Storage/sleeping.

[direwolf82]

I've finally decided to make my sleep/ storage area.
I wanted a fairly deep drawer, to be able to stretch out fully, and a table.
Some angle iron and plywood and this is what I came up with. I think it's going to work out for me and my dog. I can fit my tote full of vehicle fluids, spares and tools under the front half with 1 Jerry can. I can actually fit 2 more Jerry's or another tote under there still. Jerry can has water in it, I don't keep fuel inside
The sleeping area came out to a nice 31x77, just a little shy of a twin size but plenty of room. I had to hinge the front 8 inches or so to make room for the passenger seat, think I'll make it into a dog bowl holder when it's flipped up during the day or something else handy.
The table and drawer are both 24x40 with the drawer being about 9 inches deep. I have it loaded up currently with some dry food, air mattress, sheets, and all my fishing gear.
I am fairly close to the ceiling but I've spent many nights in a tight berth in the old boat so not worried about that.
I took out the larger seat cushion and back, no need for them and it opened up a pretty good amount of storage for me. The single seat is there still even though I never have anyone in the truck. It's pretty much permanently folded down for the dog. I might take that out one day and use it for an extra battery and charge controller area, that's the idea that hasn't fizzled out for one reason or another so far but for now I like the open side for my cooler, backpack, dog bed and whatever else fits in.
I'm new to the overlanding deal, any suggestions or things to watch out for concerning what I'm doing, or just in general? Camping, offroading and trail fixes I have experience with. Stick welding with a couple batteries wired together is interesting...
As of right now the table and drawer do not lock in place, I will remedy that next weekend when I carpet everything.
The main carcass is locked down into a tie down point in the back and the seatbelt brackets up front and feels solid. I only have a leveling kit and some wildpeaks on it so I don't do anything crazy driving wise, I will say the stock truck does really well though. I've driven through ponds and streams with decent sized fish swimming around, have gone up rock ledges that almost hit the front bumper on approach that lifted jeeps turned around when they got there. I'm more of a finesse, find the line type guy than a pull up and floor it type guy.
Be easy on me please, I just joined the forum tonight!

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[direwolf82]

Thank you.
I'm not a fancy guy that's for sure. I can make do without the luxuries and fancy stuff just tends to get dirty and scratched up between the dog and fishing, getting firewood and all the rest of muddy life. Saying that I did find a decent piece of maple for a drawer face kicking around the house so I'm going to sand, finish it and install a little touch of class to the project.
And after driving around with the dog it turns out I'll be carpeting the whole thing since he likes to stand on top of it and needs more traction. Going to find some grey to match the interior and see how that works. Not thrilled with that as far as cleaning goes but what's a trip in the woods without a happy dog?

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[direwolf82]

Oh yeah, he's got a brand new Christmas bed to go back there.
Glass cleaner, good call. How many nose prints are in the truck already?
So I decided to skip the trip this weekend since all the streams up in the mountains are blown out after the rain.
Instead I put carpet on the box and made a drawer face for it. I must say it really helped pull it all together. Carpet doesn't match exactly but these days how often does the carpet match the curtains anyways? And as it turns out my old can of 3m super 90 turned out to be not so super anymore so it doesn't look as good as it should but I only have one wrinkled area and a handful of extra staples, I can live with that.
If anyone cares the carpet came from the big orange box store, exterior marine rated 6'x8' for 20 bucks, pretty good deal and very supple material.
I need to start taking pictures during the day. You get the gist of what's happened I'm sure.

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[direwolf82]

Thank you! It's been a bunch of designing as I go but I'm pretty happy with it at the end.
Going to give the whole truck a good interior cleaning today, never did clean it after getting back from new hampshire or any trips since then and it's showing it.
The weather is supposed to cooperate this week so next weekend will be the shakedown trip.

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[pcstockton]

why do peeps like cooking in/near and sleeping in their vehicle????? Get a good tent! Ground or roof.

so stinky and condensational

 

[jeff parker]

I don't cook in, but sleeping in the back of the 4Runner is so much nicer than a tent. No worries with stakes, no flapping in the wind, no wadding up a wet tent in the morning, no leaks in the driving rain. Just park, take off shoes and get cozy. In the morning just start up and drive away.

 

[direwolf82]

why do peeps like cooking in/near and sleeping in their vehicle????? Get a good tent! Ground or roof.

so stinky and condensational

I actually have a very nice Marmot tent, won't be so nice after the dog tears holes in it with his claws walking in it or kicking in his sleep. It's also not nearly as comfortable in the rocky areas I tend to go camping in nor is it nearly as dry. It's also a lot nicer to set the truck up to sleep in the pouring rain than the tent. I go when the fishing is good regardless of the weather, not a fair weather camper.
Rtt, I have zero desire to compromise the the driveability of my truck with that much weight up top and neither do I want to try and haul my 80 pound dog up there every night and morning, especially in the rain. If that's something your into then more power to you. I'd rather have a better chance of staying upright on the off camber mountain trails I drive, picking the right line is important but gravity trumps all no matter what.
I'll do my cooking near the vehicle but not in it, personally I don't understand why people have to haul all the cooking stuff 200 yards from the truck. Just cook next to your car. What's the point of being slightly separated? I'm not in bear country.
Condensation- my windows work?
I suppose you wouldn't cook or sleep inside a small boat either but I don't mind that, I enjoy it.
At the end of the day it's a question of personal preference and geography. What works best for you where you are using it.
An issue with the internet, people tend to project their own situations on everyone else. Everyone does different things in different areas and have different requirements, just a fact of life.
The only thing that matters is getting out there and enjoying your trucks and the outdoors, so get out and enjoy no matter how you do it!


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[AntecTrek]

Oh yeah, he's got a brand new Christmas bed to go back there.
Glass cleaner, good call. How many nose prints are in the truck already?
So I decided to skip the trip this weekend since all the streams up in the mountains are blown out after the rain.
Instead I put carpet on the box and made a drawer face for it. I must say it really helped pull it all together. Carpet doesn't match exactly but these days how often does the carpet match the curtains anyways? And as it turns out my old can of 3m super 90 turned out to be not so super anymore so it doesn't look as good as it should but I only have one wrinkled area and a handful of extra staples, I can live with that.
If anyone cares the carpet came from the big orange box store, exterior marine rated 6'x8' for 20 bucks, pretty good deal and very supple material.
I need to start taking pictures during the day. You get the gist of what's happened I'm sure.

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That really looks good.

 

[4x4tripping]

why do peeps like cooking in/near and sleeping in their vehicle????? Get a good tent! Ground or roof.

so stinky and condensational

Most of us overlanders, are cooking outside of the car.

Each Setup has his own advantages... Pros and Cons...

I did sleep over 360days inside of the car in the past 8 Years.

It is stealth, the animals (specially the small ones) can`t come inside, it is fast to setup and fast to leave. You can use Windows Soxx for the air ventilation. Together with the roof window (with mosquito net) you have an perfect airflow in the the hot summer nights.

- I dont care if it is muddy or wet outside. I can use the aircon if it is too hot and I`m sick, can use the park heating device if it is too cold, can run the engine if the park heating would not work.
- It can hail, rain, storm, I`m save and dry. I can decice to close windows to have less noise if a road is near on one side.
- it need less than 30secs for an emergency start (Bed to Driverseat - did never had to use that).
- Stealth: People dont even think that someone is inside in the rear. Let us do too city center parking when we was at a bar or dancing at a nightclub, what was nice severall times...

Cons:

- this is for 2 Persons only, not a setup who would work well with Kids or a Dog. This was a 8 Person car bevore, now a 2 Seater... It is a pemanent buildup, need hours to undo if needed.

Here you find many samples of sleeping setups inside of your car.

4x4tripping

 

[direwolf82]

That really looks good.

Thank you. I would do a couple things a little differently next time around but that's mostly in how I wrapped things with the bunk glue I was using and materials. I think I could shave maybe 10 pounds off it by changing material choices but right now it's about 60 pounds empty. Think I'm going to start caring more about looks instead of focusing on function also.

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[direwolf82]

Most of us overlanders, are cooking outside of the car.

Each Setup has his own advantages... Pros and Cons...

I did sleep over 360days inside of the car in the past 8 Years.

It is stealth, the animals (specially the small ones) can`t come inside, it is fast to setup and fast to leave. You can use Windows Soxx for the air ventilation. Together with the roof window (with mosquito net) you have an perfect airflow in the the hot summer nights.

- I dont care if it is muddy or wet outside. I can use the aircon if it is too hot and I`m sick, can use the park heating device if it is too cold, can run the engine if the park heating would not work.
- It can hail, rain, storm, I`m save and dry. I can decice to close windows to have less noise if a road is near on one side.
- it need less than 30secs for an emergency start (Bed to Driverseat - did never had to use that).
- Stealth: People dont even think that someone is inside in the rear. Let us do too city center parking when we was at a bar or dancing at a nightclub, what was nice severall times...

Cons:

- this is for 2 Persons only, not a setup who would work well with Kids or a Dog. This was a 8 Person car bevore, now a 2 Seater... It is a pemanent buildup, need hours to undo if needed.

Here you find many samples of sleeping setups inside of your car.

4x4tripping

Ha! Something on your cons is one of my pros.
It fits 1 person sleeping and 1 or 2 medium large dogs. That's absolutely perfect for me, anything more would be a waste and anything less would be...just back to sleeping hunched up in the back again I guess?
The time to disassemble is annoying when you consider it until you consider how many times your actually going to have to do it. Mine went in and out a bunch of times when I was making it but I don't plan on taking it out until the truck blows up or I get married again, and after finally getting done with the first one that's going to be a minute.
Do you have any more pics of your rear bumper and tire carrier?
I'm doing a full length roof rack next, uncle's offered to cut it out on their plasma table and bend everything up on the shop press but after that it's bumper time.
I'm considering putting in a small reserve fuel tank in half the spare tire location and a winch in the other half, would that work with that bumper you think?
I'd rather have my extra fuel centered and low down instead of in a Jerry on the back if I can and I don't need a huge amount. Some of the longer stretches through Maine and Canada I'm looking at are closer to the limits then I am comfortable with and I'd rather stay the remote path then have to plan on hitting more towns and cities.

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[4x4tripping]

Ha! Something on your cons is one of my pros.
It fits 1 person sleeping and 1 or 2 medium large dogs. That's absolutely perfect for me, anything more would be a waste and anything less would be...just back to sleeping hunched up in the back again I guess?
The time to disassemble is annoying when you consider it until you consider how many times your actually going to have to do it. Mine went in and out a bunch of times when I was making it but I don't plan on taking it out until the truck blows up or I get married again, and after finally getting done with the first one that's going to be a minute.
Do you have any more pics of your rear bumper and tire carrier?
I'm doing a full length roof rack next, uncle's offered to cut it out on their plasma table and bend everything up on the shop press but after that it's bumper time.
I'm considering putting in a small reserve fuel tank in half the spare tire location and a winch in the other half, would that work with that bumper you think?
I'd rather have my extra fuel centered and low down instead of in a Jerry on the back if I can and I don't need a huge amount. Some of the longer stretches through Maine and Canada I'm looking at are closer to the limits then I am comfortable with and I'd rather stay the remote path then have to plan on hitting more towns and cities.

Many Pictures you find here collected. I dont have a rear bumper, just a keymar rear tyre carrier mounted. Details of my upgrades you will find here, with many links. I did fit a 160l aux fuel tank where the spare tyre was bevore.

I did never changed my buildup back to a 7 seater. This is perfect for travelling alone and too as a couple. It is a sleeper - better using the front seats when you want to spend some time inside because of rain.

It is too my daily driver - fits in underground parking houses, fine too for shopping also it is not optimal for storing 5-6 Bags of food ;-) I did use the codriver foot side for food.

Surfy

 

[direwolf82]

Long time since an update that no one asked for!! I finally filled in the side piece so it's not a hole there anymore. Got some flip up hinges so the small right hand door holds itself up while I put my fishing rods and window screens away.
9 months later I got things fairly situated.
The table and locks are working so now I don't have any legs touching the ground, important when your dog likes to wrap the leash around things.
The front storage area now has a tote with fluids and tools. A recovery gear bag with shackles tree saver and 30 foot yank rope, 5 gallon water can and my house battery are all housed there.
Added a big exhaust fan to keep the dog more comfortable in the warmer months and fresh air moving when I'm sleeping in there.

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