The 4Runner



So why an '87 4Runner to drive half-way around the world?
Quite simply, it was already sitting there in the driveway, just waiting for us to stumble on this idea.  
We didn’t obsess over finding the perfect travel rig, we just decided to make what we have work for our particular needs.

Build thread on the Expedition Portal forum.

 More photos on Facebook & Instagram


Sharing wine, pasta and travel info with another traveler in Tierra del Fuego National Park.



Wild guanaco & Andean flamingos in Sud Lipez, Bolivia.



Hours of corrugated nothingness on the Bolivian altiplano.
GENERAL VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS
1987 Toyota 4Runner DLX
Mileage = 331,000 miles and going strong
We are the 3rd owners, with all records including data of every tank of fuel from the previous 2 owners



Souvenirs and signatures from the road.  Photo courtesy of Clint Davis Photography.


22RE 4 cylinder EFI engine
5-speed W56 manual transmission
4.10 gears with open differentials (later regeared to 4.88)
Factory Specs



Using every inch of space under the hood.

MV50 Superflow Air Compressor mounted under hood
(2) Odyssey PC1200 AGM batteries on DIY fabricated battery tray
Battery Isolator: AMETEK Prestolite SAS-4202 RV continuous duty solenoid (died in Costa Rica)
Replacement Battery Isolator: Guest 2111A manual battery switch (sourced in Panama)
Broken Fuel Gauge - we just count miles!
ugly second-hand steel front bumper-guard




Giving a lift to a new friend we met cycling across Central America.



Tires
PanAm Tires:  Treadwright 245/75/16 (E) Warden ATs (zero flats or tire failures!)
16x7 Toyota Tacoma OEM steel wheels
After the PanAm we upgraded to Treadwright's 265/75/16 Claw with Kedge Grip on 3rd gen Limited wheels




Body damage, courtesy of the rough road.  Photo courtesy of Clint Davis Photography.


SUSPENSION
Old Man Emu suspension after install.



TOOLS & RECOVERY EQUIPMENT
two 5 Gal. / 20 Liter fuel cans increasing range to 500 miles
machete & shovel
60" Hi-lift jack and upgraded bottle jack
recovery shackles, tree straps & tow strap
kinetic recovery snatch strap
"waffleboard" fiberglass traction mats (integrated into the rear swing out bumper we built)
Tire repair kit: plugs, patches & wire



Free FRG "waffleboard" scraps from an industrial job site to use for traction aids.
 Also our favorite ARB kinetic snatch strap.



Photo courtesy of Clint Davis Photography.


SPARE PARTS
belts, hose repair kit
alternator brush assembly to rebuild alternator (which we used in Guatemala)
starter solenoid contacts & idler arm bushing from 4Crawler Offroad
brake caliper rebuild kit
TPS (throttle position sensor) & MAS (mass airflow sensor)
fuses and relays
Lots of Gorilla tape, JB Weld, Krazy Glue and zip-ties!




Loading up for the ferry near the Pacific coast of Guatemala

VEHICLE SECURITY
locking rear-seat delete panel with access hatch under sleeping area for valuables
locking ammo-can center console
locking fuel cap + locking fuel door
multiple kill switches
Viper 3-way alarm system
limo tinted windows
exterior hockey-puck locks
situational awareness
*the best security is being smart about where you park and having situational awareness



The 3-way Viper Alarm that eventually gave us electrical headaches in Guatemala.


Hockey Puck locks because the factory Toyota locks are too easy to bypass.



NAVIGATION & COMMUNICATIONS
Garmin GPS with Open Source Maps
Lots of paper maps and asking for directions
Reisse-Know How Maps were the best!




Mitad del Mundo.  Crossing the Equator in Ecuador.

Photo courtesy of Clint Davis Photography.



MULTIMEDIA & DOCUMENTATION
300w inverter to charge our laptop while driving
3 External Hard Drives for photo storage and backup





Homemade rear seat delete / lock box made out of 1/4" steel.

Inside the rear seat delete / steel safe.


WATER
20-Liter Scepter water can with cooler drain spigot added
(2) MSR Dromedary  10-Liter water bladders 
MSR Dromedary shower kit
(2) 20-Liter swiss water bladders for aux. capacity when necessary
SteriPen Freedom for emergency sterilization



No shortage of good book exchanges along the route.

Fuel for our Coleman stove and a few reference books in the library.

Door pockets made from a carwash bucket organizer.




MISC. STORAGE
Eagle Creek Pack-it organizers for clothing
replaced crappy factory console with locking surplus ammo can
Tuffy cupholders
storage benches along the sides of the bed allow access to space between body panels
gear loft cargo nets suspended from ceiling for lightweight items and drying clothes
rear swing-out waffleboards for increased work & cooking surfaces
Eventually sourced military surplus aluminum medical chests (medium) for rooftop storage







KITCHEN
Optimus Nova multifuel - backpacking stove
MSR 1-liter bottle for stove fuel
Engel 14qt 12v fridge/freezer - left in USA but it did fit perfectly behind driver's seat





Cooking in a parking lot next to our Swiss friend's LC in Bogota, Colombia.


Beach camping near a glacier in Chilean Patagonia.


INSIDE THE KITCHEN BINS
GSI Personal Java Press for our daily coffee fix
compact coffee grinder
72 hours of backpacker meals as emergency rations





The beautiful chuck box our friend Micah helped us build with removable threaded PVC legs
(we ditched this chuck box in Costa Rica due to the unnecessary weight and space it occupied)


COMFORT
Endless Breeze 12v fan
Fantastic Vent-fan installed into hard-top ceiling
SR5 adjustable bucket seats
removable mosquito netting for windows


"Fantastic Fan" mounted in the roof

Bottle caps glued to magnets as souvenirs, also secure our bug nets in camp.

Camping in the Amazon basin with a friend using our "guest suite", the Big Agnes UL2.


ARB2500 Awning (purchased for twice the price in Panama, ouch!)
Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 backpacking tent
5" thick, twin-sized gel foam mattress pad
Surfboard (gave to a new friend in Central America)


Right before a freak hail storm broke our awning pole in Colombia.
Luckily ARB has incredible customer support!


Reading in the hammock next to the Sea of Cortez in Baja California, Mex.


Just to give an idea of how narrow the bed was, 38" wide, the size of a twin mattress.



BRIBE AVOIDANCE
safety reflective triangles
reflective vest 
mini fire extinguisher - SAVED THE DAY IN PANAMÁ
Coca Colas, cigarettes and LOTS OF SMILES!


A mild water crossing early on in the trip south.

One of the last sightings of our dual fuel stove before it walked away


Container shipping our rig from Colón, Panama to Cartagena, Colombia.
We later shipped the vehicle again from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Miami, Florida. 


Camping in the coffee growing region of Central Colombia.

Getting our 4Runner blessed near the Bolivian border.


Getting lost on the world's largest salt flat; Salar Uyuni, Boliva.


The Lakes District of Southwestern Bolivia.



Early spring wildflowers in Argentinian Patagonia.


Driving towards El Chalten & with the spires of Fitz Roy looming in the distance.  Patagonia, Argentina.



Reaching the southernmost city in the world Ushuaia, Argentina.




El Fin Del Mundo, the end of the road before heading north again.
Tierra del Fuego National Park, Argentina.






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