If you could do it all over...

Not me! I'll take a quiet ride every time.

I do agree that one could probably find someone willing to swap, though. Maybe someone should start a swap thread, similar to the skewp hood swap thread here.

 

Agreed! I have become accustomed to sound of the Pro exhaust, but I would have preferred a quiet stock exhaust.

 

I'll bet the cost to rent a 4Runner for 2 months and put 5-10K miles on it driving around Canada or the U.S. would make a nice down payment on a new one. I'd guess it would cost you close to $10K plus gasoline. Why own a vehicle that is ideally suited for long trips and is good for 200K+ miles if you're not going to drive it? Also, I think a rental car agreement might very well restrict where you can take the vehicle in terms of going off road. I saw a YouTube video with a couple that rented a jeep for the day in the Ouray, CO area, and the rental agreement made a bunch of trails in the area off limits.

 

I wouldn't run a Pro exhaust if you gave it to me for free. 4.0 sounds bad enough as it is, I do not want to hear it at all.

 

No idea. I didn't really grasp why the person I was replying to needed a 2nd 4Runner for that purpose.

For a road trip that was all pavement miles, I'd actually prefer like a RAV4 Hybrid to cut my fuel cost in half.

 

I was just thinking I could avoid the stone chips etal from a long trip if I rented one. Or get another one that is slightly used.

You guys are right I don’t need another one at all and another car is better for just pavement travel.

I just spend too much time overthinking stuff. I am a single guy no kids who saved more over the years as a result so I am starting to spend some money on stupid stuff. Sports cars such as Mustangs and Vettes are in my past (I think).

It’s time to start thinking retirement for me and travels etal. My issue is I like to keep everything in nice shape and for some long trips I know something is going to take a bit of a beating on the paint and finish. Hence the thought of rent one.

I enjoy the ride of a 4R that’s why I thought it would be good for an East Coast Canada trip and then another out west. I don’t plan on any heavy off road or anything. Just driving and doing some fishing along the way

First world problems here I know.

 

I took a 2 month trip in 2019 from western North Carolina to Badlands NP, Glacier NP, the Canadian Rockies, Yellowstone NP and Grand Teton NP with a Lexus RX 350 pulling a little camping trailer and driving off road never even occurred to me because everywhere I wanted to go was accessible via pavement or in a few cases gravel roads that a regular passenger vehicle could handle, like the road to the Many Glacier section of Glacier NP. I am going to take a 2 month trip this year to the San Juan Mountains in SW Colorado, southern Utah and northern Arizona and there are so many places that require a high clearance 4WD to access that it prompted me to sell the Lexus and buy a 4Runner. Now that I have it I expect to make multiple trips to those areas as I can't come close to covering it in 2 months.

Edit to add - I think you're also overthinking any potential damage to your vehicle on a long trip. I put about 12,000 miles on my vehicle on my 2019 trip and after I washed it when I got home it looked just like it did when I left. Those are very easy miles on a vehicle compared to everyday driving around town. Your 4Runner has plenty of space for gear for fishing, camping and anything else you need. The gas mileage could be better, but unless yours is lifted or you have stuff on a roof rack or pull a trailer, you should probably get 18-19 MPG on a cross country trip.

 

I hear ya, but to each its own. Most people I know liked them specially when the exhaust runs to the side and the fumes don’t gets in when the hatch window is down. Me personally don’t care much having one, as I also don’t like the noise etc.

 

Thanks for sharing that info. Your trip sounds awesome. I was thinking of doing hotels and maybe sleep inside 4R depending on location. I hate to tow a small camper even a really small one that limits parking etal. I figure I will need to shower every few days anyway so just go to hotel

The gas mileage does not bother me. This is the time in my life to start thinking and doing these trips. I can see how it is a concern for some though.

Your trip makes me want to leave tomorrow

 

Good decision on the trailer. I've decided to get rid of mine. I hate pulling the damn thing and can't take it anywhere off road, so I have to drop it in a campground and then take day trips. As you say, when you're pulling it it's hard to find anywhere to park, so I drive right past places where I'd like to stop just to get to the next campground and dump the trailer. Pulling it cut my gas mileage in the Lexus RX 350 from about 23-24 to 17 MPG.

Now that I have the 4Runner and have decided to get rid of the trailer, I'm going to do mostly tent camping, maybe a new nights of sleeping in the back of the 4Runner in remote locations if I'm only going to be there one night and don't want to set up and take down a tent, and if the weather is miserable I can get a hotel room here and there. When I did my trip in 2019, I was booked in campgrounds in Yellowstone and Grand Teton in the first 10-12 days of October. They had a very early winter storm and a cold front. The average temperature when I was in those 2 parks was highs in the mid to upper 20's F and lows in single digits, so I had to park the trailer and switch to hotels. A trailer without heat isn't any better than a tent, and may be worse.

The Canadian national parks have great campgrounds and just about all the major ones have hot showers. As with the U.S. national parks, you've got to plan your trip ahead and book the campgrounds well in advance.

 

Not a chance! The ONLY noise I want to hear in my rig is whatever music I have playing on the sound system.

 

If I could do it all over I'd start with a 3rd gen 4Runner back in 96-99 instead of gm cars. Also, while I did like our 2000 Dakota, I'd opt for a 1st gen Tundra. Would likely still get the 2005 Jeep tj (and NOT get rid if it).

Those 3 moves would put a lot more money into my retirement account. Granted, I'd likely still update to what I have now (5th gen 4r and 2.5 gen Tundra), but that would still be only 5 car purchases in 25 years instead of 13.

 

I will be 61 in a week and last Fall I did a 5,500 mile mountain bike centric trip from MD to CO & UT and absolutely loved it. I hit mountain bike trails in VA, TN, AR, NM, CO and UT. Good food, good beer, cool towns, great parks and great trails! I slept inside the 4R for 17 of the 20 days. I have a beautiful wife and three great sons (23 and 19 & 19) and this is the first time I ever embarked on such a trip. It was very liberating! Close to retiring and excited about what the future brings! Going to do another trip this Fall headed towards ID, OR, MT, WY and hitting trails along the way. Your 4R, your mountain bike or your body is not meant to look pristine! Beat that shit up and enjoy it!

"You will outlive your health, before you outlive your wealth!"

 

I would have looked into my crystal ball and seen that 2022 would have the Army Green color available on the TRD Off Road and bought that instead of my 2020 Super White.

 

If I could do it all again I would have just bought the land cruiser instead.

 

Love this. Bought my ORP new and within a week, we had it stuck off-road and lit up with a handful of new pinstripes.

The wife wasn’t thrilled about it, but I just asked her “How long would you like me to wait until I use it for what we bought it for?” Now she doesn’t even care about scratches anymore, and is just happy to make it back to camp without getting carsick, lol.

It’s not even two years old and a recent trip to Palo Duro left the rear bumper fascia hanging off. I put it back together with a single drywall screw (until I eventually get my steel rear bumper). Stuff like that just doesn’t bother me anymore. It’s a tank and I enjoy using it that way.

 

That's a big part of the reason I bought a used 4Runner instead of a new one, so I'd feel less pain when I scrape the paint or otherwise damage it. I know it's inevitable. I've added steel rock sliders and skid plates. The bumpers are the most vulnerable areas now, but I don't want to add more weight and make the vehicle more front heavy with a steel bumper.

 

But, that's a perfect excuse to upgrade the suspension.

 

Ha! Thanks! Unfortunately located here in MD not a lot of places to go four-wheeling and drive the 4R as designed or desired on my part. I try to make up for it by banging my mountain bike and ski's around as much as I can. Enjoy!

 

Yeah I have to get over this keep it in pristine shape. Somehow I thought hell I am single get another one to actually “use”. But I think I’d need a used one like WNC above.

Or I think get a V6 Tacoma for fun. My biggest issue is winter driving. Right now I use my Accord for that. So if I got a 4R or taco I have to worry about rust whereas now the 4R is summer only vehicle. First world problem I know.

As an accountant I know better than to have to have three cars but with no wife or kids I just don’t care.

If I scratch something I get it fixed it’s crazy I know. I just like keeping stuff too nice I guess. So even a used one I would still take reasonable care of.

 

I used to be like that, and I still am to some degree. But I changed the focus of my attentions. Instead of a clean paint and body work, I take pride in the mechanics and undercarriage of the vehicle. 4runners are so accessible, that way more mechanical stuff is doble by the owner.

If you have the physical ability to do so, I’d suggest figuring out a way to comfortably be under the 4runner so you can observe and work on the vehicle. You can use it hard, and maintain it well.

Patience, waiting, preserving, planning are all good traits to have. But those should be means to a goal, not the goal itself. You picked a good vehicle to enjoy the freedom you have. Use it and enjoy it!!!

 

These stories about getting scratches are great!

Mine was pristine from January until May of 2019. I went for a solo run on a section of the T.W.A.T, and the now notorious pinstripe road (FR327 in WI) put an end to that. I stopped to look at it when I got to an intersection, and I wondered what the hell was wrong with me, trashing such a new vehicle. But, I remembered why I bought it, and now I take pride in the trail kisses.

Side note: last I heard, it sounded like that road got cleared out a bit. I'll have to go through there again sometime.

 

I bought a used one thinking the same thing, and I still like to keep it nice and hate the idea of scratching or denting it, lol. I have that whole "take care of your stuff" drilled into my head by my dad when I was younger, I can't seem to shake it even though rationally I know that it's now a 10-year-old vehicle and that's what it's going to be best for.

 

I added a pinstripe to my driver's side at Windrock last year. It is part of the memories from a great weekend. I receive comments along two lines: (1) we can help you buff that out or (2) nice to see a rig that sees some work.

 

Ideally I would have rather had a previously modded 4r or GX, but got impatient plus I would have had to buy nationwide due to living in the sticks.

Other regret is I should have got a much earlier 5th gen--a super reliable vehicle that's been virtually unchanged for a decade that I plan to mod is not something I need a dealer warranty for. Plus the scratches really stand out cause it's so shiny.

 

Wouldn’t do anything different although I would have chosen black over my MGM, but the only black one available sold by the time I was ready to pull the trigger. Still no regrets, I’m driving something I only dreamed of in the past.

 

I would have bought a landcruiser instead. I spent too much money on too many mods that pretty much landed me with what a landcruiser does. However, I have learned a ton of stuff doing the mods and met YOU ALL guys that I would have probably never met. So no regrets here.

 

I still remember that feeling from when I bought my '03 back in '05! I felt the same when I got the '19. I still look back every time I park it and walk away.

I had a similar experience with my Tacoma. I never really loved it like the 4Runner, but it landed me on Tacomaworld and most of the crew I hang out with are TW guys. We have a bunch of great people from all over Wisconsin, and sometimes people from out of state join us for trips.

 

I bought my 2010 SR5 earlier this year. The ride and handling is surprisingly bad even with new takeoff springs, shocks, and few other suspension bits swapped in. I imagine if I paid three times as much for a new 4Runner, I'd be severely disappointed. So no regrets with my purchase

 

Had 2 FJ's Manual Xfer Case, Tacoma W/Electric Xferr case(Hated it) 2018 TRD OR, 1st real 4 door vehicle which I don't need or want. BUT It won me over & Now a 2023 TRD PRO. The exhaust is only on start up, the rest of the time the radio drowns it out I've found.