u/mayjamest

Hello Redditors of the off-road variety!

I am making the move into the 4Runner world and am a bit intimidated by the lineup and options. I will be doing the following with my 4Runner and am curious if everything checks-out:

-Towing my little boat around (<4000lbs)
-Hitting many national parks and camping (CA/AZ/OR/WA/NV/UT)
-Stuffing the vehicle with things like my surfboards, mountain bikes, climbing equipment
-Light to moderate off-roading, primarily service roads, dirt roads etc. to get to rivers/lakes/summits
-No extreme off-roading like bouldering or crawling etc.

I am looking at the base 2026 SR5 model w/ the 4WD option, as I don't think I will utilize anything on the higher models. As this will be my only vehicle, and I need to commute during the week, I am purchasing new for maximum reliability/warranty/etc., not interested in a used vehicle as my only car. I am sure at some point I will get better off-road capable tires and maybe some suspension upgrades, but that is probably the extent of upgrades. It is hard to justify a $5k-$10k price difference for higher trims when I doubt I will every need/use any of them. This will also be my first 4WD off-road capable vehicle, so my skill and comfortability on what off-road challenges I take on will be mild, at least to begin I'd imagine.

Anyways, curious on the communities thoughts and input on the above, perhaps some advice or anecdotes as to why a base model may or may not be the right move?

I made a post earlier this week about a recent freelance trip, and there were some passionate anecdotes about the Southern California freelance/charter scene. I am curious to hear about what your favorite AND least favorite boats are in the region for going out and getting fish. I'd say the following weigh into the judgement criteria:
-Friendliness and knowledge of the crew
-Customer service as a whole, from the galley to the deckhands
-Captains willingness to move around and find fish even though it burns fuel
-Vessel condition and amenities

I'd love to hear what boats you guys run, and which crews you have written off due to bad experiences. I'd say the range for this is from Oxnard/Ventura all the way down to San Diego.