2006 4Runner V8 Limited

[davej]

that's some good-lookin wood man! :thumbup:

Is it a birch veneer plywood or solid sheet? if solid, where did you pick that up? (Sorry for the over-interest in your wood.)

[V1GiLaNtE]

that's some good-lookin wood man! :thumbup:

Is it a birch veneer plywood or solid sheet? if solid, where did you pick that up? (Sorry for the over-interest in your wood.)

Birch plywood @ home depot for $49/sheet.

[Senor_Taylor]

How did you manage to rip your CV boots? Maybe 4runner boots are more brittle or something or you're just out there going for broke.

Love the fridge. I've dreamed about getting one along with the whole over land set up with a Roof Top Tent and slide out kitchen. You're living the dream!

I suspect the boots must have already had a tear in them when I purchased the vehicle. Water crossings can be harsh. Honestly, @ 120k they are at the end of their life anyways. New axles should last me till 200k+.

I love roof top tents, but they have a lot of downsides. Decreased mpgs, increased COG, can't park in garages, and if you want to go anywhere you have to pack up the tent to roll out.

A high quality ground tent like OZ tents, I think, is the way to go. :thumbup:

I want to do a bed reck for the RTT so the top of the tent wouldn't be above the roof of my truck. They're pretty quick to deploy and you'll never be lying in water or worry about bugs.

[V1GiLaNtE]

Updates:

Got all those big 120k items installed. CV axles, fluids, plugs. No more vibrations under acceleration and smooth as glass. Been driving the thing all over VA/NC. Plenty of trail exploration trips, a trip to the OBX, and basically living on 95/66/81 every weekend for the last month and a half.

Added an ARB awning for sun/rain/snow shade on our trips. Mounted on Yakima load bars with a quality mount made by a company called Lab Rak based out of Orgeon. Had to do a little trimming on the bars to get the awning right up snug to the body.

Next project is to get the fridge properly wired. That'll include a fused block where I'll add additional 12v outlets, usb outlets, and a battery monitor. Speaking of batteries, I upgraded the stock Group 24 battery to a Group 27 X2 dual purpose battery sold by batteries plus. Basically, it's a rebranded NorthStar battery which are pretty darn tough. 930 CCAs should keep everything properly powered without killing the truck.

T4R might be having a group buy sale with a company called RCI. I may pull the trigger and order their Aluminum skids to replace the crappy stock skids. I don't want or need steel for what this vehicle does. I'm already conscious of MPGs as adding the the awning dropped me about 1 mpg. However, my last run to and from the NC border (~350/400 miles) averaged me 19.6 MPG. I want to keep that so aluminum skids should provide appropriate coverage and not add substantial weight.

I'll be offering my impressions of the LabRak Awning mounts on Dirt Road Trip. I've been a contributor to the site for about the last 9 months.

DSC_1083 by Cabell Spicer, on Flickr

DSC_1101 by Cabell Spicer, on Flickr

DSC_0583 by Cabell Spicer, on Flickr

DSC_0370 by Cabell Spicer, on Flickr

DSC_0378 by Cabell Spicer, on Flickr

DSC_0387 by Cabell Spicer, on Flickr

DSC_0390 by Cabell Spicer, on Flickr

[Senor_Taylor]

I didn't know they made those! I love it!

Sent from my SM-G900R4 using Tapatalk

[V1GiLaNtE]

I didn't know they made those! I love it!

Sent from my SM-G900R4 using Tapatalk

There are two companies I know of that make them. BomberProducts and LabLak. Bomber Products option is 2x the cost of LabRak. I was able to pick up the LabRak mount on sale for a good price. We'll see how it holds up.

[JPolen01]

That awning is cool as fuck. Any pictures with it open?

[V1GiLaNtE]

That awning is cool as fuck. Any pictures with it open?

I'll try and snap a good photo of it on my 4Runner for you, Polen.

This is what it looks like deployed otherwise.

[Jake]

I looked at those when I had the Yukon, always thought they were super cool! This little truck is coming along nicely - bring it by my new place and have a beer sometime :thumbup:

[Senor_Taylor]

This little truck

*eye twitch*


Sent from my SM-G900R4 using Tapatalk

[V1GiLaNtE]

T4R.org worked out a fall group buy with RCI Metal works. Got a great deal on a high quality aluminum (1/4" 5052) skid plate for the front, a filler plate for extra radiator protection, and an awesome valve by Fumoto which makes oil changes a breeze. This will bring me some peace of mind running the trails and fire roads while I still learn the vehicle and it's abilities.

[D_Eclipse9916]

, and an awesome valve by Fumoto which makes oil changes a breeze

I installed one for the truck. At first I was a little disappointed at the "look of cheap" when I bought it; even though lots of good reviews.

3 oil changes later and the valve still operates cleanly. This was a big upgrade for my truck since draining on the stock bolt led oil down onto the stock under shields and made a mess. For even less mess you can use a hose on it which is neat, but mine drains cleanly with just the fumoto acting as an extension. The safety clip isnt easier than doing a bolt though.

[V1GiLaNtE]

, and an awesome valve by Fumoto which makes oil changes a breeze

I installed one for the truck. At first I was a little disappointed at the "look of cheap" when I bought it; even though lots of good reviews.

3 oil changes later and the valve still operates cleanly. This was a big upgrade for my truck since draining on the stock bolt led oil down onto the stock under shields and made a mess. For even less mess you can use a hose on it which is neat, but mine drains cleanly with just the fumoto acting as an extension. The safety clip isnt easier than doing a bolt though.

Thanks for the honest review DJ. I purchased the valve because you already have to remove the factory skid plate to loosen the bolt to drain the oil on this generation T4R. Adding a more beefy skid plate, which does incorporate access holes to drain the oil, will not have to be removed with the Fumoto valve installed. At least, that's what the internet tells me in my research.

[WRXtranceformed]

Wasn't a big fan of the Fumoto valve I found in my old STi; it was loose and leaking when I had my first oil change (fortunately it was a slow leak and no damage was done). That car was lowered though so if you have it well-protected it should be fine, just seems like it makes something more complicated than it needs to be (ie replacing a bolt and crush washer that work fine with something that sticks out and can fail)

[V1GiLaNtE]

I have some "build" updates coming that I will share with you all, but I figured I'd also use this thread to start documenting my trips and adventures in more detail. I bought this vehicle with the mindset that

Well, I needed an all around vehicle that could go for longer trips. Building in creature comforts for the road and outdoors

or something like that.

November 11, 2016 - "White Trash Weekend 2016"

Me and a really good buddy were trying to plan a weekend with close friends for a Friendsgiving if you will. Most of our group get togethers involve us being assholes, drinking cheap beer, and blasting really trashy country music or "burn out" classic rock. The group thing didn't pan out and so it eventually transitioned to what me and my good friend Kevin coined "White Trash Weekend". Basically the same elements as above, just somewhere in the woods.

When you hang with like minded people (whether track, sports, offroad, etc.) people tend to share knowledge. I got some coordinates on a great campsite way out in Davis, WV. I built a basic .kmz file for offline gps guidance and we set out Friday afternoon for the 3+ hour drive loaded down with beer, food, and camp gear.



Caanan Loop road is a pretty low key public gravel road running through parts of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest. Getting there is a pretty scenic drive once you escape the traffic stranglehold of NOVA.



Somewhere out 48W at the Va/WV border over the mountains you lose service. I've driven this route several times and with the offline gps files I had built we were completely sustainable. Driving through Wardensville, Baker, Moorefield, and and bunch of other no name towns you eventually pull into Davis,WV on 32. Davis is a pretty cool old town with a "mining" town feel. A small main strip, a couple of decent places to eat and a brewery or two. Once you blink though, you're out of town and pitched into the dark and unknown world of the WV mountains.

Riding Caanan loop gave us some crazy tunnel vision with the trees surrounding us on all sides. No lights, no cars, no people. We shared the roads with deer and a single black bear we caught tearing off into the woods as we drove the solitude of the night. This particular campsite created a sense of home security as you are forced to cross the end of North Fork Red Run. Probably about a foot deep of running water leads to a short, but technical climb up into our camp site.



I'll spare the basic details of setting up camp and what not, but fridge and awning served us well for the weekend.




Pretty damn cold at night and a decent bit of sun during the day kept us warm during our "chores" of collecting wood and processing it. All that hard work certainly paid off (a bunch of beer and single malt probably didn't hurt either..) :thumbup:



So what does this particular trip tell? Well, it confirms the 4Runner suspension is tired. I made a jaunt down the gravel road for the 10 miles back to town for a beer run hitting 45/50 mph on stretches. Even with less gear the 4Runner felt unstable and not planted. This sensation was ten fold when loaded down with all the gear. Bumps on the highway would cause the truck to wander. I'm guessing because the shocks in the front have basically no more rebound. As for the slower more crawling stuff? No problem. 4Lo + locked center differential required easy throttle inputs to navigate obstacles. It inspired confidence in the bigger and also lower 4Runner. Thinking of what a bump in tire size and suspension will do has me excited. The V8 soaked up the miles and effortlessly chugged through the mountains and 8% grade. I'm happy for sure I went the V8.

This sort of driving isn't my typical everyday obviously, but it did put into perspective my approach to this "build" and what it was intended for. I'll continue to update the thread with trip reports going forward.

Enjoy!

[Jake]

Great photos and write-up! I'd guess that you are definitely due for some new shocks based on what you said... should feel like a new truck when it's all refreshed!

[Goodspeed]

Great writeup! I'd love to get out there more but I need to get another vehicle at some point that will happily boot me off the grid. I'm really kicking myself these days for not using the XJ as god intended more when I owned it for stuff like this.

[V1GiLaNtE]

I'm lazy and Taylor's thread at least gave me some motivation to post some current pics. Maybe I'll type it all for you guys in detail. A lot of changes in life have kept me occupied otherwise. Truck has been fantastic and in the last 8 months I've done:

-RCI Metalworks skid plate
-TRD Tacoma suspension install (Thanks to Jason)
-5th Gen Front brake upgrade (calibers and rotors) (Again, Jason)
-Toyota Trans fluid replacement
-Alternator replacement
-Custom engine bay and rear cargo auxiliary fuse blocks for accessories
-Power panel in the back (voltage meter, dedicated 12v plug for fridge, usb ports)
-CB setup (antenna, bracket, Cobra Radio install)
-Wrapped my cargo plate in speaker carpet for a more OEM look
-5 LT265/65r18 Cooper Discoverer AT3s

I've run this thing on dozens of fire roads, thousands of highway miles, multiple camping trips, hauled people and gear and it's been flawless. I've treated it as a tool and an appliance. I love aspects of it, but I doubt I will keep it forever. She's been the OEM+ daily I've been looking for.

As funds permit I want to go to a full OME suspension setup and new UCAs. Just tough forking over $1400 after spending over a grand on tires right now. I may add a trans/tcase skid to make the undercarriage fully covered, but I'm pretty happy with the truck as is.

[Senor_Taylor]

You and I feel exactly the same about our 4Runners. I have a feeling my build thread will mimic yours rather closely except for the ARB fridge and fuse blocks That color with those wheels looks so much better than mine!

Have you had to replace your exhaust manifolds or have they been replaced?

[V1GiLaNtE]

Have you had to replace your exhaust manifolds or have they been replaced?

I don't think they have been replaced and I haven't done them. If they shit the bed I'll be torn between doing OEM or just bite the bullet and go Doug Thorley headers with full custom setup. Either way it's expensive.