some confusion about 4L and trac off and VSA

I had two older Tacomas with the locker, used it a lot in the kind of off roading I do (or did)! When I got my third Tacoma (now with A-TRAC) I would be blown away once I did some serious off road testing... The A-TRAC made my new 2010 Tacoma think it was a Sherman Tank and it seemed unstoppable! It easily outperformed my previous two Tacomas, which were awesome with the rear locker. I now feel that I can not get stuck and can comfortable off road solo anytime. I continued to test my A-TRAC and the locker to compare the two. The locker only benefits the rear tires whereas A-TRAC operates on all 4 tires. Just press the A-TRAC button when you go into L-4 next time... and leave it on!
You can add in the rear locker for testing purposes and still keep the A-TRAC engaged.
A-TRAC only actually runs when you are getting stuck and have wheel spin, your differentials remain open for easy steering (as long as you don't use the locker).

To easily get the locker to work, begin from a stop, be in L4 already, press the RR Locker button (light blinks), turn you tires to one direction (all the way left, for example), now roll the vehicle slowly ahead. The locker light should go from flashing to solid.

 

and it ususally does, except the other day it took a momnt, not sure why. so is there such a thing as a gen 2 tacoma OR where the locker goes solid without moving?

im very inexperienced in off road but i guess im confused....so if you get in a real jam and cant move much doesnt that kinda defeat the purpose?

truth is i probably wont be needing the locker much. i just enjoy the mountains and camping and the occasional off road trip, nothing serious

 

Forget the locker... it can be problematic to engage... takes a few times if the method I posted fails... You have A-TRAC... locker-like performance on ALL wheels, not just the back ones. A-TRAC is instant on... As I said, next time you are in L4 press the A-TRAC button and don't touch it again (unless it gets turned off accidentally). Now, go four wheeling and enjoy the truck.

The only additional off roading advice I can give here is about deflating your tires (and getting a quick pump to inflate again, like the MV-50). In deep sand, you want to float on top and not dig into... Deflate all 4 tires down to between 10-20 psi (15 is the most common). Many feel it is wise to deflate on all dirt roads and it does assist in climbing and avoiding sharp rock punctures at speed. I drop to 20-25 psi on dirt roads if more than a few miles. See my post I made years ago about deflating for deep sand: www.tacomaworld.com/threads/baja-beach-4wd-32-psi-to-15-psi-see-the-difference.104202/