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dirt heel pusher
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So what I purchased was a Promaster, customized by some electrician guy and his woodworker friend; maybe we should start a thread on these things when you're ready to review? Clamp off the drift.

#vanlife is coming for us all. Congrats, that’s awesome :golfclap:
 
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dirt heel pusher
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Not much about skiing here, but it does go to other things we don’t like to think about.

One of my sons’ friends recently acquired a 1999 4Runner, and yesterday he rolled it after getting caught on some washboard at too much speed and attempting to correct the slide instead of just pointing downhill.

One full roll and then resting precariously on the cattle fence. Drove the Cruiser down and hooked up a strap so it couldn’t roll back on its side or crush one of us as we worked on extraction.

904FA9D8-9DFD-4EB7-A2C8-5721BD76FDE0.jpeg


Then pulled very gently with strap tension in both directions with the Sequoia added into the mix and eased it off the fence.

3F1112C9-1CE5-4910-8BBB-B10376AF6999.jpeg


Some additional work to get the barbed wire out of the way and a spare to replace the passenger front that rolled the tire bead. She fired right up and I drove her out.


It’s totalled by any normal standard of course given the all sides damage from a roll (some options to fix it if the roof can be repaired), but the only injuries were to my hands as I didn’t realize the windshield was punched all the way in the the steering wheel and I sliced up my fingers turnin it.

The young man and his girlfriend where wearing their seatbelts and the truck protected them as it is supposed to do.

Part of my criteria has always been “what happens if you leave the road either by accident or to avoid one?” If he had just pointed downhill and ridden it out, he’d have scratched that really nice bumper on some barbed wire.

It’s a different way to think about tires, 4x4, and learning how to handle slides and being offroad.
 

AlpsSkidad

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Back stateside for the Summer- I took the family to test drive 4Runners. My youngest daughter and I loved it. My wife and oldest daughter hated it- said it made them both car sick. I guess that rules it out for us. I was pretty enthusiastic about picking one up. Back to the drawing board....
On the flip side, we have a rental 2018 Highlander for a couple months. I can see why people like them, but I really don't like the driving experience at all- we won't be buying one of theme either.
 

John Webb

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4-Runner is more rugged and way better for off-road. I was going to get one but got a Highlander instead.
Highlander is better for hauling people. May ride better. Did put good off road tires on it. About half the roads
in my area are gravel. Both get about the same gas mileage (kind of bad)
 

John Webb

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[photos of recovery of upside down 4 Runner deleted]

It’s a different way to think about tires, 4x4, and learning how to handle slides and being offroad.
Off road driving on sand, loose rock, or on road on loose gravel is a lot like driving in snow, Similar skills
for both.

Limited grip & skidding problems. Don't get sideways or you can flip over.
 

Jersey Skier

aka RatherPlayThanWork or Gary
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If I were shopping for a used Sequoia with less than 60k miles are there any years I should avoid? Any known issues? Looking to replace my Suburban which has had too many issues this time around.
 

DanoT

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If I were shopping for a used Sequoia with less than 60k miles are there any years I should avoid? Any known issues? Looking to replace my Suburban which has had too many issues this time around.

I can't answer your question but I bet there are some Toyota Sequoia forums that can.
 
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dirt heel pusher
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If I were shopping for a used Sequoia with less than 60k miles are there any years I should avoid? Any known issues? Looking to replace my Suburban which has had too many issues this time around.

I don’t know anything about the second gen that was released in 2008, but I haven’t heard any bad stories so probably just the general rule of “be careful in the first year of model release”.

For under 60K you’re looking at something much newer and that model had been out for a decade now. Maybe a general google search for “second gen Sequoia issues” would suffice.
 

tball

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dovski

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So I used to drive a 1990 Toyota 4-runner 2 door. That car had more than 600K KM on it and was awesome. It was a tank and never had any major mechanical issues. I still regret trading it in :(
 

Core2

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best/most reliable years of the Tacoma and 4Runner are?
 

John Webb

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A next door neighbor ,when I was back east, Had a FJ Cruiser for runs to grocery store/ law office.
Probably due to limited visibility to rear she backed it into a neighbors car across the street. Crunch!

She had the nerve to tell them not to park in front of their own house.:eek:
 

tball

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best/most reliable years of the Tacoma and 4Runner are?
How old are you thinking? If you are OK with an older vehicle I've always liked the V8 4Runner with the same rock-solid engine as the LC/Tundra/Sequoia and others.

I'd look at Consumer Reports for more recent years reliability ratings, and this site has some good data for older models by year:
http://www.dashboard-light.com/

Both super solid vehicles that have earned their reputation for reliability:
http://www.dashboard-light.com/vehicles/Toyota_4Runner.html
http://www.dashboard-light.com/vehicles/Toyota_Tacoma.html

Also, ask the question on Tacoma and 4Runner forums. I'm sure folks here would love to know what you find out!
 
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dirt heel pusher
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Yeah, @Core2, but I need the room and want a v8. The old 4runners with a V8 are tempting, but for pretty much the same gas mileage I'll take a Sequoia, LC or Tundra.

So...I bought an ‘04 4Runner Sport with the V8. This is a real sleeper vehicle - it’s AWD standard and was the first Toyota 4x4 to get the 5 speed automatic. I’m having no problems getting about 3 mpg better than the Sequoia, both similarly modified, somewhere 17-19 mpg.

I paid $7K with 230K miles. It has a Radflo coilover front and rear Fox 2.0 remote reservoir shock suspension - ride quality is incredible. Previous owner had also installed an audiophile level sound system with custom integrated sub in the rear, leather seat covers designed for this truck so they don’t look like seat covers, and it has a $1K overlanding focused roof rack and nice aftermarket rims. Also rock sliders and a full underbody skid plate system from RCI. That’s over $4K of mods without the sound system and doing the labor yourself. It’s close to the purchase price with shop labor and well above with the stereo.

There are some issues like a failing starter that is going to be a PITA to replace, tires were past prime (Duratracs really suck at 50% tread) and I just blew a front hub that was making noise and failed before I got to it, but that’s an awfully nice truck with the V8 and by far the least truck like of the vehicles that came with that engine. With that suspension, it drives like a car.

I never liked the looks of the 4th gen 4Runner stock, but they are one of my favorite looks with a small lift and 33” tires.

I’ll be using this as my ski rig until one of my kids finally steals it from me, and my poor Cruiser will finally get some much needed love and reduction of miles.

This thing is really too nice to beat up offroad, and the underbody clearance is reduced because Toyota decided to focus on a lower profile and seating position, but as a mid-size hauler that could get you anywhere that wasn’t super technical four wheeling, I’m a huge fan. I want to keep it for myself.

DA9CF1EA-3CDC-4042-A4EC-4E62A2AF276C.jpeg


28BF644A-2843-4C6E-BF01-3EE05FD93602.jpeg
 
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Thread Starter
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dirt heel pusher
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Hey, @nay I saw this on craigslist. Twins separated at birth? Or is this an older sibling? :)

View attachment 71698

https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/breckenridge-1994-toyota-land-cruiser/6844055681.html

Edit to add this quote from the post: "This is not a show truck its a woodsman camping people hauling gear hauling truck from before suv’s became snobbish souless street machines."

:D

Peeps be flattering by imitation :ogcool:.

There is the 80 series Land Cruiser and there is everything else. Most people prefer the latter :roflmao:.
 
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best/most reliable years of the Tacoma and 4Runner are?

3rd gen 4Runner from 1996-2002. That was a baby Crusier that if it had a solid front axle might be the all time SUV, from when men were men and whatnot. They are stupid reliable and even important parts like engines and transmissions are pretty cheap in parts yards. You could make one of these go another 20 years no problem.

The V8 4th gen - see my last post. Huge value there. More stuff to go wrong, but most suspects are obvious and it’s not the drivetrain.

Taco - 2nd Gen from ‘05-‘16. That truck has been at or near top of resale value forever for a reason. The first gen are great, too, and share a ton of stuff with the 3rd gen 4Runner, but they tend to be unnecessarily spartan. I’d spend for the 2nd gen.

I own one of all of the above (1st gen Taco, not 2nd) and wouldn’t hesitate again on any of them. The V8 Runner by far would be my choice for myself, but I’m getting old.
 
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tball

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I was at the Toyota Dealer the other day. I counted 83 new 4Runners on the lot. I think that was more than any other vehicle, but there were a lot of Tacomas too.

Just four Sequoias and a few more LC's. Very interesting seeing the striking difference in volume.

The 4Runners were all lined up in two rows back to back. Looking west:

IMG_20190520_152450.jpg


And looking east:

IMG_20190520_152652.jpg


I like to take my truck there for an oil change once a year or so to see what they find with their free inspection. Nice to come back with nothing at 146K miles. I don't think they looked hard enough but still nice.
 

Jersey Skier

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I was at the Toyota Dealer the other day. I counted 83 new 4Runners on the lot. I think that was more than any other vehicle, but there were a lot of Tacomas too.

Just four Sequoias and a few more LC's. Very interesting seeing the striking difference in volume.

The 4Runners were all lined up in two rows back to back. Looking west:

View attachment 74517

And looking east:

View attachment 74518

I like to take my truck there for an oil change once a year or so to see what they find with their free inspection. Nice to come back with nothing at 146K miles. I don't think they looked hard enough but still nice.

My initial response was going to be we'd have nothing but Camrys here. So I checked. About 100 each of Camrys and Highlanders. 7 Forerunners and nothing larger.
 

DanoT

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My next vehicle purchase is about 2-4 years away and it will be a new or slightly used Tacoma so i am starting to look around. It looks to me like I can only get a manual transmission with cloth seats, not leather. Does anyone know if this is this true throughout North America?
 

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