Feature Friday: Jordan Van Calster's Do-It-All Overland 4Runner Build

Some builds are made for one thing. Jordan Van Calster's 4Runner was made for everything.

Known as @vancalster_offroad on Instagram, Jordan built his blue 5th Gen around a simple philosophy: one rig that can get him to every trailhead, crag, and summit on his list. Secret hiking spots, canyoneering descents, rock and ice climbing, snowboarding missions, Moab rock crawling, snow wheeling, camp cooking - and hauling his dog to all of it. If it involves the outdoors, this 4Runner is the way he gets there.

It's a build with real range: full armor underneath, a rooftop tent and full camp kitchen setup on top, custom storage where the seats used to be, and a mods list that reads like someone who actually uses every single piece of it. This week's feature is a rig that works as hard as its owner plays.

Basecamp on the Roof

The most visible part of Jordan's setup is what lives up top: a Prinsu Pro full roof rack carrying a Sterling Adventure Co Wasatch Double Channel rooftop tent. The photos tell the story better than any spec sheet - the tent deployed at sunset with the Tetons on the horizon, a campfire going, dinner on the way. That's the whole point of this build, right there in one frame.

Inside, the 4Runner is set up like a rolling basecamp. The third row is deleted in favor of custom drawers, the second-row passenger seat is gone too, replaced with custom storage, and Bevinsee rear window MOLLE panels and a Zarges cargo box keep gear organized and out of the way. When your hobbies need this much equipment, the interior has to work as hard as the suspension.

Armor First (Almost)

Underneath, this rig is properly protected: a C4 Fabrication Lo Pro front bumper with a 12k Badlands Apex winch, full aluminum skid plates from CBI Offroad, and rock sliders from Cali Raised LED. It's the kind of protection that lets you stop thinking about the rocks and start thinking about the line.

Jordan's one regret isn't a mod - it's the order he installed them in. If he started over, he'd go rock sliders, skid plates, lift and tires, front bumper and winch first, and save the roof rack and rooftop tent for later. Everything's on the rig now, but his advice is worth hearing for anyone early in their own build: protect the truck before you accessorize it.

Skinny 33s and Bilsteins

The suspension is a well-proven combo: Bilstein 6112s up front with a 2.5-inch lift, Bilstein 5160s with reservoirs in the rear paired with Dobinson 3-inch lift springs. Underneath are Falken Wildpeak AT4Ws in 255/80/17 - tall, skinny 33s that cut through snow and mud instead of floating on top of it.

It's a setup that makes sense for someone whose year includes snow wheeling, Moab slickrock, and towing a loaded trailer now and then. No extremes for the sake of extremes - just the right height, the right tire, and shocks that can take the beating.

Light It Up, Air It Up

Night wheeling and camp setup are covered: a Heretic Studio 30-inch amber light bar and BA-2 flush mount chase lights, Auxito ditch lights and interior lights, Lasfit rock lights, all run through an Auxbeam 6-way switch panel. When the trail gets dark or the camp needs setting up after sunset, he's not fumbling with flashlights.

Recovery and tire care are equally sorted. A Rhino USA kinetic rope and soft shackles live on board for the stuck moments, a Smittybilt 2781 compressor handles air, and a Morrflate quad setup gets all four tires aired back up at once. It's the unglamorous gear that separates a good day from a long one.

What He'd Do Differently

Jordan doesn't regret a single mod; he says every one has paid off in its own way. But his build-order advice is the takeaway: sliders, skid plates, lift and tires, bumper and winch first. Roof rack and rooftop tent after. If you're staring at a stock 4Runner wondering where to start, that's a roadmap from someone who's already driven it.

You can also follow along with his adventures - offroading, hiking, and climbing - on his YouTube channel at @JVCOFR.

You can follow Jordan and see more of the build on Instagram at @vancalster_offroad.

Want to see your 4Runner featured next? Submit your ride for an upcoming TD4R Feature Friday.