Project 2017 Toyota 4Runner - Born Ready
We have long since been huge fans of the amazing Toyota 4Runner. It’s incredibly well built, competitively priced, the aftermarket is loaded with parts, it’s overall compact, and it’s very reliable. When we decided to head on a two-month trip to Alaska, we wanted to have a variety of vehicles, and thus, the 4Runner was an obvious choice. While a lot of people prefer the Tacoma, we liked the enclosed body, and felt it provided an incredible base for our overland build. And because this would be towing a lightweight purpose-built Vintage Trailer Works XTR trailer, we knew we had tons of options for the package.
VEHICLE GOALS
Our goal was to build vehicles that were capable of overland adventures all on their own, yet capable of pulling trailers that we could use as a base camp. Purpose-built trailers that would provide more storage space, convenience, comfort, power, fuel, water and food. We wanted to be capable of living off grid with the trailers for up to two weeks if needed and wanted our Toyotas to go five days realistically before restocking.
Our original plan was to go to Alaska for 48-days, but it ended up being over two months as a mechanical issue with the 4Runner forced us to return home for some repairs, before heading back to Utah, Nevada and Arizona. But that made this adventure all the more interesting, and actually allowed us to introduce new people to off-road travel.
STAGE 1 – OFF-ROAD BUILD
Like all of our builds, we started off by designing a capable off-road truck before we got into all of the overland components. We started with SDI Racing’s E-Clik intelligent active suspension system front and rear. They claim “It incorporates proprietary technology and tuning to deliver the perfect ride and control across any terrain, and on any surface. This is the first fully independently adjustable electronic suspension system for the aftermarket.” The system features a control module inside the 4Runner that allows the driver to adjust a wide range of settings. We also used Hyper Co. springs and Elevate upper control arms.
For armor, we took the vehicle to Ogden, Utah to have Expedition One bumpers installed by Fat Bob’s Garage. We did this at the same time we had them do our Tundra, and they are one of our favorite items on the entire build. The fit and finish is incredible, and they are among the strongest that we have ever tested! We also had them install Expedition One Rock Sliders. The front bumper is also home to our 10.5 thousand pound Comeup Winch and to cap off the armor, we added RCI aluminum skid plates. It’s also important to note that we chose Freedom Recovery Gear because of their incredible reputation, consistency, and engineering. Helping us with the installation of skid plates and other hard parts was the amazing crew at Cali Raised Off-Road.
We then turned our attention to the rims and tires. We replaced the 33-inch tires from the previous owner with 35x12.5 R17 Kanati Overland RTX on 17x8.5 TraverseHD wheels from Fifteen52. This forced us to move the spare tire from underneath the vehicle and hang it on the Expedition One bumper swing gate. The larger tires are great when we hit the trail but that poses some installation challenges as the 4runner wasn't strictly designed for 35s. First we installed Advanced Fiberglass fenders which are substantially wider than stock. These required some prep work, and came unpainted, but since we wrapped the vehicle, we didn’t have to worry about it. Next was the firewall, with a slightly altered alignment and a ballpeen hammer, we got the tires to safely clear the firewall without issues. Lastly we took the 4runner to a local shop that regeared the truck to 5.29 gears to give the motor some reprieve with the larger and heavier tires. We choose 5.29 over 4.88 since we use the 4runner to tow. The same shop also installed a body mount relocation kit so the tire wouldn't catch on the body mount.
STAGE 2 – OVERLAND BUILD
Since the 4Runner is relatively small, and because our trip was intended to last nearly two months, space was going to be incredibly important. So we began this project with a Goose Gear rear organizer and elected to run the Brian’s Favorite model. This provided room for our slideout Iceco refrigerator, gave us a sizable drawer, and space to stack organization boxes. Unquestionably, this helped set the overall tone of the build and it was one of our top five favorite items on the 4Runner. To take advantage of what would otherwise be wasted space, we replaced the rear side windows with TFC Offroad gullwings that replace the rear most windows. We already had MOLLE panels on the inside, so this gave us a fantastic place to store a lot of small items that needed quick access.
We then installed a Sherpa Crestone Roof Rack, RTT Mounts and a Pro6 Bar Mount. We equipped the 4Runner with an Inspired Overland roof top tent, a Roam 270-degree awning
STAGE 3 – ELECTRONICS
There are lots of ways to power accessories on a vehicle. We had the option of using portable power units, installing a permanently mounted battery and power management system connected to the starter battery, or installing a permanently mounted battery and power management system that was separate and isolated from the starter battery. The dual system approach to offroad electronics is the way we went, being able to pick and choose which chargers and equipment would work best to power our journey. Now it should be noted that we still drew power from the 4Runner while it was running. How we did this was with a DC-DC smart charger which senses the alternator power from the motor and modulates it to the required voltages to most efficiently charge our auxiliary batteries. This is a connection that is strictly one way and only when the motor is running, leaving no chance for any of our electrical accessories to be able to kill the starter battery.
The electrical work began with advice from Greg Amendola of Wired by Greg in southern California. He is one of the most well-known and trusted installers in the overland world and also does a lot with high-end SEMA builds. Amendola is the one who recommended the setup based on the equipment we chose to install. We started with a Dakota Lithium 12-volt 200AH Off-Grid Power System. This comes with Zamp Solar, but they weren’t exactly compatible with our roof top tent, so we opted to use Sunflare Solar. We also used Cascadia 4x4 solar on the hood, because that was a completely separate system that only charged the starter battery.
On the “house” system, once Amendola and his team installed the Dakota Lithium batteries, Zamp Solar MPPT charge controller, Victron Orion Smart DC-DC charger, Victron Smart BMS, and a Victron 1200W inverter, he had to link it up to nearly two dozen KC Hilites, the Iceco refrigerator/freezer, WeBoost cell phone range extender, Midland radio, a Thor’s Lighting air compressor and two Anderson Connectors. The KC Hilites are all controlled by a SwitchPros 9100.
STAGE 4 – RECOVERY GEAR & TIRE INFLATION
With space at a premium, we chose to hang a lot of our equipment off the rear Expedition One
bumper swing gates. This included a PowerTank, Wavian Fuel Can, and an OTZI Gear Modrack with a top platform. On the top of the Modrack we located our four MaxTrax recovery boards. We chose to have both the PowerTank and Thor's Lightning air compressor because we had to also fill up the trailer tires and because we wanted to have a backup. We couldn’t afford too many flats with all the miles we were driving, so tire pressure had to always be kept a level ideal for the terrain.
We used a variety of Freedom Recovery Gear and also carried a DMOS shovel. Richard at Freedom Recovery Gear helped advise us on what gear we needed in the case that we had to recover the 4runner with a trailer.
To finish the project, we installed Wilwood brakes, a Patriot Hitches hitch, 67 Designs Series 55 mounting rail with arms and phone mounts, some classic Zarges aluminum storage cases and several Radius Outfitters storage solutions cases.
To keep things safe we carried several portable fire extinguishers from H2R.
We also used Bolt locks on items like the hitch, and several cases to hold items like the PowerTank. Bolt locks use the same keyway as your car key and can be keyed to use your car key making it simple to unlock your secured accessories.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
After the build was complete, we tested it for well over 4 months and put on over 10,000 miles. A variety of testers included Robert Parks, Kathy Parks, Travis Arket, Catherina Bertolino, Brandon Dore, Danielle Gornik, and the two of us.
The overall consensus is that the 4Runner is an incredible package, only made better by our choice of modifications. It’s comfortable to live off grid for four or five days, and is only limited by food, fuel and water.
Of the build the top five things that impressed us the most were:
1. Complete electronics package designed by Greg Amendola and his crew at Wired by Greg’s. The installation was clean, the system reliable, and it was very well thought out.
2. The KC Hilites are absolutely amazing and made us all want to do more night exploration. If you have never driven at night with powerful lights, you need to try it. This is a complete game changer.
3. Expedition One bumpers may not sound like they are that important, but they were critical for this project. After touring the factory in Utah and looking at all the effort that goes into designing these, we were confident with all the items we hung off the bumpers including winches, recovery gear, spare tires, etc. These are amazing.
4. The SDI Suspension was a solid choice. The adjustability was incredible, and it worked very well with and without the Vintage Trailer Works XTR trailer.
5. The Goose Gear organizer in the back really helped set the tone for storage. It made the rear area of the vehicle incredibly functional and gave us lots of space in the rear seating area.
If we didn’t have the trailer, we would have opted to install a heated outdoor shower system off the Sherpa rack, and perhaps we will do that in the future.
It’s important to note that we no longer consider this a daily driver. It’s a purpose-built overland vehicle that is heavy, gets reduced gas mileage, and has lots of compromises. Even without the Daley Visuals wrap, vehicles like this attract a lot of attention, and for some reason people like to try and get into all of the compartments. It’s the downside of having nice rigs, so you have to pay close attention to where you park and store the vehicle.
On the positive side, we both now battle over who gets to use the 4Runner. Because we live in the southwest part of the United States, a lot of our driving has to deal with tight trees and narrow trails. This is where the 4Runner excels and crushes our 2023 Tundra Build. Simply put, the 4Runner can go places where other vehicles cannot, and this is a huge advantage.
Like our other builds, we also didn’t modify anything with the engine or exhaust. Our focus is on reliability, not performance. We are never looking for more speed, only power to climb up and over obstacles. For this reason, our focus with suspension is on slow-speed comfort, not on race-inspired items like high-speed whoop sections. We only tested the suspension at speeds under 60mph, and with the vehicle close to max weight. Suspension is important because it can also help prevent flats and increase tire wear. After all, controlling how the wheel reacts is critical especially when driving in areas full of sharp rocks.
ORTTV would like to say a big thank you to all the brands and companies who supported this build, we really appreciate you all. Below is a list of those fine brands and companies.
TOYOTA 4RUNNER BUILD LIST
Dash Mounts | Go Pro + 2 Phones | |
Fiberglass Fenders | 3" Flare 2" Rise | |
Hitch Pins and Trailer Locks | 5/8 Receiver and Padlock | |
Hood Solar | VSS Solar System | |
Winch | Solo 9.5 | |
12V 200 AH Off-Grid Power System | 2x 100AH Batteries With A Victron Based System using a Zamp Solar Controller. | |
Shovel | Delta Pro Shovel | |
Upper Control Arms | Elevate Billet Uniball UCA, 2003+ 4Runner / 2007+ FJ Cruiser 2/4WD | |
Front Bumper, Rear Bumper, Rock Sliders | Trail Series Front Bumper with wraparound Bull Bar, Rear Bumper w/ Dual Swing Carrier System with Teton Bundle, Trail Series Rocker Guards | |
Wheels | 17x8.5 0 ET0 Traverse HD | |
Winch Kit, Kinetic Rope Kit | Custom 4Runner winching kit with 2x Tommy Blocks, Custom 4Runner Kitetic Kit with 7/8 KERR Kinetic Rope | |
Fire Extinguisher | Fire extinguishers | |
Fridge / Freezer | VL45 ProS | |
Roof Top Tent | Standard Size Carbon RTT | |
Tires | 35x12.5 R17 Overland RTX | |
Roof Light Bar, Ditch Lights, Front Light Bar, Fog Lights, Rock Lights, Reverse Lights, Side Lights, Chase Bar | 40"Flex Bar, 2x FE4 Ditch Lights with mounts, 20" Flex Bar mounted on bullbar with KC clamps, 2x FE3 SAE in the Bumper, 10x Cyclone V2, 2x FE1 in Bumper, 4x FE1 on the Roof Rack, Rear Multimatic Chase bar on Roof Rack | |
MaxTrax V2 | 2 Sets of MKII for 4 boards | |
Handheld Radios | 2x X-Talker | |
Rear Tire Platform | ModRack with octagon and road bag | |
Trailer Hitch | The Patriot 2in Adjustable Hitch | |
Head Unit | DMH-W4660NEX | |
Inflator | 10 Pound MOLLE Edition | |
Storage Case | 95L with mounts, Ran on the trailer | |
Skid Plates | Skid Plate Package 10-24 4RUNNER - 1/4 Aluminum | |
Suspension | eCLIK suspension and ECU | |
Roof Rack | Crestone Roof Rack | |
RTT Solar Panel | XPLOR FLEX 180W | |
Switches | SP9100 | |
Rear Window Gull Wing | Driver and Passenger Side Gullwing, MOLLE Panels, and Shelf | |
Air Compressor, Hoses, Hose Extension | Portable TotalControl 12v True Dual Air Compressor 10.6 CFM, Rapid 4-Tire Portable Adventure Air System, 8’ Portable Adventure Air System Extension | |
Gas Can | 20L can mounted on rear swing gate | |
Cell Signal Booster | Overland Signal Booster | |
Brakes | AERO6-DM Direct-Mount Truck Front Brake Kit |
