DIY 2nd Row Seat Hidden Molle Panel on the 5th Gen 4Runner

4Runner 2nd row seat hidden MOLLE panel

DIY 2nd Row Seat Hidden Molle Panel Install – Making the Most of the Hidden Space for 5th Gen 4Runners

Hiding your gear or other 4Runner-kept items can help free up cargo space, reduce clutter, and hopefully keep prying eyes and break-ins to a minimum. In an effort to hide and store my recovery gear, I turned to this site and found a great post on a Simple Sleeping Platform Build.

Now, had I waited a few years, these additional write-ups would have been available for me to consider:

As a car camper, a low-profile cargo build fit both my budget and needs perfectly. I followed the build thread from Sgt Keebler. I could hide my recovery gear, still maintain a practical and uncluttered cargo area, and flatten out the back when the 2nd row seats are folded down for sleeping—checking all the boxes and more.

It took just a quick trip to realize that this setup required me to pull almost everything out of the cargo area when I wanted to access my recovery straps for a friend who got stuck on the way to a campsite. Not ideal. I needed something more accessible, yet still hidden, for my recovery gear. The low-profile drawer thread would have solved this, but I didn’t want to go through a rebuild.

When I was looking to make more sleeping room, I accidentally discovered that the underside of the larger bench seat is hollow. The bottom plastic liner and seat cushion compress a fair amount. Pull the plastic liner off and there is plenty of empty space to work with. I found my new spot to store (and hide) my recovery gear!

Installation Overview

This simple DIY setup will cover the process of removing the bench, figuring out the usable space for storing your gear, and a few extra steps to make sure everything is secured and quiet. I initially thought of creating a clean and custom design MOLLE panel with a company like Send-Cut-Send, but I ultimately decided to keep this inexpensive and more utilitarian in practice.

Note: 4Runners with a 3rd row seat have a different 2nd-row seat configuration. Access to the underside of the seat is not possible since it keeps the bench and seat-back as one unit.

Tools and Supplies

Find It Online:

Step 1. Remove the Larger Bench Seat

5th Gen 4Runner OEM 2nd Row Seat Opened

There are only two (2) bolts holding your bench seat in place. Pull off the two (2) plastic covers with your hands, or use a flathead screwdriver to apply some leverage. They should just pop off.

Once removed, there is a single 14-mm bolt in each location. Remove each bolt and set them aside as they’ll be needed to reinstall the seat.

Step 2. Remove the Plastic Bottom Cover

2nd row seat with bottom panel removed

Once the bench seat is pulled from your 4Runner, unscrew the two (2) rubber feet and two (2) Phillips screws around the latching point. Pulling against the plastic cover at the seam where it meets the fabric, working your way around the edge. Lift the latch area up slightly to slip out the plastic cover. The plastic liner is tough, so don’t worry about cracking or breaking it. I chose to not keep it and set it aside, but you could modify it with an opening to maintain an OEM look.

There are fabric clips holding the seat cushion fabric in place; twist and separate any remaining portions that did not come apart when removing the plastic cover. This will allow you to completely separate the frame cushion making the next step very easy.

Step 3. Place Your Selected Fabric Between the Seat Cushion and Seat Frame

4Runner 2nd row seat with fabric installed

Roughly eyeball the amount of fabric needed and cut out a bit extra; the turns in the frame take up more fabric than you might think.

Place the seat frame back onto the bottom of the cushion, working the frame back into its original position, adjusting the fabric as you go. Trim the edges of the fabric, and tuck the remaining amount between the cushion and seat cover itself. This will ensure that the fabric stays in place. Snap all of the seat cushion fabric clips back onto the frame.

Step 4. Find the Best Position for the MOLLE Panel

4Runner 2nd row seat with MOLLE panel installed

The dimensions of the area where the MOLLE panel will attach to your seat frame is approximately 19″ x 11″. I found an 18.5″ x 10″ panel on Amazon that kept this build fairly inexpensive. Placing the panel as close to the seat legs provided the most usable spaced for my gear when the seat is in its normal position. The closer to the latch you place it, the less room you will have for gear to stick out from the panel.

Step 5. Attach the MOLLE Panel to the Seat Frame

2nd row seat with molle panel installed and zip ties clipped

Use zip-ties to attach as much of the panel to the wire frame as possible. When the seat is in its normal position, everything attached to the panel is hanging upside down. Because I opted for a cheaper plastic panel, I didn’t want it to warp or break over time. Clip the zip ties so your friends don’t give you a hard time.

Step 6. Organize Your Gear on the MOLLE Panel (Considering Spacing Requirements)

4Runner 2nd row seat with gear attached to the molle panel

The plastic cover in the earlier photos is a great indicator for how far out your gear can sit from the panel without interfering with the seat’s normal position when folded down.

(From left to right)

I used the pocket area of the frame to keep my strap ends in place and the next area to hold the snatch strap nicely. Make sure to pull it to the left as far as possible; otherwise the headrest will stop the seat back from folding completely flat.

To the right of the snatch strap, the headrest is a limiting factor to consider and I opted to put my tow hitch pin and shackles here. The small area to the right fits my 2″ receiver and shackle perfectly.

Final Thoughts

4Runner 2nd row seat with gear attached to the molle panel

The hidden MOLLE panel under the second row seat solved my goals of storing my recovery gear out of sight and keeping the cargo area clutter-free. There is more you can do to aesthetically improve the design, including painting the frame, creating a custom-sized MOLLE panel to fit the seat frame better, and trimming the OEM plastic cover to keep the look. However, for a simple and clean install, this was a perfect balance between getting it done and making it look clean.

Do you have ideas on how to further improve this DIY? Let me know! I’m interested to see where and how the community will refine and improve it.

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Sergio
Sergio
1 year ago

I’m sad. I finally got to installing this and when I went to drop the seat down so that everything was flat, the head rest hits something. (As in, I tilted the head rest down, pushed the button and when I tried to flatten the back out, nope!) I tried arranging things differently, it will still hit something. You can’t make it flat, even with the front seat moved up. I wish this would have worked, especially after all the work I put into it.

Sergio
Sergio
1 year ago
Reply to  Sergio

Let me add to my comment. It works, looks great and helps with storage. But I love the fact that I can make that back seat completely flat and with this you can’t do that. If you don’t care about that, you’re good!

Jacob Helix
Jacob Helix
2 years ago

Would you be willing to make a video about this? How did you add the fabric to the underneath?

Sergio Palacios
Sergio Palacios
2 years ago

This is great! I’m curious, does it effect the padding or how it feels to sit on the seat by doing this? Thank you in advance.

Hugo F.
Hugo F.
2 years ago

Excellent idea and great job of thinking outside the box. Out of curiosity, how have the zip ties held up with the weight, especially the hitch?

Paul Kelly
Paul Kelly
2 years ago

Excellent project, thank you for the detailed installation instructions and clear photos.

Jeff Steffens
Jeff Steffens
2 years ago

That’s an awesome idea! I’m going to look into it. About how much space do you have to fit something? From bottom of the seat, like 4”?

Dave W
Dave W
2 years ago

This is one of the most creative and brilliant mods I have ever seen for the 5th Gen. Bravo, sir! I’ll be getting to work on this immediately. Talk about a missed opportunity to offer it that way from the factory!

Mike
Mike
2 years ago

Crazy thought, but would there be enough room to install power gear, such as radio bases, or maybe an Inverter or DC charger like a Redarc under there? Knowing you have to get a bit fancy with wiring since you need to allow for the seat flipping up.

Mark
Mark
2 years ago

Dillon, awesome idea! Especially for all the smaller items that tend to “move” around the truck after a couple days on trail whether you moved it or it moved itself during a wash board ride. Did you just decide one day to start removing panels in the oddest locations to find space?

Altaf
Altaf
2 years ago

Innovative, inexpensive, and so practical! Is there room under the single 2nd row seat to do something similar?

Maureen
Maureen
2 years ago

Brilliant! Really well done with the photos and detailed descriptions. Will be passing this on to other 4-Runner aficionados. Great job!

Jake Drake
Jake Drake
2 years ago

Dillon, I love that camping is such a big part of your life—one more thing to appreciate about you. Space issues take precedence in the ‘less is more’ approach with a fine line between having what you need and constantly having to shuffle gear and parts around as the situation requires.
What’s your dream camping rig?

Jeremy Chambers
Nomad
Jeremy Chambers
2 years ago

I was curious why this idea wasn’t utilized before.

sicnarf033
sicnarf033
2 years ago

This is neat and great idea! I never thought about it. Toyota definitely should have tried to utilize this space like they do with the Tacoma. Hopefully for the next generation!

Wendy Kuhns
Wendy Kuhns
2 years ago

Where did you get your Mole rack?

Adam
Adam
2 years ago

This is a killer idea. Great spot for jumper cables and a first aid kit. Thanks for sharing

RayC
RayC
2 years ago

Very ingenious young Jedi! Is butt comfort compromised at all when someone is using the seat?

ATX Josh
ATX Josh
2 years ago

Just curious what its like when you actually have to fold the backrest into the seat inorder for it all to lay flat…does your newly attached gear make way for the back to to fold in? or do you have to remove all your gear just to fold it in? please explain. thanks!

LaughingDad
LaughingDad
2 years ago
Reply to  Dillon W

In my 4Runner, the headrest rubs against the plastic shield. Maybe it’s because my front passengers push the seat too far back?

Any ideas for this?

Pete
Pete
2 years ago

“Do It Yourself Dillon” – Hah, this is fantastic, thanks for sharing Dillon!

Wanderlust
Wanderlust
2 years ago
Reply to  Pete

Great idea and implementation.
For my camp trips, I remove the bottom seat altogether. I have a couple of bins that fit in that space. I use a cot inside with the seat back folded down and a 1/4” plywood top to support the cot legs. Removing the seat bottom provides a lot of usable space thats easy to access from the opened door

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