Sunk my 4Runner... can it be saved?

Question: Anyone know if the LIMITED model is a good long-term buy?
If I get another one, I want a white 4th gen, and maybe I'd consider a Limited with a V8. Is the consensus that a Limited would be a smart move, or is it just more stuff to break, and would I be better off looking for another SR5 with some nice options on it?

I like the limited features - sunroof etc but you can find those on the SR5 as well. I wouldn't let the trim level be the deciding factor. You can look at mine if you want , I'm down the road in Alexandria now.
 
Question: Anyone know if the LIMITED model is a good long-term buy? If I get another one, I want a white 4th gen, and maybe I'd consider a Limited with a V8. Is the consensus that a Limited would be a smart move, or is it just more stuff to break, and would I be better off looking for another SR5 with some nice options on it?

As someone who owns a Limited, I can't understand why anyone would ever buy another trim package. I kid, of course, but yeah, the Limited is nice.

Sorry about your ride man, that's a huge bummer. Hats off to the guy who made the rice joke, too.
 
Out of curiosity, how big of a boat do you tow? And did you really get rescued by the "Ride the Ducks" guy? I remember I used to see those things driving around SF when I lived there.
 
I have a Limited. I got a good deal on it, but my personal opinion is that all the extras are unnecessary.

The navigation system is primitive compared to my smartphone or even a standalone GPS, the JBL audio quality is marginally acceptable (compared to the base system which would be unacceptable to me) but difficult to upgrade without entirely replacing it including the head unit/nav.

The seat heaters are nice, and I have to admit the backup camera is handy, though the rear pillar mirrors do an excellent job, and they are better at checking for cross traffic. The 10 speaker JBL system without NAV deletes the rear pillar mirrors, but the 8 speaker system with NAV has them. The 18" wheels are stupid because there is slightly less tire selection, tires are more expensive, and you get less sidewall (for off road use) than for 17" wheels. The leather seats are heavily coated, so they might as well be vinyl. I'd rather sit on cloth in the summer. The dual zone climate control is handy, but I could live without it. The power leather seats in mine have less footroom under them than the manual cloth seats in a similar SR5, and power seats could stop working one day. The illuminated running boards are another light to burn out and another drain on the battery. I have black tape over them because I couldn't get them to go off quickly enough while camping/ watching stars. The cargo shelf in the rear isn't that helpful because I'd rather have one that's full length when up. The 115V outlet doesn't fit a phone charger, and I think it's limited to only 100 watts. And finally, all of these things add a little weight and therefore slightly decrease mileage and performance compared to a lower trim level.

If these features are worth it to you, or if you find a good deal on one then go for it. I got mine for about what a SR5 would go for. There isn't really much extra that could break.

I recommend getting one with side airbags for maximum safety. I think it was optional before 2008.
 
I don't know which is worse, the fact that your 4Runner is totaled or the fact that you actually tasted the water in the Potomac.
 
This happened at a lake a close to me. The guy was putting his boat in the water when something broke and his went in the lake, but very sadly his kids was inside and he lost both of his children. You are very fortunate that there wasn't anybody in the truck when this happened.
 
Question: Anyone know if the LIMITED model is a good long-term buy?
If I get another one, I want a white 4th gen, and maybe I'd consider a Limited with a V8. Is the consensus that a Limited would be a smart move, or is it just more stuff to break, and would I be better off looking for another SR5 with some nice options on it?

I have a Limited with the V8 and really like it. Some have pointed out most of the options can be found elsewhere, but I think the Limited is a pretty nice set-up. Just my $0.02
 
I like my '03 Limited. I bought it new and it now has about 160k miles. I live near Boston, so I won't buy a car without seat heaters.
 
If you had the limited you might be able to skip the stereo upgrades, well you still need a couple nice speakers for the doors but ....

And I hated nav..until I had my for a couple years and marked all the things personally interesting...like interstate rest stops / interstate speed zones, hunting camps, the liquor store in that town you go to once every two years
 
Out of curiosity, how big of a boat do you tow? And did you really get rescued by the "Ride the Ducks" guy? I remember I used to see those things driving around SF when I lived there.

It's an older 18 foot proCraft fish-n-ski with a 150 HP on the back.

The whole setup weighs about 3,800 lbs...


And yes... the DC Ducks really did rescue me (mostly).

They got it from deep on the water fully submerged, to close to the shore... so close that the tow truck could hook me up and not have to get their tires wet.

So, a big KUDOS to the DUCK. We snapped two tow straps, and broke one chain doing it... but we were safe (everyone standing back, so no one was in danger...).
 
You put your truck in park on a boat ramp with a 4000# boat and expected the transmission pawl to hold?
 
So... yesterday I was launching my boat at the boat ramp when I heard a "pop", and my 4runner rolled down the ramp and into the Potomac river!

It spent at least a 1/2 hour fully submerged... roof racks and all.

The horn was blowing, the windshield wipers were running, and my favorite (and only) truck was sunk.

I got it recovered, but the two tow truck drivers and my local mechanic all said I should call insurance and have the truck totaled -- it will never be the same and if I do get it running, I will be haunted for years with problems as computers and electrical items fail down the road.

It's an '04 with 117K miles, and lots of personal upgrades.

Does anyone else have experience with a sunken 4-runner? Are there tricks to saving it, or is totaling it and letting it go truly the best advice.

This happened at the boat ramp at the Columbia Island Marina, in Arlington, VA. It's part of the Potomac river. The water at that point is mostly fresh water (I tasted it, and I couldn't taste any salt... and yes... I didn't swallow!)

Thoughts? Experiences?

-Phil :Cry:


:wow2:
 
I would say the truck is totaled. Only thing it would be good for now is a complete strip down to make a 4x4 buggy/crawler. All electronics would have to come out and dried before rust/corrostion set in. This would include all wiring in the dash too. Basically it would be a nightmare. Sorry to hear that happened buddy. I am a huge fan of the parking brake and I have a rubber tire chock that I use when I park with the camper/ utility trailer in tow as I live on a hill and am scared of having a runaway.
 
You got towed out by a duck lol :hurt:. But seriously, sorry about your truck. Probably a gonner. I couldn't really see many mods on it, but you may be able to buy it back after insurance, get your stuff and part some of it. Or LS swap it like everything else on the planet.
 
It's an older 18 foot proCraft fish-n-ski with a 150 HP on the back.

The whole setup weighs about 3,800 lbs...


And yes... the DC Ducks really did rescue me (mostly).

They got it from deep on the water fully submerged, to close to the shore... so close that the tow truck could hook me up and not have to get their tires wet.

So, a big KUDOS to the DUCK. We snapped two tow straps, and broke one chain doing it... but we were safe (everyone standing back, so no one was in danger...).

So I'm assuming you had to swim underwater to attached the straps to the tow hooks and everything? At least you got to do some Navy SEAL shit. That sounds kinda fun.
 
I have experience with this exact thing! I have driven 3 cars underwater and had them fully recovered and working. I still own 1 of them and its an 88 v6 4runner.

The key is to completely dry out everything and change all the fluids (all of them, yes ALL). This was easy for me since I lived in Sacramento California, I just parked it outside for a week when it was 105 degrees and everything dried out. Had to change oil/front diff/rear diff/trans/coolant/all fuel had to be drained and I had to make sure that there were no pools of water by the computers. I also had to open all the computers and make sure that they were dry as well. The ECU circuit board was completely drenched and I was afraid to start the truck until it was dry. But, the good news is that there is not a single electrical issue with that truck even though there were fish inside the cab when we pulled it out.

I would totally try to fix it if I were you. It would just take a lot of patience and time to disassemble everything. The worst that could happen is that you fried a computer or 2, which can be easily replaced with a junkyard unit.
 
So I'm assuming you had to swim underwater to attached the straps to the tow hooks and everything? At least you got to do some Navy SEAL shit. That sounds kinda fun.

Yeah... it was kinda fun... truth be told. Lots of free diving was involved.
:surfer:


You put your truck in park on a boat ramp with a 4000# boat and expected the transmission pawl to hold?

I guess I was just like :dancin: ... and then it happend! :violin:

Lesson learned about parking brake and wheel chocks. Too many stories involving death popped up in this thread. It never occurred to me that a boat ramp could be *that* dangerous.
 
I have experience with this exact thing! I have driven 3 cars underwater and had them fully recovered and working. I still own 1 of them and its an 88 v6 4runner.

The key is to completely dry out everything and change all the fluids (all of them, yes ALL). This was easy for me since I lived in Sacramento California, I just parked it outside for a week when it was 105 degrees and everything dried out. Had to change oil/front diff/rear diff/trans/coolant/all fuel had to be drained and I had to make sure that there were no pools of water by the computers. I also had to open all the computers and make sure that they were dry as well. The ECU circuit board was completely drenched and I was afraid to start the truck until it was dry. But, the good news is that there is not a single electrical issue with that truck even though there were fish inside the cab when we pulled it out.

I would totally try to fix it if I were you. It would just take a lot of patience and time to disassemble everything. The worst that could happen is that you fried a computer or 2, which can be easily replaced with a junkyard unit.

I guess a week or two in the Mojave desert would do wonders for my 4Runner. :-)


I'm glad that you've had success in drying out the vehicles. I don't really have the space (or a dry enough climate) to do a good, serious salvage job.

I've resigned that I'll take what the insurance company pays, add some to it (I'm sure I'll need more than they pay), and then go shopping.

Who knows... maybe a 4th gen limited V8 is in my future. Something a few years newer like an 07, 08 or 09 with under 100K on the clock.
 
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...and here I was upset that I left my passenger window cracked open during a thunderstorm and my floors were damp. Thanks for the reality check.
 

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