Providence, RI to Amarillo,TX

[jimlc2006]

The trip is only halfway done but I thought I would add some thoughts.

First drove down the eastern coast and spent more than a month driving around FL. Then headed out west with the goal of Santa Fe, NM. Cruised through Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and wow, Texas is huge! No mechanical issues at all.

Some very minor concerns:

The lack of window tinting. I don't think I have ever been in a hotter car. My wife and my dog have been begging me to pull into a window tinting shop, but Rhode Island has strange laws about how much tinting you can have, so I will wait until I arrive home. What have some of you done with tinting?

The metal around the rear door sills are very thin. The slightest impact causes a dent with ease. I dropped my dog's leash and it made a dent. Has anyone added a sill cover?

Getting between 21-23 mpg. But I have a roof box, and bikes on the trailer hitch. Lots of extra weight and wind resistance. Only using premium.

Have hit the 5K mark and getting all these warnings for the first service, however, it looks like the 5K service is just tire rotation and inspection. Has anyone waited for the first oil change for service?

I had a 2006 Land Cruiser that I put almost 365,000 miles on, and I hated to part with that truck. It was a lot more solid build. But I do love the way this new one handles, smoother ride, better control at high speeds. And it really looks cool.

Any advice would be appreciated

Cheers

 

[APIOQM]

I can’t speak to the first two questions, but regarding oil interval, Toyota says 10,000 mi, but I would recommend doing 5,000 mi, especially if it’s the first one.

 

[ultane]

It should be easy to find out online what Maine allows for window tint. Having the tint done will make a huge difference in heat gain. Miss Daisy has tint on EVERY glass surface.

The Car Care Nut says we should get our oil changed every 5,000 miles. Get your oil changed.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[surf fishing offroader]

Go with ceramic tint, it makes a HUGE difference. Even clear ceramic tint works better than regular tint. I even have ceramic tint installed on my home windows (home version of window tint, works with double pane windows)

 

[jimlc2006]

Just to add an update.

Today finally took my LC off road in Santa Fe, went up to see where "Breaking Bad" was filmed. Saw the old Meth Lab Trailer!
At any rate, did use 4WL quite a bit, never any need for locking the center or rear diff. Did use the stabilizer unlock. Handled great all day. Just a couple of questions:

When I got the truck it was riding at 50 psi, I never thought anything about it, to go off road I dropped down to the mid 30's on all 4. When I returned, I looked at the door jamb and it advised 35 psi. Yikes! I drove from Providence to Santa Fe with 15 extra psi? What are you riding at for daily riding?

Almost bottomed out a couple of times, what do you think of the Toyota skid plates? Should I look at another company?

Thanks for your advice.

Cheers

 

[EOD Guy]

A higher PSI will give you a harsher ride with a slightly better MPG, but the center of your tread might wear faster than the outer edges. I run 36 PSI on the daily, 15 PSI in the sand.

Standard OEM skid plates, really aren't skid plates as they are referenced as "debris shields". The 1st edition has thicker, more robust skid plates.

 

[SD_Driver]

Go with ceramic tint, it makes a HUGE difference. Even clear ceramic tint works better than regular tint. I even have ceramic tint installed on my home windows (home version of window tint, works with double pane windows)

So true. Ceramic tint is the best way to keep the inside cooler. I do the same thing with tint on every window. If the LC has a moonroof, do that too. Use 70% tint for the windshield.