The MillerPKA 3.0 build - 2019 TRD ORP

MillerPKA · Aug 15, 2019

Well this is bittersweet, but I've officially joined the dark side. For the past decade I've been in the 3rd gen world, and after completing this latest one the head gasket started to fail. I decided to hang up the towel for now and sold it, and I just picked up the new beauty yesterday. 2019 Off Road Premium, no KDSS. I have ideas for a new 3rd gen build, but in the meantime want to build this up into a nice mild blend of capability, comfort and long trip worthiness.

I've anticipated this for a while, so thankfully I got the ball rolling on the long lead time items. My goal is to have the first phase of the build wrapped up within 8 weeks. I'll be making a road trip towards the end of September visiting a few companies around the Western US and building as I go, so we'll be rolling back into San Diego with a new look.

Immediate upgrades:
- Magnuson supercharger
- Toytec Suspension
- General Grabber X3 285s
- Still deciding on wheels
- Gobi stealth rack/ladder
- CBI front + rear bumpers, winch, sliders, skid set
- Optima/National Luna dual battery system

Transferring from previous build
- ARB drawer system
- ARB fridge
- ARB 2000 awning + room
- Autohome Columbus rtt

Trying to decide where I should mount the dual battery controller in cab. On the 3rd gen i had it below the steering wheel and it was perfect. Hope to find a similar factory-looking place to install.

Here are a few shots of the 2000 I just finished

And here's the new new

Can't wait to learn more about this platform and get to work!

BadTrainDriver · Aug 15, 2019

That 2000 is SICK!!!!!

Doctorstupid · Aug 15, 2019

Are those 37s on the 2000 in the picture? That thing looks amazing. Are you planning on going bigger than 285s on the new one in the future or is that about your limit on a mild build?

MidniteTRD · Aug 15, 2019

aw man - bittersweet as i loved seeing shots of your 3rd gen float around the internet. yours was by far my favorite rendition of that generation.

on the other hand, congrats! just picked up the exact same truck last week, non-premium though. same color/wheels and everything. really looking forward to seeing what you do with it, given how nicely you built the other one!

Mutant138 · Aug 15, 2019

Followed your third for a while love that truck. I'm sure your 5th will be something to behold as well.

mrblah · Aug 16, 2019

More interested in your 3rd gen lol

MillerPKA · Aug 16, 2019

Doctorstupid said:
Are those 37s on the 2000 in the picture? That thing looks amazing. Are you planning on going bigger than 285s on the new one in the future or is that about your limit on a mild build?

I went back to 35s fairly quickly and that's what's pictured. This is what it looked like with 37s

MidniteTRD said:
aw man - bittersweet as i loved seeing shots of your 3rd gen float around the internet. yours was by far my favorite rendition of that generation.

on the other hand, congrats! just picked up the exact same truck last week, non-premium though. same color/wheels and everything. really looking forward to seeing what you do with it, given how nicely you built the other one!

Thanks man I'm really excited. Each time I hop in this new one it stings a bit less moving on from the 3rd gen. With all of the upgrades happening so quickly I think I'll be just fine.

mrblah said:
More interested in your 3rd gen lol

Story of my life. Have to start all over and some of the followers of the 3rd gen aren't happy about it at all. I'll do another 3rd gen eventually.

MillerPKA · Aug 29, 2019

No photos to update but making progress on securing parts. Magnuson Supercharger arrived last week.

The truck will sit stock for the next few weeks, but that changes September 23. I'm going to be visiting Toytec, Gobi and CBI Off Road Fab over two weeks and build as I go. I'll be filming the whole process and turning it into a little miniseries on YouTube. Feel free to check out the series I did on our recent overhaul of the 2000 4Runner. Video | Outworld.

When I wrap up at CBI in Idaho, I'm going to head into Yellowstone/Jackson for a couple days of media. Can't wait to get started!

MillerPKA · Oct 1, 2019

Lots of progress these past few days. Rear bumper and sliders will happen tomorrow and Wednesday and I'll be done with the big stuff.

Tuesday - Stock

Wednesday - Gobi Stealth rack + ladder

Thursday - Toytec 2.5 Aluma series kit with remote reservoir, Total Chaos UCAs, General Grabber X3, Method MR701s

Friday - Magnuson Supercharger

Today - CBI front bumper, skid plates, Warn EVO 10-S

smallfry · Oct 1, 2019

There goes the warranty. :lmao:

Vultradamus · Oct 1, 2019

Loving this build!

MillerPKA · Oct 2, 2019

Nearly finished with the first phase. CBI front, rear bumpers and skids are on. Tomorrow we'll finish up with sliders and LCA skids and I'm taking off for the Utah back country for a few days!

Hammeredsole · Oct 2, 2019

Cool truck, but at a certain point you should have just gotten a Land Cruiser.

Sundy · Oct 2, 2019

Hammeredsole said:
Cool truck, but at a certain point you should have just gotten a Land Cruiser.

Why? This 4Runner is built for less than a stock LC would be and has the owner's unique touches - which would've been done on a LC too I'm sure.

Sure if you get a FJ80/100 maybe, but the 200's have become pretty large for practical offroading IMO.

MillerPKA - the truck looks great, loving the bronze wheels! They're high on my want list!!!

Hammeredsole · Oct 5, 2019

Sundy said:
Why? This 4Runner is built for less than a stock LC would be and has the owner's unique touches - which would've been done on a LC too I'm sure.

Sure if you get a FJ80/100 maybe, but the 200's have become pretty large for practical offroading IMO.

MillerPKA - the truck looks great, loving the bronze wheels! They're high on my want list!!!

I'm not trying to be pedantic, but the LC200 has 2.4" longer wheelbase, 1.6" wider track, and weighs about 1,000lbs more than a stock 4R. TBH, it drives about the same as the 4Runner as far as maneuvering goes. The 4Runner is already a bit underpowered, although I still love mine. Adding on winches, big tires, steel bumpers, racks, on and on, really adds up. That thing is probably a pig... and at that point the LC starts to make sense.

I would never advocate buying a new LC, but a 3-4 year old one with 40-55k miles ends up being the same cost as a new 4runner. The LC are absolute tanks, and the character is hard to summarize when comparing them on paper. The LC is quiet like a library on the road, and is like a mountain goat off-road. I sold my 2014 200 to buy my 4Runner. The 200 is far and away a better truck, and has power for days. Reason I sold it is because I literally never drove it, as I have a work car. I wanted something light-weight and more simple to kick around in on the weekends. If money was no object, as it clearly seems to be for the OP doing the build, the LC200 absolutely destroys the 4runner. My prerogative is to have a basically stock truck that gets me off-the-road if I need to. I have no illusions of summiting El Capitan in my 4Runner.

It's just my OPINION, but the 4runner is too lightweight baby to load 1,000's of pounds of crap onto. The land cruiser is so damn capable that it needs maybe half of the mods the 4runners do. The headlights alone are like man suns if you load some 9011 bulbs in the high beams, which run tandem with the HID's.

MillerPKA · Oct 6, 2019

Hammeredsole said:
I'm not trying to be pedantic, but the LC200 has 2.4" longer wheelbase, 1.6" wider track, and weighs about 1,000lbs more than a stock 4R. TBH, it drives about the same as the 4Runner as far as maneuvering goes. The 4Runner is already a bit underpowered, although I still love mine. Adding on winches, big tires, steel bumpers, racks, on and on, really adds up. That thing is probably a pig... and at that point the LC starts to make sense.

I would never advocate buying a new LC, but a 3-4 year old one with 40-55k miles ends up being the same cost as a new 4runner. The LC are absolute tanks, and the character is hard to summarize when comparing them on paper. The LC is quiet like a library on the road, and is like a mountain goat off-road. I sold my 2014 200 to buy my 4Runner. The 200 is far and away a better truck, and has power for days. Reason I sold it is because I literally never drove it, as I have a work car. I wanted something light-weight and more simple to kick around in on the weekends. If money was no object, as it clearly seems to be for the OP doing the build, the LC200 absolutely destroys the 4runner. My prerogative is to have a basically stock truck that gets me off-the-road if I need to. I have no illusions of summiting El Capitan in my 4Runner.

It's just my OPINION, but the 4runner is too lightweight baby to load 1,000's of pounds of crap onto. The land cruiser is so damn capable that it needs maybe half of the mods the 4runners do. The headlights alone are like man suns if you load some 9011 bulbs in the high beams, which run tandem with the HID's.

I'm one person you don't have to sell on the Land Cruiser. Absolutely love the platform and agree the 200 series are great. I'd love to build one of the newer years at some point. But for now, the 4Runner is a great match for me. The space is still good for my needs, the narrower wheelbase is a welcome advantage in the kinds of trails I see, and the supercharger definitely helps offset the power loss from the weight. I came from a supercharged 3.4 3rd gen with 35s and 4.88s..sluggish was a way of life haha. But this thing has certainly impressed me in the short time I've had it.

Speaking of, I've had this for about 6 weeks and almost at 4k miles. Happy to give her a break after the last 2 weeks. After time at Gobi, Toytec, and CBI, I took off for Utah to break the new build in.

Went from Fishlake National Forest to Capitol Reef, then Escalante with a quick stop in Bryce Canyon before heading back. Unfortunately pinstriped the heck out of the passenger side. Most should come out with a good compound/polish but some of them took the paint off

it looks like whatever map I had downloaded on my tablet wasn't up to date as far as trails, and by the time I realized there was a dead end I had to trudge through a bit before I could turn around. I'm going to look into some detail/paint options to soften the blow.

As for the build, it's set for a little while. I haven't hooked up the front LED bar or rear ditch lights because I'm going to get an sPOD or similar. Also leaning towards the TJM snorkel.

MillerPKA · Oct 7, 2019

Finally unloaded from the shakedown trip and assessing any repairs.

-Scared to wash the truck. A few of the pinstripes are down to the base coat and stretching the length of the car. Ignorance is dirt-covered bliss for now until I chat with some local detailers. Hoping I can avoid paint.
-Banged up the tip of the tailpipe on the trails and broke the modified hanger that CBI did, so exhaust rattle in the meantime
- Not sure if it's from the wheeling or the rear bumper install, but the tailgate seems to rattle a bit. Going to track that down next week.

Other than that, this was my first real outing in a 5th gen, and coming from a decade in the 3rd gen world I was almost nervous to leave that platform. I am blown away with the comfort and capability of these trucks and extremely happy with all of the mods. Tons of trips planned in the next 6 months and beyond excited to put this rig to the test.

MillerPKA · Nov 14, 2019

Finally was able to get the rooftop tent on and get out camping. Really enjoying the 5th gen platform, and while I may get back into a 3rd gen side project, this is just a well-built, comfortable ride that I've really fallen in love with. Still some stuff to install like infared and electrical management, and may up to 35x1250s next year, but for now she's dialed in.

MillerPKA · Feb 2, 2020

When I got the vehicle built, I filmed the entire process in 4K and just got around to creating the video. It's below if anyone is interested:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vnQttRomuqM" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

SICKwidIT · Feb 14, 2020

Great build and quality video! As a new owner, I'm jealous but excited to see the amount of modifications available for the 4R.

The MillerPKA 3.0 build - 2019 TRD ORP

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