Looking for the ultimate adventure mobile, we got a Toyota 4runner knowing that we’d do a decent amount of long road trips where we’d sleep in the back. The trunk, however, is not set up for a comfortable night’s sleep and required us to build our own sleeping platform. This DIY build explains how to create a 5th gen 4runner sleeping platform in the trunk of a Toyota 5th Gen 4runner for only about $40 and without modifying the car itself.
Related posts about adventure travel:
- How to Find Free Camping in the United States
- Exploring Ice Caves and Hiking on Mendenhall Glacier
- 4 Days in Breckenridge, Colorado
Materials You’ll Need
- Two 2×2 posts 3-4 feet in length
- 1 sheet of plywood cut to 41×43
- Car carpet
- 3M Spray on glue
Steps to build a DIY 5th Gen 4runner sleeping platform
Cut your 2x2s down to size. They should be short enough to lay flat in the back of the trunk.
Cut the plywood to 41X43.
Attach the 2x2s with some 1-1/2 inch countersink wood screws.
Spray glue to attach the carpet. We cut the carpet a little too short. Rookie mistake.
Finished product
Ta-da! The total for this project was only $40.
I found this little platform on a 4runner forum and decided to go for it. Click here for the original post. Since then, it’s worked perfectly for all of our car camping trips.
This site contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission.
5 comments
With the platform installed are you able to raise the 2nd row seats?
Hey Steve,
Yep, the second-row seats come up just fine!
How thick is the plywood? 1/2 in, 3/4 in?
It’s 1/2 inch!
Somebody owns a Chinook!