Sleeping in the cargo area...

T4RZAN

New member
Alright before you roast me saying there are a ton of threads on this let me explain:

I'm curious for of you that sleep in the cargo area of your Runner what you are doing to make it more comfortable? I've done the Antman storage mod in my 5th gen so my cargo area is level with my second row seats. But I am looking for actual sleeping options. I've tried the air mattress thing and its a struggle with two people and a dog. Any other options?

Thanks in advance.
 
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Try out sleeping pads used for backpacking. Some are pricey, some are cheaper and there are several types to chose from. Roll up for easy storage and easy to deploy

To add, when I installed new carpet in my truck I put down about 3" of soft padding found under your carpet in your home.Very very insulated and pretty soft. So I fold down my seats throw down a sleeping bag and done.
 
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I've only slept in the back twice. Both times i had the windows cracked, enough for a breeze or ventilation and no stuffy air. For padding, i used an old comforter, doubled over and then my sleeping bag and a nice pillow. Not long term solution, but worked for those two different occasions.
 
I haven't tried it yet but i'm going to soon. Go to Ikea and try their foam mattress. It's relatively cheap and comfortable. You can roll it up when not in use or while traveling.
 
By far the most comfortable sleeping pads I've used are Nemo pads. They come in different widths and lengths, so you can get ones that fit the space best. I think it's about 40 inches between the wheel wells (in a 4th gen) and a bit less than 6 feet long.
So two of these would fit and be incredibly comfortable:
NEMO Cosmo Insulated 20R Sleeping Pad with Foot Pump | NEMO

There are similar products available for much less, but in my opinion Nemo pads are more comfortable than most mattresses. The design of the baffles and the way they stretch makes a big difference in comfort.

You could get a double wide sleeping pad so there's no gap in the middle, and it would be less bulky than a regular air mattress. It looks like Nemo only sells a 50 inch wide one. That might work and it would just wrap around the wheel wells a little. Or some people have supposedly cut these things down and resealed them with an iron to change the size or shape. That obviously voids the warranty, and I wouldn't want to risk it unless the pad was really cheap since it might not work at all.

You could put pillows (inflatable or regular) in the unpadded space in front of or behind the wheel wells to make space for the dog without too much of a gap between the pillow and the sleeping pad.

You'll want warm sleeping bags, such as the Kelty Cosmic Down 20, if it gets cold where you're camping. The truck is not insulated at all. There are also double wide down quilts meant for backpacking that you might prefer for two people, but they are typically more expensive since they are less common. You could unzip some sleeping bags to be almost flat or even zip two together. Not sure how well that works with the Kelty bags. I think it works better with rectangular bags.

If you're tall you can unbolt the bottom cushions of the second row to gain some length. There will be a hole there that you could fill with something, or just put your feet there.

You can rig up a clothes line or elastic cargo net mesh between the hooks on the ceiling in the trunk (if the 5th gen still has these, I think it does). That's good for storing small items out of the way while you sleep.

You'll want some way to get ventilation. Just leaving the windows open slightly is not ideal because rain and bugs can come in. Even though the rear window on my 4th gen is under the spoiler it drips a lot if it rains heavily. Side window deflectors solve the rain problem, but not really the bug problem. I personally don't like them, though. One of these days I plan to make a panel that's the same thickness and shape as the glass around three edges, and has a groove for the glass to fit in on the bottom. I could close it into the window to hold it and seal it. Then the panel could have a small awning to keep rain out, over a mesh screen, and maybe even a small fan if I want more airflow.

You should also think about where you'll store the rest of your stuff while you're sleeping. You could move everything to the front seats, use a roof box or hitch mounted cargo box, put stuff under the truck, or even set up a tent to hold your gear while you sleep out of the wind in the truck.
 
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I use a full size bed memory foam topper cover with a bed sheet and sleeping. Bag perfect


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I use a full size bed memory foam topper cover

That's a good idea. Do you cut it to fit around the wheel wells, or just stuff it in? It would be easy to trim it. And a thick layer of foam should add a good amount of warmth under you for cold weather.
 
Wife and i just did that on Drunners big Joshua Tree trip last month.

Made a screen for windows with some noseeum screen and rolled strip magnet. That worked great.

Used a self-inflating sleeping pad. Worked reasonably well. Could have used a tad more padding but slept through the night regardless.


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I just throw down a blanket and a self inflating sleeping pad. Im used to sleeping in pretty uncomfortable place though so this may not be enough for everybody.
 
Memory foam full size mattress topper. Fits perfect in the back of my 3rd gen and is pretty comfortable too.
 
Big Agnes Burgess Creek sleeping pad and my bag and I sleep like a baby, Just crack a window If its cold or you will end up with ice on the insides of the windows.
 
In the 4th gen, you can fit a standard cot from Bass Pro, the one that is 75" in length.
I think that is about as large of a cot that will fit in the rear with the tailgate down.

You will need to remove the seat bottom of one side, assume the passenger side is better.
I used a few 2x6's to block up the footwell to level the cot.

Slept at freezing temps recently with a regular summer bag, inside a super cheap and puffy walmart bag. I like the cot because it's compact when broken down, leaves about 16" of clearance under the cot for storage, and with the standard bass pro option, about half of the cargo area is still useable.

I actually traveled with the cot all set up, and could roll up to a parking spot, move the steering wheel out of the way and climb out back and "into bed" without exiting the truck. If you organized the storage well enough, you can sit upright on the cargo area, but not on the cot. Could also use the cot as a "desk" if you're not too tall.



 
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Rear ventilation while sleeping

Somewhere on the site is a method for keeping the windows slightly open with bugs coming in. The guy took some of those gutter guards that clip to the front edge of the gutter and slip under the shingle. He cut them to fit the window opening. Then he just lowered the window and clipped these to the top of the glass and raised the window. Inexpensive and functional. d181932f-5f1c-49af-9e7e-da61ba9e44c7_1000.jpg
 

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Somewhere on the site is a method for keeping the windows slightly open with bugs coming in. The guy took some of those gutter guards that clip to the front edge of the gutter and slip under the shingle. He cut them to fit the window opening. Then he just lowered the window and clipped these to the top of the glass and raised the window. Inexpensive and functional.

I'm gonna have to try this! Much easier and cleaner than the nets I used to use over the windows.
 
Post up pics please

I have a new 4Runner on order and am considering a cross country trek, more than likely sleeping in the back, any pics would be great.
 
No pics but on my 5th gen I use a Coleman twin size air mattress. It fits perfectly between the wheel wells. I put a twin size 1" memory foam on top of that and two sleeping bags unzipped. One underneath and one on top. I do have the slide out so everything is even.

It is very comfortable weather it's just me or the wife is there to join me. I'm used to a multi cell waterbed with 6" of memory foam on top so I'm picky on where I sleep.

For temp control I have a screen with magnets around it. I place it on the roof and open the moon roof if necessary.
 
Sleeping mattress/pad really depends on personal preference:

Foam mattresses:
Luxurious, especially the memory foam ones. That's what I use when camping with my wife. However they take up so much space and are heavy. Novaform from Costco (here) has a size that fits between wheel-wells on my first-gen. I'm sure it's easy to trim if you got a wider one.

Regular Air-Mattress:
Luxurious but so bouncy, your sleep could be disturbed if someone next to you moves.

Backpacking self-inflating sleeping pad
... Like the Nemo mentioned above and these, are minimal and reasonably comfortable. I've tried the 2.5-inch thick Camp Bed and found it very comfortable. Best to go to the store and try them out.

Closed-cell foam backpacking pad:
Most minimal. I drove Route 66 from So Cal to midpoint in Adrian, TX, then eventually to Dallas and was comfortable with my 3/4-length (head to knee) non-inflating, close-cell Ridgerest (here). But don't use me for reference... 'cause I'm perfectly comfortable with same foam pad even here... :)
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It's probably too tight with the addition of the dog, unless it's a small dog. It's snug with my wife and I but adding a 60 lb animal back there would result in one or both of us having no space and restless sleep.

We use a platform to level out the non-flat cargo floor, a queen size air mattress, a fitted sheet (I can't sleep on a bare mattress), and then a combination of sleeping bags and /or blankets depending on temp. A Rubbermaid 8 gallon storage tote in each rear passenger footwell makes the flat sleeping surface 12" longer (front seats pulled all the way forward).

Sleep with the rear window cracked a few inches, the spoiler keeps out rain. Never had an issue with bugs through there but I suppose that might be a problem depending on location. Sleep with your head "uphill".

Don't forget pillows from your bed at home. The few times we've forgotten those and made do with clothing or other stuff it's been pretty uncomfortable.

I'm also not opposed to leaving the engine run all night to have the heater on in inclement weather. I see no problem with extended idling as long as you drive it a good distance afterwards to burn off any condensation.

My setup, just a purpose built pallet, the Rubbermaids, and air mattress:

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