What is probably being referenced is the bumper is frame mounted, and with a body-on-frame vehicle the frame will flex independent of the body, which may be perceived as "wiggle" when that frame flex moves the bumper relative the to body of the truck. Normal for all of these plate bumpers, and the reason why folks leave ~1/2'' or so of "wiggle room" between the top of the bumper and the fender.
2013 Toyota 4Runner, Equipt Edition Build
- Thread starter Equipt
- Start date
What is probably being referenced is the bumper is frame mounted, and with a body-on-frame vehicle the frame will flex independent of the body, which may be perceived as "wiggle" when that frame flex moves the bumper relative the to body of the truck. Normal for all of these plate bumpers, and the reason why folks leave ~1/2'' or so of "wiggle room" between the top of the bumper and the fender.
jonharis
...................
Paul-
This is starting to look really good. I'm looking forward to seeing the interior modifications. We too considered a 4Runner in our buying decision as well as a 1st gen Sequoia and the 100 series was by far the best choice for US for hauling ourselves, and two kids, and a dog, and all our junk with a margin of capability and comfort. The sequoia lacked the capability and aftermarket support and the 4Runner (4th and 5th gen) felt "cheap" and cramped. That said, I really think we would have ended up with a Runner if we were sans kids. Definitely the most capable of the bunch and it looks like you are addressing the comfort factor nicely. I look forward to hearing about your thoughts on perceived/real interior space for driver and passengers once the build is complete. Hope to see it in person soon.
First World Problems.
This is starting to look really good. I'm looking forward to seeing the interior modifications. We too considered a 4Runner in our buying decision as well as a 1st gen Sequoia and the 100 series was by far the best choice for US for hauling ourselves, and two kids, and a dog, and all our junk with a margin of capability and comfort. The sequoia lacked the capability and aftermarket support and the 4Runner (4th and 5th gen) felt "cheap" and cramped. That said, I really think we would have ended up with a Runner if we were sans kids. Definitely the most capable of the bunch and it looks like you are addressing the comfort factor nicely. I look forward to hearing about your thoughts on perceived/real interior space for driver and passengers once the build is complete. Hope to see it in person soon.
First World Problems.
wingysataday
Adventurer
lurking
Equipt
Supporting Sponsor Presenting Sponsor of Overland
Eezi-Awn Series 2000 2.5M Awning
Eezi-Awn Series 2000 2.5M Awning.
The next step on the build was an awning for the vehicle. I am a very big fan of the Eezi-Awn Bat 270 awning. It is an awning that opens up on the side of the vehicle and wraps around the back, creating 270 degrees of shaded area. I had one on my 100 Series, and absolutely loved it. One big problem though. The 4Runner has a rear hatch that opens upward, and in its open position it is too tall for the Bat awning to function on the back of the truck. So I am going with the Eezi-Awn Series 2000 self retracting awning in a 2.5 meter length.
The Series 2000 awning is a great awning too. It is encased in an anodized aluminum case, is self contained, provides a great deal of shade and is pretty stable in wind with the legs staked down. The material is a mildew resistant PVC fabric, so you can put it away wet too. I have used this awning on my 100 Series as well and have been very happy with it too.
The process of mounting the awning on the K9 rack system is pretty painless. Eezi-Awn has developed a roof rack adapter that attaches to the side of their low profile platform and provides a vertical surface for mounting equipment. It is quite universal, so you could use the adapters for just about anything you want to create. Mount an awning, or shove, or hi lift, or what ever your imagination comes up with. For me, it is an awning mount. Eezi-Awn has also created an optional set of awning brackets for their Series 2000 and Series 1000 awnings that are "L" shaped with a female welt on the top edge that mates to a male welt on the awning case. The bottom of the bracket cradles the case bottom and holds it in place with a small set screw.
I attached the roof rack adapter with a couple 6mm bolts, then drilled and fastened the awning brackets to the adapters. Then I routed the awning through the female welts on the brackets and secured the awning to the brackets with the set screws through the bottom of the case. All done. The whole install was done in under a half hour and is very secure. It would take less than 15 minutes to remove the whole set up too.
The Series 2000 Awning are very easy to set up. It takes about a minute to deploy or put away. It is much easier with 2 people, but 1 person can do it as well. The awning extends 81" from the vehicle, and this model is 98" long. So that creates roughly 55 square feet of shaded area underneath. It sits up against the truck quite well too. I have it set a few inches off the back edge and so the front of the awning only extends in front of the rack about 6" or so.
There are Rec Vee panel walls available for this awning too, so I can create a room on the side of the truck. Very handy for bad weather or as a changing or shower room. More on those later.
Cheers,
Eezi-Awn Series 2000 2.5M Awning.
The next step on the build was an awning for the vehicle. I am a very big fan of the Eezi-Awn Bat 270 awning. It is an awning that opens up on the side of the vehicle and wraps around the back, creating 270 degrees of shaded area. I had one on my 100 Series, and absolutely loved it. One big problem though. The 4Runner has a rear hatch that opens upward, and in its open position it is too tall for the Bat awning to function on the back of the truck. So I am going with the Eezi-Awn Series 2000 self retracting awning in a 2.5 meter length.
The Series 2000 awning is a great awning too. It is encased in an anodized aluminum case, is self contained, provides a great deal of shade and is pretty stable in wind with the legs staked down. The material is a mildew resistant PVC fabric, so you can put it away wet too. I have used this awning on my 100 Series as well and have been very happy with it too.
The process of mounting the awning on the K9 rack system is pretty painless. Eezi-Awn has developed a roof rack adapter that attaches to the side of their low profile platform and provides a vertical surface for mounting equipment. It is quite universal, so you could use the adapters for just about anything you want to create. Mount an awning, or shove, or hi lift, or what ever your imagination comes up with. For me, it is an awning mount. Eezi-Awn has also created an optional set of awning brackets for their Series 2000 and Series 1000 awnings that are "L" shaped with a female welt on the top edge that mates to a male welt on the awning case. The bottom of the bracket cradles the case bottom and holds it in place with a small set screw.
I attached the roof rack adapter with a couple 6mm bolts, then drilled and fastened the awning brackets to the adapters. Then I routed the awning through the female welts on the brackets and secured the awning to the brackets with the set screws through the bottom of the case. All done. The whole install was done in under a half hour and is very secure. It would take less than 15 minutes to remove the whole set up too.
The Series 2000 Awning are very easy to set up. It takes about a minute to deploy or put away. It is much easier with 2 people, but 1 person can do it as well. The awning extends 81" from the vehicle, and this model is 98" long. So that creates roughly 55 square feet of shaded area underneath. It sits up against the truck quite well too. I have it set a few inches off the back edge and so the front of the awning only extends in front of the rack about 6" or so.
There are Rec Vee panel walls available for this awning too, so I can create a room on the side of the truck. Very handy for bad weather or as a changing or shower room. More on those later.
Cheers,
stioc
Expedition Leader
Looks great so far. How does the EZ-Awn compare to the ARB awning (which is what I have)- assuming one can't use the 'rotating' function due to the way the rear hatch opens. If I were to do it again (and had the extra cash) I'd go with a Hannibal so there's no legs and guy-lines to mess with.
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3rd Cruiser
New member
Always fun to follow your build threads, but better to see it in person. Will we see you at Cruise Moab this year? I'm signed up with Kurt and crew for the San Rafael Swell run. Great truck you are building!
Yuman Desert Rat
Expedition Leader
I envy your mileage!!! My 6,000 lb Jeep LJ gets 10 on the highway... It actually gets better mileage in town and on the trails.. must be from all the air I''m pushing at 70mph. Excited to see how your build progresses. Thanks again for coming to my rescue at DRV with my awning disaster!
Yuman Desert Rat
Expedition Leader
I had and ARB with the mozzy net (nice when you need it). Great awning, not very 1 person friendly, though. I stepped up my game and got an EEzi Awn. Much faster and easier to set up. The aluminum hard case better protects it from the elements. The spring loaded canopy makes it faster and easier to set-up and take down. Also, having the option to add the rec-vee panels is nice. My hannibal 1.4 is now on its way to me. It wil lbe mounted to the rear of my vehicle to cover my rear kitchen / slide out area, so the legless feature will be well served as well as having the side panels handy when needed. The only down side of the Hannibal is that it's fixed, and lacks a protective case, but for my application it's not a hinderance. As far as cost goes... I believe the Hannibal actually costs the same or is slightly less expensive than the EEzi Awn. The problem with Hannibal is availability!! As far as I know MOBY-1 is the only one importing them and lets just say that there having some issues (beyond their control) getting them easily. If you're going to purchase one be patient and try to get in on a group buy, you'll save a ton of money.
FrontRange4Runner
New member
OEM wheels on the Trail model are 7.5" wide. The SR5 and Limited models come with 7" wide wheels.
huntsonora
Explorer
Paul,
Looking great man! I love your 4Runner!
I was curious how the ride is with the OME? I am going to pull the trigger within the next month or so on a suspension kit and am going back and forth between OME and Icon. I want firm but I want my 4Runner to ride nice going down the road as well as it doubles as my family vehicle. I hate these decisions!
I am also curious about the mileage. Do you have enough miles to know how much of a hit you took? I will probably go with 255's instead of the 285's but nothing is set in stone there yet either
Looking great man! I love your 4Runner!
I was curious how the ride is with the OME? I am going to pull the trigger within the next month or so on a suspension kit and am going back and forth between OME and Icon. I want firm but I want my 4Runner to ride nice going down the road as well as it doubles as my family vehicle. I hate these decisions!
I am also curious about the mileage. Do you have enough miles to know how much of a hit you took? I will probably go with 255's instead of the 285's but nothing is set in stone there yet either