Rav-entures

[Koyote]

Glad to be back on this site. I used to be on here as highwaystar and travelled the furthest reaches british columbia in my old toy pickup.

Well I lost the pickup and since gas is so rediculously expensive decided to give up on exploring and compromise with a 04 RAV4.

Lately however I have been finding that there is still alot of fun to be had with this vehicle. With the back seats out we can easily sleep in it, and the all wheel drive system works well on forest service roads.

The biggest advantage is reliability and great mileage allowing me to go on more longer trips.

Im glad to see this section and hope to be adding to the trip reports and maybe hooking up with some other "cute ute" owners for trips or to share ideas. :safari-rig:

 

[Koyote]

heres the rav. only mod so far is a roof basket. wouldnt mind a small 1-2" lift at some point...

 

[Brian McVickers]

Hey that's great!
I love seeing the alternatives to the traditional vehicle choices.

We have a '97 RAV4 that is my wifes daily driver. I keep thinking about getting new tires and an updated suspension with a mild lift for it so we can use it for light forest road exploration. The way it is configured now it has very little clearance.

Brian

 

[paulj]

I suppose it depends on what you mean by 'light forest road', but I think a 97 RAV4 should be able to handle anything that has seen a grader within the last 3 years. The only time I've gotten stuck was when I tried to cross a late season snow drift in the California mountains north of I80. In that case it was high centered, with snow supporting 3 of the lower control arms.

I've taken my Element on rougher roads that the RAV4. It a similar wheel base, less ground clearance, but a tighter turning radius. The RAV4 has a lower 1st gear.

The important things with cars like this are learning how the suspension behaves, keeping wheels on high ground where possible, and taking advantage of the lowest gear and torque converter. In the absence of low range, trusty brakes are your best friend on steep, long downhills.

I used to participate on a RAV4 forum, RAV4WORLD if I recall correctly. It was inactive for a few years, but last I checked had resumed. I don't recall much talk about lifting a RAV, at least not generation 1, but there were lists of various tire sizes that worked. I think, for example, that 205/80/16 tires fit on a 97.

 

[mrstang01]

I daily drive a 2000 Rav4, and in the last big snow fall we had, and I never locked the center diff. Clearance wasn't a problem, it went anywhere I pointed it.

Michael

 

[RAV4fun]

Howdy all!

I was on here formerly as TeleScooby I believe(can't even remember)...but sold my Subaru last year. I'm back and ready for fun with my 96 2-door RAV4! This little buggy strikes me as ready for any fireroad I've ever seen, certainly it can handle whatever my Forester took and then some with it's tiny wheelbase and really tight turn radius. The center Diff. lock should come in handy as well!

Welcome back Koyote, and since I'm not that far south, we should try to plan a 'ute trip sometime this fall!

Jesse

 

[paulj]

I'm back and ready for fun with my 96 2-door RAV4! ... The center Diff. lock should come in handy as well!

What color is that 2 door? Candy Red? That's the quintessential 'cute ute'.

For those who aren't familiar with the 1st generation RAVs (up to about 2001), the automatic transmission models had a viscous coupling between front and rear drive shafts. The manual had an open differential, with manual locking. A Torsen limited slip differential in the rear was also an option on the manuals.

The stock tire size is 215/70/16 with recommended psi of 28/26. That gives an idea of how big the tires are relative to the vehicle weight. With the shorter 2dr the weight would even be less. The 2dr should also have a better power to weight ratio. Compared to newer cars the older 4dr does feel underpowered.

 

[RAV4fun]

What color is that 2 door? Candy Red? That's the quintessential 'cute ute'.

No Paul...it's Green...nice try though...BTW if you forgot, I'm Jesse from the Honda Element meetup and drive to Snoqualmie falls...what was that...4 years ago???

sheesh

 

[haven]

I've felt for years that the RAV4 two door hardtop
is the perfect urban assault vehicle:
Small, nimble, peppy performance, durable, big cargo area.

It's like a MINI built to handle the impact craters that are
euphemistically called "potholes" in America's cities.

It's built on a Corolla chassis. The two door hardtop was first sold
in USA in 1996 and 1997. It was revised slightly and sold for
the last time in 1998. The two door convertible was sold for
another year or two.

 

[RAV4fun]

You got it Haven!

This little bugger's main purpose in life for the next year is to get me to work and back, then get me and my dog to the trails on the weekend. A couple of ski trips this winter...and hopefully a couple of trail runs scattered throughout the year, then I leave the country next August!