Can You Overland in a 5th Gen RAV4?
The Toyota RAV4 has been a consumer favorite for years and with the rise of popularity in Overlanding, it leads a lot of us wondering just how capable this mid size SUV is. Overall, the 5th Generation of the Toyota RAV4 is a great vehicle for overlanding and provides a ton of useful storage and is very comfortability for long road trips. As far as off-road capability, some models do utilize an AWD system that can be great in sticky situations. Here are some of the key features, disadvantages, and useful modifications so you can Overland with your RAV4.
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Off-Road Capabilities and Features
From the factory, the 5th Gen RAV4 doesn’t seem very capable for Overlanding to most people, but it’s actually pretty functional off-road. While it’s no rock crawler, it can definitely get you just about anywhere you want to go. The models that come with the automatic AWD torque vectoring system make it even better and allow you to get traction in some uneasy terrains and run through them with ease.
One of the biggest complaints that RAV4 owners make is the arrival and departure angles. Since the 5th Gen RAV4 sits lower to the ground and has a longer front and rear bumper, these angles are honestly not that great if you plan to be using them in situations where you will need to navigate through drastic hills and bumps.
If you choose to opt for the TRD Offroad or Adventure model, you get a nice assortment of multi-terrain selection buttons to help your AWD system navigate through terrains such as mud, sand, and snow. These can be super helpful as they can change the dynamics of the transmission to send power to all four wheels at different torque depending on the terrain selected.
One of the awesome things about using the RAV4 as your overland adventure rig, is that it has plenty of storage and cargo space available to store your gear inside to keep it protected. With folding seats, you can easily make more room in the hatch to fit large equipment or even customize the storage options with molle panels, storage crates, or even custom DIY drawer systems.
Modifications and Accessories
Since the 5th generation of the Rav4 is still pretty new and upcoming in the overlanding scene, there isn’t a lot of aftermarket support for them just yet. As time goes on and their popularity grows I’m sure there will be more available but for now, here are some basic mods that I recommend.
Lift Kits
Accessories
SmartLiner Floor Mats - Hybrid - Non Hybrid
Victory4x4 Center Console Mole Panel
Rigd Supply UltraSwing Hitch Carrier
Roof Racks
So Is It Good for Overlanding?
While the 5th Gen Rav4 may not be the most extreme offroad vehicle that you can buy, for the price, fuel economy, and with some basic modifications the Rav4 would be a great overlanding vehicle for those that are looking to hit more minor trails and just explore nature.
If you are looking for something for more extreme situations, it definitely isn’t the best option out there but with enough modifications just about anything is possible.