You can push a small carabiner into the latch and trick the vehicle into thinking the hatch it closed. Just remember to remove it before you close the hatch.
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100 series sleeping setup? (2 Viewers)
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You can push a small carabiner into the latch and trick the vehicle into thinking the hatch it closed. Just remember to remove it before you close the hatch.
Josie'sLandCruiser
Stop calling it a "FJ."
I made this simple setup out of 1/2" Maple Ply, with some cheap home depot Grey indoor/outdoor to cover it all. Then used an Exped Megamat Duo with a Teton Mammoth 0* bag. It was a killer setup in 25* nasty weather this past weekend. I used UHMW for my 38" drawer slides. It's a great way to save hundreds of dollars on drawer slides and have a smooth rattle free setup.
Do you have to move the front seats all the way up to fit the megamat duo? This is the pad I want but looking at the specs online it says it's 77.6" long and I thought that was too much
I have the megamat Duo XL - you do need to slide the front seats up a bit. I need to build out a platform that goes over the second row as my legs and feet hang off
Thanks, good to know. The other option I'm contemplating is using two of the Megamat 10 MW (72 L x 25.6 W) which will end up similar overall but short enough to not mess with front seats. Either option has it's trade-offs.
anyone just build as flat/low as possible setup yet, similar to the goose-gear set-up but without the price?
I don’t really see the point in building a sleeping platform that is on the floor. Where are you going to store all your stuff?
I think it makes way more sense to build a platform that allows for storage underneath
I prefer tent camping, I also cannot stand sleeping that close to the ceiling of my car, been there, can't do it. So this would only be used in a situation where time didn't allow for a proper camping set up. Throw up hammock tarp, put gear under there, throw exped duo in back of car for night sleep
The way I see it, a platform only provides an advantage over sleeping on the floor of truck if you build it high enough to clear the wheel well and use full width of truck. At that point, I'd argue it's worth building a few inches higher to have decent drawers/storage.
Bought the duo for under 300 on backcountry. Stoked!
Sleep on ours last night on the back deck of the house, it will be the best purchase you have ever made
My BIL slept on one for a week in our guest room floor - preferred it to the nice comfy couch we have.
I love it - easy to use, easy to store. AND COMFY!!
Man, for those prices I might as well put in a waterbed
terrapin
SILVER Star
Here is my setup. I started with an "Air Down Gear Up" DIY kit and added shortened (8") legs to lower it to just above the wheel wells. My "drawers" are straight wall shipping containers (48" x 15" x 7.5"). They actually work pretty well and stay in place if you don't pull them out all the way. I made sure to buy ones with a smooth bottom as opposed to a reinforced egg-crate bottom so they would slide easier. As a bonus, I can take them out and stack them in my garage.
The front part of the platform is supported by Wolf Pack containers. I used a thin foam pad to level things out.
I've since added a cooler slide and narrowed the width of the front part so I can use one of the rear seats, plus it give me better storage room.
The last photo shows it in action with a DAC tent and Slumberjack Roadhouse Tarp. I sleep with the cooler slide extended to give me more room inside and so I don't have to listen to the cooler buzzing right next to my head.
The front part of the platform is supported by Wolf Pack containers. I used a thin foam pad to level things out.
I've since added a cooler slide and narrowed the width of the front part so I can use one of the rear seats, plus it give me better storage room.
The last photo shows it in action with a DAC tent and Slumberjack Roadhouse Tarp. I sleep with the cooler slide extended to give me more room inside and so I don't have to listen to the cooler buzzing right next to my head.
Quick bump for this fricken great thread...
I'm going to get started on my own drawers this week and hope to have them done in time for a camping trip at the end of the month. For those who used UHMW material for your slides, a few questions:
Where did you find/get the material? Were you able to source it in a specific size or has everyone used the cut-to-fit options? When installing, are you installing on both the box and the drawer bottoms, just one or the other, on the sides as well? (Easier way to ask, do you need a piece of UHMW sliding on UHMW or is wood sliding on it sufficient?) Last question, did anyone recess the material into a groove in the wood? I was thinking of just routing a strip in the wood ~1/4" to help reduce lost width/depth.
Thanks.
I'm going to get started on my own drawers this week and hope to have them done in time for a camping trip at the end of the month. For those who used UHMW material for your slides, a few questions:
Where did you find/get the material? Were you able to source it in a specific size or has everyone used the cut-to-fit options? When installing, are you installing on both the box and the drawer bottoms, just one or the other, on the sides as well? (Easier way to ask, do you need a piece of UHMW sliding on UHMW or is wood sliding on it sufficient?) Last question, did anyone recess the material into a groove in the wood? I was thinking of just routing a strip in the wood ~1/4" to help reduce lost width/depth.
Thanks.
Exactly my thought. I just bought an 06 LX that came with some budget drawers. Within 24 hours of owning the car I was frustrated with how little I could store in the low profile drawers. In my case it was bottled/canned goods from Costco. I like storing those under the platform so they don't turn into 10 lb missiles in a crash. No problem with the SS1 drawers/platform, but it wasn't happening with the low profile drawers in that LX. I could fit 3 out of 10 things. Those drawers will be coming out ASAP and replaced by an SS1 system.
Everyone's needs are different, but for me having some height under the platform makes that space way more usable in everyday urban and occasional "overland" trips. The SS1 is also perfectly sized for carry on luggage, which I used a lot when my job required a lot of travel in 2017-2018.
Keep us posted on your design and build process
pictures of your budget drawers? I'm planning on building a set up using 7" high drawers
