It's already been a busy spring for the crew at FJC Magazine, and the April issue is finally out! We have another great issue in store for you including a Baja Mexico trip report from Paul (the Last Great Road Trip), Steve's Maya Rally FJC, and a slew of installs. We finally got the Manley ORV trailer out for a spin and we installed a snorkel from RiverRaider. The trailer & truck got new shoes from Discount Tire Direct, and our dash also got a little upgrade. Don't forget about the Warrior Products front bumper update from Tim!

We're very excited to launch the latest issue of this great magazine in with 40 pages packed with FJC, 4WD, and overland articles, installs, tips and tricks. Click the download button to check it out!

Until next time, Tread Lightly, Stay the Trail, and HAVE FUN!

To get your copy of the April 2013 issue of FJC Magazine: NOTE: Internet Explorer users should right click and select "Save Target As" FIND US ON: Twitter | Facebook

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We're heading to Overland Expo at Mormon Lake, AZ next week via a 3 day mini-vaca to Ridgway, CO. The FJC crew rolls out of Colorado Springs first thing Saturday morning, but there are a few minor things we need to take care of before we head out:

• Clean the MORV trailer so Jim (Tacoma Magazine) can pull it to Mormon Lake
• Change the oil & grease the drivetrain on the FJC
• Give the FJ a much needed bath & detailing
• Setup the DropCam (live.zaxyn.com) to cover the FJ Cruiser teardown at Redline Land Cruisers
• Pack the family for our journey
• Verify the National Luna dual batteries & Indel-B Fridge (from Equipt - booth #20 at the Expo) are good to go

What are you doing to prepare for the trip? We look forward to seeing everyone in Arizona!!

 

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As promised in the last issue, we were able to get the new Redline Land Cruisers sliders installed on the TRD. I was cautiously curious to see how the sturdy OEM sliders have handled 93,000 miles and some pretty good off road abuse. So one afternoon I whipped out the jack stands and tackled the removal/install.

In reality this article should be more about removing old sliders than installing new ones. Not that removal should be terribly difficult, and in fact it wasn’t – for 15 out of the 16 bolts. With 8 bolts in 4 pairs per side of the truck, getting the old sliders off isn’t hard, but it does take some time. Luckily Toyota was thinking outside the box when they designed the sliders, the top bolt holes are notched so the hard-to-get-to bolts simply need to be loosened to remove the slider. Read more...

Sitting in my office, looking out the window on another rainy northwest day I find my thoughts drifting south... south of the border to Baja Mexico.  Sunny beaches, arid deserts, rocky hills and miles of nothing. For me Baja remains one of the last wide open, untamed places left that can still be explored on a budget.

The Baja peninsula extends 775 miles below San Diego separating the Sea of Cortez from the Pacific Ocean.  The Baja's personality changes as you descend from the north toward its southern tip.  Time actually does slow down, as you become more alive in this magical land of racing legends.

Close to the USA boarder, Baja is dotted by cities such as Tijuana, Ensenada, Tecate and Mexicali.  The economic down turn and constant drug violence reports in the media have driven out the hordes of tourists who once came across the boarder for cheap trinkets and late night parties.  But it is not the cities that interest me.

|| See all Last Great Road Trip Baja Off Road Adventure Coverage ||
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When the original snorkel was released for the FJ Cruiser, I realized that someday we may want to install that as an option, but I really never liked that design. Something about that giant plastic sticking to the side of the truck, plus drilling a large hole in the fender just never worked for me. Over the years I’ve seen several DIY options that seemed promising, but I was holding out for something a little different.

As we reported in the last issue, the River Raider Snorkel aims to provide another option for your deep water fording needs. This snorkel has three primary differences from other options I’ve seen. First, it’s made of steel so it just feels more ‘solid. It also doesn’t require drilling a fender, but you do have to drill the cowl, which is probably more difficult. Lastly, this snorkel looks more like military style options, which I personally love but others may not. Read more...