If you'd asked me a couple years ago, "How long will you have the 4Runner?" My response would have been something along the lines of, "Forever." Or at the very least, "Until @mini.turbodb needs her first car."
I surely didn't think we'd be selling it after just a couple summers.
But, as it turns out, the plans for how the 4Runner fit into our lives just didn't work out the way we'd envisioned it. Sure, it was great for those family outings that we'd bought it for - the kiddo sleeping inside, and @mrs.turbodb and I in the CVT on the roof. In fact, we had some fantastic trips in exactly that configuration:
Family 4Runner Adventures
Family 4Runner Adventures
But it turns out that we didn't end up using it for much more than that, and only a few times each year. Plus, we realized that all of the camping we do with @mini is essentially "base camping." That is, we drive to a spot - usually one that's quite accessible via nicely graded gravel roads, set up, and hang out for a few days.
And we could do that in @mrs.turbodb's car - as long as we sleep in a ground tent. See, we'd planned to get rid of the car when we got the 4Runner, but never did due to it's comfort and higher speeds on longer (non-camping) trips.
Now, before I could sell the 4Runner, it needed to get cleaned up. Not that it was all that dirty - we'd been careful about keeping it well maintained as we do with all our vehicles - but I figured that I might as well cash in the "Detail your car" charity auction that I'd bid on from my good buddy Dave. Whatever I paid to charity for this cleaning was well worth it. Not only did I get to watch my former boss detail my truck, but his wife came home in the middle of it and was thrilled to see him working away with a toothbrush, and me snapping photos. 
Soap, of course.
Dave is a details guy. Always has been. I wasn't surprised by the toothbrush.
Vacuuming I get. But the engine bay too? No amateur here folks.
Once the 4Runner was looking as snazzy as ever, it was time for a few photos to show it off. Not hard, really, all things considered.
And with that, it went up on Craigslist. Once it did, it went quick. The best news: the family that picked it up arrived in a 1993 Land Cruiser. And they already owned a '99 4Runner. Yes, this one was going to be loved.
For posterity, here's the Craigslist ad for the 4Runner.
Click the image to enlarge.
So, for now, we're 4Runnerless. We'll see if it lasts. We are, a little bit, hankering after a little Japanese van like this - because, well, it looks fun. But dang, JDM vans are not cheap. Not cheap at all.
Wow! Buffed! I cried the day I gave my '86 4Runner to my sister as a wedding gift. And to make things worse, her new husband rolled it on a country road two weeks later. So sad! How did you like those Dura-Tracs? Happy with mine. Cheers, Paul
Yeah, bittersweet for sure. The Duratracs are great tires IMO. They seem to have a bad rep from some folks (Duraflats, LOL), but for me, they work well across various terrains. Things I like about the: great mud and snow performance; reasonably soft compound; as C-load tires, they provide a cushy ride (compared to my E-load ST/Maxx on the Tacoma at least). Really, they and the Maxx are the only really good hybrid AT/MTs out there (the last time I looked). If they had 255/85R16, I'd probably have them on the Tacoma as well.
Well, that was a bit painful. Painful for me, because I missed out on buying it from you, but also because I could “feel your pain” from here.
Although I’m sad not to have the chance to own this one, I do have my eye on another one that looks totally stock, so I’ll be referring to your stuff as long as you have it up.
Thanks for sharing the journey.
Thanks Ken. Definitely bitter sweet on this one. And by all means, reach out with any questions!