First Time 4Runner Owner and Starting to Build!

Hello all,

I’ve been lurking for a few weeks before starting this account and this site has been a FANTASTIC resource.

I’m very excited to start my gradual build of my first ever 4Runner! I just purchased it two days ago. I was torn between the TRD ORP or the basic SR5. I was buying used, both were 2023 models. The TRD ORP had 5,000 miles and the SR5 had 26,000. The TRD ORP was black while the SR5 was white. I live in the heat and a dusty area so this was a consideration.

Looking at the differences between the two, the TRD ORP had a sunroof which was nice but I’m more concerned with being able to build it out with a nice rack and I figure the sunroof might get in the way for some options. Additionally, I figure the sunroof was just another thing to possibly break/go wrong/rattle unnecessarily/leak. The seats were nicer, of course, as were the wheels. Other than that, the only significant difference was the locking rear differential.

Now, I’m not a rock crawler and I’ve never been an off-roader. I want the capabilities to go off-road if I need to in the event of natural disasters or bug-out type situations. Aside from these outlier type of situations, it will be my daily driver and used for road trips with the family. As such, the locking rear differential didn’t seem crucial for my purposes.

All that to say, I couldn’t justify the $9,000 difference in price and watched many videos showing the more than capable SR5 so that’s what I went with. I figure with the money I save, I could modify it and customize it the way I want it.

So here I am, two days into my 4Runner foray and very excited to customize my white 2023 SR5! I’m making payments on it and can’t really do too much as I don’t want to void the warranty. So I suppose for now, it’s just about accessories and daydreaming of the day I have the pink in my hand so I can make some real modifications.

Here is what I’ve done in the first couple days:

- Husky floor mats for front seats, backseats, and cargo area.

- Center console organizer.

- Center console neoprene cover.

- Screen protector for the radio.

- Silicone license plate backing/frame.

- Windshield sun visor for when I’m parked in the baking heat.

- Blackout kit for the chrome logos.


Any advice for other accessories/things I can do while still paying it off? Molle system for the back or not yet?

Oh and I’m torn on roof racks vs roof baskets. What are pros and cons of each? Also, ladder on the back or spare tire on the back?

I would eventually like to get better suspension, beefier tires, better wheels, ARB differential breather kit, hidden winch mount, winch, bull bars, and skid plates covering everything underneath. But all these things will happen after it’s paid off.

Sorry, one more question - keep the SR5 badges blacked out or remove them completely?

Thanks everyone and I hope to hear some good advice soon!

 

Oh, and I forgot to mention I ordered LED interior lights and will be putting those in when they get delivered tomorrow.

 

here is what I added to mine..
blacked out emblems
gobi ladder
deleted factor sr5 bars and added pro roof rack
rhino bull bar
rhino awning
road shower water tank
toyo ATIII tires (really like these tires)
removed side runners and replaced with TAC
side bars (they are aluminum not rock sliders)
AVS bug shield hood protector
rear window interior molle panels for gear storage
smoked out rear tail light covers

 

Looks good!

How do you like the roof rack? Getting much use from the molle panels yet?

 

I love the rack. It takes research for mounts that work with the pro rack...but I love the look of it. I can upload a pic of the ones i found. they are bull bar mounts on Amazon. any size you want. I use gear ties to attach my rods and fishing gear on the interior molle panels. I put padding on the top rail of the gobi ladder and use that to rest and then load my kayak on the rack. works perfectly.

 

also..if you don't mind. let me say priority #1 is to pay that sucka off. Take care of it. Then you can have some options..

 

Congrats on your new 4runner and welcome to the forum.

Make it your own, lots of good information on here to influence you.

 

Welcome

 

Congrats on the purchase. Sr5 is still a beast. A-trac is really all you need most of the time. The interior led light upgrade is a must, as well as the center consol and glove box organizers. I added a wind deflector to the hood *noticed a fair amount of movement during highway speeds* and wind deflectors to the windows for really no reason. Good call on the all weather floor mats and I also got some "leather" seat covers off Amazon. Not cheap at roughly $200 but worth it for me with my plain and used interior. Nice set of wheels/tires down the road for sure. 4wd vehicles with dedicated highway tires seems silly. Blackout kit is cool, i also did the door handles in black *jury is out about how I really feel about it*. Im assuming it is 4wd? I also added ditch lights and a light bar. I also p urchased a Reese roof basket as I wanted the option to take it on and off, but honestly I dont use it much.

 

nice looking 4runner..ditch lights next for me.. what kind you get?

 

Start with good tires, don't spend any money on wheels. And skid plates, a whole bunch of them. And a Viper cut

 

Honestly they are Nilight off Amazon. Be cool to get some Diode Dynamics, just cant personally justify the price for lights I dont really use that often. I too wanted Falken Wildpeaks but they were on recall when it was time for tires. Ended up with Toyo Open Country AT3's and honestly, no complaints. Tad louder than id like but I kinda feel like all ATs are that way.

 

I also have the toyo AT3's. love them so far..they sing at 70mph but who cares.. they also get me to my spots at 15mph

 

Oh yes, 4x4.

Can you tell me more about your seat covers? People talk about them but my only experience with them was the ones I got at Pep Boys 25 years ago to put on my 1983 Nissan Sentra. They were incredibly cheap and terrible.

How has seat cover technology changed over the years? Can you tell they’re covers?

 

So yes and no. They fit really well and are am absolute pita to install. Took me over an hour to get them in. The head rest covers are kinda stupid, but once the covers have had a few days to get warm and settle in, they look really good imo.
BAMACAR for Toyota 4Runner Seat Covers 2011-2023(TRD Off Road/TRD Pro,5-Seat ONLY) Full Cover Set Carbon Fiber Black Leather for 2011-2021 2022 2023 Toyota 4Runner Seat Covers Accessories

BAMACAR for Toyota 4Runner Seat Covers 2011-2023(TRD Off Road/TRD Pro,5-Seat ONLY) Full Cover Set Carbon Fiber Black Leather for 2011-2021 2022 2023 Toyota 4Runner Seat Covers Accessories

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BX3KX1ZV

 

Coming from a Taco, I really like the Runner. 23’ SR5,10k in miles.

 

Welcome from Arizona!

 

They look good in the Amazon pictures. Do they look that good in person? Do they shift a lot when getting in and out?

 

They dont move at all honestly. Took a few days/week for them to really mold to the seat. It does make folding down a rear seat a tiny bit tricky. I will attach photos of what it looks like in my car here shortly.

 

You're gonna love that mod. I bought an LED kit from Amazon and this is how bright the interior is after I installed it:

 

Looks so nice and bright!

 

They look great! If you didn’t say they were seat covers, I don’t think I would have known.

 

Got my blackout kit for the emblems from Yota Xpedition and disappointed a bit in the quality. The front logo emblem cover was cracked so I emailed them for a replacement but haven’t heard back yet. Some of the pieces had hanging bits of plastic I had to file off to smooth out. Two of the letters in “Runner” on the back still show a sliver of chrome coming out of the top. Not really noticeable to anyone unless they have that exact angle and are looking for it but still, for the price, I would expect them to fit perfectly flush.

 

I changed out the front and rear turn signals and the reverse lights for lasfit led's. Big improvement IMO.

 

Welcome!

I'm starting out as well. We just got our 2024 ORP tinted yesterday (15% front 2 windows, 45% back (to match), and 70% windshield ceramic). I just ordered/installed the JDMCar Center Console Organizer, Center Console Tray, and Glove Box organizer from Amazon. I am also looking to replace all the yellow LED lights with cool white. Which bulb did you end up using? I previously used bulbs from Superbrightleds in a different vehicle an wasn't impressed with them (they would occasionally flicker, were mismatched colors in between bulb sizes)

We are planning on purchasing the OEM Toyota Overlays. Not to thrilled to spend the $195, but feels like the only way to get a guaranteed fit. Not sure what other owners do for theirs.

Just saw your post now. I will look into these. Thank you!