4runner camper ideas

[mrsa111]

I've been using a 325 touring as my do everything, camp, sleep in, etc car. thought I could make it work but its just a bit too small if im doing trips over 1 or 2 nights, probably should have tried a 5 series, but oh well.
anyway, im now looking at 3rd gen 4 runners, (unless someone can convince me otherwise) seems like the best combination of power, smooth/comfortable ride, capability and price. thinking that over a truck because I'll be sleeping in it quite a bit in the winter, and i like the idea of it being completely sealed off vs a topper, plus the easy access to the front seats.

I'm just looking for some inspiration for how to outfit it for storage and sleeping. I remember awhile back seeing a 2nd gen with some mini oven/stove, small fridge, and still space for 2 people to sleep and plenty of storage, which would be perfect for me.
Would need to carry skis/ski gear in winter, bikes/gear, and kayak or paddleboard in the summer.

 

[CA-RJ]

I used to have a 3rd gen and when the wife and I would travel we'd take the back seats out and put in a sleeping platform. There was just enough room for the two of us to sleep. I didn't have a fridge back then so when we were on the move, we'd just put everything on top of the platform. When we got to camp, I'd have to take everything out to have room for us to sleep. With a fridge in the back, I don't see how two of you could sleep inside.

This is what my platform looked like.

 

[NasaE30]

I've been using a 325 touring as my do everything, camp, sleep in, etc car. thought I could make it work but its just a bit too small if im doing trips over 1 or 2 nights, probably should have tried a 5 series, but oh well.
anyway, im now looking at 3rd gen 4 runners, (unless someone can convince me otherwise) seems like the best combination of power, smooth/comfortable ride, capability and price. thinking that over a truck because I'll be sleeping in it quite a bit in the winter, and i like the idea of it being completely sealed off vs a topper, plus the easy access to the front seats.

I'm just looking for some inspiration for how to outfit it for storage and sleeping. I remember awhile back seeing a 2nd gen with some mini oven/stove, small fridge, and still space for 2 people to sleep and plenty of storage, which would be perfect for me.
Would need to carry skis/ski gear in winter, bikes/gear, and kayak or paddleboard in the summer.

I have owned a bunch of BMW's including a 540i touring. I couldn't imagine it as a camping vehicle. A valiant effort indeed. You are looking in the right direction for an upgrade. I currently have a 3rd and 4th gen 4runner.

I have camped in the back of both. The security is nice. I use the remote to lock myself inside. Its warm, quiet and secure.
To make the most of space I remove the rear lower seat cushions -they stay at home. This lets the seats fold absolutely flat. We use an air mattress and sleeping bags. A jet boil for food. I don't have one, but a fridge is an option. If you get one it will require a deep cycle battery. I use a 34/78 odyssey since I sleep with a cpap machine. You might need to construct a sleeping platform if you get a fridge though as space for two will be very tight. I would pick up a cheap roof rack to use as storage and maybe a mount for light or an awning.

 

[mrsa111]

Yeah i didnt buy it as a camping vehicle, more just a DD that you can sleep in if you need. considering I just threw all my crap back there with me and had no "system" it worked pretty well.

I'm thinking of building up the sides a little for aditional storage, and as a way to build in cooking stuff and a fridge, maybe have it fold out and back out of the way when not in use, somehow.. and using nets on the ceiling for more storage.

I still would consider a truck if it really gives me more options, but from what ive seen space doesnt look all that much different.

 

[mrothwell]

It's funny, I just went the other direction. I had a 2014 Tacoma that I owned for about 6 months and I camped a bunch of times with it. I liked that it had a bunch of off-road capability and room for stuff in the back.

However, I realized after one trip that I'm too tall to sleep in the back of the Tacoma, so I always slept in a tent. I also hated that whenever I went to the mountains, the fun twisty roads were a chore in the Tacoma. To rub salt in the wound, I found that I never really drove on anything rough enough to warrant using the 4wd or the off-road capabilities of my truck.

So with that in mind, I sold the Tacoma a couple weeks ago and bought this:

It should be okay on gravel, and it'll be a hell of a lot better on the twisty roads leading to the mountains.

Am I going to be rock-crawling Moab or drive across Africa with this thing? No. Will it be a great taxi to the mountains? Hell yea.

Bye bye taco:

 

[bat]

bikes/gear, and kayak or paddleboard in the summer.

This works great for us and I can still close the shell door and lock it up. We just use the shell for the bed and the tent to get dressed and other standing up things. I am not sure about using it in the winter but for summer stuff it is a great way to get out of the bugs and relax.

 

[Martinjmpr]

I've been using a 325 touring as my do everything, camp, sleep in, etc car. thought I could make it work but its just a bit too small if im doing trips over 1 or 2 nights, probably should have tried a 5 series, but oh well.
anyway, im now looking at 3rd gen 4 runners, (unless someone can convince me otherwise) seems like the best combination of power, smooth/comfortable ride, capability and price. thinking that over a truck because I'll be sleeping in it quite a bit in the winter, and i like the idea of it being completely sealed off vs a topper, plus the easy access to the front seats.
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I'm just looking for some inspiration for how to outfit it for storage and sleeping. I remember awhile back seeing a 2nd gen with some mini oven/stove, small fridge, and still space for 2 people to sleep and plenty of storage, which would be perfect for me.
Would need to carry skis/ski gear in winter, bikes/gear, and kayak or paddleboard in the summer.

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2 people + gear is going to be very tight in a 3rd gen. I wouldn't do it in my 4th gen and that's noticeably bigger.
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Don't plan on cooking inside the vehicle either. For one thing, it's unsafe and for another thing, do you really want the smell of food to be permanently implanted in your seats, headliner, carpet, etc?
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Here's the setup I have for my 4th gen: A basic sleep platform to use the full width of the vehicle above the wheel wells and plastic under-bed storage boxes (available at any home improvement or big box store) for "drawers."
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At the front of the platform I put a hinged cover so I could access the area underneath for storage:
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Set up for traveling ("sleeping pad" is a lawn chair cover from Big Lots. Very comfy, waterproof and only $15.):
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You could do something similar in your 3rd gen.
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Now, a few notes:
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First, this setup requires removing the bottom cushions for the back seat. On both the 3rd and 4th gens this is a 5 minute procedure that requires removing 4 14mm bolts. You will have to stow the seats somewhere else (I left them at home.)
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Second, there is VERY LITTLE headroom with this. Don't even think about sitting up in bed to read. It's basically like sleeping in a drawer or under a bed. It's OK for sleeping but moving around is not easy. I finally had to figure out a technique of swinging my legs in and then the rest of my body. It works OK for one person. For two? Honestly I wouldn't even try it. Particularly if you have a fridge, unless you can set the fridge in the front seat or are willing to put it outside (which I wouldn't do.) Essentially, you can carry camping gear OR another person but not both. With two people sleeping there you will only be able to carry whatever gear will fit in the platform underneath the sleeping area.
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My prediction is that if you try this, you (or your significant other) will say "never again" and you'll go back to a tent.

 

[mrsa111]

It's funny, I just went the other direction. I had a 2014 Tacoma that I owned for about 6 months and I camped a bunch of times with it. I liked that it had a bunch of off-road capability and room for stuff in the back.

However, I realized after one trip that I'm too tall to sleep in the back of the Tacoma, so I always slept in a tent. I also hated that whenever I went to the mountains, the fun twisty roads were a chore in the Tacoma. To rub salt in the wound, I found that I never really drove on anything rough enough to warrant using the 4wd or the off-road capabilities of my truck.

So with that in mind, I sold the Tacoma a couple weeks ago and bought this:

It should be okay on gravel, and it'll be a hell of a lot better on the twisty roads leading to the mountains.

Am I going to be rock-crawling Moab or drive across Africa with this thing? No. Will it be a great taxi to the mountains? Hell yea.

Bye bye taco:

Thats exactly why i tried to make the touring work, way more fun to drive, its a fast sporty car that you can sleep in. and its not that it didnt work well, for what i used it for, sleeping overnight in ski area parking lots, pulling off the highway on road trips and sleeping, etc. it was fine, and still held a lot of gear. But i've got another fun sports car, and i'd like to be ability to access remote places and at least have the option of fitting two people. If I did it again id probably go with an e61 touring. If i only had 1 car, thats what it would be.

Even more ideal would be a high ground clearance AWD wagon with a slight lift and bigger tires. an XC70 is pretty close except that it has the worst excuse for an AWD system i've ever experienced. and I just cant like subaru's, I dont know why but they just do nothing for me. Looked into honda elements too, but its a little out of my price range for a decent one.

 

[mrothwell]

Thats exactly why i tried to make the touring work, way more fun to drive, its a fast sporty car that you can sleep in. and its not that it didnt work well, for what i used it for, sleeping overnight in ski area parking lots, pulling off the highway on road trips and sleeping, etc. it was fine, and still held a lot of gear. But i've got another fun sports car, and i'd like to be ability to access remote places and at least have the option of fitting two people. If I did it again id probably go with an e61 touring. If i only had 1 car, thats what it would be.

Even more ideal would be a high ground clearance AWD wagon with a slight lift and bigger tires. an XC70 is pretty close except that it has the worst excuse for an AWD system i've ever experienced. and I just cant like subaru's, I dont know why but they just do nothing for me. Looked into honda elements too, but its a little out of my price range for a decent one.

If you've got another car, why not look at something like a Yukon? They're way cheap on the used market compared to a 3rd Gen 4runner and you'll actually have space for both of you to sleep. They're not as off-road capable as the 4runner, but it doesn't sound like you're doing any extreme rock-crawling of anything. MPGs will be within spitting distance too, the 3rd gens get terrible gas mileage for their size, and the GM SUV's get decent mileage for their size.

I don't want to trash the 3rd Gens, but they also just don't seem like a good value. Used, they cost a fortune for what you get, at least in my local area.

 

[devero4]

Or you could go the roof tent direction

 

[Martinjmpr]

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I don't want to trash the 3rd Gens, but they also just don't seem like a good value. Used, they cost a fortune for what you get, at least in my local area.

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I concur with this, though prices do seem to be trending downward compared to the way they were a few years ago. It still makes me LOL a bit when I see someone selling a low-mile 3rd gen for $15,000, but I guess somewhere out there is a sucker who would pay that.
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Don't forget that in addition to an engine that is marginal in terms of MPG the 3rd gen also has a tiny fuel tank (18.5) gallons. Go over to the T4R.org forum and you see lot's of people bitching about having an effective operating range of around 200 miles, which is pathetic.
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By contrast, a GMT-800 Tahoe would give you a 295hp V8 returning slightly lower MPG than the 4runner but with a 26 gallon gas tank, considerably longer range. It also has a roomier interior.

 

[mrsa111]

Prices for 3rd gen's seem pretty good to me! at least in my area, lots of good shape examples going for under 5. for a reliable capable 4wd SUV they seem like good value. A big part of the appeal is the number of aftermarket parts available, seems like you can build to exactly what you want. I could have a very capable offroader and a semi comfortable "camper" rig.
Yes range does suck, but its definitely not a deal breaker, I've dealt with worse.
As for a yukon, I just cannot get into them, its about as appealing as a buick.

I am still open to other suggestions, maybe a 2 or 2.5 gen montero? they seem as capable as a 4runner but might have more room inside?

 

[Utah KJ]

I sleep in my 3rd often when camping, I just recline the front seat all the way, add pillow and sleeping bag, and good to go. My fridge and my gear stay in the cargo area.

 

[SOAZ]

Blast from the past, that's my truck. That was my first setup. The plastic drawer system was okay, but it was a much improved use of space once I went to the wood setup that utilized every bit of what was there.
Here is the later version:

I used to have a 3rd gen and when the wife and I would travel we'd take the back seats out and put in a sleeping platform. There was just enough room for the two of us to sleep. I didn't have a fridge back then so when we were on the move, we'd just put everything on top of the platform. When we got to camp, I'd have to take everything out to have room for us to sleep. With a fridge in the back, I don't see how two of you could sleep inside.

This is what my platform looked like.

 

[p nut]

If you can't fit into a 6' bed in a Tacoma, I doubt you'll fit into anything short of a regular/access cab full size truck with a 8' bed. You can get ones few years older with a V6 that will get as good MPG as some of the other trucks mentioned.