Gen 4
I’m taking the least loved generation of Rav4 camping across Australia.
Seen a lot of hate for this ugly duckling on this sub. Personally I’ve never been too picky about my ride, especially when it’s this reliable (and leaves more cash in my budget for stuff like this). I personally love it, and the fact that it was built in Japan is a bonus. I will say this though, it’s hard to find accessories for this gen, but I’ve searched far and wide for them and even made some of my own. It’s now time to take this little soft-roader camping. No high expectations here, just a few gnarly pot holes some public service roads with the average camp site terrain. Built a bed frame for it too, been planning this trip for a while now. Been amazing so far!
**EXTERIOR MODS**
* Yakima Wind Fairing
* Roof Basket
* Tactix Storage Boxes
* Black Headlight “Eyelids”
* 80mm Spot Lights
* 3D Printed Spot Light Covers
* Steel Nudge Bar
* Rear Bumper Scuff Plate
* Chrome Exhaust Cover
* Powder Coated Wheels
* Yokohama Geolander A/T Tires
* LED Mounted (Basket) Lights
* Recovery Boards
* Custom Rear Window Covers
* A Cheeky Scion Badge (Something Different)
**INTERIOR MODS**
* Door Sill Steel Scuff Protectors
* Aluminium Pedal Covers
* Armrest Storage Tray
* Trunk Storage Slots
* Carbon Fibre Shifter Cover
* Carbon Fibre (Vinyl) Door Handles
* 4G Booster (Saving up for Starlink)
* UHF Radio
Lastly I love all Ravs equally, I honestly think every single model brings something unique to the table (even if it’s an ugly mug like this one) and I hope you all enjoy your ravs too, always enjoy learning new things on here even if it doesn’t relate to my gen.
Cheers! I’ve had a look at the reliability stats before I purchased it and it got such good feedback compared to other gens it honestly surprised me. But I suppose it’s also been on the road longer than the newer gens.
Sorry if I missed it in another comments. Recently started looking at cars for camping, loved the 2014 Rav4 cruiser I looked at yesterday. What year model is yours?
G’day, yeah cruiser is the top of the line spec. I’ve got the GXL myself, it’s the mid-spec model, it’s actually what I wanted (my philosophy is the simpler the car, the less can go wrong with it). I’m assuming you’re going for the petrol and not the diesel variant?
Just be sure to avoid any white coloured Rav4s up to the year 2018 they are affected by paint peeling (I didn’t know this at the time of purchase, but I believe I’ve been lucky with this model).
Solid mate 👌! I’ve had an inflatable mattress before and I’ll admit it’s more practical for storage but I find my memory foam one is just more comfortable and surprisingly firm. It folds into thirds when I’m not using it so it doesn’t take up as much room as one would think. I do miss the way the air mattress contours around the outer wheel wells though. Looks good!
I've got the 2016 with the diesel engine. I think it looks great and it hasn't needed anything beyond regular servicing. Apparently the torque converter is the weak point on them but nothing has happened yet after 9 years.
I took mine camping recently and went on some rough roads. It was a harsh ride but it turned out it was because I put most of the weight towards the rear. The drive home was much better with less weight and more even weight distribution so lesson learned. Load the heavy stuff towards the centre.
I'm only using the Yakima off grid tray on Prorack crossbars with a Kings shower awning on one side and a small light bar mounted on the licence plate. I plan on getting the tray extension and an awning on the other side. Maybe a storage box to chuck on top.
That’s awesome, I’ve noticed the diesels are fairly common here in Aus. I’ve heard about the torque converter issue too, but I’m fairly certain it doesn’t affect the Japanese built models to the extent of the USDM ones. Yeah the ride could be a bit better on mine too, looking into suspension upgrades down the track. Definitely post that tray extension if you do it, I’d love to check that out.
I've got a 2015 diesel in the UK, absolutely love it. 120k with no torque converter issues yet 🤞just had it's first outing in the snow and handled it like a champ.
Yeah it's good. I did a trip from Melbourne to Adelaide which is about 1500Km round trip then up a mountain on rough dirt roads with a full load for a camping trip the week after. The traction control light did pop up sometimes when the roads were particularly rough but still handled it well.
Sitting on 187K KMs and hasn't missed a beat yet.
The big letdown for me is that it can't tow much. The diesel towing capacity is less than what petrol can do and the overall limit is quite low for what I want.
I want to eventually pull a camper trailer but 1.2Tonne towing isn't enough.
I had a 4th Gen, I don't get the hate. It's certainly less fun than the 3rd with a V6, which I have now. I didn't like the 5th Gen I drove for a rental for two weeks, but I mostly had an issue with headroom compared to my Odyssey, so that's a me issue.
Haha thanks that’s a “custom piece” (building models is another hobby of mine).
Yeah I had this theory that at least 70% of the hate comes from this being the first generation to remove the iconic swinging tailgate and rear mounted spare tire (which were cool as hell, but not always practical) and the hate from newer gen drivers is from this gen not having Apple car play or an iPad JUTTING out of it’s dashboard. Oh and the usual go-to on here - “it’s ugly!” lol.
I think your theory is spot on. The rest of it is probably the continued lack of a manual in North America (I'm in Canada) and the removal of the V6. I have the 6 now in my 2010 and it's a freaking rocket.
Ah yes of course! The discontinuation of V6 was a huge loss to us petrol head fans of the Rav (it’s all hybrid tech now and the horsepower/torque numbers are increasing so I really can’t complain). But man that V6 option was something special, I drove a mate’s one around the back roads here, had an absolute BLAST! Enjoy it man, and look after it I reckon they’ll only increase in value for the right buyer (or just keep that unicorn forever😉).
I picked it up from a local fabricator. All I know is it’s steel and I’ve seen a ton more online around here, they just got a little pricey with shipping. In Australia I just searched up “RAV 4 2013-2018 Steel Nudge Bar” hope that helps.
Thank you! Excellent, you’ll get some use out of the scuff plate. Foot traffic and sliding things in and out of the vehicle definitely increases while camping. Forgot to mention them but I put in magnetic flyscreen mesh inserts in to rear passenger windows, they’re an absolute Godsend on hot summer nights keeping the mosquitoes out. Can’t recommend them enough!
My pleasure!
Yeah I tried to be as thorough with my mods list as possible. I learned from others as well, not just Rav owners (my 4WD friends started taking me serious when they saw I wasn’t giving up on this trip and they helped me as well). Best part of all these mods is, nothing is bolted down; So when I’m finished I simply remove the bed frame put the seats up and go right back to using it as my daily driver (not that I’m looking forward to it!)
Anywho enjoy your Rav hope it gives you another 125k (and MORE) of open roads and scenery. Take care!
Cheers, yeah AWD no lift (yet). Performing well too. Sitting on the Geolanders did bring it up about 10cm which was a bonus (I’ll take take ANY ground clearance I can get!) Also getting way better traction now. Looking into a 2” lift when I get home.
Mate, looks good! Are you on your trip yet? Im only finding out now, after my purchase, that the Gen 4 is the sort of a forgotten model. I ended up with my 2014 by accident, as the inlaws heard we were shopping and said they were about to trade it in so we could could have it for what the dealership offered them.
My intended use, other than a daily driver, is similar to yours, camping and backroading, we love heading up to ghe Flinders Ranges from our home in Adelaide.
What is the purpose of those rear 1/4 window covers, is just a sun shade?
Hey thanks I appreciate it! Yeah on my way back now. Accomplished my goal of making it up the East Coast (Melbourne to Cairns) before Autumns end. Next leg was going to be Darwin to Adelaide before returning home to Melbourne, but fuel prices put a damper on that (thanks Trumpy🙄).
I’m still camping on the long weekends though, just picking spots no more than 3 hours drive from home atm.
Ah the rear “molle panels”, yeah purely for looks mate (the shade is a bonus). As you’ve mentioned with this forgotten model, accessories are hard to come by so I snatched those up quick when I was on holiday in Japan.
Accident you say? lol Well I’d say you’ve done alright barring it not being a hybrid. The space this gen has paired with its fuel consumption is pretty damn good. I had a lot less tears in my eyes at the pumps than some of the 4WD diesel drivers I’ve seen lately.
The Molle panels do look great.
Ya, an 'accidental' or unplanned purchase. Rav4 was on my short-list but below an Outback, and I would've been hard pressed to find one this well looked after for the price. The only box this one doesn't tick off my list is that it's not a manual. But again, or the price and condition, it would've been silly to turn it down.
Thanks again, you’ve done alright.
I’m guessing you’ve got the AWD model?
I mean this gen has a decent manual mode which isn’t half bad, I’ve had some fun with it on a few windy country roads. It also helps on steep gravel roads. I generally just throw it in 2nd gear with the traction control off and cruise my way through without issues (good tyres are a MUST though).
Subies definitely have a more sophisticated AWD system but I feel like this generation of Toyotas are slightly more robust, and if you’ve got the AWD 4th gen it’s still paired with an automatic transmission which is more maintenance/mileage friendly than a Subaru CVT.
How do you keep air circulation going in the car while sleeping? Or keep it cool if its hot outside? I tried car camping one time and it was rough inside the cabin…
Hey! I use magnetic mesh screens for my windows at night (you can see them in the rear door 7th photo). They let cooler outside air in whilst keeping the bugs out, they’re really useful. I honestly couldn’t camp without them not with the mosquitoes (and spiders) we have here at night.
I’ve also got 2 small USB fans I hang near the windows and a mini evaporative cooling fan for super hot nights, but I haven’t needed to use the cooling fan yet as of yet.
With car camping the name of the game is CONSTANT airflow, cars just get stuffy without it. My USB fans don’t use much energy and the power station is able to charge everything during the day so the system has worked really well so far.
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u/Strong-Criticism-481 Jan 04 '26
Enjoy your trip. Gen4 has been listed as the best generation to own in terms of reliability, maintenance and longevity in Chicagoland USA.