I will definitely need to check that out! Air comp is high on the list, whats the benefit of aggressive tires if you're running them at 42 PSI haha
Building, Driving and Adventuring the MTN4RNR
- Thread starter MTN4RNR
- Start date
Pathfinder I
Traveler III
Is the "Trail Edition" different than the Trail or Trail Limited models? I know that the FJ had a limited edition model each year, and didn't know if the 4Runner did as well. I've seen reference to both Trail Edition and Trail models, which is why I'm wondering. If so, what's the difference?
Thanks,
Steve
Thanks,
Steve
Hey Steve,
Here's the basic breakdown... The 'Trail' is same as 'Trail Edition'. There isn't a difference there, just more what people like to call it. The FJ model you're thinking of is the 'Trail Teams Edition', which was a special edition showcasing the FJ's offroad prowess, and is the equivalent of if Toyota made an FJ TRD Pro. There are two trail models: Trail, and Trail Premium. Trail premium has all of the Trail goodies (CRAWL control, Multi-Terrain Select, rear locker, selectable 4WD and optional KDSS) with a few extra goodies such as the faux leather seats (with heaters), power driver AND passenger seats, sunroof, side mirror indicators... I think that's it, although I could be wrong... There is no Trail Limited, but there is the Limited which is a whole different beast as far as suspension, drivetrain, and body panels.
If you have more questions, feel free to ask.
Traveler III
@MTN4RNR Thank you for the clarification. I did confuse my model names. I was on Toyotas web page and saw that there were Trail and Trail Premium models. I misremembered the Premium as Limited when I wrote my question. (Must be the Subaru slipping out, as my Outback XT Limited is a "premium" version of the Outback XT model.)
Yep, the Trail Teams Edition is the FJ that I remembered, and thought maybe that's what a "Trail Edition" of the 4Runner was, and why it wasn't on the web site. Thanks for clearing that up. I was surprised when I did a comparison of several of the 4Runner models as to what did and didn't come on each model. As you noted, you have to get to the $40k Premium and Limited models just to get heated seats, where they are standard in many other vehicles in $20k and up models. Same with several other features only available in the top tier models of the 4Runner that are standard in many much lower priced vehicles. My Outback is the first vehicle I've had with heated seats, and I'll never not have them again! :)
Thanks again,
Steve
Yep, the Trail Teams Edition is the FJ that I remembered, and thought maybe that's what a "Trail Edition" of the 4Runner was, and why it wasn't on the web site. Thanks for clearing that up. I was surprised when I did a comparison of several of the 4Runner models as to what did and didn't come on each model. As you noted, you have to get to the $40k Premium and Limited models just to get heated seats, where they are standard in many other vehicles in $20k and up models. Same with several other features only available in the top tier models of the 4Runner that are standard in many much lower priced vehicles. My Outback is the first vehicle I've had with heated seats, and I'll never not have them again! :)
Thanks again,
Steve
Pathfinder II
@Steve When you have cloth seats... you don't need them! ;)
Ours is a Trail Edition with just about every option except the sunroof and leather/heated seats. It was about 6-7K less than a premium or TRD Pro but with all offroad capabilities offered in the higher end units.
Sounds like you're doing some shopping?...
Traveler III
Nah, just some online window shopping. I've mentally purchased dozens of vehicles since buying the Outback. :)
Yeah Toyota is a bit weird in that they don't have basic amenities on some of their higher end models that most other manufacturers have stock on their base models. Example being that if you want power seats (both driver and passenger) you need the trail PREMIUM as the trail has only a power driver's seat. OR that all Corollas have LED headlights standard, yet my $40k 4Runner has halogen projectors (which work just fine, but you get the point). I have learned to ignore those little details in my Toyota quest, because otherwise I would simply drive myself mad. Heated seats make me very happy, which is why I made the decision that because this vehicle is a 10-20 year investment, I opt'd to select every option that I wanted or that I felt I would want later on down the road. While the price is steep for the Trail, I am happy that I decided to 'buy once, cry once' as @stringtwelve likes to say! :)
I gifted myself a set of XenonDepot Xtreme HID's for the low beams on the 4Runner. I really like the ability to see as much as I can on the road, and once I saw the light output from my dad's GX (which is LED, but still much brighter) I knew that an upgrade was in order. After reviewing my options, I settled on the Xtreme HID kit, with the Philips bulbs.
Parts used:
- Xenon Depot Xtreme HID H11 kit
- Drill of choice
- Milwaukee #9 step drill bit
- Scotch Extreme Fasterners
- Knee Deep Brewing Midnight Hoppyness
Everything laid out (including the fuses, which I didn't use)
I took off the plastic cover for the radiator, not knowing whether or not I would need to. To install the kit, you do not NEED to pull this piece off, but in the end I used two of the fastener holes on the outside to zip tie the wiring into a secure position.
I removed the negative battery terminal, and removed one side of the battery restraint to move it towards the engine, giving me a bit more space to access the light housing
I removed the dust cap covers and drilled two 1-1/16" holes dead center. I used a Milwaukee #9 step drill. I have found that they work very well with plastic materials and producing a very clean hole. It also allows you to start with a slightly smaller hole and make it gradually larger to make sure there is a snug fit. Drilling is always hard to do on a new truck, but that's what the beer is for.
I then fed the wiring through the hole, and secured the grommet. Interestingly, I read many on this forum that didn't like the idea of drilling the hole in the cap because it would compromise the sealing ability of the housing (dust, water, etc.). What I found interesting was that in the bottom of the same housing, Toyota uses the same style grommet boot to bring the factory wiring into the housing. It would seem that this kit would not compromise any of the sealing ability in the housing than what Toyota had already installed. I didn't snap a photo, but I might remove the cap and take one to add later.
I then installed the bulbs into the housing and hooked everything up to determine if I would need to reverse the polarity on the harness as indicated in the instructions.
Turns out the system fired right up with no wire swap needed.
Clean up time. I used Scotch Extreme Fasteners to secure the ballast and harness to the inner fender sheet metal. The kit came with a double sided 3M product, but I like the idea of being able to remove the ballasts easily if needed down the road. They are rated to hold 2lbs/sq. inch and seem to hold very well. After driving around, they show no signs of moving.
Passenger side (note the zip tie holding the harness to the radiator valence/support as mentioned in the beginning)
Driver side (note the zip tie holding the harness to the radiator valence/support as mentioned in the beginning)
Now for some comparisons
Before (no fogs)
After (no fogs)
Before (no fogs)
After (no fogs)
Before (sorry I don't have an identical head-on shot, but this is the best I have)
After
The photos show some of the difference, but don't do enough justice. Driving on the road, this upgrade is something that should have been included from the factory. Night and day difference. I am very happy with the product, and the outcome. Thanks XenonDepot for the great product!
Next up, Amber LED fog upgrade...
I took off the plastic cover for the radiator, not knowing whether or not I would need to. To install the kit, you do not NEED to pull this piece off, but in the end I used two of the fastener holes on the outside to zip tie the wiring into a secure position.
I removed the negative battery terminal, and removed one side of the battery restraint to move it towards the engine, giving me a bit more space to access the light housing
I removed the dust cap covers and drilled two 1-1/16" holes dead center. I used a Milwaukee #9 step drill. I have found that they work very well with plastic materials and producing a very clean hole. It also allows you to start with a slightly smaller hole and make it gradually larger to make sure there is a snug fit. Drilling is always hard to do on a new truck, but that's what the beer is for.
I then fed the wiring through the hole, and secured the grommet. Interestingly, I read many on this forum that didn't like the idea of drilling the hole in the cap because it would compromise the sealing ability of the housing (dust, water, etc.). What I found interesting was that in the bottom of the same housing, Toyota uses the same style grommet boot to bring the factory wiring into the housing. It would seem that this kit would not compromise any of the sealing ability in the housing than what Toyota had already installed. I didn't snap a photo, but I might remove the cap and take one to add later.
I then installed the bulbs into the housing and hooked everything up to determine if I would need to reverse the polarity on the harness as indicated in the instructions.
Turns out the system fired right up with no wire swap needed.
Clean up time. I used Scotch Extreme Fasteners to secure the ballast and harness to the inner fender sheet metal. The kit came with a double sided 3M product, but I like the idea of being able to remove the ballasts easily if needed down the road. They are rated to hold 2lbs/sq. inch and seem to hold very well. After driving around, they show no signs of moving.
Passenger side (note the zip tie holding the harness to the radiator valence/support as mentioned in the beginning)
Driver side (note the zip tie holding the harness to the radiator valence/support as mentioned in the beginning)
Now for some comparisons
Before (no fogs)
After (no fogs)
Before (no fogs)
After (no fogs)
Before (sorry I don't have an identical head-on shot, but this is the best I have)
After
The photos show some of the difference, but don't do enough justice. Driving on the road, this upgrade is something that should have been included from the factory. Night and day difference. I am very happy with the product, and the outcome. Thanks XenonDepot for the great product!
Next up, Amber LED fog upgrade...
When I ordered the HID lights, I also upgraded the rear hatch lights to LED lights from XenonDepot. I wanted to see how I liked the light color and output before I considered changing the interior lights out entirely.
Parts used:
- Philips LED 3022
- Second glass of Knee Deep Midnight Hoppyness
The lights are removed by using a flat head screw driver on the driver's side of both lights. Lightly pry under the clear lens, then you should see a metal tab that you will push towards the center of the light. It will unclip the light from the hatch, and pivot down. The clear lens unclips with 4 clips on the outside of the light housing. The replacement of the bulbs in straight forward from there. If it doesn't work, turn it around and try again.
Before
During
After
My impressions are that the color shift is very nice switching to the LEDs, but the light output I don't think is any brighter than the stock halogens. I don't think this will deter me from swapping the rest of the cab lights to LED, however.
I upgraded the license plate and reverse light bulbs from the stock halogens. Goals were simple:
1. Hopefully increase the illumination and visibility from the reverse lights
2. Change the look of the rear end to better match the awesome LED stop/tail lights
To do this I used LED lights from Xenon Depot:
- Reverse lights -
921 T16 Philips X-TREME Vision LED
I didn't take a before photo, because you can go in your driveway and look yourself if you don't have the LED's already...
During
After
Here are some before and after photos in the same spot of my driveway to show the light dispersal difference between the stocks and the LED's.
Before:
Rear camera
Side dispersion
Rear dispersion (shotty focus, but you get the picture)
After:
Rear camera
Side dispersion
Rear dispersion (same shotty focus)
- License plate lights -
194 T10 W5W Philips vision LED
Before
During
After
Overall impressions are that the reverse lights definitely brighter than the halogens from an illumination standpoint [not just a 'looking at it' standpoint, because we know the LED's will look brighter head-on]. And the license plate lights definitely make the back end look a bit more sophisticated and modern, which is what I was going for. Overall a good upgrade. Now for some HID headlights and LED fogs...
More to come...
1. Hopefully increase the illumination and visibility from the reverse lights
2. Change the look of the rear end to better match the awesome LED stop/tail lights
To do this I used LED lights from Xenon Depot:
- Reverse lights -
921 T16 Philips X-TREME Vision LED
I didn't take a before photo, because you can go in your driveway and look yourself if you don't have the LED's already...
During
After
Here are some before and after photos in the same spot of my driveway to show the light dispersal difference between the stocks and the LED's.
Before:
Rear camera
Side dispersion
Rear dispersion (shotty focus, but you get the picture)
After:
Rear camera
Side dispersion
Rear dispersion (same shotty focus)
- License plate lights -
194 T10 W5W Philips vision LED
Before
During
After
Overall impressions are that the reverse lights definitely brighter than the halogens from an illumination standpoint [not just a 'looking at it' standpoint, because we know the LED's will look brighter head-on]. And the license plate lights definitely make the back end look a bit more sophisticated and modern, which is what I was going for. Overall a good upgrade. Now for some HID headlights and LED fogs...
More to come...
Traveler III
Pathfinder II
It's warmer inside... in the saleman's office... ;)
Let me know when you're ready to talk suspensions...
Traveler III
It was warmer in the truck with the heater going full blast!
And just like Subaru last spring, we were about $5,000 apart on the value of my Outback. (And the sheet they showed me to justify that had two cars just like mine with 2 and 3 times the mileage for sale for more than I asked...) and not a dime off the new 4Runner. But mostly, I just wanted to see one, and was surprised how nice it drove on the highway.
Love the your 4 runner. I'm a huge fan of the 5th gen. If I wasn't a jeep mechanic it's a strong possibility I would have picked one over the Jk. They just look great.
Really digging all the light upgrades, wish my superduty had those headlights.
Also the retro license plates.....love em.Getting them too
Really digging all the light upgrades, wish my superduty had those headlights.
Also the retro license plates.....love em.Getting them too
They do handle quite well on the highway, even with more aggressive tires
And yes... Not getting any discount off of MSRP is pretty typical unless you start some brutal negotiations that make you look like a jackass... Which I did
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Well being a Jeep mechanic has a higher job demand than a Toyota mechanic
Jabs aside, thanks! I will be finalizing the bulb upgrades this weekend with yellow LED fogs, and LED interior lights. The headlights are amazing, sorry you have reflective lenses on the SD. You could always retrofit!
Yeah be prepped for a wait. Mine were 3.5 months from order time to arriving at DMV.
Best of luck!
Hahaha ya tell me about it. Eek 3.5 months I better get to ordering.Well being a Jeep mechanic has a higher job demand than a Toyota mechanic
Jabs aside, thanks! I will be finalizing the bulb upgrades this weekend with yellow LED fogs, and LED interior lights. The headlights are amazing, sorry you have reflective lenses on the SD. You could always retrofit!
Yeah be prepped for a wait. Mine were 3.5 months from order time to arriving at DMV.
Best of luck!
