4x4Runner’s Budget Busting Build of @the_4x4Runner , a 2017 TRD ORP 4R

So this is here to document the slow and progressive build of Guinevere.

I’m no stranger to Toyota’s and have owned 3 Tacoma’s, a Tundra, a ‘77 Hilux, a FJC, a Prius C, a Subaru WRX STi and 4 4Runners (1993, 1998, 2010 and now 2017.

Way back in 2010 I traded in a 2008 FJC for a 2010 4Runner Trail Edition (aptly named Black Dynamite)

With Black dynamite I had an OME suspension installed (9 hour lone install...including building the front coil overs utilizing a spring compressor and OE top plate), some BFG 285/70’s an ARB Bullbar and a Warn M8k winch with synthetic line.

BD served me well until I got the post divorce mid life crisis itch and traded her in for a 2016 WRX STi Limited in October 2015.

This is Boudicca and aptly named cause she was a mean gal that would rip your face off if you weren’t paying attention.


Boudicca served me well and was an absolute blast to drive. I loved driving her and the power was intoxicating but I was never really in “love” with her so in May of 2017 I dumped her for Guinevere.

Guinevere is a 2017 TRD Off Road Premium with KDSS and without a sunroof.

This is the day I picked her up from the Stealership.



I felt like I was back home with her. After all the Toyota’s I’ve owned I can’t help but think that’s Toyota hit one out of the park with the 5th Gen 4Runners.

I knew she was going to kitted out with a well thought out list of modifications based on several years of experience and lessons learned (we’ll call it that...) but I needed to build up the budget so the saving started.

First thing on the list was to remove the running boards and recycle them for a whole $4.74 the scrap yard gave me for the boards and brackets. I also threw on the Yakima Loadwarrior rack...really served no purpose other than it looked good and made her look a little different than every other 4Runner on the road.


Guinevere’s first excursion off pavement was out to Corolla, NC (rather appropriate) with another 4R owner to spend a day out on the beach.



Later in the Summer of 2017 Guinevere escorted me down to Gulf Shores Alabama to pick up my son from my ex wife and she purred right along averaging about 22mpg.

My son lives with the ex up in the Seattle area and I had to get him back to her at the end of summer. Now, one could just up and buy two tickets, one round trip and the other one way but after negotiations with a 12 year old the decision was made to road trip it.

The route was determined, supplies acquired, plans planned.

We set off in late August and for anyone who has made the drive across country you kinda know that there’s a very large portions n of it that is mind numbing and boring so we’ll skip that part.

We ended up in Grand Teton National Park and camped just outside the park. This was Guinever’s second trip off pavement.



The return trip was rather uneventful and all said and done, 6300 miles were added to the odometer.

 

September 2017 Guinevere suffered a minor setback...

Early in the morning on the way to Norfolk International Airport Guinevere was assaulted by a uninsured 2008 GMC Yukon after a merging traffic failed to understand the principal of an “acceleration lane” and stopped causing Guinevere to ever so gently kiss the ass end of a Ford Fuckus. The Yukon who was following entirely too close slammed into the back of Guinevere causing $10k in damages.


Guinevere was repaired and returned to a Fit For Full Duty status and after a minor set back in the build budget due to the uninsured motorist deductible and some issues with insurance and having to pay nearly $400 out of pocket for the rental I was out nearly $900 of the budget.

 

Around Christmas 2017 I acquired a ARB 63qt fridge and set about how I was going to mount the fridge in the cargo area.

Guinevere did not come with a rear sliding cargo tray like some 4R’s are optioned. I had one in my 2010 4R and loved it but I didn’t think going that route was going to suit my needs this go around so I decided to build out a drawer system and find a way to mount it in the rear cargo area.

Now, one thing I absolutely love about Toyota is their standardization in platforms. Guinevere did not come with the rear cargo tray but if I wanted to, I could order the parts for it and install one. This meant that somewhere on the 4Runner there were the necessary welded nuts to accommodate this.

I pulled the rear door sill and carpet out of Guinevere and did not see the through floor holes for where I would mount the bottom of my drawers. I decided to crawl under the 4R and take a look. I found two nuts welded to the body and dig through my excess hardware inventory for the correct bolt and thread to see if I could thread the bolt through and make an impression in the floor. Turns out, you can.


From there I tapped it with a punch and drilled out the floor pan and used a step bit to open the hole to the desired diameter.

I measured out the space and cut a piece of 3/4” plywood to fit and after a little trial and error I was able to get the holes in the plywood to match where they needed to be to secure the drawers to the floor.


From there...the drawers came to fruition in my apartment living room with a circular saw, a few straight edges and a drill.

 

On to the electrical...

I’m no stranger to electrical and a multimeter. Kind of knowing I’m not going to be adding a crap ton of lights, auxiliary power ports everywhere and doohickeys I opted to go with a Blue Sea dude block and a small relay block for whatever I decide to add. I figure it’ll be cheaper than a switch pro or s pod.


I mounted it to a piece of kydex I had that I cut to the shape of the fuse box and used 3M scotch lock strips to secure it to the block so I didn’t drill through the fuse block cover.

I have a set of Rigid D series wired up to the relays and a switch in the dash and I also wired the ARB fridge up directly to the fuse block.





I also added an ARB dual air compressor with a Slee Offroad bracket. The following picture shows the fuse block a little better.

 

I decided that with the additional weight of the drawers, fridge and the potential for a RTT I bit the biller and ordered a OME suspension from Wheelers Offroad and this time I paid for them to install the coil overs for me. One Saturday at a buddies house I set about installing the suspension.






Now that the suspension was installed I couldn’t continue to drive around on some 265/70’s and have a huge gaping hole in the wheel well so I went out and picked out some new shoes for Guinevere and decided on BFG AT KO2’s in load range E




I ended up buying a CVT Mt shasta tent off a group buy on TW back in February and I decided I needed a way to mount it to Guinevere. I explored Gobi, Baja and Frontrunner racks. While they are all nice looking I couldn’t justify the price and I wasn’t overly thrilled about having to drill into the roof and installing rivnuts to mount it so I opted for the ARB touring rack and fit kit to support the RTT.

 

Nope, I like it as is. My next item is going to be a dual battery kit from here: https://www.**************/collecti.../5th-gen-4runner-complete-dual-battery-system

I’d like to be able to run the fridge full time when I’m on a road trip or camping without worrying about draining the starting battery

 

Shit, I completely missed this. I went with air on board switches.

https://www.aironboard.com/online/toyota-replacement/4runner-2010-on.html

 

And...I am on a cross country road trip once again.

 

Oh, I’m sure we will see each other.

 

I had it mounted to the cross bars. You have to adjust the cross bars so it lines up with the mounts though.

 

No, not yet. Maybe it’ll be my Christmas present to myself

 

Got this the other day. One weekend I’ll get around to getting it installed.

 

New topic? If you’re referring to the snorkel, I’ll post it here once I get it installed. As of now, it’s sitting in my spare room right now. Sometime in November I’ll probably get around to installing it

 

@ti3agooo There’s nothing wrong with going used on sliders and skids but I’d go new on the suspension if it’s something like Old Man Emu or Bilstein. If you’re looking at Fox, King or Icon you could go used and have them rebuilt.