Mastercraft offers its customers several custom options. As such, we were able to select some featues that not only bump up the cool factor, they also make the seats that much better.
First, the custom colors.
The 4Runner is black outside with a tan interior. If there's a bummer to this factory color combo, it's that black paint shows water spots, dust, and dirt, and tan fabric shows spills and stains. Tan fabric camouflages smudges slightly better than pure white, but not much. When searching for a 4Runner, a V-6 4WD proved to be a tough combo to find. There were plenty of V-6 2WD's to be had, and V-8 4WD's were also in generous supply. Finding a V-6 4WD that was in good shape at the right price was like finding a hammer in a haystack--not quite as tough as finding a needle, but it still took some digging and effort. Color, inside and outside, was secondary.
That said, the color combo really does look nice, and it was great to be able to match the factory scheme with the seats. On the www.mastercraftseats.com website, there's a feature that lets you change the colors on the seats and view the results on-screen. That way, when you order your seats, you'll know how they'll look.
The next custom feature chosen was the removable, adjustable headrest. Depending on your height, you may or may not hit a fixed headrest at the ideal height. The adjustable headrest lets you tailor the headrest height to something more ideal. It's also cushier than the fixed headrest.
Sure, there are plenty of cupholders in the 4Runner, but have you ever tried to take a drink when the terrain is really bouncy or when the trail tilts you into odd angles? It's not easy. One more disadvantage is that most water bottles don't hold that much water.
Camelbak hydration systems have been the choice of hikers, mountian bikers, soldiers, and other outdoors-people for many years now. Mastercraft offers a built-in Camblbak for its seats. Camelbak hydration systems place the water in a reservoir and let you drink through a tube. The Camelbak reservoir is bigger than most water bottles and holds an afternoon's worth of H2O inside.
There are more custom features to tell about, but each blog permits a maximum of three photos, so we'll continue next time.