Falling overboard

[sf4rnr]

Phone mount

Ram mount installed onto the trim. This has been the best most used thing I’ve probably done. Using the forum tutorials, I was able to take the trim off and install the mount. It is perfect as I can look at it while my head is forward and swipe with my fingers while my hand is still on the steering wheel. Super good while I was running Gaia maps.

 

[sf4rnr]

Additional week

Looking through the phone to get the pics for posts and I saw that I had not included a one week trip earlier this year. Castle craggs, humbolt lagoons (has boat in campground), gold bluffs beach, van damme (Sonoma coast caves). Sometimes a dirt road or paved destination is awesome in a 4runner. This one was just me and my daughter. She is fast approaching college and I’m grabbing any moment I can with her these days.

 

[spartacus]

Those are great pictures. Great thread.

 

[sf4rnr]

Those are great pictures. Great thread.

Thank you, that is much appreciated.

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I ordered the bumper during the group buy in I think May. I got it in early September and installed it last weekend. I wondered as it sat in the garage, should I try it or just take it to a shop. I watched the couple on YouTube install it. They were pretty right on but my install had a few, why don’t this f’n fit moments, glad my son was around to help and thankful I had the tools I needed. One thing that wasn’t in the video or instructions is you have to cut and put back the radiator liner on both sides. The first couple of pops when taking off the fender scared the crap out of me for fear I was breaking all kinds of stuff. Took me about 6 hours for total install and that was with me second guessing every decision I made. Haha. But it really does fit nice. I had ordered the kings with heavier front springs. The winch and bumper didn’t even drop the front end at all. If it matters to you, the cascade plate holder needed to be bent up to get it more out of the winch lines way, so it wasn’t plug and play.

 

[sf4rnr]

12v socket in center storage

Last update today. I did this today. I have a console vault in the center console. I love the vault but it makes the 12v socket in there worthless because it’s now inside the vault. When we are on a trip, I have camera batteries to charge, two phones and headlamps from the night before. I need that 12v socket to be of worth. Using the forums, I found out how to pop the cover of the center console. Once open, I didn’t see how to move it. Making lemonade I put an adapter in it and ran I micro usb and phone charger cord through the bottom and along the center console and out through a hole in the passenger side (I am going to look for a grommet for that hole the next time I’m in a hardware store). For me this creates a solution I needed using the existing socket.

 

[sf4rnr]

Hollister 4x4

I went to hollister 4x4 park with a buddy and got some more driving practice. Wow the lift changes everything. I’ve been to hollister two other times before the lift and I was constantly hitting the bottom. This time I didn’t hit bottom once and had tried some harder stuff to test it. Had a great time and learning more outing. Have an upcoming couple of trips (Joshua tree being one) and this ups the confidence of what the vehicle can do.

I also got my first two real world recoveries. First was a pull using a strap, getting a vehicle back off a high center and the second was winching him out of the mud, frame deep. Really glad I got to, go by the numbers, doing the winch.

You know I have to just shake head and laugh sometimes while we are doing this stuff. It’s just so stupid and unnecessary to have a vehicle that can do this stuff. But it is those reasons that make it just so much fun. Hope all who served had a great weekend. Never forget.

 

[TRD PANTHER]

Great thread, info, pics and places your going. I have been to many of the places you have been. Been driving Toyota 4x4 Trucks as my daily driver since 1982. Just sold my 2001 4Runner after 17 1/2 years and got a new TRD PRO. Keep going.

 

[DocHolliday]

Phenomenal photos.

 

[bluepear2000]

Great photos and an awesome thread! I dream of adventures like this with my family. We recently bought a camper and are in the “state park” phase that you talked about to begin with. Maybe one day we will be able to travel out west and see some of the amazing places in your pics.


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[Wadecarlson]

Hi. Welcome

 

[mokba]

wow, nice

 

[jcpotter]

Awesome build and cool pictures!!!

 

[sf4rnr]

Great photos and an awesome thread! I dream of adventures like this with my family. We recently bought a camper and are in the “state park” phase that you talked about to begin with. Maybe one day we will be able to travel out west and see some of the amazing places in your pics.


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That sounds great man. Really great way to plan something for your family. Go have the time of your life.

When I was a young father, someone gave me some advice on camping and outdoors. He told me, whatever you do, don’t make things like a forced march.

I have ran into that “we’re almost at the top kids” moment and they just didn’t want to go to the top, so I didn’t make them. I tried not to make the kids do anything they did not want to do while camping, which I think kept them wanting to go camping.

Camping I think for kids has some legitimate suffering they have to go through. If it’s worth it to them, they do it. Heck, my 15yo still loves playing in the rain with me though.

 

[sf4rnr]

Goal zero yeti 400 lithium

I really like the 4runner. I like the way you can organize it the way it will work for YOU. This last trip it seemed to be spot on. My power solution with the GZ400, my storage (gear for 4 people), and the suspension (with 4 people and gear) really make me feel happy to have my 4runner. No four wheeling on this trip, just an adventure with the family.

New to the set up is the GZ400. I used a strap around it and attached that to the mid tie down point. It sits perfectly tucked behind my storage boxes. I am topping that off with the AC outlet in the rear of the runner and it showed an input of 67 watts while the engine is running. I set up some charging cords for headlights (which are tossed in the beige canvas bag), camping light string, and a camera battery charging station. This was wonderful for the last 4 day trip as we did not get a lot of driving in each day. During those 4 days we charged over 10 camera batteries, ran the camp lights and topped of the headlamps and phones. I think this may be a good solution for me.

 

[sf4rnr]

Western mountaineering sleeping bags made in USA

I feel pretty good about this. We have been camping at or under 30deg several times in the last couple of years. We have been stuffing the summer bags in our regular synthetic bags and it was not warm enough so the wife and kids have mentioned it more than once. With this cue, I went looking for some new bags.

I wanted a down bag and did some research. I found a local manufacturer in San Jose. I was able to order from a vender who really told me about bags. The factory even contacted me to verify the order, told me they were going to make them over the next couple of days and asked if I wanted to pick them up at the factory. They were a big investment but if I added up the cost (we’ve had 16 sleeping bags between us the last ten years) they were not that expensive. I should have bought once and cried once.

I thought it was cool to buy something made so close to me and I got to meet the people who made it. The company was western mountaineering (WM). And frankly, Feathered Friends (a Seattle company) and WM bags reputations were so outstanding when I looked online. WM was local, that is why I picked them.

New sycamores (overfilled to order) 20deg (real comfort rating)

Down. Like cotton candy

Filling the chambers

People making bags.

The vendor was in Redding, the hermits hut. The owner really spent time helping me decide the size, weight, material , right/left zip, baffle, hooded, circumference and about ten other things that would be best for our current and future (section hiking) needs. I never really thought about bags much, other than I got cold every now and then. Oh well, hopefully problem solved.

 

[Lolaya]

Now thats how you introduce yourself! Amazing rig/setup/car. Love the details and meticulousness you have brought to really become experienced in driving the 4runner

 

[Mwaves]

Thoroughly impressed with your TRD Pro and your post! Can go into more detail on your lift sometime? Are you completely satisfied with your lift situation or do you see another upgrade in the future? I'm still researching what lift kit I'm going to install. Thanks for sharing and teaching what you have learned.

 

[Mr Wolfgang]

Nice rig, I really like that winch bumper setup.

 

[jupiterxing2044]

Great pictures. 140k on the Sequoia trans? That's surprising. Are they problematic?

 

[sf4rnr]

Now thats how you introduce yourself! Amazing rig/setup/car. Love the details and meticulousness you have brought to really become experienced in driving the 4runner

Thank you, it is really starting to become more fun looking at the road ahead.

Thoroughly impressed with your TRD Pro and your post! Can go into more detail on your lift sometime? Are you completely satisfied with your lift situation or do you see another upgrade in the future? I'm still researching what lift kit I'm going to install. Thanks for sharing and teaching what you have learned.

I have a trail not the pro. The dealer had a pro but really asked what I wanted to do, and he steered me away from the pro knowing that I was going to put what I wanted on it. I am completely satisfied with my lift. It rides like butter loaded with gear and four people. I will admit it is stiff unloaded, but it is a third vehicle and not a daily driver (even though I drive it around town). I got the extended travel Kings shocks with 650 coil fronts. I got the 3” lift rear ome springs. I have the front adjusted with rake unloaded. Loaded it has gone near level and never reverse raked. I have adjusters on the rear. I never adjust them so I don’t notice any difference (I keep mine in the middle). I think I have 7threads showing on the front coil over. I have 20k on the vehicle, and 8k of that with the lift. Most of this mileage has been trips over the last two years. I would buy this lift again with what little I know. It’s just worked.

Great pictures. 140k on the Sequoia trans? That's surprising. Are they problematic?

We drove that sequoia hard with about 80k of that towing a trailer. Maybe we just got unlucky but we kind of felt bad for the car because we trashed that thing good traveling with two kids and doing everything in that vehicle. It was a 2002. With its age, we just decided to get another vehicle.

No that we have the T4R we are glad we made the move.