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Cruiser Days 2010
This was my first time to a Cruiser Days event and I'm glad it happened after I bought my Cherokee. Otherwise I might've been seduced by all the beautiful expedition-ready FJ80's and taken out a bank loan to finance a 'Cruiser. But now I'm safely ensconced in another 4x4, so I'm limited to day dreaming about owning one of these great 4x4's. |
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KORRBC - Race 2
There's nothing quite as tiring or rewarding as thrashing to put a race car back together for a competition on an unrealistic deadline. This was the scenario I was facing after I lent my buggy to a friend to "take a girl for a cruise," a midnight cruise two weeks before the next KORRBC event. The friend failed to see an 8' cross ditch as he was bombing down a gravel road resulting in a horrendous crash and a 10 km walk back to camp with the now unimpressed girl. |
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Kamloops Off Road Racing Series
The Flying Zucchini Bros. and their rock buggy went head-to-head with 500+ hp Pro Trucks. Not exactly what you'd call a fair match-up but then again, with Curtis at the wheel, you never know what'll happen. Click on the link to find out what DID happen. |
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Stave Lake Clean-Up - 2010
This year's clean-up event was a great success, with a total haul of over 20 tons of garbage and scrap metal. Thanks very much to the Four Wheel Drive Association of BC putting on this even, as well as the individual and business volunteers who gave up their time, money, and services. |
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Silver State 300
Team Zuchinni gives us another entertaining, behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to go desert racing...in a rock crawling buggy. Did they finish or sustain another DNF? Find out after the break. |
Renting a 4x4
The next time you're on vacation, consider renting a 4x4. It'll cost more but it could make your vacation a lot more memorable. And if you're bi-curious about owning a convertible...or a Jeep...you can scratch that itch while you're at it. |
The Great Copper Rush Geocaching Event
Do you enjoy exploring dirt roads, old mines, and learning some history along the way? The Great Copper Rush geocaching event could be just the thing you're looking for. This fun-for-the-whole-family event runs from July 30 - Aug 1, 2010. Click on the link for more information. |
King of the Hammers 2010
Team Zucchini's first experience of the notorious King of the Hammers event plunges them into a non-stop blur of fun, excitement and exhaustion. Read how they and their band of merry volunteers did at this epic four-wheeling event. |
Yin and Yang. Choosing between a Toyota Land Cruiser and a Jeep Cherokee
For my next 4x4, I've narrowed the field down to two: the Toyota FJ80 Land Cruiser and the Jeep XJ Cherokee. I've having a lot of difficulty deciding which one to get, but I'll bet some people will be offended when they read my comparison between the two. |
Go Big Or Go Home
We've all heard that phrase but how many of us buy into it, or more importantly, how many wrongly buy into it? Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with someone building up their 4x4 so it suits the type of 'wheeling they like to do. For that matter, I'm fine with someone building up a 4x4 just because they enjoy having a built-up 4x4. What I'm cautioning people about, though, it the trap of building your 4x4 into something you don't really want. That's what happened to me. |
W.E. Rock 2009: Put Up Or Shut Up
The W.E. Rock 2009 Put Up or Shut Up (PUSU) event in Tucson, Arizona was the fourth qualifier event for the 2010 King of the Hammers competition. PUSU is not a typical W.E. rock event. It had classes for unlimited, pro mod, pro stock and f-toy competing in very tight technical courses set up by course designer Rich Klein (Li'l Rich). PUSU is a year end event that is a run what you brung competition with no classes and no series points implications. Li'l Rich opens up the cones a little and adds a few sections of high speed dashes between obstacles so the competitors can put on a show for the crowd. The Flying Zucchini Brothers decided to make the 2654 km trek to the PUSU event for a chance at qualifying for the 2010 KOH race. |
Snow Wheeling
Earlier this year, in the middle of July, all I could think of was snow 'wheeling. So I called a few of my winter 'sheeling buddies and told them what was going on in my head. They commiserated with me and admitted to suffering from the same cravings. In short, we were addicted to snow 'wheeling. |
Christmas Toy Run 2009
This year's Christmas Toy Run was blessed with sunny skies (and freezing cold temperatures). About 90-100 trucks showed up for the event which began with a gathering at Guilford Towne Centre, in Surrey. As with last year, they had a good turn-out. A big thanks to the Sasquatch Four Wheelers, North Surrey Lions Club, and the Surrey Christmas Bureau for putting on this event. |
Roverlanders' Whipsaw Maintenance Project
This fall, the Roverlanders 4x4 club put together a work party to fix the flooding/erosion problem on the Whipsaw trail, at the big mud hole about 20 minutes from Lodestone Lake. The end result is a new culvert and repaired trail for the 4x4s, and a new bridge for the ATVs and motorbikes. |
Did Google Just Kill Garmin?
Free software is cool but does the release of Google Maps Navigation signal the impending demise of today's consumer GPS makers, and a bleak future for GPS devices and map products for outdoor recreationists? |
Land's End Hill Climb
The Land's End Hill Climb, a race up a winding gravel road approximately 6 miles long, is a qualifier for the 2010 King of the Hammers (KOH) race. The top five from the rock racer class have a guaranteed spot in the KOH race. In February 2009, while driving back from pitting on the Evolution Machine KOH crew, Curtis and I decided we had to do everything in our power to get a spot in the 2010 KOH race. |
Coastal Cruisers' Show and Shine
July 11, 2009 saw the annual Coastal Cruisers Show and Shine event at Deas Island Park in Delta, BC. The weather was incredible but I suspect that the same number of Landcruiser fans would have been there even if it were pouring rain in biblical proportions. |
Coolers - What You Get For Your Money
Cooler technology has come a long way since the dawn of the classic Coleman ice chest. Nowadays you can be 3 weeks into your camp-out at an isolated location in the middle of the summer and still enjoy ice cold beverages and ice cream treats...without using any ice at all. But this increase in cooling ability comes with a related increase in price, so let's look at the cooling options available to four wheelers and see how they stack up. |
Choosing A Tent For Off-Road Camping
Choosing the right tent can make the difference between a successful, enjoyable camping trip and a divorce-causing night of hell. To get you ready for camping season, we've come up with a list of things you need to consider when shopping for a tent. This list is the result of years of 4x4 camping experience and too many nights of misery. So read it well and learn from our mistakes. Happy camping! |
The Mystery Of The Whipsaw Ford Falcon Is Solved
If you've driven the Whipsaw trail, you've no doubt driven (or tried to drive) up "Falcon Hill" but do you know how it got its name? The name derives from a bronze plaque placed there back in the '70's. It commemorates a trip made by some guys who apparently drove a Ford Falcon through the Whipsaw trail. Ever since I first saw that plaque, I've wondered who those guys were. Well, now I know. |
A First-Timer's Experience At King Of The Hammers
"Is King of the Hammers really the world's hardest, most extreme desert race? Definitely. That's my answer after having completed my first time competing in this race. It combines every aspect of motorized desert sports. You don't have just fast roads, lake beds, and whoop-de-doos. You've also got canyons littered with boulders ranging in size from engine blocks to cars, ridge lines, and the back bones of ridges only accessible by 4-wheel drive or a helicopter. "
Read Jason Conover's full write-up of what it's like to compete in this gruelling off-road adventure. |
S&N Fab's King Of The Hammers Build-Up: IT LIVES!
Talk about cutting it close! In true Monster Garage fashion with the travelling deadline looming, team SN Fab pulled it off and completed their race buggy for King of the Hammers. Even we felt the relief up here in Canada when the new motor started up without any problems and the car moved out of the shop under its own power. A couple weeks of serious sweat and labor paid off! |
S&N Fab's King Of The Hammers Build-Up
February 11, 2009: With just over 2 weeks left before they have to be at the starting line of the 2009 King of the Hammers race, all hands have been on deck at S&N Fab to get the new race car ready. King of the Hammers is a multi-discipline event that requires a car to be a desert racer and rock crawler all in one. With this in mind S&N Fab have been working feverishly to transform their design philosophy into a fully-functioning vehicle. |
2008 Christmas Toy Run
This year's 4x4 Christmas Toy Run saw an increase in attendance and managed to collect 353 new toys and bags of pre-owned toys for the Christmas Bureau. It was a great way to start off the Christmas season and support the community. A big THANK YOU goes out to all the four wheelers and participants in this year's event. |
Jeep Rubicon Test Drive
In an era where a solid front axle is a rarity in a 4x4 vehicle, Jeep's Rubicon models are the North American kings of the hill when it comes to straight-from-the-factory off-road readiness. But for those of us who came up from the stock truck ranks and built up our own 4x4s, would a Rubicon perform up to our expectations? That was the question we set out to answer when we borrowed a 2-door and 4-door JK Rubicon from Daimler-Chrysler. |
GPS Talk: An Annoying Blast From the Past
Last evening I spent an hour or so helping my friend, Rob, plan a 4x4 trip to explore some trails on Apex Mountain. In preparation, I set up my computers to display two separate map types (Garmin's Topo Canada and Mussio Ventures' BC Backroads Maps - Digital Edition) and overlaid on them my track and waypoint data from my last two visits to Apex. When Rob showed up, he had his Garmin eMap GPS but it used a proprietary data cable for transferring data, and he couldn't find it. Even if he had, I wouldn't have been able to transfer data to his unit because the cable required an RS232 serial port which today's laptop computers don't use anymore. |
Dodge Ram Mega Cab 4x4
In this day and age where the word "mega" has been widely over-used and mis-used, it's a nice surprise to see a case when mega really does mean MEGA. The Dodge Ram Mega Cab 2500 Laramie 4x4 is one such example. By any measurement this is a mega-sized truck. I grew up with Chevy Suburbans and Ford Supercabs, and this Mega Cab really pushed me to the edges of my comfort zone when it came to parking and driving on city streets. But despite its mega size, this was a very enjoyable truck to drive and I really hated having to give the keys back to Chrysler. |
Hypermiling: a Common Sense Response to Rising Fuel Prices
While billions of dollars are spent on alternative fuel sources and hybrid and electric vehicle research, some North American drivers are taking immediate steps to dramatically improve their fuel economy, sometimes even doubling it.
And they're doing it for free. |
Introduction to Biodiesel
With today's skyrocketing cost of fuel and growing concern for our environment, today's diesel driver should start taking a long, hard look at biodiesel and its benefits. |
SEMA Show 2007 - Day 4
After four days of SEMA, our dedicated but exhausted correspondent is ready to go home. From his last day, the photos lean more toward the outrageous (a regular-width full-size running a Dana 110 and dually wheels!!), some donk cars, a diesel dragster, and a brush with celebrity: Ironhide, from the Transformers movie...although having seen the Dana 110 dually, I think Ironhide now needs an upgrade. Oh, and check out that brutal-looking Ford Excursion! |
SEMA Show 2007 - Day 3
By day three of the SEMA Show, Alan's feet were starting to throb, but he still came through with another day's worth of photos. There were lots of lift systems to ogle at, as well as some very cool (and expensive) Freightliner specialty vehicles. But for the average working Joe who wants to make a statement and be the envy of all his neighbours, we'd have to say that the Freedom Grill is the best bang for your buck. |
SEMA Show 2007 - Day 2
Nissan fans were well-supported by Calmini, who featured a pre-runner bumper for Frontiers, a 5" lift system, and an Xterra solid axle swap kit that allows the installation of a D44 front axle with a minimum of welding. Petersen's 4 Wheel and Off-Road impressed everyone with their JK Wrangler Unlimited on a 3/4 ton Dodge Ram Chassis and Cummins diesel. |
SEMA Show 2007 - Day 1
Our man on the scene, Alan Chung, has sent us some photos from SEMA 2007. As usual, there are lots of cool concept vehicles and new products ready to pry your credit card from your wallet. Diesels are figuring even more prominently in the show trucks this year and support for the JK Wrangler continues to swell with a huge array of accessories and upgrades on display. Toyota stunned a lot of visitors with its awesome Tundra Dually concept vehicle powered by a Hino 8.0L 6-cyl diesel. And yeah, there were SEMA car girls in abundance, too. |
BFG and the Whipsaw Trail
This year, the Whipsaw trail became the first Canadian trail to be added to the BFGoodrich Outstanding Trails program. The program was created to honour trails that have a significant meaning to the off-road community, and to support those groups that are working to preserve them for future generations of off-roaders. In the case of the Whipsaw trail, the group that has taken on the primary responsibility for the trail's preservation is the Rover-Landers 4x4 club. On September 15, they hosted a trail run to introduce some representatives from BFG to the Whipsaw. |
Toyota FJ Cruiser Test Drive
The FJ Cruiser is a difficult vehicle to evaluate because it's so tempting to review it in terms of what we expect from a typical SUV. But it's not your typical SUV. It's a concept vehicle that has made it into production virtually unchanged. As such, it makes some trade-offs in functionality to preserve its concept car style and desirability.
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Watch Out for Ticks!
It's spring, and that means it tick time! So here's your annual briefing on what you need to know. Read it, be safe, and have a good summer! |
Diesel Grand Cherokee Now Available in Canada
DaimlerChrysler Canada has just launched the diesel-powered Jeep Grand Cherokee. I attended a press conference and test drive earlier this morning, and I was very impressed with the motor. 215 hp @ 3800 rpm, 376 lb-ft of torque, 24 mpg city, 31 mpg highway (Imperial gallons), 7,400 lb towing capacity, and low emissions. It's hard not to fall in love with this motor. It has the torque and power expected of an SUV plus the fuel economy that was always lacking in this class of vehicle. If you want an eco-friendly SUV, stop dreaming about hybrids and head on down to your DaimlerChrysler dealer to check out the diesel Grand Cherokee. It's a real world solution that is ready for sale right now. |
Jeep Wrangler JK Test Drive
We test drive the Jeep Wrangler JK and discover that it is the perfect blend of the 2-door Wrangler and 4-door Cherokee platforms. I know there were a lot of disappointed Jeep enthusiasts when the Liberty replaced the Cherokee, but with the 4-door Wrangler, there's no longer anything to be sad about. |
SEMA Show 2006 - Summary
There is only one thing that makes us want to spend a week in the same town as Celine Dion. It isn’t poker tables, all you can eat buffets, or even buxom showgirls. We endure these hardships in order to bring you the latest in off road hardware that is presented each year at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show. The SEMA Show is for members of the automotive industry only and not open to the public, but there is no need to don your trenchcoat and dark sunglasses and head to Sin City. Instead you can rely on your friends at BC4x4.com to walk miles each day over concrete floors to bring you the latest and greatest the aftermarket has to offer. |
EarthRoamer XV Super Campers
Your typical North American RV is advertised as something that provides a freewheeling travelling style but in reality, they lock you in to the RV infrastructure: RV campsites, the need for a/c, water and sewage hookups, paved roads, and the need to tow an additional vehicle because the RV itself is too big to comfortably drive in the city. For fourwheelers who crave solitude and love to explore the the nooks and crannies of the earth, there are the EarthRoamer XV vehicles. |
Redballz II
The crew at Island4x4.com held their second Redballz event. Ten eager teams competed to win sums of money that paled in comparison to the damage incurred to their vehicles. Is this fun or what! |
GPS Systems as of 2005
A lot of changes have occurred since my last article about GPS receivers (GPSr's) so I've decided that it's time for an update. Colour screens, auto routing, much greater accuracy, and LOWER PRICES have caused an explosion in the number of GPS receivers in the hands of recreational users. Find out what you need to know before buying. |
Sumas Mountain Trail Clean-Up - 2003
We fourwheelers need to take a pro-active approach to improving our public image and fighting for access to public land. An excellent example of this philosophy is the Sumas Mountain trail clean-up that took place on May 31, 2003. |
Ryeguy's Big Top Truck Challenge Adventure
Rob "Ryeguy" Bryce gives us his behind-the-scenes look at Fourwheeler Magazine's Top Truck Challenge competition. |
CalROCS 2002 - Season Finale - Donner Ski Ranch, CA
Jordan and James attended the last CalROCS event for 2002 and came back with some incredible photos of all the action. Check out these photos! |
RCAA - Cedar City, Utah
Check out the fantastic photos from the RCAA event in Cedar City. |
CalROCS - Nevada
Recently BC4x4.COM had the fortune of attending the last round of Calrocs (California Rockcrawling & Offroad Championship Series) at Moonrocks OHV near Reno, Nevada. Two years ago BC4x4 covered an RCAA event in Utah, the difference in the caliber of drivers, trucks and terrain covered since then is amazing. Vehicles built solely for the purpose of competition are the norm now, whereas previously trail rigs were more common. |
SEMA 2001 Snapshots
Globe-trotting BC4x4 correspondent Alan Chung shares some of his SEMA 2001 photos with us, along with a 50-foot Brittany Spears. |
Eagle Ridge Clean-Up
Eagle Ridge is an area that I myself have only recently discovered. Its scenic views of the lower mainland can be enjoyed with almost no other souls around. But apparently other souls have been there, and not the cleanest of souls. The rocky road that meanders up the mountainside has become over the years a dumping ground for uncaring people. |
The Stealing of the Woods
LOG THEFT...how could groups of organized forestry thieves cutting down trees in BC's forests affect the sport of four-wheeling? Well, according to the provincial government, $20 million dollars (CDN) of potential tax revenue are failing to make it into the coffers per year! It's a black market that involves $100 million dollars (CDN) worth of illegal wood products per year, and when this amount of money is being lost or obtained through illegal actions, governments and businesses get upset. And when it involves the forests, that often means that we, the four-wheelers, end up paying the price through trail closures. |
SEMA 2000
If you ever had doubts about the financial viability of the 4x4 after market, the SEMA 2000 show would have been an instant cure. The show featured over 500 display vehicles and 6,025 booths. Of that number, many of them were 4x4-related. Here's what we thought was newsworthy... |
Public Relations and YOU
One of the strongest weapons used against recreational fourwheelers is a negative stereotype. Whenever you hear arguments for trail closures or the construction of new barricades, you will inevitably hear someone refer to the "yahoos" who are "tearing up the land" and "knocking down trees." We are described as testosterone-addled idiots who are acting out macho ideals to assert our manhood. Flashy SUV TV commercials only make things worse, depicting fourwheelers as people who race across virgin terrain. As you can see, we've got a lot of bad imagery to overcome. |
An Open Letter to "Extreme" Mechanics
I'd like to start something here, if I may. Why are you guys so hung up on modifying your rigs to ridiculous states of change?
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B.C.S.C.A.T. Ramp Contest
A few months ago, 4Offroad's 20-degree ramp was stolen from their old shop in Surrey. The BC Southcoast All-Terrainers 4x4 club decided to help him out by putting on a ramp contest and donating most of the proceeds towards the cost of a new ramp. |
Shade Tree Howler Monkey Scale
A long time ago, Gord Pritchard and I were talking about how I used the term, "shade tree howler monkey" when referring to your average home mechanic. He proposed a rating scale to describe the difficulty of various backyard mechanic jobs. Soon after, the Shade Tree Howler Monkey scale was born... |
The First Ever BC4x4/4Offroad Ramp Contest
The inaugural BC4x4/4Offroad Ramp Contest was a smashing success! Yeah, it was a bit disorganized in the beginning but considering it was the first one and it was almost singled-handedly organized by Al Berikoff, I thought it was enormously entertaining. First, I have to thank Al for his efforts. He got prizes from the vendors, invited the mud bogger trucks, prepared the lot, built the ramps, contacted all the clubs, announced the contest to other shops, provided free food and drink, provided a TV/VCR, and organized the event. Sure, Wil and I helped a little bit but Al bore the brunt of the load and for that, we owe him a huge THANKS! |
GPS for Common Folk Like Us
Finally! GPS technology has improved and prices have dropped to the point where useful, consumer-grade GPS units (also known as receivers) are available for the average Joe (or Joette) backwoods explorer. My aim with this article is to give you an idea of what features are desirable and to straighten out some misconceptions about GPS. If you're already bored by my writing style, you can skip to the last paragraph which itemizes the important points. For the rest of you, I'll start by telling you how GPS works. |
"Jack in the Box" Trail Rating System
Prior to IRC '98, Jonathan brought back a couple of antenna balls from a Jack in the Box restaurant. He epoxied them to our Jeeps' antennas (I was busy doing something else at the time so I wasn't able to incapacitate him with my trusty 2-lb hammer). Soon after, the Jack in the Box Trail Rating System was born. |
Inner Peace Through Trailside Breakdowns
Ok, perhaps inner peace is a bit of an exaggeration. The point I'm trying to make with this article is that you need not fear a trailside breakdown IF you approach it with the right attitude. And believe me, if you go off-highway with any degree of regularity, you WILL suffer a breadown on the trail. Fortunately, it's not the end of the world. In fact, if you approach it as an opportunity to learn, these breakdowns can be very beneficial. |
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