Blew ‘er up on the trail last night.

There is that old New Zealand Crumpy HiLux ad where they are beating the shit out if it, don’t think the US saw anything like it…too many lawyers is my guess.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqwnr2sza_o

 

If it isn't a Lincoln plush ride with the acceleration of a Tesla and more buttons to push than the bridge of a starship, then OMG why am I paying 40 grand for this POS truck?

Somehow people don't understand that the small trucks that we dream of have all the manners (and speed) of a lawn tractor. They're slow, rude, uncomfortable, and light. 0-60 times are listed as "maybe."

The Tacoma exists because the magazines and the consumers they represent complain nonstop due to the fact that it doesn't drive like a CVT minivan and have the tow rating of a Kenworth.

People don't know what they want. They just know that they want something more than what they have.

 

I watched that 10 times and I’m crying lol.

 

I partially disagree, if we’re talking about *Toyota’s* focus. I owned a 91 4Runner and stock to stock I’d consider it fairly evenly matched to my 3rd Gen TRDOR, slight advantage to the Taco. 4Runner was a better size and the visibility was a huge advantage, but the locker and ATRAC absolutely allow me to get up obstacles the 4Runner was not capable of. Stock skids were similarly lame on both, approach and departure basically identical, breakover closer than you think and similar suspension travel.

That being said lockers on the 4Runner would be an easy addition but size and visibility are two things you can’t fix with mods. The 4Runner could be built into the better wheeler for sure, but we’re talking about Toyota’s focus and they didn’t make it small for off roading, that’s just the size vehicles were then.

Similar to your last point though, I do a lot of “true” overlanding(by that I mean multi-day trips traveling vast distances deep in the backcountry mostly on unmaintained but only occasionally technical roads, not the kind of overlanding where you mostly drive on the highway with a little gravel to get to camping and take Instagram photos on) and the Taco blows the 4Runner out of the water for that use. The ability to cover rough terrain at speed is a kind of capability too, and that ability to effortlessly cover distance in the backcountry gives me more joy than getting up slightly more challenging trails at the OHV park

 

Not if you live out west and explore deep into the backcountry, usually on through routes.

 

You can't go deeper than 25 miles.

 

I’ve been hundreds of miles from pavement in British Columbia.

 

I think we agree on a lot more than we disagree. The ironic thing for me tho, is my ‘90s 4runner wasn’t marketed as an “off roader” when it was new like my TRD OR 3rd gen Tacoma was. My 4runner had gold emblems and was a total mom car that happened to be 4wd. But I did build that 4runner into a better wheeler than I could ever quite build the Tacoma to be, due to the nature of its design. So for me it’s just all that hyped “off road” Toyota marketing that gets me. I also completely agree my Tacoma is a much more comfortable truck for the relatively mellow overlanding that’s trendy these days. On a side note, I wonder if the price of gas will change that trend soon. Car camping road trips used to be cheap vacations. Now driving across the country in a mid size pickup is almost as spendy as going to Hawaii for a week.

 

I haven't seen the heads off a 3.5 on the work bench, will say that to start with but I have seen countless others through the years....it has me wondering why no one(that I know of)have taken the heads off and improved/reshaped/polished the oil drain ports to prevent this from being an issue?...I know for fact that there are many different classes of round track racing that have the heads modified in this fashion to keep the oil in the sump and not accumulated along the inside wall of the valve cover/head/ block etc. I know this being possible is all relative to how much material there is to work with in the drain port areas....food for thought.

 

I think we do too. Like I agree that the Tacoma feels ungainly and clunky in tight terrain compared with my old 4runner, and even more so in comparison to my old Range Rover Classic. RRCs are a great example of what you're talking about, as in a vehicle that was clearly engineered from the ground up for off road competence. It's the details that show that, meaning it's the perfect size, only 10" longer than a 2 door wrangler but way roomier inside, minuscule overhangs, it had these massive wheel wells that like intruded into the back seat but allowed for absurd amounts of articulation, a super low cowl and beltline for amazing visibility. The basic design is clearly meant to just work off road. The Tacoma doesn't have that same level of concern for off road performance in the basic design, although I think it's still actually friendlier than you give it credit for. I mean even with the shitty stock skids the undercarriage is actually designed in a good way to prevent damage to important parts. It's never going to feel as nimble as the Rover off road, and I literally have to get out of the truck to plan and memorize my lines sometimes because of the visibility but it's always gotten me through, even when I've gone and gotten myself in over my head.

The clunkiness makes it a lot more of a chore to drive in technical terrain

I'd genuinely prefer to road trip to an interesting state I haven't really explored and do a Backcountry Discovery Route or something for a week than go to Hawaii, and while I'm definitely in the minority compared with the general public at least(we're all weirdos on Tacomaworld) I'm far from alone in that.

 

The tacoma is deceptively capable IMO. The relatively low seat height compared to the 4Runner makes it feel like you have less clearance than you do. In actuality the numbers are comparable to a 4 runner or even some of the older yotas. The departure angle is meager with the hitch but a high clearance rear bumper drastically improves that number. Break over is also decent for a pickup. The rear suspension articulation is also impressive for a stock pickup. Most people off-road will modify the truck anyway. With a basic 1-2 inch lift and armor you can hit relatively challenging trails for a highway vehicle. The tacoma is also less top heavy in its stock form than 4 runners and jeeps. I am
more comfortable on off camber sections in the tacoma for that reason. With the bed empty (except for light recover gear) the taco does exceedingly well in soft sand as well. This is my experience after 5 years of ownership, 159,000 miles and heavy trail use. These starvation issues seem to be its biggest problem. That being said I have only ever gotten the oil pressure warning and stall. Never smoke. And that warning only happened when I messed around on steep inclines for too long (abused my truck).

 

continental US

 

Love this commercial lmao, what a way to promote a truck. Imagine a modern version of this commercial, brand new truck just completely thrashed. Full send over boulders.

 

You mustn’t of been out West. One of the loops I do here in Idaho has 100 miles of dirt. And there are a bunch more.

 

Interesting read here, the first page or two at least; always wondered about the catch cans and how effective they'd actually be to solve this issue. Seems like not very. Wondering about issues with extreme DEclines and what kind of issues that brings? I've heard of low oil pressure lights/stall/losing brakes, but anyone else confirm?

 

I ride off-camber all the time on my Quads and dual-sport MC so I'm not sure where you're getting that info; for newbie or inexperienced riders I could see how it might be a challenge. Two feet of water? I once forded a creek so deep in Anza-Borrego that the air-cooled engine in one of my 'Buggies was actually running under water! (On that car I have my air cleaners mounted as high as possible so they never got wet). Personally I avoid doing any water crossings in my Taco because I don't want to have problems with my 4wd Actuator (I'm actually going to start carrying a spare before my next back-country trip to Arizona).

As for your question about riding a Quad up that obstacle at Sand Hollow, not my Quads (they're all 2wd Honda Sport models which are not well-equipped for rock crawling). However I wouldn't hesitate to take one of my 'Buggies up it. I've done similar obstacles with them in Moab with no issues. Bonus that my Subie-powered VW Thing has really sticky BFG Tires which I doubt have ever had more than 15 PSI of air in them off-road; that car will literally go anywhere I point it.

Then again though I didn't buy my Taco to be my one-and-only camping, towing, off-roading, commuter and whatever else vehicle. I used to try and do everything with one vehicle but soon decided that for the way I use my vehicles it made more sense to use different vehicles for different types of off-roading.

 

Same for northern quebec back in the day when i did a few fishing trips up there. Lots of old unused logging roads that lead to many back lakes, and rivers you needed a small 4wd to get to.

 

I know, that commercial fricken rocks!

Of course the latest ads show all these killer old Toyotas doing off-road things…and then finishes with the new Tundra doing a very mild dirt road. Don’t think it will hold up to such abuse as the old trucks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHrLUA03f4A

 

Seems like they need a float valve and bypass in them so if they fill up they don't make things worse.

 

Not sure where you're getting this. A couple of times a year I do some light-moderate off road/trails in my Taco in Northern Arizona which are 100 or more miles in length, especially if you combine roads or trails. I've yet to take my Taco on one of my Utah trips but I have taken my 'Buggies on many long roads/trails up there as well. Even here in Ca I've been on trails in the far-eastern portion of the state which wind between Ca and NV along with the more remote-portions of Death Valley, specifically Tea Kettle Junction, Lippencut Trail and the Race Track which I did in one (long) day in my 'Buggy a few years ago. That was a loop of well over 100 miles, most if not all of it off-road.