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3,287 mile road trip in my 4Runner.

Discussion in 'Trip Reports' started by MountainMan, Mar 15, 2021.

  1. Mar 15, 2021 at 10:23 PM
    #1
    MountainMan

    MountainMan [OP] New Member

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    Just got back about an hour ago from a road trip from Eastern Washington state, down to Yuma, AZ and then back. Left on March 2nd. Purpose was to visit my folks who winter down in Yuma and do some desert exploration on the military bombing range and proving grounds in the area.

    My 4Runner is a 2019 with a 2.5" Daystar lift, LT285/70R17 Cooper Evolution MT tires, Go Rhino roof rack, Tyger side steps, and Westin brush guard. It's really not set up for serious wheeling and I was a bit concerned about going out with my folk's Jeep club since they mentioned that members with the 4-door Wranglers have issues occasionally.

    However, I surprised myself and the others in the group when I was able to follow them everywhere, and usually in just 2wd. I scraped the mudflaps a couple of times and that was it. I was really surprised by how well it was able to negotiate obstacles.

    Didn't get a lot of good video when off-road since the video camera I ordered for the trip arrived defective, so had to return it and just use my phone.

    This video was of just me following my dad in his lifted Wrangler out into the desert looking for petrified wood. The trail was easy, though the first 20 seconds or so show a pretty steep hill climb that the 4Runner handled easily.



    IMG_20210308_121226765_HDR.jpg

    The readout of the dash when pulling into the driveway tonight...

    IMG_20210315_204251434.jpg

    After 3300 miles, I have some definite impressions of the vehicle. First of all, it needs about another 75hp. With 33's, a roof rack, and probably 600 lbs of cargo, it really struggled to maintain speed on the freeways, and it seemed like it was kicking down a gear quite a bit of the time on seemingly level roads. Any wind at all and it was greatly affected.

    Second, the gas mileage is just pathetic. Yes it's a square, boxy vehicle on 33's with a roof rack. However, my 2014 Ram 1500 quadcab 4x4 on 33's, with the same Westin grille guard, running boards, and headache rack got 19 mpg on the same road trip a few years ago, and it has 400 hp. If the idiots at Fiat/Chrysler can figure out how to get 400 hp and 19 mpg or better, then Toyota surely can figure it out.

    Third, the seats were comfortable and I was not wore out after 8-10 hours of driving at a time. Nothing broke down and I got tons of looks and thumbs up on the road.

    Fourth, the navigation system is nearly useless. It's route suggestions were idiotic and it seemed to hold a grudge if you went off course. We decided to go an extra couple of miles to stop by In-N-Out Burger in Vegas. When we were done and went to get back on the freeway, the nav system routed us 12 miles out of our way. We ended up using my girlfriend's directions app on her I-Phone rather than the Toyota system. Every time we used it, it would route us odd places that made no sense. And it's ETA estimates were always wildly off. Plus, the screen got easily washed out by the sun and was nearly unreadable most of the time during the day. Useless.

    Overall, it was not bad. The ride was harsh, but that is due to the 10-ply 285s, which were absolutely necessary for the places we went in the desert. A full-size 1/2-ton pickup would have been a bit more comfortable for the trip, but would not have been able to go where we wanted to go off-road. The 4Runner is amazingly capable and it impressed the Jeep guys with where it could go.
     
  2. Mar 15, 2021 at 10:43 PM
    #2
    Mtbpsych

    Mtbpsych New Member

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    Definitely could use more power when loaded with gear! I will say though that coming from a Tacoma, the 4runner drives like a dream. It’s an outdated power train, and it’s a gas guzzler, but it’s reliable. Sure dodge and whoever gets great MPG’s, but how many of them do you hear make it to 200k without any dealer/shop visits and just basic maintenance? I’ve never seen a manufacturer make something reliable, with plenty of power, and be efficient. Usually there’s a compromise in one of those three. And yeah, the pre 2020 4runners are seriously lacking in the head unit, it’s useless. I do think your ride would be 100% improved if you went with a suspension lift and ditched the spacers though! Just a thought:notsure: Nice to see that 4Runner out on trails!:mudding:
     
    Last edited: Mar 15, 2021
  3. Mar 16, 2021 at 12:10 AM
    #3
    bear1998

    bear1998 New Member

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    I liked the part about the Biden voters...lmao
     
  4. Mar 16, 2021 at 7:25 AM
    #4
    koukimonster

    koukimonster DYNO4

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    Bigger A/T LT Tires, Slight Lift, Sliders, Rack, Lights, etc.
    She's a great road trip vehicle other than the MPGs!!
     
  5. Mar 16, 2021 at 7:48 AM
    #5
    9MAJOR

    9MAJOR New Member

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    Yeah I love how funny stuff just comes out of nowhere. Exactly what I would have said!
     
  6. Mar 16, 2021 at 8:51 AM
    #6
    TrailGuy2016

    TrailGuy2016 New Member

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    My only gripe on these rigs is exactly stated above. Underpowered and ALWAYS wanting to downshift at the tiniest uphill run.
     
  7. Mar 16, 2021 at 2:39 PM
    #7
    Sikh4runner

    Sikh4runner New Member

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    How are you liking the Coopers? Are they fine for on road/freeway or are they harsh there too?
     
  8. Mar 16, 2021 at 4:12 PM
    #8
    MountainMan

    MountainMan [OP] New Member

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    The Coopers are the loudest mud tire I've ran, except for the Super Swamper TSL. They were smooth and fine on the highway, and when I aired them down to 25 PSI for a light trail run, they rode quite nice when I went back on pavement.

    They did excellent in the desert, while other tires in the group showed excessive chunking and damage from the sharp rocks, mine were nearly perfect except for one little chunk, and that was due to the siping.

    IMG_20210311_094743402_HDR.jpg
     
  9. Mar 17, 2021 at 9:25 AM
    #9
    DRobs

    DRobs New Member

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    Pinstripes, lots of em. Plus a couple dents.
    Looks like a fun trip.

    However, sell it and buy a Prius if you're concerned about MPG.
    285 MT tires are heavy and that is the cause of your problems with MPG and down shifting with the 4Runner.


    I too took a 3500+ mile road trip down to Key West Florida and back. I wanted to upgrade to 285's LT MT's but held off knowing my road trip was coming up.

    With stock size P rated Falken Wildpeaks, plus all my heavy steel armor and winch, I got the following on my road trip:

    146.7m / 9.488g = 15.46mpg
    171.7m / 10.259g = 16.73mpg
    145.3m / 8.090g = 17.96mpg
    256.7m / 13.232g = 19.39mpg
    183.2m / 11.356g = 16.13
    184.3m / 10.203g = 18.06
    238m / 13.326g = 17.85
    250.9m / 13.985g = 17.94
    115.7m / 7.107g = 16.27

    Average = 17.31mpg

    I put LT285 MT's on last week and can already tell my MPG's have gone down. 2 tanks into the new tires I'm seeing the following:
    14.78mpg
    16.3mpg

    I'm still learning how heavy I need to be on the accelerator.

    Edited to add: Try a Sprint Booster.
    I really cant stand my 4Runner without it on pavement. Off pavement I turn it off.
    On my road trip, as a test, I did the trip down with my SB turned off. Got down to Cape Coral (our midway stop) and found I missed it significantly. The SB to me = instant power / acceleration.
     
    Last edited: Mar 17, 2021
    ESCT4R likes this.
  10. Mar 17, 2021 at 12:07 PM
    #10
    Sikh4runner

    Sikh4runner New Member

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    Good to know. Yeah I noticed a drop of 1 mpg too. Could have gone with 285/70/17 AT3 4S and kept the mpg/weight but went with the AT3 XLTs. They are 10lbs heavier per tire and definitely more surface area to push along the road. Wanted the best tires possible from the AT3 lineup. I find them quieter and smoother than the tires from the factory that are Bridgestones. And they look more aggressive too.

    IMG_20210116_161204667.jpg
     
    MountainMan[OP] likes this.

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