the 4" exped megamat is really comfortable

regarding the seat bottoms, you might need to remove them to take advantage of that area depending on what your cot supports are like. i'm 6'3" and only fit comfortable if i remove a seat bottom and go all the way up to the passenger seat.

if you have a full size cot why not just put it outside the vehicle? i just do that with a basic mesh insect cover and tie a tarp over the cot if it's going to rain

@OP. They have some videos of sleeping in a 4Runner and what some have done.
https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...eep+in+4runner

wish i could actually help, but i'm in a similar boat. i'm hoping the el cheapo twin sized air mattress i use in a tent sometimes will fit/work with some other gear in the car. it may not.

TBH pillow and sleeping bag + blanket worked for me when i slept in the back during a 24 hour enduro race..

I remember I tried to fit one of these in the 4runner to sleep in. Way too long. Rear didn't even close lol. Last night I was browsing for a memory foam top on Amazon for future trips. I saw a post on here that the cargo area is about 66 inches in length I think.

I ended up fitting a twin air mattress that I had and it was awesome. Snug fit but the rear was able to close by forcing it. I'm 5'8" and I was pretty comfy.

Is that with the seats out, I assume?

Don't do memory foam for camping if you ever plan on camping in cool weather, it gets really hard in cool weather and turns into a completely solid rock when it gets cold enough

As a 6' 1" tall person, I have to sleep diagonal to fit with the seat bottoms still in the vehicle. To do a cot or full air mattress, I'm assuming you'd have to pull the seat bottoms out to fit vertically.

But I think when I slept in my trunk, I just put my camping air pad down and slept diagonally in my sleeping bag. Wasn't the best thing ever but it was sufficient.

Nope, left the seats in there! That red chair bag is actually laying on top of the folded up seat.
I'm sure it would have been less of a squeeze had I removed them. But it all worked out so I left them.
I never attempted removing the the seats trying to fit the cot. Maybe it could have worked.

Interesting, thanks for the tip.