Hey, welcome to the forum!
Regarding the snow wheeling, did you see the
Deep Snow Tires and
Snow Wheeling 101 articles I wrote? Those will cover some of the basics. I plan to revise and add more content as time permits, but if anything isn't clear, let me know.
Low low low air pressure. This is the big "secret", so don't tell anyone. I usually start at about 4 psi and drop to 2psi or even 1 psi as needed. So you need to to plan on some On-Board air. I highly recommend the A/C pump conversions. CO2 tanks are pretty popular as well. Since extremely low air pressure is a must, you need to have a tire and wheel combo that work well together, or beadlocks, to prevent loosing a bead.
When it comes to tire shopping, get the tallest radial mud terrain tire you can afford. Something in the 35-36 is a good starting place...however taller is better. I've been running the Super Swamper Radials for many years now. Not a lot of people give this tire a second thought, but I think it gives a lot of bang for the buck. I also like nice tread blocks that will take lots of siping. If the choice is between some sweet 33" IROKs, or some 35" brand-X, I'd take the brand-x every time. Thus far, I'm not really convinced one radial absolutely dominates any other. Some others may disagree. The guys running in the Blue Mountains seem to really like the Baja Claws. I think they are pretty spendy though. I think Wil up in BC is really liking the Claws too. I haven't had an opportunity to seem work in person.
Lastly a locker or two will definately help. For strictly snow wheeling, I'd lean toward locking the front first.
Right up there with low air pressure is driving style. In short, if your tires are spinning and you're not moving, then you're your doing it wrong. High speed assualts on the snow are fun as hell, but it's rarely the best technique.
Once you get a few basics down, you'll be able to make a lot of folks look plain silly.
Since I've mostly been a ford guy, I can't really offer much advise on the Toyota. Hopefully there's toyota snow wheeler lurking that can offer some advise. As low as possible, and as high a necessary, is generally a good rule of thumb. Looks cool too! Cut those fenders! Stay away from blocks as they tend to cause excessive axle wrap.
Toyotas are a pretty solid base for a snow wheeler. Really shouldn't take much to get it snow worthy.
Anyway, welcome aboard. I hope you'll stick around. Forum has been pretty dead, so bring a friend
If you have any specific questions, ask away!
