I like that box. I also like the 5.0 V8 thats under the hood. In fact, I like that whole rig.


Custom Intake Manifold
Link to his site

 

2nd gen V8 Runner,sweeeet.

 

did you try out the new bed this weeekend darren?

 

You betcha! Worked AWESOME! It made for quick getaways in the mornings, as I knew it would. I really might have a tough time bringing the tent along in the future. So yeah, this really did the trick. I just got back this afternoon, otherwise I would've responded sooner. Have you slept in yours before, Ryan?

Here are a couple new pics from my outing:






One looks like a winter shot, and the other summer. In reality, though, they are just a day apart. The 2nd one was this morning. I might have to put up a trip report, but that means going through a bunch of pics. We'll see. Got another one this weekend.


Seems like a lot of folks have some sort of box or something they sleep atop of. It also seems like that would be doubly tough getting out as it's a longer way down, but perhaps not. I'm sure you get used to it.




That really hurts, man! Haha! Actually, it's a good thing you haven't seen this page! Now I'm really not in the running, am I?! Later!

 

I always enjoy your pics Darren. Kinda like Fire and Ice (well in this case, Ice and Fire).

Great idea by the way!

 

good deal. i have never slept back there but i plan on doing so real soon.

 

Darren, that's a great idea. I'm gonna have to figure out if I can fit two adults and an 18 month old in the back of mine. My wife isn't big on camping so this might be a good compromise. You know, if you put in a dvd system now, you could have all the comforts of home on the trail.
-Michael

 

Darren,

Great idea with the coleman heater. Do you have to crack a window when it is turned on? Do you leave it on throughout the night? How many hours will the propane last? Is there any smell when it is on?

 

Mossback, that (Aussie I'm assuming) 4Runner 'mod' is rather ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's at all foolish; just terrifying. Seriously. Fabricating custom engin/transmission interfaces?

/me gets woosy


And as for that small catalytic heater, I'm rather concerned. I was under the impression that those produced carbon monoxide when they ran.

This might be a bit safer? The only problem here is the radiant heater's ability to heat stationary objects (as in the interior of your car) up way too much. The best thing about it though is the low oxygen auto shut off.

/me goes away

 

hey dude i have slept in my truck alot i am 6'4 and i cant stretch out my legs its uncomfortable so how much more room you get if you take out that seat will a 6'4 man be able to stretch out?

 

Good questions.

It is recommended you run it in a well ventilated area, so yeah, I've kept at least two windows cracked.

I originally got it for tent use, so I would run it before crawling in at night and then before I got up in the mornings. Sleeping in the 'Runner now, I run its heater before turning in and just use this portable one ~10 minutes before getting up.

I forgot how long those bottles last. I wanna say ~7 hours. A long time, at any rate. They're only $1.88 a bottle here.

Yeah, there is a pronounced smell to it. Doesn't bother me, though.



You bring up a good point, and I haven't read up on this particular heater I have to know if it does this or not. Part of the reason, as I mentioned above, is that I usually only run it for about 10 minutes at a time, so I haven't been concerned about it. A buddy of mine recently picked up a smaller version, after hearing about mine, and ran it all night in the back of his Taco with a shell/camper. He lived, so it must not be too bad! Or maybe the effects are delayed?!



As I indicated, there is 8" between the front seat and where my pillow is at. So I would imagine a 6'8" guy could sleep rather comfortably as well. You should have no problem. You just have to have your pillow supported somehow. Sounds like this "mod" is just the ticket for you!

 

After you pull the seats, slide the front seats all the way forward... you'll have lots of room. seems obvious, but it really makes the difference between tolerable and comfortable!

 

you can always have your head at the rear of the truck

 

Coleman says there Catalytic heaters are safe for indoor use. I have used 3 at a time in a small (8X12) cabin and had them run all night. No problems that I knew of. I have also used a single one in the back of my 4Runner and ran it all night.

 

i took out my rear seat today and laid down. I am 6'4". I pulled the drivers seat all the way forward and then reclined it towards the steering wheel all the way.

There was plenty of room for me.

For comparison purposes, i took a pic of the drivers side with the rear lower seat out and the drivers seat all the way forward and reclined with the rear passenger seat just "normal". Theres about a 12" difference.

 

Thought I'd post an upate on how things were going with this, in addition to adding an additional modification piece. Since I posted this back in March, I have spent 32 nights in the 4Runner. That's one whole month out camping in Colorado's high country in the past four! That seems like a lot to me. Anyway, I am really diggin' this sleeping in the 4Runner bit. It has been working out superbly. The padding described above has proven to be quite comfortable and I've slept great every single night. I may add a plain 4" foam pad at some point, but I've been just fine without it.

Now that it is summer, I needed to do something about getting some ventilation for when I'm hanging out in warmer places. I got the idea of adding screens via magnets from an XOC thread. So here's the 4Runner version that I just finished up tonight:



A 36"x84" roll of screen ($6) and magnet roll ($5). 84" of screen is enough for three windows only. I'm only going to just start out with the back two. I purchased these from a local Home Depot.





The screen fitted to the rear window. Make sure it overlaps onto the metal so the magnets have something to stick to. Being that the existing adhesive on the back of the magnet strips won't hold up over time, take a glue gun and glue them on. I didn't have the final magnet strips glued on for this picture, so I will update it at a later date. Also, the magnet I have isn't that strong, so I'll probably use a couple pieces of masking tape to make sure it doesn't fall off during the night should a decent gust of wind come up.




The finishing touch is to add a Coleman Tent Fan ($13). It has a VERY strong magnet mount for tent use and is indicated to last around 16 hours. It puts out a fairly good flow of air, and certainly a lot better than not having a fan.




Fan loosely mounted to the handle. This may not be where I will have it mounted in actual use.

 

that's a great idea!! thank you for sharing it!

 

That never works for me because of the front-to-back slope.

Darren, I absolutely love that color! With the grey int. to boot! How much are these mattresses you're using? I need two of each! Also, do those screens leave a gap at the edge? Maybe some duct tape could fix it if so!

BTW, I've kept a ratchet w/12mm socket in my 4R for 3 years, but neglected to inform my friends here at YT. Thanks for the thread!

 

Thanks, Phish!

The self-inflating mattress was $50 and I got the foam one for $15, but it's normally $20. I've seen other friends just use just the simple egg crate type foam pads, which would be a cheaper alternative.

Yeah, there is some gap with the screens, albeit pretty small. I will use longer magnet strips which will cover up some of the areas, but there will still be some gap for sure. I don't foresee that being too much of a problem, but yes, duct tape would certainly do the trick!

 

I seem to have missed this thread when it first started. Like Bob and George said back in march, I use a twin size inflatable mattress that sits between the wheel wells. Then I stuff extra clothes or whatever in front and behind the wheel wells so I essentially have a full size bed. Also, the height of the mattress is high enough that it's flush with the seat bottom so I effectively lengthen the bed. I'm only 5'9" or so, so I fit perfectly.

Darren, despite all your luxaries, I think I still have you beat...I have curtains ! They velcro to the windows. They're great when I want take a nap at work.