A few years ago at Windrock Park in Eastern Tennessee… I put myself in an amazingly high-centered situation that left my 2010 4Runner in a precarious stance with no option to reverse out. With the nose of the truck pitched up and the nearest winch point 40 feet in front of me… I found myself pushing all the boundaries of what my hidden winch mount could do when clamped onto the aluminum frame of the stock bumper. 
When I finally self-recovered… I had bent the front bumper housing down 2 inches and cracked the frame on my Smittybilt winch. Knowing that this truck was not going to be my primary wheeling companion much longer… I took my truck back to Pekin, removed the broken winch, and did an “adequate” job of a facelift.
Fast forward several years, and I still find myself wheeling the 2010 4Runner… Affectionately (and for obvious physical damage reasons) called “Treehugger”. The newer 2017 TRD PRO 4Runner replacement has always seemed like too nice a vehicle to risk damaging on rough trails.
So, when some friends said, ” Let’s go to Pittsfield, Illinois, to the Two Rivers Off-Road Club spring event,”… I knew the old stalwart was going to make the trip. It’s taken me ten years to cool down from my last off-road adventure on the muddy trails of Pike County with the former Jeep Club of Western Illinois … But, like an elephant that drives off-road trucks, I never forget where I landed some of my biggest dents on the truck.
The event was May 15-16, 2026. Over two days, Treehugger again found itself pressed up against trees and hitting rev limiter while trying to do the most basic movements in the black mud and tall wet grass. “Swamper” worn power hills found me backing up and pounding the skinny pedal to power my Toyo AT tires in hopes of getting to the top without assistance. Many times, it was not enough… About 5 times during our 6-hour run, I found myself at a halfway point on an obstacle, waiting patiently for a volunteer to hook my truck up to the winch of a guide truck to keep our caravan moving.
What occurred to me on the drive home was my giant tactical error years ago when removing that winch.
If I had a winch… I would not be overworking the skinny pedal to climb obstacles. If I weren’t overworking the skinny pedal, I would probably have less damage on my rig. The overcompensation to avoid getting stuck definitely cost me more than the cost of repairing the winch years ago. Not to mention the time I took away from those around me who had to wait their turns.
Oh, and don’t get me started on the right tires for the event… That’s another post entirely.
If you want more info on the 2 Rivers Off Road Club, check out the links below:
https://www.tworiversoff-road.com/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069216079221
