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.
Up front, we're running our Blitz EVO Front Bumper. Like the rest of our EVO bumper lineup, it's a hybrid design that uses a steel substructure with an aluminum outer shell. That gives us steel where we want the strength, while using aluminum to keep unnecessary weight out of the rest of the bumper.
We've also added our Viper Wings. Installing them requires trimming some of the factory plastic, but they give you additional protection and create more room around the front tires when you're getting up on rocks or dealing with tighter terrain.
Inside the bumper, we're running a Warn VR EVO 8-S winch with a Factor 55 thimble. It's a pretty straightforward setup that gives us a recovery option when we inevitably get ourselves into something we shouldn't have.
We're still running the factory TRD Pro suspension with spacers, and overall it has worked really well. The truck is sitting on 285/70R17 Falken Wildpeak A/T tires with KMC wheels. The fitment is nice, the tires tuck inside the fenders well, and we haven't felt a huge need to completely replace the factory suspension.
There is one thing I'd change.
Once you start adding the rear bumper, roof rack, rooftop tent, and all the gear we carry, the factory rear spring starts feeling a little soft. The ride height is fine, but if I were building another one with a similar amount of weight, I'd probably look at a heavier-rate rear spring.
That's one of those things you don't necessarily think about when you're buying parts one at a time. Each addition might not seem like much, but eventually all of that weight starts adding up.
Along the sides, we're running our Blitz Rock Sliders, which are available in both steel and aluminum.
These are one of those products that can be a little deceiving because they look a lot like a step. They are a great step, especially when you're trying to climb up and grab something off the roof rack, but they're still a functional rock slider underneath.
They're designed to support the weight of the vehicle against rocks, roots, trees, or whatever else you manage to find on the trail. For a vehicle like this that still sees plenty of daily driving, I really like having something that's useful every day without giving up the protection of a real slider.
Up top is our full-length Victory roof rack. The rack is primarily aluminum with steel mounting points where we want the additional strength.
One of the reasons I like this system is the number of ways you can configure it. We offer standard awning mounts, 270-degree awning mounts, different-height rooftop tent spacers, jerry can mounts, Starlink mounts, rooftop box mounts, and a bunch of other options depending on what you're trying to carry.
On this 4Runner, we're running a full hard-shell rooftop tent and an awning, which is a pretty common setup among our customers.
The biggest thing is being able to make the rack work around your gear instead of having to make all of your gear work around the rack.
Around back, we're running our newer Strike EVO Rear Bumper.
Like the Blitz EVO up front, the Strike uses a steel substructure with an aluminum outer shell. The big difference here is that the aluminum shell is made in three separate pieces.
There were a couple of reasons we went that direction. Our old full-steel rear bumper was strong, but installing it could easily turn into a two or three-person job. You're holding this giant bumper in the air while trying to line everything up and get the bolts started. It was also a bear to ship.
With the EVO, you install the steel substructure first and then add the lightweight aluminum shell around it. You still get the strength from the steel structure, but installation and shipping become much more manageable.
I also think it looks better.
We're running both left and right Adventure Carriers on this 4Runner. The spare tire is on one side, while the other currently carries our traction board mount. You can also configure them for single or dual jerry cans, shovels, axes, and other gear.
One of my favorite things about the Adventure Carrier system is that you don't have to leave everything on the truck all the time.
If you're driving to work all week, you probably don't need traction boards, a shovel, an axe, and every piece of camping equipment hanging off the back of your 4Runner. You can remove the Adventure Carrier, store it in the garage, and simplify the truck for everyday use.
Then when it's time for a trip, put it back on.
That also means you don't have to swing two loaded carriers out of the way every time you want to grab groceries out of the back.
Inside the rear cargo area, we're using our MOLLE panels, floor system, fridge slide, shelf system, and pet barrier.
Our newer EDC upper and lower MOLLE panels are designed around everyday carry, which is where the EDC name comes from. They'll still accept traditional MOLLE pouches and straps, but the slot design also makes it easy to hang backpacks, bags, and other things you might actually carry during the week.
The shelf system might be my favorite part of the entire cargo setup.
If you've ever packed a 4Runner for a trip, you know what happens. You stack bins, chairs, bags, cooking gear, and everything else on top of each other. Then the first thing you need is inevitably underneath everything else.
The shelf gives you another level to organize around. We can put chairs, a power bank, and lighter gear up top while keeping bins with cooking equipment, camp gear, and dry goods underneath. We also offer an additional upper shelf for smaller soft goods.
The pet barrier serves two purposes as well. If you're traveling with a dog, it keeps them in the cargo area. If you're not, it can help keep your gear from coming forward during hard braking, rough trails, or an accident.
There are also several drawer configurations that bolt into the floor system, so you can run full-width drawers, drawers alongside a fridge slide, or build the cargo area around whatever you actually carry.
On the exterior, we're also running our side MOLLE panel attached to the roof rack.
It's another convenient place to move gear outside the vehicle. We typically use it for things like a two-gallon RotopaX fuel or water container, Maxtrax, or a shovel. There are Quick Fist mounting locations at the top, but you can configure it around whatever makes sense for your setup.
For fuel especially, I like having another option that keeps it outside the passenger compartment.
Inside, we're using our center console MOLLE panels and Dash Accessory Mount.
On my own truck, I usually keep a MOLLE pouch on the console with things I actually use, like a flashlight, multi-tool, emergency glass breaker and seat belt cutter, and a tactical pen. The panels also have slots for belt-clip accessories, which gives you a few more options without taking over the interior.
The Dash Accessory Mount gives us a central place for phones, tablets, radios, RAM mounts, and similar accessories without having mounts scattered all over the dash. We've also updated the charging options to include USB-C along with USB-A.
It's one of my favorite products we make because once you start adding navigation, communications, phones, and everything else people use on a trip, having one organized place to mount it all makes a big difference.
The thing I've been hiding until the end is under the hood.
This 4Runner has a Magnuson supercharger.
Everyone knows the jokes about 4Runners being slow, especially once you start adding bigger tires, bumpers, a roof rack, a tent, and all the other stuff we've put on this one. The supercharger made a huge difference.
I helped with the installation, and it was a pretty straightforward kit. We're seeing somewhere around six or seven PSI of boost, and we've put roughly 20,000 to 30,000 miles on the setup without any major issues.
It has been a great power adder for this truck.
We're also running an sPOD for our lighting and accessory switching, which helps keep all of the additional electrical accessories organized.
This 4Runner isn't a vehicle that just sits around looking pretty. We actually use it, which is why the engine bay isn't spotless and why we've learned things like the factory rear spring being a little soft once everything gets loaded onto the truck.
That's also what I like about this build. Most of the products on it solve a problem we've encountered ourselves, whether that's protecting the vehicle, carrying camping gear, organizing the cargo area, getting easier access to the roof, or just giving a heavily loaded 4Runner enough power to get out of its own way.
If you have questions about this build or any of the Victory 4x4 products on it, reach out to us. And if you've seen another one of our shop vehicles that you'd like us to walk through next, let us know which one.
Brian Meyers
Founder, Victory 4x4
