Toyota 4Runner Separation Screen

[tenmiletim]

Does anyone have info on the HiLux Separation Screen? I was thinking about getting it for my 2006 4Runner Sport but since it was coming from Japan, didn't know if it would fit. Also, do I need to get the Crossbar Holder to mount it? Thanks.

 

[damengr]

I have one on order from Carson Toyota and am expecting to receive it within 1-2 weeks. Carson is one of very few dealerships that sale Toyota Japan Accessories. There is also a website based in Japan but was leary of dealing with them in case of a problem.

I ordered the cross bar and the screen. The screen is described as an accessory for the cross bar system. Another accessory is the fishing rod holder which I may buy down the road. You do need to purchase both for a complete setup (bars and screen).

Once I get it and install, I would be happy to post some pictures and comment on its quality usefulness if someone will help me with how to post pictures.

My reason for purchasing is that about quarterly every year my family makes an 8-hour trek to North Carolina to visit family and I have two small kids that ride in the back seats. I wanted the re-assurance that with luggage and other cargo stuffed in the back they would be protected from possibility of cargo items shifting/flying about during a sudden stop or accident. It looks like the screen mesh is small enough and the unit is very secure to serve this purpose.

I also wanted the ability to fill the cargo area to the roof to carry more for long road or camping trips and avoid using a roof top carrier and the negative issues that go along with stuff on the roof.

 

[tenmiletim]

Thanks! Yeah I found the separation screen on the Carson Toyota site as well. But their product description isn't very good. Have you found any other sites that carry this product? I'd really like to know what you think after you have it installed.

I'd like to purchase one for the very same reasons as you stated. We take a lot of car trips plus we have a 70 lb. yellow lab that rides in the cargo area. I don't want him (or luggage) flying into my kid in case of sudden stops or accidents. But I had some bad luck with other cargo barriers I've purchase, so I'd rather have a recommendation this time.

 

[damengr]

I have found other US Toyota dealerships that claim to carry Toyota Japan accessories but found that they do not carry the full line of accessories like Carson does.

As I mentioned there is a Japan-based website (forgot address) that also carries the screen but english is poor on the site and they don't give final total price because they claim taxes and shipping have to be determined after ordering. So with the language barrier, unknown total until after ordering, and being overseas and a foreign country I didnt' want something to go wrong and have no recourse. I think I paid a fair premium at Caron compared to what this Japan company would sell it for but couldn't confirm without placing an order with them.

My 4Runner is my fifth SUV in the past 19 years. Previous SUVs I owned I had installed a metal mesh universal aftermarket cargo area barrier that worked but wasn't great since it was not a custom fit to my vehicle. It did save my dogs life and perhaps mine too when I was in an accident. A guy blindly pulled out across traffic in front of me and I t-boned him. My dog was standing parallel to the barrier and hit it broadside which only knocked the wind out of her otherwise she was fine as opposed to flying through the windshield or into the back of my seat. So I am a believer in using them.

It appears some Australian company makes a very robust barrier which I think Slee Offroad carriers but again it is not a custom fit and about the same price as the Toyota screen. I choose the Toyota screen since it was custom to the 4Runner and truly separated the cargo area from the passenger cabin as it's name implies, uses flexible material as opposed to metal so that items can be packed against it without fear of snagging or scratching. Appears to have straps from the bottom of the screen to the bottom of the rear seat to help firmly secure.

The above are my hunches as to why it is superior to other options. I will confirm once I get it. The only down side is the wait once you order. Carson says 3-4 weeks for delivery. Today is the end of week 4 and no word yet as to when I can expect it. They said they would shoot me an e-mail with a tracking number once they get it and ship it to me.

Will keep you posted.

 

[damengr]

Carson Toyota provided tracking number.

UPS says it will be at my home this Thursday.

Once it arrives, will take photos of screen before and after install which I plan to do this coming weekend.

 

[damengr]

Update:

Screen arrived last Thursday.

Surprised at number of pieces involved to install crossbar system including drilling four small diameter holes (two each side) for screws for the mounting brackets in the plastic molding above the rear cargo area window where the molding meets the headliner for mounting brackets. Three (3) bars provided, 2 in cargo area, and 1 between grab handles for rear seat area (assuming to hang clothes?).

Screen itself looks pretty straight forward and is configured to provide a full barrier between the cargo and passenger area.

As suspected, install instructions are in Japanese and since it has more pieces and steps to install than I had envisioned I am in process of getting a quote to translate to english before attempting install. I figure since I spent nearly $360 for this accessory I want to know how to install it correctly. As soon as I get the instructions translated to english I will install. Will also provide translated instructions to anyone interested.

As far as quality, it looks like what I had envisoned from the limited information on Carson's website. Screen is 1" square (double-layered) nylon mesh which is held in place by two cross bars (at top and bottom of screen) as well as by two straps anchored to eye loops bolted to the underneath of the rear seat cushion. Nylon mesh may be a concern if someone's dog likes to chew as opposed to a metal screen. Bars telescope and rest on secure mounting points.

All-in-all I think this will serve my purposes fine. The bars and screens seem to secure very well to the vehicle to contain luggage to cargo area. Can provide further input once installed. Note the cost for this screen is about the same as a new good quality roof top carrier. For what it probably cost to manufacture the crossbars and screen, this system is overpriced, but I was willing to pay the premium given the safety it provides my family and given I can now avoid the need to use a rooftop carrier.

The Japan based website is www.japanparts.com if interested in checking to see how much of a premium Carsons is charging compared to a Japanese company. Although the Japanese company quoted me over $80 in air frieght charges on top of the price of the merchandise.

 

[damengr]

First, sorry for the continual postings with no pics yet.

I laid out all the contents of the shipping box and noticed only 2 crossbars. It appears that the instructions are only showing various options for the crossbar which is why I initially thought there were 3 bars before I opened the box, i.e.

Option 1) One crossbar across rear seat area to hang clothes
Option 2) Two crossbars across cargo area with screen to make an overhead shelf
Option 3) Two crossbars vertically to hold screen btw cargo and passenger area
Option 4) Two crossbars for fishing rod holder accessory, etc.

All the components are well made, except for the cinchy plastic covers for the hanging brackets. The brackets themselves are heavy duty and mount securely to the interior with bolts like the grab handles are bolted. Therefore, I am pleased with the build quality of the bars and screen.

One set of brackets replaces the clothes hooks in the cargo area for the option of the overhead shelf. Seeing that I don't plan to use a shelf, I am not installing these brackets. Nor do I plan to install the brackets that connect to the grab handles for rear passengers since both crossbars will be dedicated to the screen.

Of all the brackets, the ones that mount in the spot to hold the screen are the trickiest and from what I can tell from the Japanese instructions, require cutting a small hole in the headliner to access a bolt hole in the sheet metal behind the headliner.

Again, will post pics and steps once I get the instructions translated. So far, someone quoted me $1,000 to translate. Yeah, I want to spend $1,000 to learn how to install a $360 item. Get real. Still checking into other options for the translation.

 

[damengr]

TenmileTim,

I finally installed the crossbar system and separation screen.

I was waiting for responses from several requests for translating the install instructions to English and since was I not getting anyone to respond, I studied the instruction diagrams (more like poorly drawn cartoons) and decided to go ahead and tackle the install.

But before wasting anymore of your time, I discovered on Friday by checking on the www.Japanparts.com website that the crossbar system is not suitable for vehicles with the side curtain airbag option, which mind has. Also, you mentioned that you wanted it to protect your 70 lb lab in the event of an accident. Well, the website also mentioned that the screen has a 10 kg (22 lb) capacity in the shelf mode. After installing, it seems the top mounting points could fail during an accident if subjected to a large horizontal load like from a full-grown medium to large dog. Carsons Toyota could have done a better job of stating limitations of this accessories like the Japanese website did. I guess they are more interested in selling parts to make a buck.

So bottom line, if I were you I would pass on this option and look for another option. Although if you have the side curtain air bags, I would think any barrier would be problematic. As I previously mentioned, more robust barriers seem to be made by Australian companies. Slee Offroad in Colorado may be able to help track something done. I saw an Acura MDX the other day with a very nice metal mesh screen and was almost tempted to follow the guy awhile in hopes of getting an opportunity to ask him where he got it so I know they exist. They are just hard to find for some reason?

Hope you and others benefit from my folly. Perhaps this should be a sticky to keep others from running into the same pitfall.

For anyone else wondering why I went ahead and installed the crossbar and screen knowing that it is not suitable with side curtain airbags, read on. Well, I view it as a question of probability of risk of type of hazard, I see a much higer risk of a sudden stop or head-on accident in which rear cargo could become a projectile into the passenger area as opposed to a side impact or rollover accident so severe as to activate the side curtain air bags. Some safety websites claim that flying objects are one of the most common injuries in SUV accidents because the cargo is not isolated as is the case with cars.

I checked the shop manual to see the limits of the side curtain air bags and they extend all the way to the rear hatch door, why, I don't know since this area is so far away from the rear passengers.

The install does require cutting a small 16 mm wide by 25 mm tall window out of the headliner where it meets the plastic side molding in the rear cargo area. When I did this I was very careful in cutting so as not to cut the air bag in case I encountered it (I also disconnected the negative battery cable and waited 90 seconds per manual before working near air bags) and sure enough it was there and fortunately I did not cut it or score it. The diagrams in the instructions list all dimensions in millimeters and for whatever reason the LH side is 9 mm shorter distance between the mounting point at the cargo area clothes hook and the point near and above the rear seat. But after cutting the headliner, sure enough there was a hole in the sheet metal to insert the provided washer/nut assembly for the bracket bolt. I tied a string to the washer/nut assembly so I could retrieve it in case it fell between the plastic side molding and the exterior body panel while trying to insert.

If someone is more interested in the details for installing, I did take pictures of key install steps and finished job or if someone is interested in posting the steps on this website.

I installed the screen because I think it will prevent loose and light items from entering the passenger cabin in the event of a head-on accident or sudden stop. I always intended to also use a bednet to restrain larger/heavier items in the cargo area.

 

[ProMed]

Thank you very much for the detailed install notes. This is great info for anyone considering installing a screen!

 

[rook]

TenmileTim,

I finally installed the crossbar system and separation screen.

I was waiting for responses from several requests for translating the install instructions to English and since was I not getting anyone to respond, I studied the instruction diagrams (more like poorly drawn cartoons) and decided to go ahead and tackle the install.

Damn, wish i read this sooner. My sister in law could translate this. Send it to my email, I'll see what I can do. Could you post some pics? I'd be interested in seeing some decent shots, other than the ones that carson and japan parts post.

 

[tenmiletim]

damengr,

i haven't check this site in a while due to computer problems, but thanks for all the info. it sucks that this screen doesn't work with side curtain airbags. like you said, it may be problematic with all barriers. let me know when you have pics posted. i may still consider it because the odds of a head-on collision are higher than a rollover. i'll let you know if i find something else that works. the search continues...