Last Updated on November 6, 2021
Finn Fab 5th Gen Toyota 4Runner Rear Window MOLLE Panel for all 5th Gen 4Runners (except with 3rd-row seats)
Tired of having to dig through your bags, drawers, or containers to find tools and other items you regularly use while off-roading? Are you also tired of running out of 12v plugs when you need to charge all the overland gadgets or power up some Bluetooth speakers for the tailgate session?
Finn Fab has a solution!
Their new rear window MOLLE panels called “Power Grids” for the 5th gen offer quick access and plenty of mounting solutions. The panels are ⅛” thick steel and cut to accommodate standard MOLLE accessories as well as Rivnuts to secure the most unruly loads.
Find It Online
- Finn Fab Power Grids: Check Price
Extras
- Blue Sea Systems Accessory Panels Face Plates:
- Power Accessories
- Mounting Accessories
- Quickfist Medium (Flashlights, Screwdrivers, etc.)
- Quickfist Small (Smaller accessories)
- Bolts: 5/16-18 1-1/4
- Extra Rivet Nuts: 5/16-18
- Blue Perfect Bungees
- Carabiners
- Coast Flashlight
- Element Fire Extinguisher
Tools & Materials
- Allen wrench
- 10mm box end or socket
- 13mm or ½” socket
- Screwdriver – flat head
- 5/16” box end or socket
- Rivnut setter
- Aluminum rivnuts
- ⅜-18 bolts
Overview
MOLLE (Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment) panels were originally designed for military use back in 1997. Like all great things that start at the professional or military level, the technology eventually trickled down to the civilian market.
Today you can find MOLLE panels and attachments to suit just about every desire from plate carriers to hanging the latest gadgets and off-road accessories in the back of your 5th gen 4Runner.
Finn Fab makes a great set of MOLLE panels that goes above and beyond other panels on the market. Finn Fab adds some holes where you can attach rivnuts and actually bolt down your loadout and add accessories that simply wouldn’t easily attach to a different panel.
However, these rivnut holes come as a trade-off when it comes to mounting MOLLE accessories and we’ll touch on this later.
Blue Sea Systems Power Panel
The passenger side MOLLE panel has a cut-out for a Blue Sea Systems power panel. Blue Seas offer several configurations of this panel and you should choose one that suits your needs based on your power consumption needs.
I opted for the 12v cigarette outlet, and two, two-outlet USB chargers to run LED lights, recharge Bluetooth speakers, and other various gadgets.
I also opted to power this panel straight from the battery for two reasons. The first was to run the panel with the vehicle off, and the second is because it has a built-in circuit breaker set to trip at 15a which would have been a waste of a switch pro button if I had wired it with the rest of the accessories.
The rivnuts are great to keep your items secure, however, they do cause some mounting issues for standard MOLLE attachments. This problem is not unique to the Finn Fab panel; all MOLLE panels and attachments can be a bit loose especially with limited space to maneuver and fit your hand and tools between the panel and the window. That being said – they are fantastic for bolting things down.
My favorite items to bolt down are Velcro straps with metal grommets. They are cheap and come in any size you need. Why the metal grommet? Why not just weave a strap through the MOLLE? Well, a narrow enough strap woven through the panel works great for hitting the malls. If you hit any trails you will want the heavy-duty strap that’s bolted down. I learned that lesson the hard way when my tool roll fell off the panel and tools went everywhere.
What To Keep On Your MOLLE Panel?
One question I was asked is…how do you decide what goes on the panel?
For me, the answer is I want accessories on the panel that I could possibly need in an emergency or if I cannot get my liftgate open to get into my drawers. Let’s say you’re climbing an obstacle and cannot get up but you also cannot back out because your rear is pinned down and you can’t open the gate to get into that rear cargo system – boom on the panel it goes – because they can be reached with the rear glass down or from inside. Now I wasn’t stuck here but you get the point, if I had a broken CV I’d be SOL getting to my recovery gear.
On the driver’s side, I keep my air hoses, pressure gages, some soft shackles, and a fire extinguisher. The fire extinguisher is on a quick release which is surprisingly stable and easy to use. It can accommodate up to a 5-lb bottle. Here is the quick-release fire extinguisher attachment (extinguisher not included). As you may have noticed, there is a rubber band around the handle of the extinguisher. It is there to keep the handle from rattling while driving.
Another question I was recently asked was can you see out the back windows?
Well, let me say this… With the rear headrests up can you see out of them? Not likely.
However, to answer the question: Yes and no. You can see out of them if you don’t have a skottle strapped to it, but if you have a moderate amount of accessories, your view will be obstructed. The picture above is taken from the driver’s seat out the passenger side. As you can see, the headrest is as obstructive as a loaded panel.
Final Thoughts
The Finn Fab MOLLE panels are pretty cool, especially with the Blue Seas Systems Power Panel. There is no lack of power needs in the rear of the 4Runner with this setup 110v/12v power in the wheel well, one 12v in the panel and 4 USB outlets should be enough to keep the whole camp charged up or powered – just don’t kill your battery in the process.
The rivnuts allow you to bolt down just about anything you please. I have a Harbor Freight dry box bolted directly to the panel along with a set of Quick fists to hole a shovel. At this price point, they are competitive with a few extra features and easier installation compared to other panels on the market. I would rate this as a good buy for easy quick access storage needs.
