Sleeping platform using third row seats (1 Viewer)

[HGB]

Has anyone tried using the second and third row seats folded down as a makeshift sleeping platform? I have some small MDF sheets I was thinking to place over the seats to cover the gaps.

Here’s a photo of my sleeping pad laid over the seats (without the board). I‘ve tried it with the second row folded up and third row out of the way, but there’s not enough leg room that way.

Am I crazy, or is this not a bad idea?

 

[linuxgod]

It works. I did it last weekend. No plywood, I just folded them like you did (but the left side). With the headrest in the 3rd row flat and if you install the center headrest backwards it's pretty close to flat. I stick a big towel on top just to level it a bit better. I had a 3-4" thick air mattress filled I inflated and it was reasonably comfortable.. until my air mattress leaked and deflated around 2am anyway.

 

[HGB]

Good idea about the headrest! I might have to try that with the second row too for support under my head

 

[afgman786]

Did you have the 2nd row slid all the way forward? That's what I do and then use a plywood board to fill the gap b/w 2nd and 3rd, then my matress on top of that. With the 2nd row slid all the way forward and folded down, it is almost up against the front seats so there is good support for the pillow to not fall into the crack.

 

[linuxgod]

Good idea about the headrest! I might have to try that with the second row too for support under my head

Actually by "center" I meant "middle headrest in the 3rd row". I'm not sure if the headrest in the middle row comes off or not. I found with the air mattress the seats themselves were fine, it was really just the gap between the 2nd and 3rd row that needed minor support for my back

If your mattress isn't thick, a flat board underneath would probably be helpful. You'd have to commit to keeping the board laid out in the truck for the whole trip though unless you came up with a way to fold it (maybe hinges and sliding cabinet locks?)

Normally I sleep in our trailer, or in a tent. This was a case of me driving back across the country by myself and feeling too lazy to pitch the tent for one night. If I was doing this regularly I would want a folding board or some other stiff platform, I think. On the plus side the temp in the morning was about 50F and because the cruiser is sealed up I barely even wanted a sheet. Downside was that I had to hang a couple towels around the windows on one side to block out the nearby light. I imagine if you were sleeping in the rig someplace warm you'd want to keep the windows open (and maybe get some of those window screens to keep the bugs and critters out depending on your location)

 

[linuxgod]

BTW if you were hypothetically using the truck as a sleeping platform regularly, there are some companies that will custom cut a memory foam mattress for you. I had one made for my trailer which queen size, but they specifically set the foam density so it would be comfortable at only 7" thick (vs a standard 12" memory foam mattress). They also had to cut it so that I could fold it in half since the bed in our trailer flips up for a sofa. For an LC you could probably get one made that would be ~4" thick but still offer better support than an air mattress, and they could cut it so that it could fold up to something which didn't necessarily take up the whole length of the vehicle.

Not sure about where you're at @HGB but in the US I found mattressinsider.com had good quality memory foam mattresses they could custom cut for a reasonable price.

 

[SharpeCat]

I slept like that for a couple months before doing away with my third row. Like Linux said, since it isn’t a flat and nice surface, just be careful that the mattress isn’t rubbing against anything sharp. I too deflated mine a few times during those months, but I did use the surrounding areas as storage so it could’ve been punctured by my tools or other gear.

One thing I like about that setup is when you’re done you can just flip 2nd row up and fold mat in half towards third row/rest on third row seat, and you’re done and ready to use 2nd row/drive off looking like a normal car again. Most days I didn’t bother rolling mat up in the morning I just rode with it folded in half over 3rd row seat folded down.

 

[linuxgod]

I slept like that for a couple months before doing away with my third row. Like Linux said, since it isn’t a flat and nice surface, just be careful that the mattress isn’t rubbing against anything sharp. I too deflated mine a few times during those months, but I did use the surrounding areas as storage so it could’ve been punctured by my tools or other gear.

One thing I like about that setup is when you’re done you can just flip 2nd row up and fold mat in half towards third row/rest on third row seat, and you’re done and ready to use 2nd row/drive off looking like a normal car again. Most days I didn’t bother rolling mat up in the morning I just rode with it folded in half over 3rd row seat folded down.

In fairness my mattress was leaking before I slept in the truck, it's just that when you're on flat ground the leakage isn't so bad. That mattress is now in a landfill in Indiana

In hindsight I should've stopped at sprawl-mart and picked up a replacement on my way home since I knew it wasn't holding air.

 

[KCSIII]

Along these lines here, I know that the 4runners's passenger front seat folds all the way back so that it sorta lines up with the second row. In the 4 runner you can remove the passenger front seat head rest. It then lines up perfectly with the second row such that it seems to make a very nice sleeping set up. Our LC passenger front seat reclines all the way back to align with the second row but, I tried, and failed, to remove the passenger front seat headrest in the LC. Does anyone know if the headreat can be removed? If so that could make for a nice bed, just using the front and second row vs the second and third row.