I've camped a fair bit in the back of my 4Runner. Its not on par with a Volkswagen van, but it certainly holds it's own with those fodl down seats. Good work Toyota.

I've been thinking about several mods to improve the camping experience and here are some of my ideas:

• daytime running lights cancel switch so I can leave my engine running to warm up the inside for winter camping and not have the lights blazing into someone elses camp
• make a removeable tent-like apparatus for the inside to retain the heat (again I winter camp in Canada). the metal roof does a terrible job retaining heat.
• a raised plywood floor so I can store stuff in compartments under the sleeping area- axe, pots, stove, shovel, Hi Lift, food, oil, fanbelts, tow strap etc.
• upgraded dome light
• aux. reverse light that can be turned on by switch from the rear (already done- they turn on when the tranny is in reverse, when the dash switch is thrown or when the rear switch it thrown.)

What have you done? Anyone have any cool ideas?

My mod ideas are mostly for winter camping in Canada, where it can get pretty damn cold at night, but if you have summer suited mods, I want to hear them too.

 

Well, I've got a friend who works for a carpet place, so I get some odd length carpet pieces for free, I got a decent sized roll, and cut it out so It covers the back of my 4Runner with the seats folded down. Man does that carpet keep it warmer, and it's soft too. BTW, it's just regular carpet like you have in your house, and NO, I don't keep it in there all the time, just for camping.

I'm also planning on doing an auxilary heavy duty 12V outlet in the rear of my 4Runner, along with a 400/800peak watt power inverter. One of my favorite camping mods, is that I now have XM satellite radio connected, so even out in the middle of no where, I can still have decent music. The HD 12V outlet, I think would be best suited for like a 12 fan for stuffy summer nights, or 12v coffee maker, or what ever else you need 12v for in the back of the rig. It's going to be Heavy duty, because it will likely share the same wiring from the battery as the inverter, so it will be thick stuff.

Also, in the rear storage spaces, I keep a gallon of drinking water, along with 2 smaller bottles, just in case. I'm also thinking of stashing some food back there just in case of an emergency, or even if I just get hungry one night while I'm camping in my 4Runner.

 

carbon monoxide detector, in case you fall back a sleep with the engine running.

 

Ditto. Running the engine to warm up is just a bad idea. Invest in a dual battery set up, install a power converter & use an electric blanket. Then you don't have to worry about the indoor tent,daytime running lights or carbon monoxide death. A good sleeping pad & a quality sleeping bag mixed in with that & you'd be set.

 

Good idea on the carbon monoxide detector. Ever seen a CO detector for automotive use?

 

Ya, Check at your local RV Dealer/parts store.
And they do make 12V electric blankets. You just have to look. I think Cabela's probably has some.

In your runner, Do you still have the stock headliner? You might beable to pull it out and put some extra insulation behind it to keep it warmer. That will also help keep it a little cooler in the summer too. : )

 

I'll look into that. For anyone who tries insulating the head liner. Do NOT use pink fiberglass insulation. You will hate yourself bad if you do as it will get all over everywhere.

 

Hey Matt, you don't need a DL mod to keep the lights from comming on

Keep your e-brake on and they will not come on.
Even if its on only 1 click, just enough so it doesnt touch the button.

 

depending on how tall you make your platform/cargo area will determine interior dressing room height. ive held off making my platform for just that reason, im 5'11" and have to bend over to get dressed. we use a large piece of upholstery foam for our 'bed', its firm, warm and rolls up for transport.

i made up some screens shaped to fit the rear door windows that are held in place by strip magnets. if you have the rain guards for the windows it will allow you to have your windows open enough for decent ventilation during light rain. i wouldnt leave the windward window open in heavy or wind driven rain.

lee

 

I'll check, but my lights I think stay on when the parking brake is on as well. Maybe a sensor is busted.

Leebee: that's good to keep in mind, I think I will cover the platform in Rhino Liner but have a foam cut out to lay on top.

 

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f123...03/index4.html

 

Hey I was asking about the cargo area question just the other day. Check out this set up. This member went all out and its for a 3rd gen but with a little measuring it would work. Good Luck

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/l...rd-gen-126267/

 

If you start your engine with the e-brake enguaged the daytime running lights will not come on Keep it on 1 click and they will stay off. I used to do this when I wanted to drive around with just the side markers on.

 

I was looking to do that mod this week. The one thing is that I would have access doors that open up instead of a drawer. That looks really professional. I just have to make sure that the reduced headroom doesn't interfere with any nocturnal recreation.

Jay: my DRLs seem to have no connection to the parking brake, maybe they changed the wiring and the 1990 4Runner (built the year Canada mandated the implementation of DRLs) had a bit of a hack job for DRLs. On my truck, whenever the engine is running, the DRLs were on, until now.

 

for the brighter dome light, do an L.E.D. conversion. There should be a writeup here somewhere.

 

When I go camping I have a portable heater. Runs off batteries and can be recharged when the truck starts up the next morning.

I would think about some easy way to get in and out of the back of the 4runner. I mean if you think about it, when you roll up the window when you are inside, don't you have to crawl and do it? Or do you do it like me and crawn through the down backseats and close the door?

 

You could rig up a remote to it, or a switch in the back, so you can open and close the back from inside the rig.

 

I picked up an extra rear window switch from the junkyard which I plan on wiring directly to the battery (so that it will work when the car is off) then splicing into the existing window wiring to raise or lower the window. I'm planning on mounting it right by the light in the cargo area, hopefully things won't bump into it while I'm driving.

 

Thats a good idea.

 

Let us know how that works, I was thinking of somthing along those lines last year.

Jeremy