Well im moving to Arizona this fall and im wondering what if any precautions i should take before i move my truck there.

I know im definitely adding a tranny cooler..any ideas besides that folks?

 

get your AC serviced....lol Good idea on the tranny cooler!

 

Make sure your AC is running perfectly

 

flush your rad.

 

Where in AZ are you going? Some areas can be very cold in the winter, while others," like Havasu" average 110 daily in the summer. There's a reason the proving grounds are out there. Personally, I'd pay special attention to your entire cooling system.

 

Everything on my runner is stock and it runs fine in the summer. If you don't use your AC much in PA then you may want to get it checked out before you get here because you will use it here. One thing that may change for you is your oil type. Since it doesn't get very cold in the southern half of AZ you can use 10w30 year round.
Welcome to AZ!

-AZ resident 27 years and counting.

 

Buy some good sun screen

 

Yup, what he said, my Runner is stock and runs great in the summers. I keep up on my regular maintance and have had no problems (knock on wood) I did however just put in an Optima battery as they get killed pretty quick here with the heat.
Welcome to the Desert... 15 years here for me.

 

Moving to the desert?

definately gonna need long travel for that

 

Get a good map and explore all the open trails out there. You'll find that wheeling is much, much different there than in the east. There's a lot to explore. Enjoy it. I'm jealous as hell.

 

thanks for the advice guys.
I use my AC ALL the time in PA it gets hot and humid here

I am gonna have my cooling system checked out at the dealer..my temps are a little higher than i would like ..sometimes they hit 205.

I would love to get long travel but i dont think ill be jumping my ONLY and expensive truck off of anything anytime soon. haha

 

just stay away from yuma haha. i was stationed there for awhile. i was almost worried my tires were going to melt to the pavement. 120+ degrees.

 

I think this is the best advice so far!

 

5 gallon tote of water. seriously, you ought to get used to drinking a couple quarts of water a day min.

 

A big ol' hat... and maybe some spurs. Spurs are cool.

There is a pretty strong 4Runner scene out here and like others have stated a million miles of open trail and land to explore. You won't get bored... but you will get toasty.

Try this link. It's been pretty active lately and might be a good way to join in on some local runs when you are ready.
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f66/

 

I was born and raised in phoenix and am now attending college in tucson. Az is a hot place and a car can easily overheat out here. I would mainly focus on the AC and try to have all your windows tinted. If you can park your car in a garage cause the sun will eat away at your paint and the interior of your car. Not fun and ive seen it happen way to many times. Good luck and prepare for a HEAT STROKE!!!

 

Clean all that salt out of your wheelwells after you cross the Mississippi. If you've never been out here you'll be amazed how nice the engines/undercarriages look on older cars.

: Cleveland transplant here : Go Browns :

 

Lived in Mesa for 9 years, my 3rd gen did fine in the summer, it just gets a little worse gas mileage because you NEVER turn off the AC, night time low temps for the middle of summer are about 90, sometimes 85. You'll love the winter being 70-75 degrees and sunny every single day almost, BBQ season!

-check cooling system
-tranny cooler is a great idea
-check your spare and make sure it is adequate for use, your chances of using it are greater when the pavement is over 140 degrees
-Put good oil in it, I always stick to the manufacture recommendation, 10w30 is usually good for summer.
-Check your other tires, if they are dry rotted and old just be prepared to replace them if need be, again the hot pavement can be brutal
-If your truck is an auto, a remote start can go a long ways for letting your AC cool down so you don't get blasted with 130 degree air when you start your truck.

If you move anywhere close to the east side of the valley, look up a forestry/ranger station and get a hold of a map and code for Bulldog Canyon, it's a big closed off series of canyon's that has tons of wheeling available.

-Sycamore Creek is another popular spot
-Butcher Jones is cool to because you can connect with a really long trail that takes you up to the 4 peaks mountains and back down to a cove in Saguaro Lake. All three of these areas are on the east side of the valley and there is tons more available everywhere.

Have fun

 

Welcome to AZ. We have some of the hottest temps, the funkiest animal and plant life, and the biggest ditch in the world. I love it here.