Ok, I'm a total newbie, and I just got my new 2004 V8 Limited. I've been dying to put it through it paces, but I neither have any real offroading skill nor do I know of any place nearby to go offroad (plus its brand new and all . . .)

Still, the urge was eating away at me.

So, I was at Dick's Sporting Goods today and, having just had this ridiculous blizzard, the parking lot had lots of piled up snow banks.

So, I found an out of the way spot and took the Runner with two wheels onto the snow banks (not all that high, really) and rode all around the perimeter of the lot that way. It was loads of fun, even though it was kindergarten stuff compared to what the thing is really capable of.

So, is that just dumb or what? It's all I've got for now! =:-)

Dan

So, you did not endanger yourself or anyone else, and you had fun.

Sounds pretty darn smart to me

LOL, sounds like it was fun.

what if one of those snow banks was actually a polar bear trying to take an afternoon nap after taking her kids to little polar bear school and you ran over one of her feet or something? Id feel pretty bad then.

worst......what if i was making a snow angel on one of those snow banks and you ran me over! :awais:

That was definitely not dumb at all. I always get the urge to do that and I have no offroading skills either! What fun would it be driving a 4Runner if you didn't climb snow banks every once in awhile? By the way, where are you from which Dick's Sporting Goods parking lot did you do this at?

Not dumb at all. Leaving a perfectly good parking lot untouched, now that would be dumb.

If you have no off road experience, well after that you still don't
but my hats off at least you are testing and becoming comfortable with your T4R. my suggestion is wait until March 25 good friday (depending on your location) and load the cooler and drive until you find the road that has the not winter mtce sign on it and GO, my guess is if your heart was racing on that snow drift this is one up, after that your probly ready to do some real off roading.
#1 is to become comfortable with your truck so test it while you have those empty parking lots

I'm glad there are more of us out there as maybe it will stop the crazy looks from the common folk.

I love the Winter because when a parking lot is full it gives you a sane reason to make new parking spots on snowbanks and other areas.

I once came out of a mall where I stuffed my truck in a snowbank and when I went to go to my truck there was a man in a civic who told me he wished his car could park there. I told him he could most likely get in there but I could guarantee him he wouldn't be leaving without some help.

Just playing with the toys!

Cheers,

Sounds like a good training experience! Snowbanks can be an effective way to gain confidence in yourself and your rig!

As most climbable snowbanks are in parking lots, not roads...and by climbing it you gain altitude above the hard surface, I think you could technically argue that your went "off the road"!

Now go find a muddy trail and have some more fun!

(I have got to try to find my pic of driving my Mom's '78 Ford van up the side of a snowbank...that was about 15 years ago, but I still have it somewhere! ~LOL~)

Heh, heh.

Thanks for the encouragement.

It was East Hanover, BTW.

Speaking about parking on snow banks, that same day in another parking lot I saw a Wrangler backed onto a huge bank at about a 35-40 degree angle. Pretty funny sight.

Dan