Northern 4R Adventures

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Well, I live in the woods for a reason. There's an epic 2 mile hiking trail I can get to from my backyard that I hike every time it's nice out. We're a 5 minute walk from Lake Michigan, and spend quite a bit of time chilling by the water as wife likes to rock hunt while I do some beach maintenance or whatever. I enjoy bird watching or wrenching on the truck or house that keeps me pretty busy overall without leaving my property. And even if I do leave, most of what I want to do is within a 20 mile radius of the house. For adventuring, there's more little towns within 100 miles of us than I can count, so even when we want to "get away" if we're not flying somewhere, it's 100 mile round trip to a new little town or spot to see. Since it's all a "tourist destination" there's stuff to see and do just about everywhere, so there's no need to drive far to do anything.

The furthest I'd have to drive for wedding or work stuff is Detroit, which is 500 miles round trip. This year, I flew more for work to NYC or client meetings wherever than I needed to drive to Detroit, and we don't have any friends that aren't already married. My sister's getting hitched next year in Arizona, so we'll fly for that (wife wants to buy a truck to drive back again amazingly) and that's about it.

Having few friends and a small family but living in an area with all your favorite stuff in it means driving long distances isn't really necessary. IDGAF that the 4R gets horrendous gas mileage, I don't even remember the last time I filled it up. I put rec gas (zero ethanol) in the S10 the other day to clean the fuel system and see how she runs, but most importantly because it'll probably be the last tank I put in it for 5 months.

Man this is the life.

Which is why I never drive that far away. I don't see the point since everything I want is here.

[D Griff]

All comes down to personal preference, I really prefer to be away from home 50% of the time and I really like where I live.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

All comes down to personal preference, I really prefer to be away from home 50% of the time and I really like where I live.

100% personal preference. When I lived in cities, we were away probably 50%+ of the time as well and I liked the places well enough. Thing is, most of the time we were going to the woods (camping, hiking, etc) so moving to the woods made good sense and has proven to be a solid decision since we never really want to leave.

I'm not sitting in the house 100% of the time. We chose to live in a neighborhood/area that has a lot of our favorite activities in it, so no need to leave/drive much. TC is neat because it has an epic local food scene and all of the normal big stores not far from town. Everything we want is within a 20 mile radius of our house, and it was a big draw for us to have forest living with easily accessible modern convenience. The entire point of our move was to live somewhere that we didn't want to leave.

Also, I've been to NYC 4x this year, Detroit 3x, Denver, D.C., Phoenix, Chicago, Grand Rapids, Green Bay,...that's all plenty of city activity for me. I'd rather live in the woods and visit cities vs the other way around.

[D Griff]

All comes down to personal preference, I really prefer to be away from home 50% of the time and I really like where I live.

100% personal preference. When I lived in cities, we were away probably 50%+ of the time as well and I liked the places well enough. Thing is, most of the time we were going to the woods (camping, hiking, etc) so moving to the woods made good sense and has proven to be a solid decision since we never really want to leave.

I'm not sitting in the house 100% of the time. We chose to live in a neighborhood/area that has a lot of our favorite activities in it, so no need to leave/drive much. TC is neat because it has an epic local food scene and all of the normal big stores not far from town. Everything we want is within a 20 mile radius of our house, and it was a big draw for us to have forest living with easily accessible modern convenience. The entire point of our move was to live somewhere that we didn't want to leave.

Also, I've been to NYC 4x this year, Detroit 3x, Denver, D.C., Phoenix, Chicago, Grand Rapids, Green Bay,...that's all plenty of city activity for me. I'd rather live in the woods and visit cities vs the other way around.

we certainly don't live in the woods (although we have tons of trees fortunately) but I couldn't live somewhere without MTB trails, woods to walk the , etc. within a 30 minute drive. I very much enjoy NYC but I don't think I could live somewhere like that where I felt 'trapped' in the city.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

100% personal preference. When I lived in cities, we were away probably 50%+ of the time as well and I liked the places well enough. Thing is, most of the time we were going to the woods (camping, hiking, etc) so moving to the woods made good sense and has proven to be a solid decision since we never really want to leave.

I'm not sitting in the house 100% of the time. We chose to live in a neighborhood/area that has a lot of our favorite activities in it, so no need to leave/drive much. TC is neat because it has an epic local food scene and all of the normal big stores not far from town. Everything we want is within a 20 mile radius of our house, and it was a big draw for us to have forest living with easily accessible modern convenience. The entire point of our move was to live somewhere that we didn't want to leave.

Also, I've been to NYC 4x this year, Detroit 3x, Denver, D.C., Phoenix, Chicago, Grand Rapids, Green Bay,...that's all plenty of city activity for me. I'd rather live in the woods and visit cities vs the other way around.

we certainly don't live in the woods (although we have tons of trees fortunately) but I couldn't live somewhere without MTB trails, woods to walk the , etc. within a 30 minute drive. I very much enjoy NYC but I don't think I could live somewhere like that where I felt 'trapped' in the city.

I love NYC. I get a kick out of going every time. It's fun to be around so much activity and be part of the hustle and bustle. But it's fun for like a week or two, then wanes. When I got back from my last trip, I got out of the airport and filled my lungs with the clean fresh air, I just felt immediately at ease and at home. Driving home along rolling hills, trees, and Lake Michigan, solidified that I just don't want to be anywhere else

[D Griff]

we certainly don't live in the woods (although we have tons of trees fortunately) but I couldn't live somewhere without MTB trails, woods to walk the , etc. within a 30 minute drive. I very much enjoy NYC but I don't think I could live somewhere like that where I felt 'trapped' in the city.

I love NYC. I get a kick out of going every time. It's fun to be around so much activity and be part of the hustle and bustle. But it's fun for like a week or two, then wanes. When I got back from my last trip, I got out of the airport and filled my lungs with the clean fresh air, I just felt immediately at ease and at home. Driving home along rolling hills, trees, and Lake Michigan, solidified that I just don't want to be anywhere else

That is the most you can ask for. I am semi trying to convince that we should move to UT now that we both work for Snap and our other HQ is out there. Access to the mountains daily would be so 5/7. Her team is based in UT and they go into the office 2X/week, so she will have to go to the CLT office because of reasons.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

I love NYC. I get a kick out of going every time. It's fun to be around so much activity and be part of the hustle and bustle. But it's fun for like a week or two, then wanes. When I got back from my last trip, I got out of the airport and filled my lungs with the clean fresh air, I just felt immediately at ease and at home. Driving home along rolling hills, trees, and Lake Michigan, solidified that I just don't want to be anywhere else

That is the most you can ask for. I am semi trying to convince that we should move to UT now that we both work for Snap and our other HQ is out there. Access to the mountains daily would be so 5/7. Her team is based in UT and they go into the office 2X/week, so she will have to go to the CLT office because of reasons.

Oh man, Utah/Colorado/NM is about the only places I'd consider moving.

[D Griff]

That is the most you can ask for. I am semi trying to convince that we should move to UT now that we both work for Snap and our other HQ is out there. Access to the mountains daily would be so 5/7. Her team is based in UT and they go into the office 2X/week, so she will have to go to the CLT office because of reasons.

Oh man, Utah/Colorado/NM is about the only places I'd consider moving.

So far it's a

I am very happy where I live, I just want to try something new for a sort of new adventure, I've traveled a ton but never lived anywhere but NC and FL, living somewhere is very different than visiting, even for a longer term trip or multiple visits.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Oh man, Utah/Colorado/NM is about the only places I'd consider moving.

So far it's a

I am very happy where I live, I just want to try something new for a sort of new adventure, I've traveled a ton but never lived anywhere but NC and FL, living somewhere is very different than visiting, even for a longer term trip or multiple visits.

Preaching to the choir. I've lived in a ton of different places, and really enjoy the diversity.

I've been wanting to move to Utah (St. George/Hurricane area) for over a decade, could just never make it work with jobs. That's now different, but we also really like where we are for a change, so we'll probably just travel out there more and maybe eventually buy a 2nd place.

[SAWCE]

I love NYC. I get a kick out of going every time. It's fun to be around so much activity and be part of the hustle and bustle. But it's fun for like a week or two, then wanes. When I got back from my last trip, I got out of the airport and filled my lungs with the clean fresh air, I just felt immediately at ease and at home. Driving home along rolling hills, trees, and Lake Michigan, solidified that I just don't want to be anywhere else

That is the most you can ask for. I am semi trying to convince that we should move to UT now that we both work for Snap and our other HQ is out there. Access to the mountains daily would be so 5/7. Her team is based in UT and they go into the office 2X/week, so she will have to go to the CLT office because of reasons.

We could for snowboard trips in Utah.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

That is the most you can ask for. I am semi trying to convince that we should move to UT now that we both work for Snap and our other HQ is out there. Access to the mountains daily would be so 5/7. Her team is based in UT and they go into the office 2X/week, so she will have to go to the CLT office because of reasons.

We could for snowboard trips in Utah.

5/7 would shred gnar in Utah with

[SAWCE]

We could for snowboard trips in Utah.

5/7 would shred gnar in Utah with

We drove to our local resort on Saturday just to let the pup run around in the snow further down the mountain. Quick hour drive. Beats living in San Diego for sure with a 3 hour minimum to get to Big Bear. for this season. I’m shopping for new gear right now on the work laptop lol.

[D Griff]

That is the most you can ask for. I am semi trying to convince that we should move to UT now that we both work for Snap and our other HQ is out there. Access to the mountains daily would be so 5/7. Her team is based in UT and they go into the office 2X/week, so she will have to go to the CLT office because of reasons.

We could for snowboard trips in Utah.

I would need to learn to snowboard or ski better, but I think it could be a lot of fun.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Decided to tackle the speaker upgrade yesterday. First of all, just like Max found with his Taco...



I'm absolutely shocked by the stock speakers. I didn't know a magnet could be so small. The metal piece on the back is the entire magnet, everything else is just plastic structure. I'm amazed they made much sound at all.

I've always liked Infinity speakers. I've put them in many cars in the past, the boat, and now the 4R. Crutchfield had them on half off for Cyber Monday, and they came with adapters for the wiring and mounting. overall and it was pretty much plug and play and pretty for $70.

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-ChpGaTjIx ... 632ix.html

The result is pretty phenomenal, but after seeing the stock speakers, I think ANYTHING would be an improvement. The best sound comes from all EQ settings set to neutral, which is one of my personal benchmarks for success. Pretty pleased overall, now the audio system is 5/7.

Removing the door panels was pretty NBD, just 3 screws and a bunch of clips. Unlike GM vehicles that I'm used to tearing apart, the clips on the 4R seem to be designed to be removed without getting destroyed. The biggest PITA as I suspected was putting them back on. Getting the top window seal to seat on the inner door metal took some major effort and but I got them eventually and am looking forward to never removing them again.

I could see how adding a sub would make the system a real banger, but I'm not sure I'm willing to deal with the hassle and sacrifice the space. It's pretty solid as-is now, bass is surprisingly decent as-is. Updating the rear doors with real speakers would probably improve bass just a bit more, and I may consider it in the future. Probably going to call it good .

[Tar]

I might do this in the summer, those stock speakers are and at the same time.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

I might do this in the summer, those stock speakers are and at the same time.

It's that the stock speakers make any noise at all. They felt fake.

Not sure they use the same speakers in the Camry, but if you're looking to improve your audio, start with speakers. JUST the speaker upgrade made a big difference in my 4R. And all I did was the dash speakers and front door speakers, cost me under $200 in total (thanks to cyber monday and homie hookups) and it made way more of a difference than I expected.

[max225]

Decided to tackle the speaker upgrade yesterday. First of all, just like Max found with his Taco...



I'm absolutely shocked by the stock speakers. I didn't know a magnet could be so small. The metal piece on the back is the entire magnet, everything else is just plastic structure. I'm amazed they made much sound at all.

I've always liked Infinity speakers. I've put them in many cars in the past, the boat, and now the 4R. Crutchfield had them on half off for Cyber Monday, and they came with adapters for the wiring and mounting. overall and it was pretty much plug and play and pretty for $70.

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-ChpGaTjIx ... 632ix.html

The result is pretty phenomenal, but after seeing the stock speakers, I think ANYTHING would be an improvement. The best sound comes from all EQ settings set to neutral, which is one of my personal benchmarks for success. Pretty pleased overall, now the audio system is 5/7.

Removing the door panels was pretty NBD, just 3 screws and a bunch of clips. Unlike GM vehicles that I'm used to tearing apart, the clips on the 4R seem to be designed to be removed without getting destroyed. The biggest PITA as I suspected was putting them back on. Getting the top window seal to seat on the inner door metal took some major effort and but I got them eventually and am looking forward to never removing them again.

I could see how adding a sub would make the system a real banger, but I'm not sure I'm willing to deal with the hassle and sacrifice the space. It's pretty solid as-is now, bass is surprisingly decent as-is. Updating the rear doors with real speakers would probably improve bass just a bit more, and I may consider it in the future. Probably going to call it good .

Ah ! Looks like Toyota is putting the exact same garbage into the 4R as well. Isn’t it amazing how shitty those things are ? Yet somehow they make noise … it’s to say the least.

[Valkyrie]

It doesn't take much mass/power to make a lot of noise if you stay light on the bass.

[D Griff]

Those truly are the smallest magnets I have ever seen on a speaker of that scale

[Tar]

I might do this in the summer, those stock speakers are and at the same time.

It's that the stock speakers make any noise at all. They felt fake.

Not sure they use the same speakers in the Camry, but if you're looking to improve your audio, start with speakers. JUST the speaker upgrade made a big difference in my 4R. And all I did was the dash speakers and front door speakers, cost me under $200 in total (thanks to cyber monday and homie hookups) and it made way more of a difference than I expected.

There's exactly zero chance mine are any better. I don't crank my radio, but when I have on occasion, they sounded better then these appear. I don't want to play with anything plastic until we're back into t-shirt and shorts weather, but I'll probably revisit your and Max's purchases and do something similar.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

It doesn't take much mass/power to make a lot of noise if you stay light on the bass.

Yep, this is exactly the problem. These are the main sources of bass in the vehicle.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Decided to tackle the speaker upgrade yesterday. First of all, just like Max found with his Taco...



I'm absolutely shocked by the stock speakers. I didn't know a magnet could be so small. The metal piece on the back is the entire magnet, everything else is just plastic structure. I'm amazed they made much sound at all.

I've always liked Infinity speakers. I've put them in many cars in the past, the boat, and now the 4R. Crutchfield had them on half off for Cyber Monday, and they came with adapters for the wiring and mounting. overall and it was pretty much plug and play and pretty for $70.

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-ChpGaTjIx ... 632ix.html

The result is pretty phenomenal, but after seeing the stock speakers, I think ANYTHING would be an improvement. The best sound comes from all EQ settings set to neutral, which is one of my personal benchmarks for success. Pretty pleased overall, now the audio system is 5/7.

Removing the door panels was pretty NBD, just 3 screws and a bunch of clips. Unlike GM vehicles that I'm used to tearing apart, the clips on the 4R seem to be designed to be removed without getting destroyed. The biggest PITA as I suspected was putting them back on. Getting the top window seal to seat on the inner door metal took some major effort and but I got them eventually and am looking forward to never removing them again.

I could see how adding a sub would make the system a real banger, but I'm not sure I'm willing to deal with the hassle and sacrifice the space. It's pretty solid as-is now, bass is surprisingly decent as-is. Updating the rear doors with real speakers would probably improve bass just a bit more, and I may consider it in the future. Probably going to call it good .

Ah ! Looks like Toyota is putting the exact same garbage into the 4R as well. Isn’t it amazing how shitty those things are ? Yet somehow they make noise … it’s to say the least.

$50k vehicle and these are the stock speakers? It was truly shocking. The margins must be insane on these things.

I actually put them in the Infinity speaker box to save for later, then realized how that is and threw them in the garbage.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

It's that the stock speakers make any noise at all. They felt fake.

Not sure they use the same speakers in the Camry, but if you're looking to improve your audio, start with speakers. JUST the speaker upgrade made a big difference in my 4R. And all I did was the dash speakers and front door speakers, cost me under $200 in total (thanks to cyber monday and homie hookups) and it made way more of a difference than I expected.

There's exactly zero chance mine are any better. I don't crank my radio, but when I have on occasion, they sounded better then these appear. I don't want to play with anything plastic until we're back into t-shirt and shorts weather, but I'll probably revisit your and Max's purchases and do something similar.

I did these yesterday when the temps were 37F. Sun was out with no wind, so it wasn't too bad. The door panels came off better than I expected, and they're pretty pliable since they're new.

I rarely crank the tunes either. The wife asked me to upgrade the speakers, and she NEVER recommends spending money on vehicles. The stock speakers were THAT BAD.

[max225]

Mine are still in the "kicker" box...

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Mine are still in the "kicker" box...