\\ MITZENFAUKER's // Custom Drawer System & Sleeping Extension Build [5th Gen]

[mitzenfauker]

<br>
CUSTOM DRAWER & SLEEPING EXTENSION BUILD for 5TH GEN
Welcome to the thread. Just finished up this build on a custom drawer system and sleeping extension for the 16' 4R Trail.
UPDATED 4/4/17

Heyo everyone!
My name is Nick and I am just another face amongst this awesome community of 4R owners.
I am pretty new to the threads here and haven't posted much but it's always fun to get lost in all the awesomeness that everyone else has going on with all their builds on this forum.

I just finished up a build on a custom drawer system & sleeping extension built for my 2016 5th Gen Trail 4R. Been getting into camping quite a bit over the last 2-3 years with the wife. Now that we have the 4R, we actually fit perfect sleeping in it. I am about 5'8" and fit exactly in it [my wife is 5'0" so she has no problem at all haha]. Typically we tent camp but occasionally it get's pretty cold out and calls for sleeping inside the 4R, especially this season with all the snow up in the mountains! My wife and I have slept a few times in the 4R but there is a weird little bump that hits directly in my lower back when you put the seats down. Because of that, I figured why not build a drawer system with a removable sleeping extension!

Got a chance to use it up in the Sequoias this past weekend with all the snow and rain and worked perfect!
Check it out below to see the [semi] final product and some of the build too!


-----------------------------

FINISHED DESIGN (CURRENTLY) WITH SEATS UP
Here it is. First big project I added to my 4R. I didn't bolt anything down because I wanted the option if I ever wanted to take it out I could. The only thing I might add to this is some tie downs of some sort to attach to the tie downs already in the car near the back. 2nd photo shows the drawers fully extended which goes to 7/8 of the way out of the box. The drawer slides also hold up to 100lb.

SLEEPING EXTENSION ATTACHED
Built a removable sleeping extension that sits on L shaped brackets and bolts in with a 5/16" bolt and wing nut to tighten it down. The extension sits flush with the drawer system and buts up right against the seats when they are folded down.

-----------------------------


UPDATE 4/4/17

Ended up having to add flush mounted paddle latches as the slides loosened up and smoothed out over time after being worked in. These new latches work like a charm and look great!

-----------------------------

THE BUILD
Started out with some 3/4" Pine plywood. Surprisingly Home Depot didn't have a really good selection of plywoods when I went in the 3/4" range, except for this one. It was a little bit pricier but was a solid piece of wood and was real nice!

Tools Used
- Router (plunge and fixed base)
- Jigsaw
- Straight Edge Rip Guide
- Sawhorses
- Circular Saw

Items used
- 3/4 in. Pine Plywood (drawer shell and drawers)
- 1/4 in. Birch Plywood (drawer bottoms)
- 26 in. 100lb full extension ball bearing slides
- 2" x 6" wood - legs of the sleeping extension
- 3ft x 6 ft. Kraco Replacement carpet roll (black)
- 5/16 in. Bolt and Wingnuts (to secure the sleeping extension)- 5/16 in. Bolt and Wingnuts (to secure the sleeping extension)
- L Bracket (attached to main drawer shell)

- Minwax Prestain Wood conditioner
- Minwax Wood Stain (Jacobean)
- Minwax Polyurethane Clear Satin Finish (still need to apply this)

- Wood screws
- Wood Glue

Added it into my 4R to see how it fit. The drawer box sits about 8.5" (when the bottom piece is on) from the floor and still able to sit on top and have space to sit up (slightly bent over but still comfortable). This photo shows it before I added the bottom piece of plywood in though. I wouldn't want it any taller than this though.

Glued down and added some wood screws as well for some extra durability. Slides are in on this one too. The box is upside down right now in this first photo.

Drawers cut & measured up. Threw it into the box without attaching anything yet to see if I liked the fit. I wanted to make sure to get the most depth out of the box since the drawer shell wasn't that tall. Also ended up adding in a flush faceplate to the drawer so that it looked cleaner (you can see that on the ground in this photo below).

Routed out a track for the drawer bottom on these 2 drawers and glued all together. All ready to add into the car.

Added in the car with the sleeping extension to see how everything lined up and fit. Fit like a charm in there!

I was between the looks. I originally was going to carpet the front faceplates of the drawer but instead, decided to stain it. I figured I could always carpet it later if I wanted.

And BAM! There we go, all put together. Stained drawers faces, carpeted black to match the interior of my 4R and drilled some holes in the sleeping extensions to fit on the L Brackets you will see below as well. I made sure the drawer shell worked with my seat up and I was able to remove the sleeping extension whenever I wanted so I could keep my 4R as an everyday commuter.

Built it just in time for a recent trip out to the Sequoia's too. It was snowing both nights were there and worked perfect to have everything in there in the drawers and sleep in there at night. I had 2 sleeping pads from REI that layed side by side, a double sleeping bag on top of that, and then my wife and I slept in our mummy sleeping bags on top of that. Definitely a great investment and definitely enjoyed building it!

L Brackets that the sleeping extension bolts into.

Before I tacked down the carpet with adhesive spray. Buts up right against the seats when the are folded down.

Looks and its great in there (or at least I think it looks good haha

Fillin er up.

Took me awhile searching the forums here to figure out what exactly I wanted but finally just budged and went for it. There are so many good ones out there and they all serve a different purpose for how you are using it. If it was just me sleeping in there and I didn't have my wife, I probably would have went more of the overland route with the ARB fridge and a bigger setup for the back, but for having the the both of us. I think this works perfect for us.

Definitely had a great time building it and the functionality is great. I wish I would have built it sooner for camping!

If you have any questions feel free to send them over and I would happy to answer them! Always rad to help other members out that want to give it a try as well if you are looking to build this on your own.

Stoked to share the build with you all though and help where I can.
Enjoy!

 

[mitzenfauker]

Sequoia National Park Trip with the New Drawer System

Took this new build out for a spin last weekend to Sequoia National Park and Kings canyon. Worked great and was super comfortable.

Drawers all filled up with the necessities. Goal Zero solar panels, tie downs, camping cooking utensils, lights, tarps, etc.

Actually didn't take too many photos of the 4R in the snow (don't know why either) but had a blast up there snapping photos along the way!

....and a Hi5 to a rad trip and this drawer system working like a charm!

 

[bofa]

Nice job man. Im impressed you were able to get such clean cuts with a circular saw. Any issues with the drawers not being latched and banging against the hatch?

 

[mitzenfauker]

Nice job man. Im impressed you were able to get such clean cuts with a circular saw. Any issues with the drawers not being latched and banging against the hatch?

Thanks!

Ended up picking this up to help with the straight cuts on ripping wood.
BORA 50 in. WTX Clamp Edge and Jigsaw Guide-543059K - The Home Depot

Didn't pay $62 for it though. They were running a special the day I picked it up or they mismarked it but bought it for only $25 from Home Depot. Definitely helped a ton as a guide.

I bought some magnet latches and installed them today on the insides. Everything seemed to be working good today but need to go test it in a parking lot one day and slam on the breaks/step on the gas to see if things open.

So far, I did experience only 1 drawer side opening every so often. Working out the kinks on that now though.

Looking for a flush mounted latch to install though I think would be ideal. Trying to just keep it as clean as possible on the outside.

 

[Patriot12]

Thanks!

Ended up picking this up to help with the straight cuts on ripping wood.
BORA 50 in. WTX Clamp Edge and Jigsaw Guide-543059K - The Home Depot

Didn't pay $62 for it though. They were running a special the day I picked it up or they mismarked it but bought it for only $25 from Home Depot. Definitely helped a ton as a guide.

I bought some magnet latches and installed them today on the insides. Everything seemed to be working good today but need to go test it in a parking lot one day and slam on the breaks/step on the gas to see if things open.

So far, I did experience only 1 drawer side opening every so often. Working out the kinks on that now though.

Looking for a flush mounted latch to install though I think would be ideal. Trying to just keep it as clean as possible on the outside.

Great job! I might be interested depending on price. Love the choice of stain with the black carpet backdrop. Looks rugged. :cowboy:

 

[Cymon]

Looks great, and nice write-up! :bravo:

 

[Capt.Canuck]

Thanks!

Ended up picking this up to help with the straight cuts on ripping wood.
BORA 50 in. WTX Clamp Edge and Jigsaw Guide-543059K - The Home Depot

Didn't pay $62 for it though. They were running a special the day I picked it up or they mismarked it but bought it for only $25 from Home Depot. Definitely helped a ton as a guide.

I bought some magnet latches and installed them today on the insides. Everything seemed to be working good today but need to go test it in a parking lot one day and slam on the breaks/step on the gas to see if things open.

So far, I did experience only 1 drawer side opening every so often. Working out the kinks on that now though.

Looking for a flush mounted latch to install though I think would be ideal. Trying to just keep it as clean as possible on the outside.

Have you considered a latch system like the one TitanPat used?

Trailer Truck Door Latch Paddle JR Locking Plain Steel 2.75" x 3.75" CH545 Keys | eBay

 

[Capt.Canuck]

Can you post a pic of where/how the sleeping extension is stored when not in use?

 

[mitzenfauker]

Looks great, and nice write-up! :bravo:

Thanks!

Have you considered a latch system like the one TitanPat used?

Trailer Truck Door Latch Paddle JR Locking Plain Steel 2.75" x 3.75" CH545 Keys | eBay

I did look into those but didn't find any in store. I was trying to exhaust a few options prior to going this route since the ones I was looking into were a bit more pricey.

Tried some drawer magnets but didn't seem strong enough.

Giving this a try today to see if it will work, Liberty Statuary Bronze Double Roller Catch-C08820C-STB-P1 - The Home Depot

Heard it was pretty strong and figure if I use 2 it should work pretty well. Could be wrong though. If this doesn't work then I will go to the ones below similar to what you suggested.

Ideally though, my original plan had latches similar to what you suggested above though.
Something like these: https://www.goose-gear.com/collections/goose-gear-modules/products/compression-latch-with-keyed-lock
Looked at this one too: PX-C2-43-35 - Southco Lever Latch Push Button Non Locking Black Powder Coated

 

[mitzenfauker]

Can you post a pic of where/how the sleeping extension is stored when not in use?

Sure thing!
I'll snap a photo in the morning and post it up.
My garage is pretty trashed but its basically just a sheet of wood that rests in my garage.

Photo coming at ya in the morning though!

 

[mitzenfauker]

Can you post a pic of where/how the sleeping extension is stored when not in use?

Just on the side of my garage.
Doesn't really take up too much space.

Laying like that, its about 30in tall and 41 in. wide.

 

[4runnin4mylife]

Just on the side of my garage.
Doesn't really take up too much space.

Laying like that, its about 30in tall and 41 in. wide.

View attachment 241230

Could you just carpet the bottom, put it on hinges, and then you could fold it up over the drawer system and leave it in the truck attached when not using it? Your back seats can be put back up when not in use and you can still put stuff on top of it. Or is it too long? I haven't done any measurements... Just looking at pics!

 

[mitzenfauker]

Could you just carpet the bottom, put it on hinges, and then you could fold it up over the drawer system and leave it in the truck attached when not using it? Your back seats can be put back up when not in use and you can still put stuff on top of it. Or is it too long? I haven't done any measurements... Just looking at pics!

Yeah that would be a possibility.
Don't remember the dimensions exactly. The sleeping extension is the same width as the Drawer shell, but I think it's a littler shorter. I believe you might run into a problem though when you lifted it up and back onto the drawer. I don't believe there is enough clearance there to swing it up and over. I think I saw another user do that and the ended up having to make it into 3 pieces essentially.

But, even if you didn't have hinges, you could technically carpet the bottom as well, and if you found a way to bolt it down to secure it from moving you could easily store it on top of the drawer shell as well to save some space also if you didn't have a place to store the extension or wanted to have the seats while driving to camping then basically just move it back when you get to your camp site.

 

[brokengranite]

Looks good! Heres a link to the drawer system I built. I still need to finish the sleeping extension, been too lazy in the garage lately.

My whole objective was to keep it light. The frame itself is only 8lbs. Im not sure if my drawer construction is any lighter than just going with 1/2" plywood, its definitely more of a pain to do it my way and looking back on it I'd probably just do 1/2" plywood in the future. The 1/2" top is plenty strong resting on the wheel wells and frame.

My plan for the sleep platform is to remove the seat bottoms so I can get a 6' platform when the extension is installed, then slide the passenger seat forward for more leg room. Im 6'3" so the more room the better.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/2588381-post21975.html

 

[mscot]

Nice work. I wonder if you could do a double hinged, two part section for the sleeping piece so that you can fold it up if it's too tall as a single piece. Maybe use a detachable piece as a brace underneath the middle hinge?

Two tips for your future builds. 1. Use Baltic Birch. Its stronger, more stable, and holds screws better. It will last much longer. You get it at lumber yards (or pay twice as much and get it at rocker, I guess)
2. If you want to stain again, use a gel stain rather than a traditional one, and a pre-stain conditioner. It will give you a more even distribution of the color.

 

[RaceAddict]

Very slick install... I've been thinking about something like this for my truck as well. I think I'd go for a shallower drawer though to keep the overall height down since my husky is usually in the back and I'd prefer to keep him lower down if possible.

What are you using to anchor the drawers down?

 

[mitzenfauker]

Very slick install... I've been thinking about something like this for my truck as well. I think I'd go for a shallower drawer though to keep the overall height down since my husky is usually in the back and I'd prefer to keep him lower down if possible.

What are you using to anchor the drawers down?

Thanks for the compliment!

I don't have anything anchoring them down currently. Since I have put them in they are absolutely sturdy and have not moved once.

Only mod I need to make to them is possibly putting a paddle type latch on there to hold the drawer shut.

The left drawer opens when stopping currently so I am thinking I need to add the paddle latches on to counter that.

Other than that though, no movement whatsoever back there.

As for the heigh, I have it 8 1/2 inches high. I was going to go a little smaller as well but was scared I wouldn't be able to fit much in there. When we go camping, I stick my stove and other accessories in one side so I wanted to keep it a little deep.

I am 5"7 and sitting on top of it, I have to hunch over just a little bit to fit. When I was measuring the height, I tried to find things I could stack that were sturdy enough to sit on to get an idea of how I wanted it too.

 

[TacoRunner_]

As soon as I can make a new thread I'll show you my drawer system that I built . You have no movement of the system when offroad? I have a 60" and 36" drawer. I sleep on the 60" side and my dog sleeps on the "step in" I created. Love how you have the removable extension. I don't have back seats anymore now

 

[mitzenfauker]

As soon as I can make a new thread I'll show you my drawer system that I built . You have no movement of the system when offroad? I have a 60" and 36" drawer. I sleep on the 60" side and my dog sleeps on the "step in" I created. Love how you have the removable extension. I don't have back seats anymore now

I haven't taken it out on anything crazy for off-roading and would assume if I get into any heavy off-roading I would need to bolt this thing down to the body for maximum security.

Definitely trying to line up some trips though. I will keep you posted from my findings if I do, or if I find any rough backroads I can test this sucker on. So far absolutely no movement whatsoever which is great. And yeah its a major plus I can keep my seats in and use that sleeping extension whenever we go out.

 

[trailstriker]

Beautiful work. I admire those that have the ability to build their own modifications like these drawers. It just seems to bring more heart and soul to the vehicle. Unfortunately... that does not include me.