Important info to help you make the best decision for your offroad needs.
Victory, AEV, DV8, Relentless, or ADD? An honest look at the five main front bumpers for the 2023+ Colorado ZR2, including where ours isn't the best fit.
Fab Fours, Prinsu, Rago, Sherpa and Westcott all build roof racks for the 4Runner in the USA, and so do we. Here are the specs, load ratings, prices and fit by generation for all of them, including where Victory isn't the best choice.
The tent is only part of the investment. Here's what to budget for a quality roof rack and rooftop tent on a 4Runner, Land Cruiser or Lexus GX, and how to choose the right tent style.
A fully built 5th Gen carries a lot of extra weight. After living with a Magnuson on our TRD Pro, here's what it's really like, what we'd change, and who it's worth it for.
If you're planning multiple upgrades, our new bundles group products that work together at a lower total price, and our Customer Experience team can help you customize one for your build.
If you're trying to decide between a traditional steel bumper, a full aluminum bumper, or one of our steel and aluminum EVO bumpers, here's how I would think about it.
When you're shopping online, it's easy to think you're comparing bumpers. You're really comparing prices. The problem is, most of the things that separate one bumper from another aren't visible in a product photo.
You can't see the engineering that went into it. You can't see the extra support hidden inside the bumper. You can't tell how the steel was prepared before it was powder coated, or whether it received a zinc-rich primer. You certainly can't tell whether the company that built it will still be around five years from now when you need replacement parts.
If you understand what powder coating is designed to do, what causes it to fail, and how to maintain it, you'll have realistic expectations and get the most life out of your products.
If you're trying to decide between our Platform Rack and Evolution Series Roof Rack, the good news is there really isn't a wrong choice. The better question is what you plan to carry, how much capacity you need, and how much you want to change your vehicle.
The biggest difference between the two is pretty simple. Our Platform Rack works with your factory roof rails, while the Evolution Series is a complete roof rack that replaces the factory rails.
Here's how I would decide between them.
We've had our 5th Gen Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro for a while now, and we've put a lot of miles, products, and ideas into this thing. Some of what is on it is exactly what you'd expect from a Victory 4x4 build, and some of it has simply come from using the vehicle and figuring out what works.
So rather than just giving you a parts list, I wanted to walk around the 4Runner and show you how we've built it, what we're carrying, and a few things we've learned along the way.
If you're looking at our Blitz EVO Front Bumper for the 5th Gen Toyota 4Runner, you may be wondering what makes it different from our previous Blitz bumper or a traditional steel aftermarket bumper.
Whether you end up buying a roof rack from Victory 4x4, Prinsu, Sherpa, RCI, Westcott, or someone else entirely, my goal is to help you understand the differences so you can make the best decision for your vehicle, your budget, and how you actually plan to use it.
When you see a freight charge on an off-road bumper, you're not paying for a box to be dropped on your porch.
You're paying for a large product to move through a specialized transportation network involving pallets, forklifts, freight terminals, semi-trucks, and professional freight carriers.
My goal has always been to be transparent with customers, even when the answer isn't always what they want to hear.
Welcome! I’m Brian Meyers, President and CEO.
Around 2001, I was just a guy who loved off-roading and wanted parts for my own Jeep that I couldn't afford to buy.
So I learned how to build them myself.
It started in my mom's 20' x 20' garage. I spent countless hours teaching myself how to fabricate through trial and error. Mostly error at first.
If we're answering the same lighting questions every day, chances are a lot of people are searching for those same answers online. Questions like:
I've been involved in off-roading for a long time, and one thing I've learned is that the best lighting setup depends entirely on how you use your vehicle. The guy running desert roads at high speed may need something completely different than the family exploring forest service roads and setting up camp for the weekend.
Let's talk about beam patterns, light colors, mounting locations, and the brands we trust on our own vehicles.
If you've spent enough time around off-roaders, you've probably noticed a pattern.
A lot of us bring our dogs everywhere.
Camp trips. Trail rides. Road trips. Coffee runs. If there's an open passenger seat, chances are a dog is trying to claim it.
Some of my favorite memories from being outdoors involve dogs. They make campfires better, trail rides more interesting, and somehow always seem to know when an adventure is about to happen.
Steel and aluminum skid plates follow the same principle. Both can protect critical components underneath your vehicle. The challenge is understanding which material best aligns with your vehicle, driving style, and intended use.
That's exactly what I'd like to help answer in this article.
The problem is that many people evaluate MOLLE panels based on how they look when they're empty rather than what they can do once they're put to work.
To me, MOLLE panels have always been about function over form.
They're utility-focused products designed to solve organizational problems. They're intended to keep gear secure, accessible, and organized when you need it most.
The question isn't whether a MOLLE panel looks good.
The question is whether it solves a problem for the way you use your vehicle.
That's exactly what I'd like to help answer in this article.
"Do I need to upgrade my suspension if I install a bumper and winch?"
It's a great question because the answer isn't always as straightforward as people hope.
The internet tends to treat this question like there's a simple yes-or-no answer.
There isn't.
The good news is that once you understand how additional weight affects your vehicle, the decision becomes much easier.
Let's take a look.
One of the most common questions we receive is:
"What's the best way to carry extra fuel?"
The answer depends on how you use your vehicle.
If you're spending a Saturday on local trails close to home, you may not need any extra fuel at all. But if you're overlanding, exploring remote areas, or traveling where gas stations are few and far between, carrying extra fuel can provide peace of mind.
"Do "Love your product, but how much is shipping going to cost me in Ontario?"
That was the question Gordie asked us recently.
Gordie was interested in a front winch bumper for his 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser. He lives just across the border from us here in Michigan, in Ontario, Canada.
At first, it seems like a simple question.
Give us your address. We calculate shipping. Done.
Unfortunately, shipping to Canada has a few more moving pieces than that.
The shipping cost itself is only one part of the total. Once your order crosses the border, there can also be duties, brokerage fees, and Canadian taxes. Some of those costs we can estimate. Others we can't.
That's why we wrote this article.
If you're shopping for a roof rack for your Toyota 4Runner, Lexus GX, Land Cruiser, or another supported platform, chances are you've come across both Victory 4x4 and Sherpa.
If you're reading this article, you've probably got multiple tabs open, watched a handful of YouTube videos, and you're trying to figure out which one is the better fit.
We'll do our best to be objective, point out where each rack shines, explain the tradeoffs, and give you the information you need to decide which one is the better fit for your build.
Our goal is to help you understand the similarities, differences, strengths, and tradeoffs of each option so you can decide which rack is right for you.
We'll do our best to be objective, point out where each rack shines, explain the tradeoffs, and give you the information you need to decide which one is the better fit for your build.
One of the questions we hear all the time is:
"What does it mean to relocate the winch control box?"
Sometimes customers call it a solenoid box.
Sometimes they don't know what it's called at all.
They just know the installation instructions say it needs to be relocated, and they're wondering if they just signed up for something way over their heads.
The good news is, you probably didn't.