(X-posted this from ExPo: Adventure and Overland Travel Enthusiasts - I thought some of the folks here might want to know this info, because I didn't.)

So I've wanted to do the "constant power" mod ever since I had my 3rd gen. That is, I wanted to be able to get 12v power at the power outlets without the key being on (as is the case with most domestic vehicles) vs. having power only when the key is in the ignition (as is the case with most imports.) This became a requirement for me in July when I got my refrigerator (a Dometic.) We took it on one camping trip and it was pretty much useless because every time we shut off the vehicle, it would power down and thus our food didn't stay cold.

So, with a few hours to kill on Saturday, I decided to go ahead and do it. For instructions, I came across this article from Top4runners, which many of you have probably seen:

http://www.top4runners.com/ja/2007/12vpower.html

Now, the article is well written and easy to understand, even for a relative novice like me. However, you may pull your hair out in frustration if you don't note two things that are not in the article:

1. The jumper is placed on the back of the fuse block, not the front (visible side) which means that after you remove the lower dash panels (and the article gives excellent instructions on how do do this) you then have to unbolt the fuse block and pull it out. The article makes no mention of this and it caused me a lot of consternation because even though I printed out the article and the pictures, I couldn't figure out where the jumper was supposed to go. Finally, after looking closely at the photos, I realized the jumper was on the back of the fuse block and there were three more 10mm bolts that had to come out: The bolts at the top left and bottom right of the fuse block and another bolt on the bottom left that attaches to a metal bracket that goes to the body (I just unbolted it from the body end, not the fuse block end.)

2. The second thing you have to know is that this jumper will provide constant power to the auxiliary power outlet - NOT the cigarette lighter! I did the mod and then plugged my iPod charger into the cigarette lighter (the one without the little cover on it) to see if it would work and it didn't, so of course I immediately thought I must have done something wrong. Before I started tearing into the wiring again (a scary prospect for me!) I popped the charger into the auxiliary power and it lit right up, as did the power outlet in the cargo area by the back hatch.

Now that I think about it, this makes sense. IIRC the cigarette lighter was an option on the 4th gen and not all 4th gens have the "lighter package." So the cigarette lighter is on a different cirucuit than the 12v auxiliary power outlets (which are standard on all 4runners.) I tend to use the lighter outlet more because it doesn't have a flap covering it, so it's more convenient, but it's nice to know that I have 1 power outet in the front and 1 in the rear that are both constantly powered.

So, I hope that helps anybody else wanting to do this mod. Really, once you figure it out, it's ridiculously easy and a great mod to have if you want to run a fridge. Also nice to be able to recharge your phone/iPod when you are not in the vehicle or overnight.