I was wondering how easy it would be to make a rear hatch tent for quick car camping trips out to the desert. I think all you would need would be some sort of wood bed that extends out of the back. It could be supported by the trailer hitch. Just have something that fits into the hitch, then connects to the corners of the bed extension. Something would be needed to secure the other end to the truck... so the trailer hitch isn't the only thing stopping it from sliding out. After that, you'd just need to have some tent material, maybe even canvas that extends over the top of the lift gate, and attaches to the bottom of the wood plank. the only thing I can't figure out is how to secure the tent covering on the sides. The rear window would make an awesome moon roof.
Rear Hatch Tent?
- Thread starter BenSD
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jharris2 said:
I remember seeing that sun shade item before, but man that sure is pricey and not quite what I'm looking for. I took another look at my 4R just now, and think it would probably be pretty easy to do. There are just two things that would need to be resolved.
I figure I could take a piece of plywood, and cut it to so it fits inside the back of the 4R similar to the double decker cargo system. Then, it would be covered with gray soft material similar to the interior of the 4R. Install two metal brackets on both of the bottom rear corners of the wood. I bet you could run supports from the rear tow hooks to the corners. Just a simple metal bar would do. This would place any weight on this board onto the frame.
Issue #1: How to secure the end of the board that is inside the 4R. Something would be necessary to keep it from wiggling around from side to side. Maybe the tie downs could be used as an anchor somehow? I'm not sure on this one yet. It would definitely need to be firmly attached though.
Next, I would need some sort of waterproof cloth that would cover the opening. It could simply go over the top of the lift gate to secure itself, then maybe have some bungee loops that could attach to anchor points on the bottom of the extended board in similar fashion to a tent trailer.
Issue # 2: How to seal the sides of the tent material? The only thing I could thing of is some sort of draw string that sinches around the firm weather sealed edge around the lift gate. But if the tent material was pressed against, this could pull away. I'm not sure about that yet.
I think it's possible, and it could be done in a very simple fashion. The only problem is where to put all the gear when sleeping in the 4R........ roof rack carrier? Front seat? Hmmmmm.....
kglueck
New member
wow...sounds big and heavy (using plywood)...dunno. all I did was go to home depot and buy a roll of "plastic" (read: non-metal) screen material and go to hobby lobby and pick up a few rolls of adhesive magnets. I figured that the adhesive would hold long enough for me to use an awl to punch holes in the magnet and sew (using baseball thread) the magnet and the screen together. worked quite well. I have one made for the moon roof and also one cut and partially made for the back window. works well to keep the bugs out and let the wind still come through while I sleep in the back. the first test of this was in a location that had 40+ mph winds, so the magnets held especially well. and since they are on the outside, it's no big deal to control the windows and control how much airflow you'll get. :-D
'twould be nice to have an extra foot or two of legroom, tho...
'twould be nice to have an extra foot or two of legroom, tho...
kglueck said:
Excellent idea about the magnets. It seems like that would provide a pretty good seal against the elements. With regard to weight, yeah, the wood would have a bit of weight, but it's just one piece, an it seems like it would be the lightest solution to provide the necessary support.
kglueck
New member
BenSD said:
makes sense. I'm eager to hear what you end up doing!
regarding the magnets and screens, I can't take credit for it. I got the idea from someone else here on the boards. the only addition I did was to sew the magnets on as I remembered them saying they didn't stick well. but yeah, it worked quite well. obviously you have to be careful putting it on and pulling it off else you'd scratch the paint, but...
Good Times
New member
i have that exact tent from that link btw... it works well as i've used it in pismo,big bear, san diego and moab.
can't complain one bit considering i bought it on ebay for 75 bucks
(shipped)
Easy to install in a few minutes and works well. (solo installation too btw)
btw when i camp i setup a separate tent to throw all of my crap. i sleep inside the 4runner and call it a day. if i'm packed light, i just move all the stuff to the front seats and it should be fine.
good luck
can't complain one bit considering i bought it on ebay for 75 bucks
(shipped)Easy to install in a few minutes and works well. (solo installation too btw)
btw when i camp i setup a separate tent to throw all of my crap. i sleep inside the 4runner and call it a day. if i'm packed light, i just move all the stuff to the front seats and it should be fine.
good luck
Good Times said:i have that exact tent from that link btw... it works well as i've used it in pismo,big bear, san diego and moab.
can't complain one bit considering i bought it on ebay for 75 bucks
Easy to install in a few minutes and works well. (solo installation too btw)
btw when i camp i setup a separate tent to throw all of my crap. i sleep inside the 4runner and call it a day. if i'm packed light, i just move all the stuff to the front seats and it should be fine.
good luck
I had another idea today regarding extending the sleeping area in the 4R. If one was to remove the bottom part of the 2/3 split seat in the back, then move the passenger seat forward and fill the gap with something, it would be plenty of room. I would be worried about possibly stripping the threads after frequently removing the rear seat though. It would be nice if there was some sort of quick release for the rear seat. Then just flip a lever, pull out the seat, fill the gap with some sort of platform or gear. If you were to put your feet in the front, and your head in the back, that would be just fine.
