Kotrin 3rd Gen...Adventure

[Kotrin]

So pretty sure [MENTION=143526]theesotericone[/MENTION] jinxed me. Monday morning went to get out of bed and couldn't move my lower half. Texted my dad and he came and assisted me with clothes, my walker and i called the emergency room.

By the way I recommend that anyone in my situation do not , not go into the hospital. I'm still at home and haven't gone in. This is the worse thing you can do because the longer i wait the more permanent and forever damaging my nerves. I chose to delay because I want to spend one day with my son before in the hospital for the holidays. I have done this before..... missed thanksgiving,
Christmas and New Year's the last time and want one day with my son......

So semi honest question to the few who browse my build. I may have to part with it. Haven't gotten to this stage yet, but very quickly approaching it. We have ordered parts to help with driving but if I can't get into the rigs that's a new story and could lead to it

 

[Kotrin]

Well no change on day #2...so guess I'm going in

 

[Bandit Runner]

Bummer dude. Wish you all the best!

 

[BrianSD_42]

Really sorry to read about your health troubles man. I wish you the best of luck towards a speedy recovery.

 

[lhsoulrebel]

So sorry to hear that! Thoughts and prayers go out to you and yours.

 

[Kotrin]

So my dad took me down to King of the Hammers. It was such a awesome experience and we also ran into friends from Oregon we used to wheel/explorer back in 2005 when we started with Toyota's. I also saw so many 4Runner's I felt like I was in heaven!!

Here is a few pictures..

 

[Unner]

Looks like a good time! That first green 4Runner is [MENTION=75445]4Running Daily[/MENTION]

 

[4Running Daily]

Damn you spotted me! haha

 

[Kotrin]

I thought it was you but I have the memory of a gnat. I did say hi to you when you lost the locker

 

[Mark_BC]

Thought you'd be interested in this 4runner truck.

https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/rds/cto/d/custom-1992-toyota-4runner/6513503668.html

 

[habanero]

Enjoying what you've been able to post, it's been great reading and seeing. KOH had to have been an awesome eye candy time.

 

[Kotrin]

So it's been awhile since I posted but I wanted to update cause it's going to change my life/future. Not sure where to start......

..... So as some of you know I had my spinal cord crushed almost 3 years ago. Been dealing with things since than and have been doing my best to make things work. I do my best to not get down, but there are times i'm horribly rough. So back to the important Toyota stuff (and a little health thingies..)

Court date was recent...decision given to me the same day. Good news and kinda funny story, the Judge was very upset about why they didn't make this decision back at the beginning cause I clearly meet ALL criteria of the rules/etc. So that was a very helpful relief and allows me to hopefully see as much as possible before time changes or something happens.

So that being said in preparations we've been working on the 4Runner and on the fence about changing the suspension. I will be getting new tires and such but in between on swapping out the lift for a better ride but not sure it's worth it. Shall see how things go before I make the decision (i'm up for some prodding to a certain area/setup..hehe). Ultimately I'm looking at going to this Icon Stage 5, removing my toytec lift for the adjustability. Though will this help? From all my talking with MUCH more experienced people (especially at KOH) it would help if I'm okay with doing repetive adjustments for each type of driving. Dirt road(Dirt road with loaded..), high speeds/road which i'm okay with if the ride is smoother. Currently the toytec lift bottom outs it seems at almost every speed above 15mph, It also seems to do okay with slow crawling and such but I almost feel that my shocks are needing to be re-done/recharged or something. Granted its only been like 25-30k miles on them but I'm not as happy with them as I was in the 5th gen 4Runner with similar setup. With the 5th gen I didn't experience the same bottoming out at different speeds (till like faster than 30'ish(if my memory serves correctly), always did just awesome in all area's. I remember a stretch of the Overlanding Route 3 down South past k-falls. I was able to do it on the 5th Gen and the current 3rd Gen. The 5th gen was smoother, rarely bottomed out except at like 50'ish down this road while the 3rd Gen wasn't the same. I thought about the bushing and such being a factor(which could exactly be the issue but they still look 'decent').

So that being said I'm not sure what I want exactly yet, but most likely will be doing that right before summer. Currently got a few trips planned to do some personal camping/overlanding, go back to Ouray, Moab, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Alaskan Highway to say the few I want to do before things get worse.

In preparation for this I'll be getting one of these GPS Tracker - Mainly just as the off chance something happens and I don't have cell service. Also finished this during the week.





Mainly did all of this for dust/partial security and what not. It turned out super good and very happy with it.

I appreciate all who have commented/liked

 

[Road Bull]

Congrats on the the court stuff getting going in the right direction. I dig the new soft top addition too.

 

[psraff]

Congratulations, and good luck!

As for the Alaskan Highway, I'm sure you know, there's only one Alaskan Highway, but there are several ways to actually get up to AK through Canada. I drove my daughter down in her Jeep last September on the furthest West route (forgive me, forgot the name of the Highway). Great trip, no issues. Co-worker drove down last year and went further East. Two flat tires and a Bison took out his fender. :trophy::trophy:

I've never been this far north, but several people told me I need to go explore around Chicken, Alaska. If you do come up, that's on your way (right before you get to Tok, you head north). There's an Interior Alaska Toyota Group on Facebook that I've joined and I would like to get to the Interior and explore (get out of the local mud). They could help you and give you great pointers.

At the VERY LEAST invest into "The Milepost" for the trip. It can literally save your life depending on conditions and the time of the year. It's a magazine that comes out every year listing the routes, fuel stops, accommodations, everything.

Again, congratulations, and keep it up!
(Now I'll go full retard and say "You're the wind beneath all our wings!!")LOL :bolt:

 

[Kotrin]

Congratulations, and good luck!

As for the Alaskan Highway, I'm sure you know, there's only one Alaskan Highway, but there are several ways to actually get up to AK through Canada. I drove my daughter down in her Jeep last September on the furthest West route (forgive me, forgot the name of the Highway). Great trip, no issues. Co-worker drove down last year and went further East. Two flat tires and a Bison took out his fender. :trophy::trophy:

I've never been this far north, but several people told me I need to go explore around Chicken, Alaska. If you do come up, that's on your way (right before you get to Tok, you head north). There's an Interior Alaska Toyota Group on Facebook that I've joined and I would like to get to the Interior and explore (get out of the local mud). They could help you and give you great pointers.

At the VERY LEAST invest into "The Milepost" for the trip. It can literally save your life depending on conditions and the time of the year. It's a magazine that comes out every year listing the routes, fuel stops, accommodations, everything.

Again, congratulations, and keep it up!
(Now I'll go full retard and say "You're the wind beneath all our wings!!")LOL :bolt:

Thanks, Yeah I've ordered the amazon milepost per recommendations but it'll be next year cause I wanna do it like memorial weekend through 2nd or 3rd week of June. I thought about doing it in September but going to Yellowstone I think this year. Still up in the air till I see how things pan out for stuff over the next 2 months but regardless I'll get up to there before I can't

I saw that route, I was looking at the alcan highway and still playing with how I would come back or the same way. The difficult with the coastal road is the amount of ferry's I need to catch and such. Not a big deal and may be worth it cause so much to see down in that area. But depending on if I'm alone or not can change the trip.

Thanks for the information

 

[Mark_BC]

I think you are talking about the Cassiar Highway from Terrace up to the Yukon. I've done part of it and it is very beautiful. You can drive there from Prince George so you don't need to take a ferry up to Prince Rupert but the ferries are very scenic as well (and expensive). This guy from LA goes up there, interesting video.

 

[psraff]

I think you are talking about the Cassiar Highway from Terrace up to the Yukon. I've done part of it and it is very beautiful. You can drive there from Prince George so you don't need to take a ferry up to Prince Rupert but the ferries are very scenic as well (and expensive). This guy from LA goes up there, interesting video.

Thank you, you're correct! It was the Cassiar Highway. Paved and very decent road (relatively speaking). Gets you away from the main traffic I would think (we were late in the year so we missed them anyway). They had a massive fire through part of it at one time (within a few years it looks like). I was amazed that every hill we went over or curve we took, that fire was still evident spreading out in front of us. In about 10 years with all the new growth I bet it will be stunning. It sure didn't take away from our trip, that's for sure.

 

[BrianSD_42]

Glad to hear your court case was resolved in what sounds like a favorable outcome man.

Currently the toytec lift bottom outs it seems at almost every speed above 15mph, It also seems to do okay with slow crawling and such but I almost feel that my shocks are needing to be re-done/recharged or something.

That Toytech setup sounds like junk. They sell so much variety perhaps you were just sold a bad option for you needs. That said bottoming out is supposed to be for porn stars not lifted 3rd gens.

I've got King's 600 on the front and am quite happy with them. Given your add ons King 650s might be great fit. At only $1,100 (front end) pretty awesome for the money. They seem really good all around including rock crawling with 33s or desert driving up to 30+ mph ish. I don't do 60 mph or catch air in the desert.

For the rear end I've got LC setup from Sonoran Steel 1.2 (you can see OEM parts list on their website under 1.2 build it yourself section. Just wanted to offer that as an alternative to buying more expensive King or Icon rear end for a whole lot more cash.

Btw the main reason I mentioned the King's is because you really shouldn't have to adjust them much for any kind of wheeling, excluding so crazy desert jumping scenarios. This setup works great in the desert, the city streets, the Forrest etc. Set them to 2.5" lift and call it a day. Lastly with coil over shocks and no side reservoir you can adjust on the truck with wheels off the ground. If you get that extra res you need to remove the shocks off the truck to adjust them.

 

[Kotrin]

Thank you, you're correct! It was the Cassiar Highway. Paved and very decent road (relatively speaking). Gets you away from the main traffic I would think (we were late in the year so we missed them anyway). They had a massive fire through part of it at one time (within a few years it looks like). I was amazed that every hill we went over or curve we took, that fire was still evident spreading out in front of us. In about 10 years with all the new growth I bet it will be stunning. It sure didn't take away from our trip, that's for sure.

[MENTION=146628]Mark_BC[/MENTION]

---

Thanks for the information. Yeah I don't want to really do it in September cause of potential snow/trapped up there. I'm still doing lots of research and do want to visit some of the sites that Expedition Overland filmed up in that area. My other reason for doing it the Memorial weekend + a few weeks in June is to do it by myself potentially (and less crowds ). I'm going to be doing some adventures myself this summer/fall/winter and see how I do. I've been doing slightly better than normal but I've completely redid all of my medicine (like 180 degree difference in medicine). Glad it's going a most positive but shall see how things go.

 

[Kotrin]

Glad to hear your court case was resolved in what sounds like a favorable outcome man.



That Toytech setup sounds like junk. They sell so much variety perhaps you were just sold a bad option for you needs. That said bottoming out is supposed to be for porn stars not lifted 3rd gens.

I've got King's 600 on the front and am quite happy with them. Given your add ons King 650s might be great fit. At only $1,100 (front end) pretty awesome for the money. They seem really good all around including rock crawling with 33s or desert driving up to 30+ mph ish. I don't do 60 mph or catch air in the desert.

For the rear end I've got LC setup from Sonoran Steel 1.2 (you can see OEM parts list on their website under 1.2 build it yourself section. Just wanted to offer that as an alternative to buying more expensive King or Icon rear end for a whole lot more cash.

Btw the main reason I mentioned the King's is because you really shouldn't have to adjust them much for any kind of wheeling, excluding so crazy desert jumping scenarios. This setup works great in the desert, the city streets, the Forrest etc. Set them to 2.5" lift and call it a day. Lastly with coil over shocks and no side reservoir you can adjust on the truck with wheels off the ground. If you get that extra res you need to remove the shocks off the truck to adjust them.

I do think I broke them last year overlanding to be honest. I've actually looked at going that route you have. I'll do some more researching into it and see. What made you choose to do that setup versus a all-in-one kit that included most of your stuff.