1st gen runner sleep platform?

[pELYgroso]

have any of you guys built a sleep platform for your 1st gen runners? (inside) I'm debating wether to do this or an rtt, but i don't really want all the weight and air-drag up top. I'd like to get off the ground though, and it would be nice for cold nights to be more out of the wind than a ground tent. This will need to be big enough to fit my wife and I.

My idea is to start with a permanent platform mounted on top of the wheel wells with a drawer system underneath it. When the rear seat is folded down, some bed (platform) extenders on hinges will swing forward and complete the sleeping platform. They'll rest on some sort of a support that I'll make. I will have a rack on top to store stuff that's usually in the back, while we're sleeping.

any thoughts to add? experiences? is this a bad idea?

if you have pics of one you've built and used, please post pics!

 

[djrez4]

I'm working on a similar idea. It'd have to accommodate me, the SO, and the two dogs.

I was planning on a drawer system in the cargo area-proper with another piece that folds out in front. Why not use the bases of the rear seats, folded up, as the support for the front of the platform? Is that not high enough?

 

[sami]

There are several build threads if you can find em. I wanted to do the same in my old 4runner.. Still might in my Xterra, but I'm not to that point yet.. Not sure if I ever will be now that I've got a land cruiser build ahead of me.

 

[881stGenRunner]

http://www.yotatech.com/f116/morph-187544/

Check out this thread. There is one buried in this thread somewhere. Great Read

 

[corax]

http://www.yotatech.com/f116/morph-187544/

Check out this thread. There is one buried in this thread somewhere. Great Read

these pics?

 

[4cruzer]

yo tengo

Mine is built out of pine and ply, with carpet over cheap foam sleeping pads (I have another pad I sleep on but these thin pads are nice on the knees).
I had previously built some aluminum side panels to replace the factory plastic trim. These are riveted to the sheet metal and are plenty strong, so I use angle riveted to those to support the platform at the sides...
This is hard to explain and there are no pics of the way that works...
The 'drawers' I use are just two clear under-the-bed totes; two fit perfectly, one after the other, in the space next to the fridge. The space to the left of that is compromised by the wheel well, so it's good for something long and skinny and some misc crap (right now a hammock, a spare propane, a cut down broom stick handle, a bunch of rope, tie downs, etc).
The rear compartments end at the point where the floor dips for the rear seats (in the pic below, where the darker wood starts).

There are no rear seats; this is a two passenger camping machine. The deep wells that the old seat bottoms used to sit in make for two HUGE storage compartments where I store my clothes and sleeping stuff. These are accessible from the top; the hatch doors are detachable so you can just move them to the side while digging in your stuff instead of dealing with a hinged door. There is another smaller hatch right in front of the fridge where I store three of those squarish crystal geyser 1.5 gallon bottles. The speaker box is log gone.

What you can't see here is a hinged extension that folds frontward making a 6'1" flat deck where I sleep pretty well. I lived in here for a bit!

I should add that I removed the rear roll bar as this rig only seats/ sleeps two. Nobody ever rides in the back, so I don't worry about anyone getting injured in an accident. If the truck rolls while I sleep, I suppose I'll have a problem.
I'd love to see some other examples..

 

[Glides]

Mine is built out of pine and ply, with carpet over cheap foam sleeping pads (I have another pad I sleep on but these thin pads are nice on the knees).
I had previously built some aluminum side panels to replace the factory plastic trim. These are riveted to the sheet metal and are plenty strong, so I use angle riveted to those to support the platform at the sides...
This is hard to explain and there are no pics of the way that works...
The 'drawers' I use are just two clear under-the-bed totes; two fit perfectly, one after the other, in the space next to the fridge. The space to the left of that is compromised by the wheel well, so it's good for something long and skinny and some misc crap (right now a hammock, a spare propane, a cut down broom stick handle, a bunch of rope, tie downs, etc).
The rear compartments end at the point where the floor dips for the rear seats (in the pic below, where the darker wood starts).

There are no rear seats; this is a two passenger camping machine. The deep wells that the old seat bottoms used to sit in make for two HUGE storage compartments where I store my clothes and sleeping stuff. These are accessible from the top; the hatch doors are detachable so you can just move them to the side while digging in your stuff instead of dealing with a hinged door. There is another smaller hatch right in front of the fridge where I store three of those squarish crystal geyser 1.5 gallon bottles. The speaker box is log gone.

What you can't see here is a hinged extension that folds frontward making a 6'1" flat deck where I sleep pretty well. I lived in here for a bit!

I should add that I removed the rear roll bar as this rig only seats/ sleeps two. Nobody ever rides in the back, so I don't worry about anyone getting injured in an accident. If the truck rolls while I sleep, I suppose I'll have a problem.
I'd love to see some other examples..

Not a bad setup. Gave me some ideas. Thanks man.

 

[djrez4]

these pics?

Ah...Ike's a local fellow.

I'm thinking mine will end up more like 4cruzer's setup.

 

[java]

thin foam under the carpet is an awesome idea, im stealing it!

 

[Grim Reaper]

Never completely finished mine but the links to my build are in my sig.