[Tundrav4]

Hi, new to the forums. we own 2 Toyotas, the 2003 Rav4 4x4 has an issue similar to the above. My wife had the check engine light come on about 3 weeks ago, then the oil light started to flicker. We had it in the shop, nothing the mechanic could find wrong other than a little low on oil. ran good for a couple weeks, then same thing again, but now the engine has a rapping noise after you drive it for 10 minutes. Our mechanic is 20 minutes away, so on the way over, I stopped, shut it off, and then waited a couple minutes. Oil gauge reads full, I added a half quart prior to heading out. No puddles, no drips, nothing on the undercarriage or top side, or in the coolant. Started back up, running fine, no warning lights on. 10 minutes later, same thing again. Our mechanic thinks its too big a job for him, has sent us to the big boys where he thinks it will run $2000 to square it away. His diagnosis shows an oil pressure of 10 psi. My question, is the repair bill on an oil sending unit/pump/oil pan removal going to run that deep? Does it require a engine pull to get at the pieces? Shop rates here are $80 an hour. I have heard on other model years that not using specifically toyota oil filters can screw this up and I dont know whats under there, or that there might be a screen/oil filler tube thats gummed up internally, can this be the cause?
Lastly, is it safe to drive another 10 minutes to the new garage, or should we have it towed?

Thanks for your input (And we trust our mechanic).