[Cymon]

So I have been convinced by a senior member (who shall remain dark and nameless) to start consolidating some of the write-ups/ideas/and travels that I have been posting up over the past year. I will not technically call this a “build” thread as I am no mechanic/fabricator and will never claim to be (although I did get a mechanics tool set for Father’s Day…LOL), but something designed for the “Everyday” 4runner owner that may like what they see on this forum as I have and want to make their truck “their own”.

This thread will continue to grow as I continue to learn more and hopefully share information and/or insights (as well as depending on how much $ I can convince my wife to let me spend). If you are looking for creativity, ingenuity please check the builds of @Antman , @Saker , @Titanpat57 , or @MTN4RNR among others listed in the link to the sticky below. If you want to see how I have borrowed their ideas, tricks or tips, made them my own and did it in a way that anyone who can use a screwdriver, wrench or drill (and possibly even if you can’t) would be able to do then happy reading. I will also attempt to post acknowledgements and links to those whose ideas helped me in each modification or experience so that others can complete what they want at their ability level (in education we call this differentiation!).

5th Gen Build and Adventure Threads - Toyota 4Runner Forum - Largest 4Runner Forum

Now for the Weekend Warrior / “Mods for Dummies” thread.

Mod Purposes:
1) Creating a practical vehicle that can be used for a young active family.
2) Having fun, making it “more than stock”.
3) Eventually creating an Overland Family Vehicle to be used as my kids get older and can start stomaching longer car/camping/adventure trips (In South Florida it takes us an 8 hour drive to get anywhere!)

Current Mods/Write-ups: (Click on the links to direct you to the location or threads)
1) Rear Differential Breather Mod For Dummies - Toyota 4Runner Forum - Largest 4Runner Forum
2) "Skybox Storage" (Post #3)
3) AOB Switch Install...The Easy Way (Post #40) Cymon's Weekend Warrior and MFD Thread
4) “If I Can You Can” Behind the Grill Light Bar Install "If I can do It You Can" Behind Grill Light Bar Install - Toyota 4Runner Forum - Largest 4Runner Forum
5) If you have a TRD Skid read this!If you have a TRD Skid Plate Read This!

Future Write-Ups:
None for Now!

Mods/Accessories:
1) Frontrunner Slimline II 3/4 Rack (Replacing 53” Thule Aeroblade Cross bars)
2) Yakima Skybox 16
3) NOCO GB40 Lithium-ion Jump Starter
4) Basic Off-Road Recovery Gear Kit
• (Masterflow MF-1050 Portable Air Compressor; D-Rings & Tow Hitch Shackle; Recovery Strap; Tow Strap; Fire Extinguisher; Smittybuilt Shovel/Recovery Utility Tool; Small Mechanics Tool Set, Tie Down Straps/Bungees, Tire Repair Kit, J.T. Brooks Tire Deflators, Corona 10" folding saw)
5) Weathertech Floor Mats (Front, Rear, Cargo)
6) Dakine Tie-Down Straps and Paddle Board/Surfboard pads.
7) ARB Rear Differential Breather
8) Salex Glovebox and Center Console Organizers
9) 2 Diono Radian RXT Car Seats (My most expensive accessories so far LOL)
10) TRD Front Engine Skid & Full RCI Aluminum Skids w/ steel rear differential.
11) RCI Sliders
12) Cooper AT3 275 70r 17 LR C (Screwed...Literally)
13) Sosche Magnetic Phone Mount
14) Lamin-X Fog Light Covers
15) Maxtrax MKII
16) Mt. Rainier Extended Summit Series RTT (SOLD)
17) Third Row Modular Storage (Home Built)
18) 1-Up USA Heavy Duty Rack with 2 add-ons.
19) 50qt. ARB Fridge
20) Goal Zero Yeti 400 Lithium
21) Goal Zero Yeti 1400 Lithium
22) M416 Trailer (Sold)
23) X2 AGm Deep Cycle Battery (Size 24F)
24) Air-Lift Airbag
25) Falken Wildpeak AT3W 265 70r 17 SL
26) 2018 Taxa Cricket

Potential Future Mods/Vehicle Additions: (Dependent upon need and my accountant)
- 3rd Row Drawer System (Going to "borrow" from @Magnetic4R awesome creation!) 3rd row drawer system Part 1 (Somewhat complete, future changes and/or modifications may be in order based on need)
• Moderate All-Terrain Tires (DONE)
• Upgraded suspension
• Aftermarket Rack for hauling all of our crap and potentially attaching an Awning/RTT. As for now our skybox, ground tent and EZ-Up Canopy will suffice. (COMPLETED)



If I win the lottery additions:
• SSO Front and Rear Bumpers (Or CBI...Or Shrockworks...Or..)
• Icon/King/Fox Suspension

Travel/Adventure:
1) Lazy Springs Off Road Park
2) Rausch Creek 101 Course
3) Our every couple month drive to visit family in Maryland
4) Hardrock Offroad Park
5) Ocala National Forest
6) Winter 2016/2017 Roadtrip: South Florida - Maryland - Vermont
7) Overlanding Seaworld
8) Key West 6/3-6/4/2017
9) Alaska 7/1-7/10/2017
10) Ocala National Forest 7/21-7/23/2017
11) Labor Day Weekend 2017 St. Augustine (First RTT Adventure)
12) Hurricane Irma Escape
13) Ameila Island Beach Driving and Camping
14) Winter 2017-2018 Maryland - Vermont winter trip
15) Big Cypress/Bear Island
16) Overlanding Disney
17) New Mexico Roadtrip (Summer 2019)

[Cymon]

Pics...Most Current at bottom.

[Cymon]

So, I needed a place in my garage to store my Skybox. I went to Home Depot and bought a couple of handicap grab bars (usually used in bathrooms) and some 250lb anchors, mounted them to the wall and the Skybox now hangs up pretty much out of the way. I can actually hang it and take it down by myself but usually will ask for my wife's assistance as to not bang to much stuff up or use too many expletives in the process. (Sorry Sideways Pics)

[Cymon]

Some pics from the Florida 4runners group ride at Lazy Springs Off Road Park.

[Cymon]

More Lazy Springs Pics

[Cymon]

Lazy Springs Summary: The stock skids do work and remove front license plate holder before it removes itself.

This was tons of fun and these trucks can do a lot completely stock.

[Cymon]

Rausch Creek 101 Course with write-up coming later (after bedtime). My son just woke up from his nap .

[Titanpat57]

Glad we can help anyone, anyway possible...keep the updates coming!

[mybabydaddy]

Originally Posted by Cymon

So, I needed a place in my garage to store my Skybox. I went to Home Depot and bought a couple of handicap grab bars (usually used in bathrooms) and some 250lb anchors, mounted them to the wall and the Skybox now hangs up pretty much out of the way. I can actually hang it and take it down by myself but usually will ask for my wife's assistance as to not bang to much stuff up or use too many expletives in the process. (Sorry Sideways Pics)

Excellent idea.... Mine is in storage; but we're about to take family vaca to GS, AL, and the wife wants to use the Skybox. I have the same one (only black), and have been trying to think of a good way to store it in the garage. I really want to ceiling mount it (as I have the room to do so)... But your idea seems like the perfect interim solution. Great post!



2014 TEP w/ KDSS / Bilstein 5100s (front at 1.75) / Cornfed 1 inch rear spacers / 265/70 Nitto TG G2s / FN Cntrsteer Type X / RCI Front skid / Yakima Cross bars / NFab Steps

[Saker]

I like what you've done here!

Thanks for the kudos.
As @Titanpat57 said, we'll try to assist any way we can.

[Dr_Dooms]

Originally Posted by Cymon

Lazy Springs Summary: The stock skids do work and remove front license plate holder before it removes itself.



This was tons of fun and these trucks can do a lot completely stock.

When's the next one? I'm in Florida and this looks like it would be awesome!


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[Cymon]

Originally Posted by Dr_Dooms

When's the next one? I'm in Florida and this looks like it would be awesome!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

End of July (I think the 31st) they are having a meet-up at Hard Rock Off Road Park in Ocala. I probably won't be making that one as we are closing on a house the next week. There is another weekend event at the end of September that I'll try and get out for also at Hard Rock. Here is link to the Facebook page. Its a good group of guys. Most of the rides/get togethers are in Central to North Florida, the Lazy Springs outside of Naples was the closest to me so far. Usually somebody is going out just about every weekend and will post up where they are going. Hope to see you out at some point!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Florida4runners/

[Cymon]

Over the past 4.5 years we have moved cross-country twice (moving for my wife’s job). Three and a half of those years were in the San Francisco Bay area and the past year we have lived in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area. My previous 30 years of life were spent growing up and living in Central Maryland and Baltimore (we still own a house in Federal Hill). So needless to say we spend a lot of our vacations traveling up to Maryland where both my family and my wife’s family still reside.

Over the past year we have driven the 2,300-mile round-trip “adventure” twice and I believe that we have gotten the formula for driving with two young children (16 months and almost 4 years). Drive 18hours straight through the night! On the way North we usually leave at 3:00 in the afternoon. This gives us two 1.5-2 hour stretches before the kids pass out. This is important because as any of you who have traveled with young kids know that is usually close to the limit without needing a break, and any break (no matter how small you think it should be) is usually minimum of an hour. So with this formula we are normally 5 hours into our 18-hour trip by bedtime. Once the kids go to sleep its straight through the night, setting the cruise control between 75-80mph only stopping for gas. My wife and I will alternate until we arrive at the Grandparents between 8:00 and 9:00 am the next morning. At that point we unload the car, pass the kids to the grandparents and go take a nap.

On the way back South we started at 9:00 am and used the same formula (only needing more stops because the kids are awake) and then arriving sometime around 3:00 a.m. to get a couple hours of sleep before the kids wake up (no grandparents to help this time!).

We do this not just to torture ourselves, but honestly stopping half way at a hotel wastes 8 hours of good travel time at night when we don't have to stop for the kids. By the time you unpack transfer the kids (who don't sleep well in hotels) and you get to sleep (which you don't because the kids don't) you're just as tired but now still have a 9 hour drive.

Anyway, here are a couple pics (don’t have that many because I honestly wasn’t planning on doing this thread at the time of the trip). We did take the kids to Dutch Wonderland in Pennsylvania and the Smithsonian in Washington D.C.. It also worked out where we were in the Mid-Atlantic region at the same time an Off-Road 101 course at Rausch creek was being offered (description in the next post).

I have mentioned previously in another post but as you can see I pack like Clark W. Griswold. I’m still amazed at how much crap I can fit in the 4runner with the Skybox up top!

Total Trip Mileage: 3,215

[Cymon]

So I’ve been eyeing this opportunity for a while, actually since last summer when another member posted about taking an off-road course (I believe it was a post by @Boyds4Runner last July). Since then I have been trying to find a way to get in and take the course to better understand the vehicle and its capabilities. I know a lot of people have mentioned this course in passing and given it rave reviews but I wanted to give a little more detail as to what one might expect when taking the course…So worth it for anyone not familiar with off-roading or the capabilities of their 4runner.

The class is technically called “Off Road Consulting and Driving 101” and is located at Rausch Creek Off Road Park in Pennsylvania. My wife and I took it together (it was my anniversary present). This was an awesome educational and fun learning experience. I'm going to try and write it as kind of a tour of the day with pics so anyone reading this can get a feel of what we accomplished (so be patient it will take a few posts).

[Cymon]

After the initial sign in we lined up waiting for our Coach/Teacher/Instructor Kyle. There were three 4runners and 9 Wranglers in the course. All three 4runners (mine included) were 5th gens, one 2016 Trail (Stock except for KO2"s), one Limited...owned and operated by another Florida 4runners and T4R member @4RunnerAquasport , and mine, a fully stock SR5 Premium. This course is designed for stock to slightly modified (although some are more than slightly) vehicles.