Fiver, - you are probably a good bit colder than we were, but modern thin oil is your
friend, if the motor will live with it.
We had the 4Runner parked at the road, about a 125 yd snowshoe trek from the house
for 13 days, including -7F one night and right at -3F to 0F a number of nights. It just
cranks up on the key every time. The 4WD is excellent, on snow have never needed
the chains yet, regular Michelin LTX tires do just fine. Open diffs front and rear, but
the antiskid braking is tasked with keeping any wheel from spinning, so works like
a perfect differential. I had wheels in the air out in Arches Park a few years back
when crawling over holes and rocks and it still went with a wheel or two in the air.
I did have the center diff locked at that point, and was in low range. I like my old
4Runner.
If the 4Runner were to not start, the only option in winter would be pull the battery
and take it to the house in the toboggan, then put it on line with the house battery
system (BIG 12v batteries) until it was charged, tow it back in the toboggan on snowshoes
and put it back it. Glad I have never needed to do it. I do keep ether at the cabin,
but have needed it with this vehicles. The old 85 S10 Blazer did need it sometimes, the
can stayed in the vehicle in the winter.
Bill