fjc magazine october 2009 volume 2 issue 4

8/14/2019 FJC Magazine October 2009 Volume 2 Issue 4

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TECH

16 Winch Comparison

29 Ricochet Front LCA Skids

October 2009 - Volume 2 Issue 4

On the Cover:A VooDoo Blue FJ gets

tippy at the ThirdAnnual Thrill on The

Hill over Labor DayWeekend.

CONTENTS

FEATURES

6 2009 FJ Summit

12 Expedition Wheeling: Planning

14 2009 Thrill On The Hill

20 OffRoad 101: Which Tire To

Choose?

22 Featured Rig

26 Kenwood DNX-7120 Follow Up

28 New Products

30 FJ Cruiser Groups &

Clubs

31 Events Calendar

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For FJ Cruiser Owners & EnthusiastsColorado Springs, CO 80915

www.c-mag.com

EDITORIALPublisher

Shane Williams

Photographer / Editor in ChiefAngie Williams

CONTRIBUTORSLance Blair

http://www.disabledexplorers.com

Additional FJ Summit 2009 PhotosKristin Kritz

http://gallery.me.com/ttalias#100159

Additional Thrill on the Hill Photos ByJake Quinones - New Mexico Backroads

http://newmexicobackroads.blogspot.com/

"TOYOTA", "FJ CRUISER" are registered trademark

of Toyota Motor Corporation. FJC Magazine is noaffiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, orsupported by Toyota Motor Corporation, Toyota

Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. or any of Toyota'saffiliated companies. These terms are used fordescriptive purposes only, and not to denoteaffiliation or connection with Toyota Motor

Corporation.

All content in this magazine is licensed under thCreative Commons Attribution-No Derivative

Works License. For details, visit: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/us

Reviews, opinions, comments, and ratings of anproduct do not represent endorsement of said

product by FJC Magazine, its editors, orpublishers.

From The Staff

This issue marks the second full year of FJC Magazine, and its been incredible! Weve been able texperience more events than ever and have met FJ Cruiser & Toyota enthusiasts from around theglobe. We are constantly amazed at how great the community is, and its still growing! The 2010Cruisers will start arriving at dealers soon, and sales of used FJs are continuing to rise.

Our last issue was the most successful ever, achieving a distribution of over 6,000 copies in justthree months. Traffic to FJC-Mag.com has increased over 150% since 2008, and were seeing visitfrom nearly every country on earth. It is through the good will and thoughts of the FJ Cruisercommunity that we continue to grow, and we thank each and every one of you for your support

FJC Magazine stands ready to serve our readers through 2010 and beyond. See you on the trail!


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2009 FJ SummitOuray, Colorado


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Running Black Bear on the first day of theSummit is quickly becoming an FJC Magtradition. This year Justin from Stay The Trailrode shotgun in the FJC TRD and took somepretty amazing photos. We had a great group ofdrivers, so it didnt take long at all to get to thefun part of Black Bear; the Drop Off. Wedecided to hang out with Bill Burke & Graham

Jackson to get some pics and video of the FJstackling that section. We then headed downthe switchbacks and managed to snap morethan a few pics of FJs flexing. Between Justinand I, we snapped over 400 pics that day, andstill couldntbegin to capturethe amaz ingviews.

Friday night was night on the town at this yearsFJ Summit. A change put into place this year, therewas no group meal served on Friday so thatSummiteers would have an opportunity to visitsome of the local establishments in Ouray. MetalTech went above and beyond by sponsoring horsd'oeuvres and beer (along with the infamous MetalTech pint glasses) at the Historic Western Hotel.During that event, Mark from Metal Tech startedan impromptu raffle to help raise money forRescue Tellico. The fund raising continued at the

big raffle on Saturday, where Mark pledged tomatch the amount donated dollar for dollar. Thisgreat idea ended in over $1,200 being donated toRescue Tellico. FJ Cruiser owners really do care!

StartingdownBlackBear

HeadingupImogene

Graham Jackson of Overland Training talks an FJdown the Drop Off on Black Bear Pass

T2s 2WD Ti on Black Bear

See the 09 FJ Summit Video on theFJC Magazine YouTube Channel


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For the first time at the FJ Summit, we volunteeredto lead a group over Imogene Pass on Saturdaymorning. Angie was nice enough to drive thefirst part, so I could get some really cool videoof the ride up Imogene with our large group(Check out our YouTube channel for thevideo). There were a couple less experienceddrivers in our group, but none of them had

any problems at all and before we knew it wewere at the midway stop. Some of the morechallenging obstacles near the top of ImogenePass have been cleaned up since last year, sothe rest of the way to the summit was prettyuneventful, except for the absolutely amazingviews of course! I took over driving on thedownhill side of Imogene, once again with noissues. Everyone in our group did a great job ofdriving the whole day, we're excited to leadmore runs next year. It is a lot of fun and a

great way to meet everyone! Toward the Summit of Imogene PassPhoto by Rich (TRDemon)


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The infamous Saturday night raffle definitely did notdisappoint this year! There were literally hundreds of greatprizes given away, and it proved to be an amazing fundraiserfor the event as well as local organizations. Tim, Seth, andthe rest of the organizers and volunteers did an outstanding

job of keeping things moving and entertaining the crowd.Unfortunately, despite my promises of great articles andcoverage, we did not win the supercharger. Maybe next year!

For three great years the FJ Summiteers have headed toOuray for wheeling, friends, and FUN. We thank theorganizers & volunteers once again for their countless hoursof hard work & dedication to make this an amazing FJCruiser event. We look forward to FJ Summit #4 in 2010 andcant wait to see everyone in Ouray once again.

Do you have a great story and/or pics from the FJ Summit? E-mail them to [email protected] & well add them to theReaders Thoughts section of this article on the website.

Above tree line on Imogene

Lined up on the summit of Imogene Pass


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BeginningofBlackBearPass


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Expedition FamilyBy Lance Blai

http://www.disabledexplorers.com

When it comes to expedition style travel ma

of us have that classic image of the soexplorer traversing dissolute dunes or fightithrough dense jungle. In reality, it is more liketo be that other classic scene with dscreaming "don't make me pull this truck ovewhile the wife sits with her arms crossed athe kids in the back pinch and punch eaother. Well truth be told, with a little pplanning, some habit changes and a bit of potrip debriefing your family will transform intolaughing, talking memory making machine.

The first change to make is within yourself. Youare no longer a husband, a father or a boyfriend.Instead you are a professional expedition guidewith paying clients who want to experience

backcountry travel. There is a pleasant lady andher kids and they may be experienced campers orcomplete greenhorns, it is up to you to find thisout through your pre-trip interview. Just like aprofessional guide you want to make the routesomething they will enjoy, so ask about interest,desired trip duration, preferred time in vehicle vs.in camp, dietary desires and any other concerns.Then involve your family in meal and routeplanning. Make sure you research the history andculture of an area so you will have fun tidbits to

toss out that can transform any old dirt road intothe Emigrant Trail with it's tales of death,suffering and hardships. Your meals can tie intothe route as well: bacon and beans match up tothe Great Plains while Fajitas would be perfect inthe desert Southwest.

Make sure to balance the time in a seat with thetime out of the rig. The younger your kids or thenewer to overlanding your family is, the more

frequently you should stop. Activities like takinpictures, jumping on rocks, exploring old cabinsitting in the shade, brewing a cup of tea in thClassic British Style are just some great times yo

can have out of the vehicle. But like any truprofessional you will be constantly on guard fochanges in mood, hunger and comfort with thweather. Another professional level practice is tmake sure all persons have plenty of windowspace for viewing and ventilation. Nothing worse than everyone else seeing cool things whi

you are stuck in a middle with only your toes anthe headliner to look at.It is always a wise rule to setup camp plenty ear

to ensure enough daylight for vehicle check ovemeal prep, hygiene and campfire time. Dependinon your children's nature they might enjoy havintitles and roles like Expedition Medical OfficeSupply Steward, Camp Chief or ExpeditioCombustible Fuel Officer, that can change the duduty of gathering firewood into a sacred oath noto fail your Office.

Comfy in camp makes all thedifference when facing

another dirt road day in Baja


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Hygiene means more than just washing yourhands before meal prep. For wives, girlfriends,teenagers and even some younger kids, a hotshower and change into camp clothes can be amiracle transformation. A stainless steel sprayerwith a RV style spray handle set on a camp stovecan provide a couple of gallons of hot waterwhich is plenty for a quick soap and rinse.

Our family has switched over to a Fire Dancerportable propane fire pit to ensure that no onehas to suffer the sting of smokey eyes. Not onlyare we no longer carrying firewood, we also haveeliminated the chance of insect or snake bite thatcan come from scrounging in the desert. Alsohere in the desert southwest there are often "nofire" times that would rule out a regularcampfire. For our family there is nothing better

than that time after a meal when you are sittingaround a fire talking about what life must havebeen like back in the day.

Now that I have planted picture perfect momentsin your mind I am going to risk the wrath of

children across our country by saying you shouban all electronics except navigation ocommunications. No music players, portabgames, DVD players or other devices that allo

your family to disengage from each other and thland. Of course there will be the horribwithdrawal of life without electrons but bmaking sure you are armed with some historcultural information, stories of pioneer strugglegreat adventures or other fun facts then you camaintain a steady conversation with a bit opeaceful quiet. My rig does have a near NASlevel of electronic upgrades but they are all paof the adventure and open to use by my familThe ham radio makes for fun trail chatter witother rigs in our group or reaching out to distanrepeaters if we are solo. The laptop navigatiosystem is often run by my 11yr old, he still glow

when I refer to him as the Official Navigator foour Continental Divide Expedition. And my wilikes to pick out classic books on CD from thlibrary or to read short bits we can then discusas a family.

Research turned upthese emergency

beacons on the DevilsHighway.

Changed the flag on aBoy Scout Monument

while traveling the

Devils Highway.

Continued on page 22


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The third annual Thrill on theHill event was held this yearoutside Cloudcroft, New

M e x i c o on L a b o r D a yWeekend. The HQ headquarters for the event was Camp of theTall Pines, high in the mountains near Weed, NM. Nearly 70 FJCruisers made the trek this year, the weather cooperated (forthe most part), and everyone had an amazing time!

On Friday everyone got registered and some decidedhit the trail before the group photo. The town ofCloudcroft was nice enough to let TOTH participantsblock off the street in front of the historic buildingsin town. The pics turned out great!

We wanted to take a second to thank everyone thhelped us on the Upper Pendleton trail run at the Thrill othe Hill. While running through a puddle one of our relower control arm bolts came loose and fell out. Luckeveryone on the trail with us (especially Paul Bearce & hson) chipped in to get us fixed and rolling again. Pahappened to have an extra bolt & nut with him, as heexperienced this same problem in the past. Thanks to h(and everyone elses) generosity and good will, potentially dangerous situation was avoided.

To avoid this issue in the first place, always make sure yocheck the torque on all bolts regularly, and use a goothread locker product to ensure your bolts & nuts statight!

Photo By Jake Quinones

Photo By Angie Williams




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On Sunday morning,FJs were lined up atthe staging areas nice& early. We werescheduled to runU ppe r P e n d l e t onCanyon with a prettylarge group. Brandon

Burling, the organizerof the event, led ourgroup up the trailw i t h h i s t r u s t ysidekick. After a dusty

drive to the trailhead, everyone got aired down and we were ready to hitthe trail.

Most of the trail is very tame, with a 3/10 rating at the worst. There are afew optional obstacles that allowed us to test our FJs a little bit. Themost popular obstacle on this run was an optional tippy section that

really showed how well balanced our FJs are (as you can see on thecover). After watching so many different FJs go through this obstacle, itspretty clear that our Toytec Ultimate lift adds flex. While many of thetrucks got very tippy, our run through the obstacle was a little more level.

Continued on page 2




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Winch ComparisonBY SHANE WILLIAM

Weve all seen dozens of winch comparisonsthat usually conclude with Buy X-Brandwinch, because its the best. We agree that

if youre looking for a winch that youll usethree times a day every day, youll want tospend as much money as you can afford ona competition-grade winch. The reality isthat for most of us, the winch is aninsurance policy that will rarely be used.However, on the very rare occasion that weneed it, we want it to work.

The purpose of our winch test was toensure that the various winches tested

would work on a moderate obstacle. Welooked at details such as: Pull speed, ease ofuse, perceived power (non-scientific), andbest practices. We want to stress that ourwinch comparison was not an enduranceor show down type of test. We wanted toshow that the winches we tested (all makesand models) would work just fine with ourtest FJs.

Once again we had great support from the local Colorado FJ community for this comparison.Our test trucks included:

Ken (Turbo Truck) | Sandstorm FJ | Fab Fours bumper | Bulldog Winch | Standard cable

Brian (BriansFJ) | Sun Fusion | ARB bumper | Smittybilt XRC8 | Standard cable

Denver (Denver Hagar) | Black Diamond | ARB bumper | Warn M8000 | Standard cable

Shane (Shane4x4) | TRD | Aluminess bumper | Smittybilt XRC8 | Masterpull XD 5/16 Synthetic

Adam (FJinCO) | Titanium Silver | Expedition One bumper | SuperWinch EPi9.0s | Winchline.com syntheti

Nos (FJNos) | Titanium Silver | ARB bumper | Warn M8000 | Standard cable

And special thanks to Taft (MountainMan) for his help spotting & keeping everything running smoothly,

as well as James (token Jeep guy) for his patience.

Adam winches up the obstacle

u o nc

m


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Our test obstacle was a fun little hill just northof Woodland Park, Colorado called Moab Hill.Its about the most difficult obstacle this closeto Denver & Colorado Springs, so it was perfectfor our test. There are multiple lines up thishill, for our test we used the easiest (moderate)line so we could have a good test. We want topoint out that every FJ in the group could make

it up the obstacle without winching, but thetwo shelves made a perfect test bed for a realworld winch test.

Most of our winches had to be set up properlybefore we could use them. It's very importantto wrap the cable onto the winch under loadbefore you try to use it. The common rule ofthumb is to put about 500lbs (such as anothervehicle) on the winch line as you reel it in. Thiswill set the first wraps on the drum really tight

so they won't bind while winching. Make sureyou do this before you need to use your winch.

The first noticeable difference in the winches

line speed. This obviously relates directly to thamount of load on the winch, and the amount available power (See Winching & Power belowUnder load, the fastest winches werSuperWinch and Warn, which was expecteThe Bulldog was slightly faster than thSmittyBilt, but both winched just fine. ThSmittybilt was noticeably faster when winchinwith only one wrap of cable on the drum (vtwo or three).

Winching & PowerWhen winching, always make sure youkeep the RPMs on your FJ above idleThis ensures that your alternato

supplies as much power as possibleThe standard alternator in an FJ putout 100 amps, which is a little lowethan the 200+ amps required by moswinches under load. Also let your Fidle for a while after winching torecharge your battery. This is where dual battery setup would come in veryhandy.

The test obstacle was moderate, butproved a good test for our winches


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How easy a winch is to use comes downto two aspects: The bumper youre usingand the clutch release. All the winchestested had a similar clutch release leverexcept the SuperWinch, which uses a pull& turn release. That could be an issuewith bumpers like the ARB that hide thewinch. It takes a small hand to reach into the ARB to move the lever. Its also

difficult to observe the winch line beingreeled in on the ARB. Both the ExpeditionOne & Fab Fours bumper expose the topof the winch so its easy to get to therelease and see the winch reeling on tothe drum. The Aluminess bumperfeatures a removable door that allowseasy access to the release, and goodvisibility of the winch. If you have abumper that leaves the winch exposed,

you may want to consider a winch cover.

Another best practice when winching is to make sure you leave one wrap of rope on the drum. Thtechnical specs on your winch show that its highest rating is with most of the cable off the drumEach wrap/layer of cable on the drum decreases the power of any winch substantially. One way tincrease your power on a short pull is to use a snatch block, this gets more cable off the drum so yoget more power. Be careful though, on most winches, the cable is attached with a single screw and onwrap is needed to secure it. Since our Masterpull cable is only 80ft long, we mistakenly rolled toomuch cable out before winching. The screw held through the pull, but it ended up sheering off fromthe drum.

Synthetic line, such as this MasterPull XDis much safer than standard wire cable

A blanket should be used on top of steel cable tohelp absorb the energy released if the cable breaks.


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If you don't use your winch regularly,here are a few tips to make sure it'sready when you need it. At leasttwice a year, or before a big trip, re-wrap and inspect your cable for any

damage. Replace damaged cablebefore using your winch. Make sureall your connections are solid andthat your winch remote is in goodworking order. Make sure yourbattery & alternator are strong andnot degraded in any way, sincewinching will test the limits of yourcharging system.

Just like many FJ mods, the winch you choose will greatly depend on your intended use. If youre a hard core wheeler that will bewinching 'regularly', a higher end competition level winch may be better for you. This also goes foranyone that does many deep water crossings, you'll want to spring for a submersible winch. If you'remore moderate and will rarely (if ever) use your winch, then a less expensive 'self-recovery' winch maybe a better fit. Of the 6 test trucks in our group, no one had ever needed to use their winch forrecovery. At the end of the day, every winch performed great and left no one stranded.

Kens Bulldog winch easily pulls him up the obstacle

A snatch block helps get more power out ofyour winch on short pulls


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With over 40,000 miles on our original BFG AllTerrain tires, discussions of what our next tireshould be have begun at FJC Magazine

headquarters. A quick Google of off road tires yields more than 300,000 results, so we wontfind any answers there. Heading to the wheels &tires section on FJCruiserForums.com shows alittle more promise. There are dozens ofdiscussions on virtually every option. Still, thetire you choose is (like many things in the FJworld) a little like religion. Thats true for us aswell, our family has owned seven different 4x4vehicles in the last 10 years, and weve run theBFG A/T tires on all of them.

Requirements As weve grown in the sport of 4x4 driving andhave attended many more events and trail runs,our thoughts on what make a good tire havechanged a little. First, we want a tire that willperform above average on the street, since our FJis a daily driver. We also want very good allweather performance. In Colorado, we drivethrough rain, snow, and ice very regularly, oftenall on the same day. Any tire we choose must

perform well in all these conditions.Offroad performance is obviously very importantas well. Were not into the idea of changing ourtires every time we want to do a trail run, so weneed a tire that does as well off road as it doeson the pavement. While we spend much of ourtime on rocks here in Colorado, we've had morethan a few muddy days in the last year or two.We want a tire that will perform adequately inmuddy conditions, so we dont end up stucksomewhere with no way out. Our next set of

tires should also look good. After all, our FJ is thebranding for this magazine. A sharp, aggressivetread pattern is an essential feature of the nextset of tires we choose.

Plenty of optionsLuckily for us, in the last few years severalhybrid off road tires have been introduced.Manufacturers marketing information points

out that these hybrid tires have great on roadAND offroad performance. New blends of rubbethat wear longer and provide more traction

promise to give us everything we want. Factorysiping is supposed to help overcome the poowet & icy performance of previous mud terraintires. Nearly every manufacturer has some typeof hybrid that looks great and should providegood performance. Which one do we choose?

Which Tire To Choose?


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Weve narrowed the list down to these sixoptions.The pros & cons listed below have been gathered fromaround the internet, and are not guaranteed to beaccurate.

Toyo Open Country M/TAvg Rating: 8.2/10

What people are saying:Pros: They're sturdy, very puncture resistant,plenty of great reviewsCons: A little noisy on the highway, heavy, pricey

Avg Price: $239/ea (285/75R16)

Nitto Trail GrapplerAvg Rating: Not Available (Terra & Mud GrapplerAvg Rating: 8.5/10)What people are saying: Initial reports on thesetires are very positive

Pros: UnavailableCons: UnavailableAvg Price: AROUND $170-$200/ea (285/70R16)

Goodyear Wrangler DuraTracAvg Rating: 8.6/10What people are saying:Pros: Quiet, good hybrid choice, good rainperformanceCons: Little stiff, since theyre relatively new, lon

term wear data is not available yetAvg Price: $187/ea (285/75R16)

BFGoodrich M/T T/A KM2Avg Rating: 8.7/10What people are saying:Pros: Amazing offroad capability, very aggressivetreadCons: Not great in snow & ice, wear quickly

Avg Price: $228/ea (285/75R16)

Firestone Destination M/TAvg Rating: 9.0/10What people are saying:

Pros: Wear well, inexpensive, heavy dutysidewallCons: A little noisy, not as much ride control asother tires

Avg Price: $190/ea (285/75R16)

Pro Comp XterrainAvg Rating: 7.0/10

What people are saying:Pros: Wear well, good offroad performanceCons: Not great in ice & snow, a little noisy,expensive

Avg Price: $243/ea (285/75R16)

So now that we have all the specs, details, areviews, we can figure out which tire will best for us. If youre thinking of new tires, whiset will you go with? Checkout the poll www.c-mag.com and let us know yo

thoughts. In the January 2010 issue, well revewhich set we went with and cover the install well. Dont miss it!


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Of course you have been itching to hear some talkabout gear and I would never let you down in

that regard. Beyond the already mentionedshower sprayer, think like a professional andmake sure your travelers will be warm or cool atnight as needed. One fun trick we do when thetemps rise is to dampen bandannas and twirlthem around to increase evaporation, this is anold pioneer trick along with hanging damp sheetsto cool a sleeping area. Once again you have away to look like a wise expedition leader and talkabout the good ol' days. Quality chairs, a decenttable, plates that won't dump your food in your

lap, cups that don't spill your drink on theground, all these things and more are the detailsthat make a great overland trip possible.One bit of gear that always makes mywife happy is a hammock that I canquickly place in the sun or shade asneeded. She enjoys camp time spentwith a book and the sounds of natureand that can make a huge difference inthe overall mood of a trip. Then there isthe fridge which makes sure you aren't

faced with soggy sandwiches or soakedgreens. And our shade awning is a prizedplace to hide for a lunch stop when thedesert sun is relentlessly beaming down.

Lastly it is often more important whathappens on the way home and after thetrip than everything that went before.Playing a game of "Roses & Thorns",what you liked and what you didn't likecan make the next adventure a chart

topper. Make note of the parts of an outithat your family refers to during the weeafter you are home. Was it the campfistories, the old ruins, the hikes, the haradio contacts or the cool animal l

spotted? This information is part of yoprofessional expedition leader database ffuture trip planning.I will say that I do my fair share of sooverlanding, then there are some trips wonly my younger son, both my sons athen those with the entire family. Each hits merits, but overall it is the sense tha

am responsible for creating the same love awonder of the backcountry in them that I ha

which keeps me focused during planning, on ttrail and on the way home.

Lance Blair is an overlanding enthusiast, expeditileader, and Tread Lightly trainer. Hes also t founder ofDisabled Explorers , a non-profit grodedicated to helping mobility impaired outdoenthusiasts gain access to the backcountry. Hesregular contributor to FJCruiserForums.com, tExpedition Portal, and of course FJC Magazine. Lancan be contacted through the Disabled Explorewebsite.

Another great morning in Baja, the propanefire pit warms up quickly and packs away

easily when you are ready to roll out of camp

Parked our rigs in a square and put up a hugetarp against wind & rain on the Devils

Highway -El Camino del Diablo.

Expedition Family from page 13


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We asked Brandon Burling what his thoughts onthe 2009 Event, this is what he had to say:This was my third year planning and hosting TheThrill on the Hill. I do this on top of my 60 hour aweek job as a sales manager for Desert Sun Toyota.People ask why I do it. I do it because it is the onething I look forward to every year. It is the newpeople who are attending for the first time that Ican't wait to meet and the people that I havebecome friends with over the three years that meetwith a hug instead of a hand shake. We host this

event so that everyone knows that they have a friendin the Automotive Industry that are here for themthat can cater to their needs! It is such a great funpacked weekend of off-roading, live entertainment,great raffles, and great camaraderie. I hope to seeyou all at the Fourth Annual Thrill on the Hill LaborDay Weekend, 2010! Brandon Burling, Thrill on theHill Host

We were very excited to attend our first Thrill the Hill, and cant wait until next year. Brandoand all of his great volunteers did an outstandjob at putting this event together. The best waywe heard it described is that its a very socialevent. See everyone in 2010!

2009 Thrill on the Hill from page 15





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DNX-7120

Long Term ReviewWeve been using our Kenwood DNX-7120 dailyfor over 9 months now, so we thought it wastime for an update on our original January 2009article.

On the entertainment side of things, we still lovethe iPod (iPhone) integration that we added tothe 7120. While the interface is not as nice

(obviously) as the iPhone or an iPod, it is notdifficult to use and gets the job done. Every oncein a while (probably more often that wed like),the 7120 drops the connection to the iPhone. Theerror is usually Authorization Failed, so Im notsure if thats an iPhone problem or a 7120problem. When that does happen, I can still playmusic through the phonedirectly, but I have toreboot the 7120 for it toonce again recognize the

p h o n e . T h e v i d e ointegration is great too.There have been a coupleof times when we were onthe trail waiting forsomeone to finish a repairthat watching Two Roadsto Baja came in handy.There is always a movie ortwo on my iPhone, so itsa great way to pass the

time.

The MP3 playback hasbecome a source offrustration for us. In theoriginal article, we discussedhow you really need toorganize your music for it to

work well. Unfortunately, if you over-organi your music, youll quickly become frustratedcreated a DVD with 4GB of music on it, organizby artist then album. When I hit the RN(random) button during playback, I quicklearned that only the songs in the current foldwould be shuffled. That means that if there aonly 4 songs from that album in the curre

directory, it will only shuffle those 4 songs. order to switch to another folder, you have manually navigate to that folder. This is not tbest implementation of MP3 playback Ive seeLuckily I use the iPhone 99% of the time, sorarely have to worry about this problem.

Topo maps on the DNX-7120 with custom TRD FJ icon


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The built in Garmin navigation is the bread & butter of the Kenwood 7120. I cant explain how great it ito have custom maps for any trail we want to hit. We found a great resource at GPSFileDepot.com thahas hundreds of free Garmin maps for just about anywhere. For our recent trip to the 2009 Thrill on thHill, I found a set of topo maps for the entire state of New Mexico. We were also able to load customPOIs for the trailheads we wanted to check out near Cloudcroft, NM. One feature I really wanted wathe ability to download the track data from the unit. Well, after a little hacking, I figured out that could plug my laptop in to the 7120 and download the track data using Garmins MapSource softwareThis will help us update all of the trails that we run so we have more accurate GPS tracks.

The iPhone integration got a little better with the recent 3.0 software update, except for one minoannoyance. Since the iPhone 3G now supports audio over Bluetooth (BT), if BT is turned on and thphone is paired for phone calls, the 7120 automatically activates the audio over BT feature. This woulbe fine except that a udio over BT with the 7120 & iPhone doesnt work properly. This means that yohave to go through several menus to disconnect the BT audio on the 7120. Again, this could be solved beither Kenwood or Apple, but theyre just not on the same page. Still, the BT audio for making phoncalls is better with the latest firmware, and its very useful in keeping my hands on the wheel & eyes othe road.

Overall were still really happy with this unit, anfully recommend it to anyone wanting a greanavigation & pretty good in-dash unit. Weve alsrecently tested the new DNX-9140 from Kenwooat the local Car Toys, and found that it supportcustom topo maps as well. As far as we can telit's the only new Kenwood model that has an S

card slot. This is great news for anyone lookinto install a top of the line in-dash navigatiosystem. We found this unit on Amazon for unde$1,500.

Kenwood DNX-9140


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Rear Differential Skid from OutriderSuspension Armor

1/4 CNC Plasma Cut 4130 Steel Plate Hand Welded Joints both inside and out - All joints blended for smooth, hang-free

strike surface

Bead Blasted & Powder Coated Red (Additional colors upon request for additionalfee) Built to tight tolerances for best fit

CADD Designed and reviewed by Licensed EngineerNew Grade 5 Hardware Included

From Digger (the manufacturer): This diffskid was designed and built with a few ideasin mind:1. Clearance Some otherdiffskids onthe marketsacrifice clearance for protection. Thisdiffskid fits flush against the bottom of thereardiff. The only clearance lost is the thickness of the material.2. Ease of use - Ourdiffskid is currently the only one onthe marketthat allowsdifffluid servicing without removing the skid. This isaccomplished by guarding the factory drain plug standoffwith a 1/2" long piece of 3" DOM tubing (1/2" wall). This provides the best

protection without sacrificing accessibility.3. Fail safe attachment system - Ourdiffskid is mounted under tension and designed to be an integral part of the skid structure. There is slipping or sliding into the driveshaft or 3rd member yoke. The drain plug stand offdoes not only protect but also acts as part of theattachment system.4. Strength - Ourdiffskid body is made from 1 solid piece of 1/4" HR plate. It isCNC plasmacut and bent to conform to the rear diffof thecruiser. There are 4 seams that are welded inside and out to ensure maximum strengthand durability. As mentioned above, it is put on antorqued under tension. This "pre-loads" thediffskid and allows it to also to act as a kind of axle truss to strengthen the interface betweenthediffhousing and the axle housings.

For more information or to order, contact Digger at [email protected]

Baja Rack FJC Basket Insert

Baja Rack has introduced a new basket insert option for your FJ Cruiser. Its not a full length basket, which means youll

have a little room at the rear of your rack to use as you like. It ships with an airdam and has tabs for up to four lights.This basket does not increase the height of your FJ, so if you fit in your garage now you still will after this baske A stretch net is also included. Look for a full review in an upcoming issue of FJC Magazine.

More details & info atTRDParts4U.com

N E W P R O D U C T S


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Ricochet Front LCA Skids

Although theyre new to FJ Cruisers, Ricochet OffRoad Armor has been producing skid plates for dirtbikes & ATVs for over 30 years. During the Toytec /FJC Magazine Fun Run in June, one FJ Cruisermanaged to get a rock wedged in the open space in

front of the front lower control arm (LCA) and had tobe jacked & yanked offthe obstacle. Thats when wefirst thought of adding a little protection to our LCAs.

After reviewing all the top vendor websites, we foundvery few options for a front LCA skid that waslightweight and provided great protection. Thats where Ricochet comes in. Just a couple of monthsago they released their front LCA aluminum guards. Theyre very lightweight, super easy to install, andfit perfectly. At only $129, theyre a great way to protect one of the most vulnerable areas on your FJ.For all the install pics, look for this article at www.c-mag.com.

Well be testing them out in the coming months, so look for a long term review in 2010. For now, werehappy to have this added protection. Contact Ricochet OffRoad for more information.

These skids protect one of the lowesthanging areas of the FJs suspension


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702 FJ Crew http://702fjcrew.net

ATL FJ's http://www.atlfjc.com

AZ FJ's http://www.azfj.org

Aloha FJ's http://s6.invisionfree.com

Colorado FJ's http://www.coloradofjs.com

SoCAL FJ's http://www.socalfjcruisers.com

UAE FJ Group http://www.uae-fj.com

FJ Bruisers http://www.fjbruisers.org

Sin City Wicked FJ's

http://www.sincitywickedfjs.com

FJ's Ontario http://www.fjcruisersontario.co

FJ's Quebec http://www.fjcruiserquebec.com

NWFJCC http://www.nwfjcc.com

FJ Northeasters http://www.fjnortheasters.o

For more Toyota and FJ Cruiser groups and clubs, visit www.fjc-mag.com. Look for the FJ Groups & Clubs link.


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4th Annual BBRC Fall CrawlDates: October 12-13

Location: Rausch Creek OffRoad ParkContact: Bay to Blue Ridge Cruisers

Southern Cruiser CrawlDates: Oct 16-18 2009Location: Gardendale, AlabamaContact: Cottonland Cruisers

8th Annual Surf N TurfDates: Nov 6-8Location: Pismo Beach, CA

Contact: Surf N Turf Website

Lone Star Jamboree 2010Dates: Jan 15-17 2010

Location: Gilmer, TexasContact: Lone Star Jamboree Website

2010 FJ SummitDates: July 21-25 2010Location: Ouray, ColoradoContact: FJ Summit Website

2010 Thrill on the HillDates: Labor Day WeekendLocation: Cloudcroft, NM

Contact: Thrill on the Hill Website


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fjc magazine october 2009 volume 2 issue 4

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