fortworthmatt

Hey guys, I am new to this forum and figured I would ask some of you owners for your input. I am looking for a good camping rig and daily driver for me and my wife and 2 young kids. I wont be doing a lot of serious off roading but I want to have that as an option. I really like the 1997-2003 F150s and especially the crew cab King Ranch 4X4. The only other vehicle I would consider would be a Gen 4 4Runner. I have been able to find some really clean 2003 F150 King Ranch 4X4's with around 100k for around $10k. That is about where I want to be budget wise so I will have some funds to upgrade suspension etc from there. Any thoughts on after market availability and cost versus a 4Runner and off road capability? These seem to be pretty reliable trucks and I like the look of the 97-2003 better than the newer ones. And what about the 4.6 vs 5.4 for reliability? Thanks for any input.

canddmeyer

I own a 4th gen 4Runner. With 4 occupants you'll find the storage capacity of the 4Runner lacking for camping. As a daily driver you'll be fine.

traxiii

5.4L more torque and power, good for towing and carrying loads, 4.6L slightly better on gas.

UtahGuy

I have a 10th gen F150 Supercrew and a 3rd gen 4Runner. We use both for camping and wheeling, depending on where we're going and what mood we're in. The F150 obviously wins hands down in the interior room department, it's way more comfy for the four of us, and it's got a lot more power than the anemic 3.4L in the Toyota. But the 3rd gen 4Runner with it's narrower track width, shorter wheelbase, better ground clearance, and rear elocker is undeniably superior on the trails, by a couple orders of magnitude even, and if we're willing to pack light and load stuff on the roof we can get the four of us and gear for two or three nights into the truck pretty easy.

The 4th gen 4Runner is slightly larger than the 3rd gen, still not as big as the F150 of course. It'll still be better on the trails, but unless you find a rare Trail Edition you won't have the rear locker. Lots of the 10th gen F150s have a rear limited slip, so it might have an edge there depending on what sort of terrain you find yourself in. On the flip side, the 4.7L V8 in the 4Runner is frankly a much better motor than the 5.4L in the F150. Smoother, more power, more reliable, better mileage. I like the 5.4L, it's a solid motor, but that 2UZ is a seriously kickass engine.

Long story short, the 4th gen 4Runner would make an excellent platform for a daily driver/weekend warrior, probably better than the F150. Add a rooftop cargo box or small trailer and you won't lack for space to carry gear.