Front row -> bed setup

[thebizbucket]

Hey all,

So I have finally found a mod that you all haven't documented - at least not one I could find. I am hoping to turn the front row into a bed for my 6 year old so that we can all "camp" out of the truck. It seems to greatly reduce campsite stress when there are no poles & strings to mess with. Especially on a long 3+ day journey with different destinations for each evening.. Here is the basic plan (curious for input, or if anyone else has tried..).

- Fold mid seats forward, and rear seats "up" to make a bed for me and wife.
- Open center console all the way up so that it sits against mid seats
- Put some sort of "plug" (hard cardboard or something fashioned
that doesn't have damaging edges) onto the driver seat and passenger seat.
- Run a single wooden board / hard plastic piece across the 2 plugs and center console
- Cut piece of 4" foam to sit across all 3
- Insert 6 year old and beg him to not snore

He is game, and I am up for a well documented mod!

Just hoping for input before, during and after!

Thoughts ?

 

[Grench]

How tall are you?

I've actually given this a lot of thought... Not with the kid bridged over the front, thats a different twist. More to do with how to be comfortable in the back.

With the front seats slid all the way forward and both sets of seats folded down (not up) it is possible to fit a twin matress & box springs into an FZJ80 and close the gate & window. Barely. Done it.

With the 3rd row up and the 2nd row tumbled forward, you're only going to have about 5 1/2' of space unless you sleep diagonally and your wife gets relegated to whatever's left in the corners.

I'm not as concerned about your kid sleeping, they can sleep anywhere and be fine. You're not going to be a happy camper in the morning after sleeping on a steel deck with your body crumpled up to fit.

So, I had this idea.

If the 3rd row is removed and a drawer system is installed or built into it with a flat carpeted top. Then picture a cargo barier that disconnects and folds forward to lay flat over the folded down 2nd row seats. This would give a flat deck a touch over 6' long. Roll out or blow up a matress and you're golden. Not much headroom, but at least it would be comfortable.

I've been rolling around ideas about building it. I'm not through my build to interior mods yet though. But this is one of the things I've been toying with.

Has anyone ever seen/made screen inserts for the slider windows? Yeah, thats another one.

Grench

 

[thebizbucket]

I've actually given this a lot of thought... Not with the kid bridged over the front, thats a different twist. More to do with how to be comfortable in the back.

With the front seats slid all the way forward and both sets of seats folded down (not up) it is possible to fit a twin matress & box springs into an FZJ80 and close the gate & window. Barely. Done it.

With the 3rd row up and the 2nd row tumbled forward, you're only going to have about 5 1/2' of space unless you sleep diagonally and your wife gets relegated to whatever's left in the corners.

I'm not as concerned about your kid sleeping, they can sleep anywhere and be fine. You're not going to be a happy camper in the morning after sleeping on a steel deck with your body crumpled up to fit.

So, I had this idea.

If the 3rd row is removed and a drawer system is installed or built into it with a flat carpeted top. Then picture a cargo barier that disconnects and folds forward to lay flat over the folded down 2nd row seats. This would give a flat deck a touch over 6' long. Roll out or blow up a matress and you're golden. Not much headroom, but at least it would be comfortable.

I've been rolling around ideas about building it. I'm not through my build to interior mods yet though. But this is one of the things I've been toying with.

Has anyone ever seen/made screen inserts for the slider windows? Yeah, thats another one.

Grench

I am 6'1.5. How we have devised it to work is have the 2nd row forward, the rear upper gate shut, and the rear lower gate open for "foot wigglin' room". Then just a well positioned tarp and a 4" foam cut to shape and we may as well be in a hotel

Interesting idea about both seats down and a twin. Except having to lug a mattress with ya!! In terms of the last idea I dig it but it won't suit my lifestyle. We travel in a pack - those rear seats come in handy.

Also screen inserts - hot I'd buy a set.

I am going to keep banging away at my idea a bit. I have to make the bed look "not unhealthy" for junior to get the green light
Thinkin about trying some pizza-box contstruction for a plug mold. Maybe then spray with foam insulation and get a little leather to upholster the plugs. I grew up on a lot of 30 ft-ish power/sail boats that always had these transforming interiors. I think that is where the idea is coming from lol

 

[thebizbucket]

I was being over complex. I think the easiest way is to do this will be to utilize the door handles and the center console as the bottom points for the sleeping platform. Then I am going to attach different heighted skids for the rear portion and front portion where it sits on the handrest. ( and covered in a non abrasive in order to preserve the door handles). Notches are to be cut around the handle portion and the skids will sit on the power window buttons and the rear portion of each door handle. This will give the platform enough coverage to clear the auto shifter, and should tuck in nicely under the steering wheel. Then a center mount can go on top of the console (forgot to measure this) to support the
middle of the platform.

Then cover with foam bedding and insert child. Done!

PS I realize he'll have to climb over the seats to get it. He's cool with that

 

[calphi27]

I know I am out of my area here, but I have a fj62 that I put an full coleman airbed in the rear. It works great. It even comes with its own pump.

 

[wileetoyote]

I tried the air matress thing one trip between me and my teenage son. we only had queen size air matresses so for him, we placed one air mattress up on the con-ferr 4'x8' roof rack. Worked out perfect...the matress curled up over the sides of the rack which gave it a hammock effect keeping him from rolling over the edge while I placed my air matress in the back of the LC. the queen size matress a bit too long so i had to drop the tailgate and just closed the hatch. I had the same 'taco' shape because of the wheel wells. I slept fine but if my wife had joined us, i don't think I would have been as comfortable

WET

 

[thebizbucket]

I did air matresses for about 3 years. I always get 'bounced' around by the wife. And she is only 125lbs. Must be fun for her with my 200lbs 'bouncing' her back. And at lower inflation just got uncomfortable. And the punctures drove me NUTS!

In the bed of my old truck i discovered 4" camping posturepedic foam. Life changing stuff. Not only that but you wake up warmer because the air does not cool in your air mattress under you at night. Wonderful stuff.

I am gonna build the kid sleeping rack tomorrow. Camping right after tho so will have to post pics early next week everyone get out there this weekend!

 

[Bruneti]

I've put a queen size coleman air mattress in the back of 80 with the 2nd row flipped forward, 3rd row flipped up, tailgait open, and upper hatch closed. A good foam pad might be even better. I can't ever seem to find an air mattress that stays inflated all night.

If you remove the 2nd row of seats (8 bolts) for the trip, you gain a lot of extra room and should be able to close the tailgate. I just did this to haul a twin size box spring and mattress home. Not sure how Grench fit one in with the second row still in there. I'm 6'2" and there was no possible way to fit it and drive comfortably with the hatch closed. I looked up the size, measured, then removed the 2nd row before picking it up. 1/2 job.

I believe that a rear storage drawer system built to the same height as the second row seatback folded down flat, would provide a suitable platform for an air mattress or foam pad also.

As an alternative plan for your son, search the Outfitting Forum using the terms "Cot Tent".
This might be a viable alternative if your front row platform doesn't work out.
https://forum.ih8mud.com/showpost.php?p=599853&postcount=25
They sell these at Cabellas with rainfly included. I've spotted a few used on ebay as well. Good luck with your project.

 

[ginericLC]

What I have found is the most comfortable position is to fold the second row half forward (only the backs) and I built a shelf underneath it Then I lay a 4" matteress pad over both. I can do this with the hatch closed. I'm 6'3" and I can fully stretch out this way. I put my head right above the folded down headrest on the second row and right below the headrest of the first row. One major problem with sleeping in the rig is where do you put all of your gear? I especially like to have my cooler inside the rig for varmit protection. My shelf solves this slightly because you can stow stuff under the shelf.

 

[Grench]

If you remove the 2nd row of seats (8 bolts) for the trip, you gain a lot of extra room and should be able to close the tailgate. I just did this to haul a twin size box spring and mattress home. Not sure how Grench fit one in with the second row still in there. I'm 6'2" and there was no possible way to fit it and drive comfortably with the hatch closed.

Front seats had to be full forward and pretty much straight up. Shoving my 6'2" 240lb carcas into the front seat... I could drive, but I wouldn't call it comfortable. 2nd and 3rd row laid down, but not tumbled or hung up. Put the box spring in first with the tailgate down. You have to angle it up into the truck a bit so that it goes through down low where the door is bigger. With the gate up, you have to deform the matress just a touch, but it will go. Carefull of the seals. This put the top of the matress about a foot from the roofline of the truck.

Like I said, it can be done. It isn't something I'd do on a regular basis though. I had to try it. My alternative was a buch of straps and the roof rack. It gave me the idea that the dimensions in the back with the seats folded flat was about right. Maybe someday in a year or so I'll be far enough along on my other projects to start putting my ideas for the interior mods to work.

 

[photogod]

Futon fits great in here. Build it and bolt the car seat, if he still uses it, betewwn the two front seats and use a foam roll up mattress or futon mattress or blow up job. I'm 6'2" amd I have room without putting the seats forward. If the seats go forward I have 6'8' of leg room.

 

[firetruck41]

Couple thoughts:

Leave the third row seats at home (5 min)

Not sure how much weight I would rest on the arm rests

How about suspending a board between the driver's and passenger's "oh sh!t" handles to create a platform?

 

[thebizbucket]

I built the platform yesterday and have it ready to test this weekend, but it isn't upholstered or anything yet. The weight seems to be distributed quite well over the 4 handle points and the center console. He is only 55 lbs or so. Nothing seems to be "stressed".

The above diagram and dimensions worked out perfectly as far as I can tell. I'll get pics of it being installed & used over the weekend.

Have to go test that and the OME lift I had installed yesterday out !! Going up to a great spot for wheeling and camping.

 

[thebizbucket]

Platform worked out great. QUick pics:

The rear bed is *just* big enough that I can live with it with both gates shut. Sleep quality could be a bit better but it should suffice for camping.. Now to start plotting those mosquito nets - we wanted the windows open but were afraid of the swarms outside.

 

[Grench]

I can see it now... 3AM. Jr. rolls over, swings his foot and...

HHOONNKK!!!

Seriously, it looks like it will work out pretty well for you. I still question if it is easier to dump everything out on the ground and sleep in the truck or to just pull out a tent and set it up.

You'll have to let us know how it works out on it's first camping run!

 

[e9999]

if you don't want to carry the board: hammock between upper handles...

In the back what I'll do one of these days is to buy a number of identical strong plastic storage boxes, plus a couple of taller ones for the 2d row foot well (I have removed those seats permanently). All the boxes will store the junk and their tops will make a flat platform. Use an air mattress... done!

 

[hoser]

Bizbucket, Not sure if you've ssen these but it'll give you that extra legroom and a screened window. Btw, I'm thinking you'd better disconnect that horn before your kid sleeps up front.

Explorer2 Suv Tent

 

[lx450landcruiser]

Bizbucket, Not sure if you've ssen these but it'll give you that extra legroom and a screened window. Btw, I'm thinking you'd better disconnect that horn before your kid sleeps up front.

Explorer2 Suv Tent

i just got one of those tents. there only 99 bucks at sierra trading post.

havent used it yet but i set it up to see how it works and i really like the extra room.

BTW a queen size air mat fits int he 80 no prob with seats fliped down but not up and a rear sotrage box.

mike

 

[semlin]

the vw westys had a child's hammock for this spot. Two felxible poles with canvas strecthed across like a strecther that hooked onto 4 tiny mounts that went on the pillars.

 

[Grolar]

bizbucket: very cool setup. I thought about the same for my 4 month old kid but was afraid he might fall somewhere in between, your post makes me want to think about it again, might be less expensive than a rooftent! I experienced the hammock version on the front seats in my parents' van during a cross-Sahara trip, my sister slept there when she was 12 or so. And guys, you're right, the horn has to be disconnected. (waking up the Beduins and their cattle in the middle of the night in a Moroccan oasis remains one of our funniest memories).