ENJOY THE VIEW
CAPTURING LANDSCAPES IN A 2016 TOYOTA 4RUNNER TRD OFF-ROAD
Capturing Landscapes in a ‘16 Toyota 4Runner TRD Off Road
“Iremember coming up to a sandbar and it was probably 100 yards long, and you had to cross this to get on the trail to continue on. I was by myself and wishing I had 4WD. It sucked. I didn’t want to risk getting stuck, so I turned around and found another way. I told myself, my next car will be 4WD.”
For photographer, AJ van de Water, the decision to purchase a 4WD vehicle came from necessity. He had grown frustrated with his
‘01 4Runner, which was costing him countless amounts of money for constant repairs and was only 2WD. Despite having a few modifications such as a 2-inch lift and 32-inch Toyo Tire RTs, the vehicle just wasn’t capable enough for what AJ wanted out of his SUV. The hunt for a replacement began, but the process proved to be disheartening.
Initially, he set out to find a TRD Pro version of the Toyota 4Runner, but didn’t realize how difficult it was to acquire due to the high demand and dealership markup. After searching for his dream vehicle, he thought he had secured one that was due to hit port, but that fell through. After growing frustrated with the process, he sold his current 4Runner and bought another vehicle for work.
“AJ MAKES HIS LIFE AS A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER. THE NEW 4RUNNER PROVIDED THE ABILITY TO SEE NEW LOCATIONS, WHICH HE MAY NEVER HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE WITHOUT AN
OFF-ROAD VEHICLE, AND CAPTURE STUNNING IMAGERY.”
After about 6 months, the hunt continued and while comparing the Pro and Trail Premium versions of the 4Runner, he decided that the two models were close enough to what he wanted and opted to search for the Trail version. He had also given the Jeep Rubicon a consideration, but ultimately as a photographer, he wanted security for his gear, which an enclosed cabin provided. The search finally concluded when he found his ‘16 Toyota Trail Premium (now called the TRD Off-Road Premium) 4Runner at an Orange County dealership—and the project began.
Within 24 hours of ownership, AJ, set off to test the new vehicle’s capabilities. The rear locker, A-Trac, and crawl control were a few of the features that got him excited, but as he continued onto a few moguls and inclines, he experienced the factory tires slipping and that he had tapped the factory skids. When he returned home he
immediately began his project and ordered a few parts, which have been replaced through his process of trial and error. The first modifications were an RCI skid plate, White Knuckle Offroad sliders, a 3-inch Toytec lift, and the first of three different wheel and tire combos were installed, which gave him better clearance, traction, and protection for peace of mind.
“NEVER ONE TO SETTLE, AJ THEN
OPTED TO COMPLETELY SWITCH OUT HIS SUSPENSION AND CHANGE HIS WHEELS AND TIRES.”
AJ makes his life as a professional photographer. The new 4Runner provided the ability to see new locations, which he may never have had the opportunity to see without an off-road vehicle, and capture stunning imagery. With landscape photography playing a large role in his life, AJ built the vehicle for exploring. On the first multiple-day trip in the 4Runner, AJ and a few buddies, went on a journey through Dumont Dunes, Trona Pinnacles, Alabama Hills and a ghost town outside of Lone Pine called Cerro Gordo. He was hooked and the adventures kept coming. After an annual trip down the Mojave Road, he realized the 4Runner was capable, but could be improved and vowed to make new mods before their trip the following year.
With more off-road journeys under his belt, he decided he needed something to protect the paint and ultimately decided to wrap the SUV in an Olive Drab matte film, which has now become the signature look for his 4Runner to set it apart from the others.
“INITIALLY, HE SET OUT TO FIND A TRD PRO VERSION OF THE TOYOTA 4RUNNER, BUT DIDN’T REALIZE HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS TO ACQUIRE DUE TO THE HIGH DEMAND AND DEALERSHIP MARKUP.”
“Lights, winch, sliders, et cetera, are all things I didn't just install because I wanted them, but because I felt that I needed them in situations I had been in. And they would have helped to make the experience better and more safe.” He then continued by installing Baja Designs lights on the front bumper, roof, and rear for visibility during his evening excursions. The lighting additions continued later with Baja Designs rock lights under the vehicle. A Switch Pros 8100 power panel helps to control the lighting with the push of a button. A Smittybilt X20 winch was installed in case he ever ran into any issues during a solo trip. A Wilco rear tire hitch carrier was added to carry a 5th fullsize spare for longer trips and by then he had switched his wheels and tires for the second
time. While driving, AJ likes to rock out with his music and installed OEM Audio Plus Reference series speakers throughout the cabin.
Never one to settle, AJ then opted to completely switch out his suspension and change his wheels and tires. He wanted to upgrade from a standard shock to a fully adjustable 2.5 shock and installed an Icon Vehicle Dynamics 2.5 extended travel remote reservoir adjustable coilover shock kit with CDCV, and an Icon billet aluminum upper control arm kit with optional delta joints. The rear suspension is comprised of Icon Vehicle Dynamics 2.5 series remote reservoir rear shocks with CDCV and Icon Vehicle Dynamics Overland series dual rate 3-inch rear coil springs. The suspension he says, “was the most noticeable modification to the vehicle’s performance.” He rounds this out with Icon’s billet aluminum rear lower and upper link kit, adjustable rear track bar kit, and a rear hydraulic bump stop kit.
He elected to swap out his rack with a Front Runner Slimline II rack for its quality and versatility with the ability to attach various accessories and house his rooftop tent. For a tent he went with an Alu-Cab RTT, for the quick setup time and ease to pack it up. The tent works well for his solo trips, but with a growing family, a larger setup is in his future.
It came time to protect his investment and he called on CBI to outfit his rig with a full front bumper, full rear bumper, full steel skid plates, and DOM sliders. It was also time to change his wheels and tires to the current setup.
A set of 17x8.5 VTX Rebel wheels in satin bronze are wrapped in 285/75 R17 Toyo Open Country M/T Tires. An ARB twin compressor is
on hand to adjust tire pressure on the fly.
The interior has been outfitted with a Dometic CFX 75DZW fridge to keep his food and beverages cold on longer excursions. A weBoost Drive 4G-X OTR signal booster helps to maintain a signal when he’s off the grid. Powering everything is an Odyssey Group 31 battery with Slee battery extension. Additional power is provided to help charge his phone, photo gear, and more via a collection of Goal Zero products including a Yeti 1400 Lithium, Sherpa 100AC Power Bank, and Boulder 100 Solar Panel.
His favorite trip came on a trek from California out to the FJ Summit held in Ouray, Colorado. The trip consisted of Toquerville Falls, the famous Top of the World trail in Moab, and upon arriving in Ouray, he had “the experience of a lifetime”. The scenery, trails, varied weather, along with the great company, made that trip memorable. He’s since done this trip twice and looks forward to going back.
He recently completed one of his goals with the 4Runner which was to go on an adventure with the family. He took his 1-year-old son and wife on a trip up Hwy 395 to Yosemite. They drove to Lone Pine and stayed in Alabama Hills on the first night, and then continued to June Lake. A day trip into Yosemite would forever hold a special place in his heart, where he and his family saw the sites, made some memories, and of course, captured epic photos along the way.