Make The Most Out Of Your Overland Adventure With These 8 Expedition-Ready Trailers & Trailer Setup Options For The 4Runner
This Week’s Topic: Overland Trailers
Welcome back to another Feature Friday! If you missed last week’s FF, we asked owners about their Mud-Terrain Tires choices and what they liked about them. This week we are taking a look at seven expedition-ready 4Runner trailer options that will take your overland experience to the next level.
Overlanding has exploded in the last two years in part due to the pandemic. The urge to get out and explore this beautiful country and see what it has to offer has never been higher. For most people, this usually entails heading to a park with a simple tent and some camp essentials. This is really all it takes to get off the beaten path and escape the city. Some people, however, want the best of both worlds, including the kitchen sink, literally.
There is currently a booming market for overland camping trailers. If you’ve got the money, some trailers have quite literally everything. Depending on the model, you’ll find creature comforts ranging from a hot shower to Starlink Internet!
For a true glamping experience, some super high-end trailers can get up into the neighborhood of $75K. There are options in between, obviously, as well. There is also the growing popularity of DIY setups, as you will see with two of our submissions below. Heck, one is practically free99 when it’s all said and done.
Check out these awesome 4Runner trailer options and be sure to DM the owners if you have any additional questions about their setups!
Overland Camping Trailers
1. Esteban Davis (@bound4_somewhere) – Sunray Model 109
Key Trailer Details
- Full kitchen (sink, cooktop, three-way refrigerator)
- Water heater w/ 16gal water tank
- Air conditioning w/ solar
- Weight: 1280lbs (dry)
- Price: $10,000 (In 2018)
What Do You Like About Your Setup?
The setup is very quick – pop open the door, pull out the sliding bed, and you can sleep two adults and a dog in no time. The trailer is not the heaviest duty build but it’s held up well to mild trails and plenty of backroads. It provides good shelter to get out of the elements during inclement weather. The creature comforts like air conditioning and propane heater are a plus too. The AC can be run off a small generator when power is not available.
2. George Cabral (@yoda_out) – Turtleback Trailers Expedition
Key Trailer Details
- Full birch wood kitchen w/ partner steel 18” stove & deep stainless sink
- 42-gallon water tank & 6-gallon Dometic hot water heater
- Guzzle H20 stealth water filtration system
- Dual AGM 100amp hour battery system w/ 180w Sunflare Xplor solar panel
- CVT Mt Hood 60″ tent w/ a 23zero 270° awning & shower room
- Timbren axle-less 3500HD suspension
- Weight: 3100lbs (loaded)
- Price: Expedition models start at $29,995
What Do You Like About Your Setup?
This setup allows my family to hook up and hit the road for an adventure at any given time. The tested engineering and quality of this trailer leave us with no doubts when out on the trail. With the Turtleback Trailer being built right here in the USA (Chandler, AZ) this thing has been thoughtfully designed, built, and tested.
Overall functionality is key. Everything has a function and a purpose and is designed for ease of use. The overall design can be as basic or as extravagant as you want based on your needs and budget. Using the kitchen is like cooking at home. The layout, prep space, partner stove, and Dometic sink make cooking good meals off-grid and cleaning up afterward so easy.
The power system of the trailer partnered with the Sunflare solar panel keeps the dual AGM batteries topped off. This allows us to keep our Snowmaster Fridge, Starlink, lighting, and electronics charged up at all times.
Setup and tear down of the trailer is quick and easy. Coupled with its amazing capabilities, this thing has been a game changer for our adventures.
3. Brad B (@ghost_4runner) – DIY
Key Trailer Details
- 5 spoke Tundra/Sequoia wheels
- RTT
- Mini fridge
What Do You Like About Your Setup?
This trailer is super easy to set up and the added storage is a big bonus!
The trailer started its life as a light tower generator for construction sites. I paid $450 for it from an auction and sold the light tower, nonrunning generator, and fuel tanks for $400. I then traded the axle for a lift and added six bolt hubs to fit up matching split 5-spoke Tundra/Sequoia wheels.
Next, I sanded all the decals and paint off then primed and painted the trailer black. I added a RTT on top and plywood on the floor in the enclosure for a mini fridge. The rest of the space is used for camping gear.
4. Rob Laur (@roadlesstrvld) – RLT Adventure Trailer (DIY)
Key Trailer Details
- All-aluminum construction
- Torsion axle
- Weight: 900lb (dry)
- Fully insulated
What Do You Like About Your Setup?
We traveled cross-country (and back) in our RLT Adventure Trailer that we built from the axle up. It has an all-aluminum trailer mounted on a torsion axle that is the same track width as the 4Runner. The trailer’s dry weight is around 900lbs and is fully insulated with 1″ thick foam panels. It kept us in comfortable temperatures ranging from 20 degrees up to the high 90s.
The track-width of the trailer, length of the tongue, and lightweight made towing it 7,500 miles a dream. We drove through tight trails, winding single-lane roads through national parks, up and down mountains, and through cities with zero issues.
The trailer is fairly compact in size but comfortably fits two adults and two dogs with room to spare. Due to the compact size and perfect geometry, we never had a problem with parking or turning around in tight spaces.
5. Matt Adams (@4runnerd) – Mission Overland Summit
Key Trailer Details
- 15′ fully aluminum on a steel box frame w/ pop top quarters
- 270° Awning
- External hot water shower w/ 37-gallons of fresh water storage
- Slide out dual zone 69-liter Truma fridge & freezer
- Slide out Dometic kitchen w/ dual burner stove & sink
- Dual propane tanks, on-demand hot water, Truma heater & Zero-Breeze portable AC
- Timbren axle-less suspension w/ 22 inches of ground clearance
- Dual LiFE Battle Born batteries w/ RedArc Solar controller & inverter
- Weight: 3500lbs (loaded)
- Price: $45,000+
What Do You Like About Your Setup?
I really enjoy having all the comforts of camp ready to roll with the option to leave it behind while I explore. The kitchen and hot water are fantastic to have anywhere. Being a tall guy, the 6’5″ standing room in the camper’s rear is wonderful, no more getting dressed while laying down!
The 360° max coupler has been impressive on pretty extreme angles with no worry of the trailer getting caught up on a traditional ball mount. It’s a bit heavy for a 4Runner when traveling up the steeper passes, but it’s manageable. I just slow down and enjoy the views.
6. Robert Coppersmith (@copperfamilyadventures) – TCTeardrops
Key Trailer Details
- Queen mattress with bunk bed
- Diamond-plate undercarriage
- 45° HD 3,500 lb de-rated torsion axle with 10″ electric brakes
- Lock N’ Roll articulating hitch
- ARB awing/deluxe screen room / Batwing 270° awning
- Kickass shower room
- Weight: 2400 lbs (loaded)
- Price: ~$18k as optioned
What Do You Like About Your Setup?
This setup is the ultimate mix of convenience and mobility. It’s compact and rugged enough to haul down any rough road, two-track, or fast-food drive-through you encounter. This trailer is also spacious enough to sleep a family for the duration of any adventures.
A huge selling point for us was the bunk bed option that provides a queen bed down below and a kid-sized sleeping platform above.
Another thing I have to mention is the incredible after-sale support that TCTeardrops provided us. We purchased this trailer used, and they took it into their shop to add several additional options to it within a very short timeline. They even hauled the trailer back to us!
7. Faith & Blake G. (@backpackingculture) – Turtleback Getaway
Key Trailer Details
- ICON Vehicle Dynamics suspension
- Relations Race Wheel RR5s with Cooper S/T MAXX tires (matched to the 4Runner)
- KC HiLiTES Cyclone V2 rock lights
- 200ah LiFePO4 dual Battle Born batteries
- Victron system w/ charging stations & Garmin PowerSwitch (self-built)
- Rear door MOLLE panel
- CVT Ranier RTT
- Weight: ~1,500 lbs
- Price: $18,000
What Do You Like About Your Setup?
You truly can’t beat Turtleback Trailers! What we love most about our setup is its capability and build quality. This trailer goes wherever we want it to go without any issues. The independent trailer suspension and the Max Coupler hitch make towing off-road a breeze!
We love that we have plenty of storage, a seriously comfortable tow, and all of the amenities (fridge, oven, shower, etc.) at the ready when we are on the trail!
8. Kory Davis (@offgrid.runner) – Off Grid Trailers
Key Trailer Details
- Front Storage Box
- 1000 lbs Roof Rack Load
- 31 Gallon Water Tank
- Independent Suspension
What Do You Like About Your Setup?
The OGT Switchback is 1300 pounds dry, so you barely feel it behind the 4Runner whether you are on or off-road. It is built completely out of metal, so there is no wood or composite to rot or crack.
The front storage box has 40 cubic feet of storage that can be used to hold all of my gear and camp supplies. The roof rack can support up to 1000 lbs of static load, so rooftop tents, bikes, and more are not an issue. For water, the system has a 31-gallon tank and a hot water on-demand unit that supplies both the outdoor shower and sink.
The fully independent suspension has 21 inches of ground clearance, ensuring the trailer will follow anywhere my 4Runner will tow it.
Final Thoughts
I absolutely love the concept of overland trailers, especially if you take the DIY route like two of our features did. Overland trailers are most definitely the way to go to achieve the most at-home experience while traversing the outdoors. There are plenty of options out there for nearly all budget levels, from DIY to over $75K. If you’re in the market, I hope this week’s Feature Friday gave you an idea as to what might fit your needs best.
For me, it’s all about the DIY baby! I love the portable light trailer conversion done by Brad. His entry had me looking at GSA Auctions while I was trying to write this article, haha! So freaking rad!
We want readers to get inspired by a variety of rigs/products. Submit your build for Feature Friday here to get featured. Next week we will be showcasing some of the coolest Wrapped 4Runners Instagram has to offer. If you would like to submit your build for next week, include your setup details and an awesome photo that shows it off.
Have a great weekend everyone!
What do we really think is the max weight trailer a 4Runner can safely tow in winter in snowy mountains? And what features do I need to ensure towing safety in that environment? I know the GVWR and all that. But real world experience > math. There are some trailers that mathematically I could tow, but seems less safe to be cutting it close in winter driving.
A little on the larger side at 17′, but at 3400# with 40g of fresh water, a shower, 4 burner cooktop, solar, and comfortably sleeping 4 brought the OP4 to the top of our list. We can pack light on longer bounding trips or heavy for longer stays and have all the comforts we could need!
This is the perfect comment for me. I’m buying a 4Runner in the next 1-2 months and had been eying up the OP4 as well for some cross country camping/hunting trips. Needless to say I was curious if anyone had any experience with that combo and how it would tow, so thanks for your input!!
Is anyone running airbags to counter the increased tail weight? Or with your suspension improvements, was that enough (heavier springs, etc)? Thanks!
We pull an Opus OP4 and currently only have the Icon 2″ springs under the rear with their rear upper control arms. They sag pretty good when we’ve loaded out the camper and truck with our gear and the dogs. I know some have added Firestone airbags and we’ll probably do the same. I’ve got some reservations thinking I’ll be losing some articulation, but it’s not a rock crawler (yet), and I prefer a level ride and not bottoming out!
This picture is trailer and truck unloaded
Man who engineered the plug so far away from the hitch?
I am trying out a SumoSpring coil “helper” to see if that helps the sag and suspension feel. It was really easy to install and probably equally easy to uninstall for when it isn’t needed.
An Australian who thought it made sense… I’ve seen some hacks for it but I’m not inclined to mess with it until/IF it becomes an issue. We’ve taken it down some rough trails and it’s handled flawlessly so far!
We love our Taxa TigerMoth!
Yes, B-rian! We have a ’19 TM as well and just added an iKamper Skycamp 2.0 to the mix.