I see so many people on here who despise the sliding tray and want to tear it out. I couldn't disagree more, and find that it's one of the most useful things on my truck. I have a feeling that many people don't like the tray because they simply haven't found a way to utilize this feature.
My previous 4th gen 4Runner had a light gray interior, so I never had any issues with gear in the back of my truck leaving rub marks on the interior panels, but on my '14, the dark interior shows EVERYTHING. I learned that on my first offroad camping trip.
I wanted a simple solution to keep my gear from rubbing against the black interior panels, but also to keep everything organized so it doesn't fall off the tray. It was also important for me to make sure this was NOT a permanent solution because I didn't want to mutilate anything in the cargo area.
My solution was to buy several pieces of L shaped metal (typically used for installing garage door openers), some bolts nuts and lockwashers, a handful of mini C Clamps, and a few straight pieces of metal.
I used a hack saw to cut part of the L shaped metal, then bent them at 90 degrees. I then used 4 bolts to bolt on a straight pieces on the back. The result is a U shaped piece of metal, and I simply used 4 C Clamps to attach it to the back edges of the slider. Since it's clamping a piece of foam, I put two straight pieces of metal under the slider so the clamps hit metal on the top, and metal on the bottom.
The holes in the L shaped pieces of metal are great for attaching tie downs. I have two carabiners, then attach a variable length bungee over the top, then around the back.
The key to this setup is to use it in combination with a series of cases that fit like Tetris game. I have a long skinny zipper top case that goes against the back, a zipper top case on the left side (both of these are cases I already had to store photographic equipment), a 7 gallon water container that's easy to dispense when the tray is pulled out, and a thermal electric cooler that runs off a solar panel on my roof. There's also a small gap in the middle where I can store my tent, sleeping pad, etc.
I've been over some really rough roads, and nothing has budged, and nothing has moved against the interior panels. The sliding tray makes it easy to access each case (especially the one in the back), and I don't have to reach over the rear bumper to get to my gear. Also, the top of the thermal electric cooler makes a great work surface for my backpacking stove. When I'm driving around, my solar panel folds and I can store it under the tray itself.
The best thing is that when I get home, I can easily remove the setup and hang it on my garage wall. No holes, no permanent modification.
My previous 4th gen 4Runner had a light gray interior, so I never had any issues with gear in the back of my truck leaving rub marks on the interior panels, but on my '14, the dark interior shows EVERYTHING. I learned that on my first offroad camping trip.
I wanted a simple solution to keep my gear from rubbing against the black interior panels, but also to keep everything organized so it doesn't fall off the tray. It was also important for me to make sure this was NOT a permanent solution because I didn't want to mutilate anything in the cargo area.
My solution was to buy several pieces of L shaped metal (typically used for installing garage door openers), some bolts nuts and lockwashers, a handful of mini C Clamps, and a few straight pieces of metal.
I used a hack saw to cut part of the L shaped metal, then bent them at 90 degrees. I then used 4 bolts to bolt on a straight pieces on the back. The result is a U shaped piece of metal, and I simply used 4 C Clamps to attach it to the back edges of the slider. Since it's clamping a piece of foam, I put two straight pieces of metal under the slider so the clamps hit metal on the top, and metal on the bottom.
The holes in the L shaped pieces of metal are great for attaching tie downs. I have two carabiners, then attach a variable length bungee over the top, then around the back.
The key to this setup is to use it in combination with a series of cases that fit like Tetris game. I have a long skinny zipper top case that goes against the back, a zipper top case on the left side (both of these are cases I already had to store photographic equipment), a 7 gallon water container that's easy to dispense when the tray is pulled out, and a thermal electric cooler that runs off a solar panel on my roof. There's also a small gap in the middle where I can store my tent, sleeping pad, etc.
I've been over some really rough roads, and nothing has budged, and nothing has moved against the interior panels. The sliding tray makes it easy to access each case (especially the one in the back), and I don't have to reach over the rear bumper to get to my gear. Also, the top of the thermal electric cooler makes a great work surface for my backpacking stove. When I'm driving around, my solar panel folds and I can store it under the tray itself.
The best thing is that when I get home, I can easily remove the setup and hang it on my garage wall. No holes, no permanent modification.
