Influencer II
As to not clutter up my previous build thread for the now departed H3, I have created a new thread to document the building of our 4Runner.
The beginning:
Two weeks ago, I began to notice that the H3 started to detoriate and started to become unreliable due to its age and the move from Delaware to South Dakota. It didn't like the more elevated environment here and the higher speeds compared to the flatness of the coast. Maintenance began to become a burden due to its increased frequency and since it was 11 years old and Hummer is no longer around, parts are not cheap.
On a whim, I drove by the Toyota dealership to see what they had on the lot and what I could get for a trade in on the H3. I have always loved the 4Runner and you really can't beat the reliability of Japanese vehicles nowadays. It was a toss up between the Tacoma and the 4Runner because of their capabilities, but the Tacoma was dropped because of the lack of room for our two German Shepherds. The dealership gave me an awesome trade in value for the Hummer so I decided now was the time to get a new vehicle before anything happened to it. I had my mind set on the TRD package because it offered everything I wanted for on road and offroad functionality. I also really wanted the Super White color because there are not many in this area in that color and trim package. Lucky, the dealership was receiving the exact model, color and options that I wanted the next week. Talk about coincidence! I started the paperwork and a week later...
... it arrived!
Current point:
That evening I ordered a full length standard BajaRack and the ladder. I also ordered a set of C4 Fabrication sliders for it. (Convinced the fiancée that they are better than running boards because they provide more protection and can be used as a step ) She agreed and off went the purchase order. We also ordered a rear cargo area cover to protect the seats and floor from the dogs as well as a center console cover and passenger seat cover, because our oldest German Shepherd likes to ride shotgun. A Nox Lux emblem blackout kit was also added to the purchase. This evening, I transferred the honor of wearing the OB emblem from the H3 to the 4Runner.
Future mods:
The overall goal of this build is to be comfortable driving cross country and to be able to hit trails and beaches whenever we want, so we are going for a "soft road" approach. Since C4 Fabrication is 10 minutes from my house and I am working a deal with them, their hidden winch mount bumper is going to be ordered this summer when we get back from visiting my family in Indiana. Also will be ordering Shrockworks skidplates and an Icon suspension system. This winter, I plan to purchase some black TRD rims and run BF Goodrich KO2s in 275/70/17.
The beginning:
Two weeks ago, I began to notice that the H3 started to detoriate and started to become unreliable due to its age and the move from Delaware to South Dakota. It didn't like the more elevated environment here and the higher speeds compared to the flatness of the coast. Maintenance began to become a burden due to its increased frequency and since it was 11 years old and Hummer is no longer around, parts are not cheap.
On a whim, I drove by the Toyota dealership to see what they had on the lot and what I could get for a trade in on the H3. I have always loved the 4Runner and you really can't beat the reliability of Japanese vehicles nowadays. It was a toss up between the Tacoma and the 4Runner because of their capabilities, but the Tacoma was dropped because of the lack of room for our two German Shepherds. The dealership gave me an awesome trade in value for the Hummer so I decided now was the time to get a new vehicle before anything happened to it. I had my mind set on the TRD package because it offered everything I wanted for on road and offroad functionality. I also really wanted the Super White color because there are not many in this area in that color and trim package. Lucky, the dealership was receiving the exact model, color and options that I wanted the next week. Talk about coincidence! I started the paperwork and a week later...
... it arrived! Current point:
That evening I ordered a full length standard BajaRack and the ladder. I also ordered a set of C4 Fabrication sliders for it. (Convinced the fiancée that they are better than running boards because they provide more protection and can be used as a step ) She agreed and off went the purchase order. We also ordered a rear cargo area cover to protect the seats and floor from the dogs as well as a center console cover and passenger seat cover, because our oldest German Shepherd likes to ride shotgun. A Nox Lux emblem blackout kit was also added to the purchase. This evening, I transferred the honor of wearing the OB emblem from the H3 to the 4Runner.
Future mods:
The overall goal of this build is to be comfortable driving cross country and to be able to hit trails and beaches whenever we want, so we are going for a "soft road" approach. Since C4 Fabrication is 10 minutes from my house and I am working a deal with them, their hidden winch mount bumper is going to be ordered this summer when we get back from visiting my family in Indiana. Also will be ordering Shrockworks skidplates and an Icon suspension system. This winter, I plan to purchase some black TRD rims and run BF Goodrich KO2s in 275/70/17.
