Factory sliding cargo tray. yay or nay?

Rear Cargo Tray Removal

Hello all....new to the forum. Thinking about getting a 2019. 2 questions for all. Can the sliding rear cargo tray be removed easily and the compartment covered up....and 2, what is meant by that with the tray everything is flat for sleeping? I would assume NOT having it is better for flat area?

Last...don't have kids, don't imagine hauling big items often, and don't see a lot of tailgaiting or cooking off of it. Do I want it? Thanks for any help!
 
If you're hauling a lot of stuff around and want a flat surface with the rear seats down then by all means get it. Had it in my first one, second one didnt but i found someone selling theirs and picked it up. Worth every penny.
 
Hello all....new to the forum. Thinking about getting a 2019. 2 questions for all. Can the sliding rear cargo tray be removed easily and the compartment covered up....and 2, what is meant by that with the tray everything is flat for sleeping? I would assume NOT having it is better for flat area?

Last...don't have kids, don't imagine hauling big items often, and don't see a lot of tailgaiting or cooking off of it. Do I want it? Thanks for any help!

If you take out the rubber mat covering the tray and lay down the back seats the area in the back is almost completely flat.
The design of the 4runner cargo area is different with each option that fits back there.
For example, if you have a 3rd row seat option there is a 4-5" gap between the 3rd row seat area when flat and the back seats when flat, stuff falls down there all the time and it's terrible to sleep on with a gap.

Models with no cargo slider and no 3rd row seat (owners here please correct this if wrong) there have been posts where the cargo area lays flat, but the rear seats have a slight incline making it not impossible, but a little more difficult to get a flat night's sleep for those sleeping in the back.

I have a cargo slider and have liked it, with modifications:
Pro: Is flat for sleeping, easy to pull in and out for gear, great for kid changing table, great for tail gating pull out platform, has small bag hangers on the bottom for trash bags (at least that's what I use them for), has a small hidden gear area that fills the gap between the back seats and cargo area which is open if you have a 3rd row, comes with an easy to clean rubber mat, many more pros have been listed in this thread.

Cons:
Biggest Con is not having anchor points on the cargo platform itself. The tie downs located in the default spots of the interior cargo area, meaning if you want to use the anchor points you cannot pull out the cargo tray.
The modifications I made were to add reinforced tie down points on the tray itself.
Other cons: Seems to cut into the overall cargo space compared to not having one, sometimes when having tall loads stuff can fall back behind the cargo and the back seats when you pull it out, meaning you have to climb into the back seats and fish that stuff out before retracting the tray.

I chose to have the cargo tray because I sleep in the back all the time when camping and wanted something that was as flat as possible.
I suggest looking at all the different options and climbing in the back and checking them all out before making a purchase. For example as soon as I experienced that gap in the 3rd row seat it was an instant "nope" for me on that option as it didn't fit what I was looking for.
 
Hello all....new to the forum. Thinking about getting a 2019. 2 questions for all. Can the sliding rear cargo tray be removed easily and the compartment covered up....and 2, what is meant by that with the tray everything is flat for sleeping? I would assume NOT having it is better for flat area?

Last...don't have kids, don't imagine hauling big items often, and don't see a lot of tailgaiting or cooking off of it. Do I want it? Thanks for any help!

If you get the 3rd row, the seats fold into the floor, but the cargo floor sits about 6" than it would without the 3rd row. Also, the 3rd row folds flat, but the middle seats do not, so there is an incline when all the seats are down.

If you do not have the 3rd row, the second row seats do fold completely flat, however the cargo area floor is about 3" lower than the flat surface of the folded 2nd row, So if trying to slide long objects in the back, or if wanting to sleep back there, its awkward.

Having the cargo tray brings the cargo area floor exactly the same height as the second row floor with the seats folding down. At that point, you have a nearly 6foot long completely flat area. Great for loading long cargo or sleeping. I've only had mine for 2 months, but I plan on sleeping in mine, so I was glad to have it. I've also loaded long cargo in there that fit perfectly with it.

I bought mine used (a 2013 TE), but if buying new I'd probably opt for it, if it's 500 bucks or less for the option.
 
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I have mine especially for camping (it creates a flat surface). I regret I sold my first one to put in drawers but then ended up finding another cargo slide on here!
 
I installed ARB low profile drawers and sold my sliding tray to another forum member. The drawers are way more useful to me. I almost never slid my tray out.
 

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