AV8
New member
Greetings! I’ve visited this website/forum from time to time, but this is my first post and I’m hoping some of you will weigh in with your experience. My wife and I live in S/W Montana. We spend a great deal of time off-road exploring the backcountry, hunting, fishing, etc.. In fact, we live about 5 miles from any asphalt.
Most of our exploring has been in my 2014 Jeep JK 2dr. It has a 2.5” lift, re-geared and trussed axles, 285/75R17 tires, etc. This Jeep, not my first, has been awesome and more than capable for any of the terrain we’ve encountered. However, it is a bit small for the 2 of us, our 2 dogs (45 lb. Healers), and anything beyond a day trip. It’s also not a great platform for trips out of the area. Although I’ve always been a Jeep guy, I’m beginning to appreciate “roughing it” in comfort.
I’m considering a 4Runner TRD. If I go this direction, I intend to install a moderate lift, 275 or 285/70R17 A/T tires, roof top tent, etc. I may do a winch, bumpers, and rear tire carrier, but don’t want to make it too heavy. I’m confident I’d enjoy the on-road performance and ride quality, but how capable are the 4Runners off-road? We don’t rock crawl. Our adventures are about getting out and exploring, not about looking for opportunities to test the vehicles capabilities. Also, if I go with the 4Runner, which package (Off-Road, Pro, Premium) and mods would recommend for our intended purpose.
Thank you in advance. I’ve always been impressed by the knowledge and helpfulness of this forum.
Most of our exploring has been in my 2014 Jeep JK 2dr. It has a 2.5” lift, re-geared and trussed axles, 285/75R17 tires, etc. This Jeep, not my first, has been awesome and more than capable for any of the terrain we’ve encountered. However, it is a bit small for the 2 of us, our 2 dogs (45 lb. Healers), and anything beyond a day trip. It’s also not a great platform for trips out of the area. Although I’ve always been a Jeep guy, I’m beginning to appreciate “roughing it” in comfort.
I’m considering a 4Runner TRD. If I go this direction, I intend to install a moderate lift, 275 or 285/70R17 A/T tires, roof top tent, etc. I may do a winch, bumpers, and rear tire carrier, but don’t want to make it too heavy. I’m confident I’d enjoy the on-road performance and ride quality, but how capable are the 4Runners off-road? We don’t rock crawl. Our adventures are about getting out and exploring, not about looking for opportunities to test the vehicles capabilities. Also, if I go with the 4Runner, which package (Off-Road, Pro, Premium) and mods would recommend for our intended purpose.
Thank you in advance. I’ve always been impressed by the knowledge and helpfulness of this forum.