The Truck

Great care was taken when selecting the vehicle to be used for this adventure. A high-clearance, four wheel drive truck was required to give us the capabilities to ensure that road quality would not have to be a huge consideration in route planning. Comfort was obviously a major consideration as well - given our five month trip will cover approximately 12,000 miles of less than perfect roadways. Reliability, cargo room, and serviceability also all played major roles in the selection.

It was not an entirely difficult decision to arm ourselves with a Toyota 4Runner for the trip. It has more than adequate power for passing. It posses the required stout build to endure the miles and miles of bumps, potholes, and washboard. Our 4Runner also comes with all of the bells-and-whistles to keep us occupants happy.... air conditioning, power windows, comfortable seats, adequate cup-holders, storage compartments, good outward visibility.......

All that being said, for a trip like this, it needed some fortification.

The most important upgrade has probably been the suspension. The stock 4Runner suspension is set up for a gentle highway ride quality, on smoothly paved roadways. The roads south of the border are ROUGH! There are speed bumps hidden EVERYWHERE! There are HUGE potholes! The stock suspension is NOT up to the job. Luckily our friends at ARB/Old Man Emu have a great suspension upgrade package. It replaces the stock shocks and springs front and rear, increasing bottoming resistance and ground clearance. The ride is SO MUCH more controlled and the truck feels very solid.

Tires have been listed by other adventurers as one of the most troublesome vehicle components in making this trip. Some folks go as far as recommending bringing multiple spares. I think we have a leg up on the competition with our Goodyear SilentArmor tires in a size 265/75R16 - Slightly larger than stock. They are tough as nails with their Kevlar sidewall protection, quiet as any radial, and have a 60,000 mile tread wear warranty. So far we have experienced one puncture by a self-tapping screw that has been plugged and has not leaked again.

The sound-system has been beefed-up in the truck for more accurate sound reproduction, and to accept an iPod. The auto-retracting radio antenna does not often come up on the 4Runner since the radio stations down here are comparable in quality to the ones in the States. At any rate – it is at little risk of being vandalized….

The truck is equipped with security features that would not typically be found in a stock vehicle. In the cargo area we have mounted a heavy-duty steel lock box that is bolted to the unibody and secured with a MasterLock. The 4Runner also has an electronic disarm switch that I installed and hid to eliminate the possibility of anyone unwanted starting the vehicle – even with the keys… The wheels are secured with locking lugs.

So far the 4Runner has been completely reliable, kept our belongings and us safe, and met every challenge we have handed it. Thank you Toyota!