Expeditionr Reveals Secret Identity of Newest Family Member
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Although some of you are already aware, I thought I’d share some recent news with the more extended Expeditionr readers out there. In case anyone is confused as to the status of our immediate family here at Expeditionr, there are actually two families to speak of: 1) those of the human variety and 2) those of the mechanical or automotive variety. While we had an addition to the human team just over two years ago, the more recent news involves a new addition joining the automotive side of the house. This newest member, who shall remain nameless for the moment, has been drafted to the automotive team in order to provide two much needed services – towing and hauling. So as fate would have it, even though this recent turn of events was more coincidental than planned, the timing worked out quite well and our new member is settling in quite comfortably so far, quickly building a foundation of loyalty through steady and reliable contribution.
Expeditionr Goes Green
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This is just a quick update for any readers who may have visited recently and found the site in a state of transition. It’s been over a year since the last major overhaul to the Expeditionr web site, and I’ve been wanting to upgrade some of the site options for several months now. In keeping with the seasonal changes, I decided to do some Spring cleaning and spent the last few days updating the site software to incorporate a brand new “green” theme. This update serves to spruce up the site’s outer shell significantly from a visual perspective and provides some brand new features that should make visiting a bit more interactive.
Expeditionr and Software Application Upgrades
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Unlike my other blogging sites, Expeditionr is the one place that tends to leave technology in the dust. To be more specific, the topics of conversation at Expeditionr tend to focus more on mechanics and mud than on database applications and web design (welcome to my alter ego). But on occasion, despite my efforts to keep these worlds apart, I find the two areas unexpectedly overlapping in a Venn diagram like fashion. The last 10 months or so have been fairly occupying between work and software projects, so I haven’t had a lot of extra time to detail and document here at Expeditionr. Like the content, software updates to the site have also been lacking, potentially exposing the site to exploitation. Luckily, a recent reduction in life’s pace allowed me to return to writing, albeit on a limited basis. The extra time also allowed me to update the site software and various software modules behind the scenes. Now that things are a bit more caught up around here, I’m able to return to my regularly scheduled content updates. Or at least that’s the plan for the moment.
Mettle and Steel: Pushing the Limitations of Driver and Vehicle
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Stepping outside our comfort zone is something that most people will avoid doing unless absolutely necessary. There are those lucky few who seem to thrive by living life on the edge, but for most of us, there’s something truly unnerving about moving into unexplored territory. I guess I’d place myself somewhere in between. I like to push my limits because I feel it improves me as a person and allows me to grow and learn from the experience. But I’m also cautious when I take these steps and prefer to feel my way around before jumping in head first. This is true for many aspects of my life and off-roading is no exception. Every time I push my limits as a driver or the physical limitations of the FJ, I get nervous, but over the years I have discovered a few tips and tricks that help to reduce the stress.
Expeditionr Now Available on YouTube
As the number of Expeditionr videos increase, we decided it was time to put together a section on the site where visitors could view them. So the brand-new Videos Section was born. The main reason we opted for a dedicated section here on the site was to allow visitors to view all Expeditionr-related content under a single roof, rather than be redirected elsewhere. This also allows us to relocate the content in the future without any interruption to the viewers. That being said, for the moment, almost all of the videos are hosted on YouTube. So if you have already have a YouTube account and wish to subscribe to our video feeds directly through YouTube, you can visit our channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/expeditionr. For the remaining non-YouTube users, or those visitors who prefer to visit us directly, all video content will now be available here at the site by clicking on the Videos link in the top menu. All the videos have been added in reverse chronological order making it super easy to view the latest movies. Be sure to check back often for updated content and don’t forget to leave us a comment or two if you’re feeling spunky!
Expeditionr Gets a Voice: New PodCasting Feature Now Available
For those visitors who prefer their content in a downloadable format, Expeditionr has a brand new feature that will make content on-the-go a whole lot easier. Thanks to a recent upgrade, Expeditionr content is now working with Odiogo to provide readers with a brand new text-to-speech option. Thanks to Odiogo’s full-featured podcasting services, every article hosted on Expeditionr will soon have an MP3 streaming option. This is a great feature for the visually impaired visitors or just those folks who prefer listening over reading. Automated audio podcasts have come a long way in the last few years and the end result is actually quite palatable.
For our regular readers, this exciting new feature goes into effect immediately for the latest articles. However older content may take a bit longer to convert, so please be patient with us as we work through the remaining content. If you’re visiting the Expeditionr web site directly and would like to try this feature out, look for the podcast player just below the title of the article you wish to hear. Click the triangular playback button and in just a few seconds the player should begin streaming audio content for that article. It’s just that easy! So now that you’ve heard from us, we’d love to hear back from you. Be sure and stop by soon and check out our brand new podcasting feature and let us know what you think.
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Expeditionr Gets a New Theme
There’s a lot to be said for consistency in life. For a lot of us, the day’s pace is tracked through a step-by-step set of procedures that take us from waking up in the morning to setting the alarm clock again that night. Repetition has it’s place in life but every once in awhile, I like to mix things up a bit and break the trend. In the spirit of adventurism and spontaneity, I decided it was time to change the visual theme of the Expeditionr web site. When the site was originally created back in late 2009, I opted for using WordPress as my blogging engine behind the scenes. I still hope one day to build a fresh site based on my own code, but time is limited and WordPress works quite well. So for the time being, it will remain in place as the foundation for Expeditionr content. In addition to all the other beneficial features of WordPress, the 3rd party support for themes is tremendous. This gives WordPress authors a wide variety of different themes and styles from which to choose. After sifting through several hundred themes yesterday, I finally found one that fit to my liking and the underlying thematic content of the site. So without further ado, I present to you, the recently updated Expeditionr.com!
Expeditionr: Now Available on Twitter and Facebook
This post is for those of you who utilize Twitter and Facebook to keep in contact with your friends, family and other favorite activities. For anyone who is interested in following our progress here at Expeditionr, you can now subscribe to @expeditionr on Twitter for the latest updates. We also have a Facebook fan page now for anyone who wants to follow us there. Alternatively, if you don’t have a Twitter or Facebook account, you can always subscribe to our Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed by adding www.expeditionr.com/feed to your favorite feed reader. All three of these methods require an account of some sort, but signing up only takes a few minutes and gives you access to all the other cool features that these services have to offer. Or if you’re one of those types that prefers to keep your web travels to a minimum, you can simply continue following us by visiting this site. Zero hassle with 100 percent of the return.
Every Now and Then: An FJ Cruiser Flashback
As I was digging through photos for my latest articles, I happened across an older directory that has not seen activity since early 2007. I’m speaking, of course, of an image repository that has remained largely isolated over the last four years. Like most things in life, memories fade all too quickly and in our haste to move into the future, we often forget to appreciate the past. I’ve spent the last four years performing a variety of modifications to my FJ Cruiser. Some were minor projects that I completed in less than an hour. Other upgrades required multiple days, even weeks before they reached a state of completion. And though I have yet to reach the solid axle conversion stage, I’d still rate the extent of my particular modifications somewhere between medium and high. It’s quite amazing how the FJ has transitioned over time.
For those of you who have yet to be bitten by the “mod bug”, these pictures might seem all too familiar. But for me, there are a pleasant reminder of where it all began. If the FJ had a story to tell, mine would have started here. I’d had the FJ less than a week when these photos were taken and it brings back fun memories when I browse through the photos. Quite frankly, I don’t remember another time when the FJ looked this clean. I’ve become quite used to the mud and dirt residue throughout. It’s part of history now and a big part of my daily life. From the day I picked it up at the dealer, my enthusiasm for the FJ Cruiser platform has only grown, and I have Toyota to thank for it. So here’s to Toyota for building not just a vehicle, but a legacy that will hopefully continue for years to follow!
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Trails and Tribulations: A Rudimentary Rausch Creek Invitational
Although I have a fair amount of experience driving in off-road conditions, I didn’t really get into off-roading for recreational and sporting purposes until a few years ago. Since that time I’ve come to truly enjoy my time on the trail. It’s no longer about the destination. It really is about the trip along the way. For those of us in the mid-Atlantic region, Rausch Creek Off-Road Park (RCORP) is one of the more favorable locations for off-road enthusiasts. Rausch offers nearly 3000 acres of trails ranging from light-duty fire roads and green-rated river beds, to the more hard-core, black- and red-rated rock crawling obstacles. As my number of recreational trail hours increases, so does my appreciation for the experience as a whole. Surrounded by trees, rocks, water, dirt and mud… it’s a great way to get away from the day-to-day work schedule and even better when you get to spend it with friends.
Up until recently, my trips to Rausch have been based on larger, sponsored events. These types of events are a lot of fun, with a large number of participants and even prizes and a dinner at the end. But there are some downsides to this type of arrangement. The sheer number of participants means that each group will contain an average of six to eight vehicles. Overall, this means a lot more vehicles on the trails which increases the likelihood of having to wait for one or more groups to complete a particular trail section. Because Rausch Creek is fairly large in scale, this is not typically a problem. But it does happen on occasion. A second down side to sponsored events is that they are often vehicle-specific in nature. While most of the events I’ve attended in the past are completely open to other vehicle brands, it is not well advertised and many folks are still unwilling to attend because they would feel out of place. It is for these reasons, primarily, that I decided to organize the Rudimentary Rausch Creek Invitational.
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Mounting Up with Springtail Solutions
For those of you who have been following my progress, I was now at the stage where I needed to equip the FJ Cruiser with some better accessories, accessories specifically designed with off-roading and recovery in mind. I’ve been looking forward to this post for awhile now, since it symbolizes the first step in preparing the FJ for a true off-road experience. This was actually one of the more exciting times during the FJ’s build-up because I was able to research and purchase multiple items in a very short period of time. I don’t necessarily recommend this approach, as the price tags add up quite quickly. But because of the rather shortened time frame, I decided that Christmas would be coming a little early that year.
I should also point out that I spend a great deal more time researching a piece of equipment than I typically spend installing it. The only reason I say this is to keep readers informed and aware that I’m not simply making arbitrary purchases. I tend to take my time performing extensive product comparisons, using a combination of 3rd-party reviews and customer feedback, before I make a final decision. It’s not an absolute guarantee, but it does help me avoid some of the more obviously bad products. This is yet another area where I rely heavily on the FJ Cruiser Forums for consultation. With more than 30,000 members and 80,000 threads, these forums provide some very useful insight from actual FJ and FJ-product owners. This particular post is the first of several that will detail most of the equipment I purchased prior to our first trip to Rausch Creek Off-Road Park.
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A Greenhorn’s Guide to Gearing Up
Given the variety of equipment available for off-road adventures, locating all the necessary parts and pieces for an expeditionary load-out can be more than a little time-consuming. There are a lot of factors to consider when selecting the perfect piece of equipment for your trip. I am by no means an expert in expeditionary trips. As a matter of fact, I have very little experience in this area. But since I am learning as I go, I wanted to avoid as many potential catastrophes as I could. So I came up with my the following list of questions based on a purely-logical, common-sense approach.
I realize that it may not be the most comprehensive list, but so far I’ve found it to be quite useful when purchasing and preparing equipment for any type of overland adventure. I know I can’t prepare for every possible event, but the more time I spend focused on the necessities, the better off I’ll be in the long run. And my plan is to continue adding to the list and tweaking questions as I gain more experience in off-roading and overland travel.
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Invitation to a Rausch Creek Rumpus
I’m almost ashamed to admit that it took me well over a year of FJ ownership before I reached a stage where I was comfortable with the thought of trail damage. As a sport, rock crawling is a new thing for me. I’m used to driving off the beaten path through mud, snow, etc. But the concept of intentionally putting a brand new vehicle in harm’s way completely escaped me. I’ve always been taught to take care of the things I own in order to make them last as long as possible. So for the first year or so, I enjoyed the FJ in relatively stock form (minus a few previously mentioned upgrades). That was, at least, until a forum post caught my eye in January of 2009.
The post indicated that one of the better known FJ Cruiser organizations on the Atlantic, the FJ Northeasters, was gathering sponsors and participants for their 2nd annual run at Rausch Creek in Pennsylvania. The key difference between to this event and previous gatherings, was that this particular event focused on folks who were new to rock crawling and trail runs. This became even more obvious as they gathered confirmations for trail types, where the majority of folks who responded to the invitation were signing up for the green-rated trails. For those unfamiliar with color-based trail ratings, the green trails are generally considered the easiest to navigate and are the least likely to result in unwanted damage to your vehicle.
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Cargo Capacity: Gobi Racks to the Rescue
It seems that no matter what the vehicle, there will always be compromises in its design. Vehicle manufacturers typically have an intended market in mind when they design and sell a particular vehicle. As such, they engineer features into the vehicle to accommodate future owners the best they can. But with safety and emissions standards becoming more and more stringent, fuel prices on the rise, and the economy on the fall, auto manufacturers have been forced to make sacrifices for the greater good. It’s disappointing at times but it is reality so as consumers we’ve learned to live with it.
The FJ Cruiser does indeed lack certain luxury features, but despite its low introductory pricing, it comes very well equipped. With a focus on functionality instead of features, Toyota did a great job of determining what was needed in a vehicle aimed at the off-roading community. No doubt the lack of available luxury items is intended to reduce production costs. But based on the target demographic, Toyota was smart enough to realize that for many owners, features such as dual climate control would only add unnecessary cost. So by eliminating some of these options, Toyota was able to produce a reasonably-priced but very capable vehicle.
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Project Builder’s Block Means No Photos
I have to admit, I was a bit surprised when I looked back through our photo collection, only to discover a gap of almost 11 months between FJ Cruiser upgrades. My plan when beginning this blog was to revisit the upgrades as a series of events, chronologically, in a step by step format. Looking back, I now realize that a combination of family, finances, full-time college and work left me little time to fiddle, let alone plan my next vehicle upgrade. So I’m sorry to say you all will have to wait another eight months until I get around to posting more.
Just kidding.
That would be cruel.
Luckily, that gap has long since passed so I can dive right back into the magical madness of modding. I’m off to dig through some more photos to see if I can sort out the dates and times of various upgrades. With that large of a gap there’s going to be some guesswork in the time frames but I’ll do my best.
UPDATE: Okay, after doing a bit more research it seems that I simply failed to capture eight months of upgrades on camera. I thought that was a little odd. I found photos taken in February of 2008 that show several major modifications, mods that would have required additional upgrades prior to their installation. But apparently, I have no photos to prove these mods ever took place. Weird. Since most of the products in question are commercially available to anyone, I’ve decided I’ll just end up adding some photos from the vendors’ site to help illustrate when I need to. Stay tuned for another post later this evening…
Better Equipment Does Not Equal A Better Driver
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If life has taught me anything in my 37 short years, it’s that no amount of fancy equipment or tools can make up for a lack of experience. We’ve all been there at one time or another. We’ve convinced ourselves that if we just had a particular tool that we’d be up for the challenge. While it is true that the right tool for the job is almost always the best choice, by no means does the right tool in the wrong hands make that person a craftsman. Any tool in the wrong hands is, simply put, dangerous. As I spend time floating from one virtual haven to another this evening, my search results leading me to a variety of expeditionary sites, I continuously come across misleading information. I realize that many of the sites I visit are intended to sell a product, therefore the vendors will make it look as easy as possible to implement and use. As a tool enthusiast, I even find myself getting sucked into these types of advertisements, wishing that I too, could join in the excitement of owning such a shiny new product. But after I bit, I have to take a step back and wonder if a) this tool is something I really require and b) I would be better or worse off having purchased it. The adventurous side of me will almost always answer with “absolutely” to the first question following immediately by countless justifications as to why. Thankfully, the logical side of me has a better grip on reality.
Witness the Build-Up: Let the Modding Begin
While I spend some time getting acclimated with Word Press, I thought the rest of you might enjoy witnessing the modding process first hand. Since I initially purchased my Toyota FJ Cruiser in January of 2007, a lot has changed. It’s still technically an FJ Cruiser, but a whole lot of modifications have occurred over the course of almost three years now, modifications intended to improve one or more aspects of an already well-built and very capable vehicle. But even the best built vehicles still leave room for improvement. The best part about the Expeditionr blogs, is that as readers, you have the distinct advantage of being three years ahead of the modding schedule. The hard part is technically already done (at least three years worth of it). The only delay now is waiting for me to post up details and pics so you all can enjoy the cliff-notes version of modding an FJ Cruiser. Stay tuned for updates to follow very soon and thanks for reading!
FJ Cruiser: Inside and Out
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As promised, I’ve compiled quite a few additional videos covering some of the many great features available on the FJ Cruiser platform. Most of the videos are short but they do provide a good visual demonstration in addition to describing each feature. Not all of the options featured in the videos are available in the base level configuration; some require one or more upgrade packages. But each of the upgrade packages offers a number of additional options that may also be of interest to a potential buyer. For more details on upgrade packages, simply contact your local Toyota dealership. I’m sure they’d be more than happy to fill you on the details. Without further ado, the video links I promised can be found below.
FJ Cruiser: On and Off the Road
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As a follow-up to yesterday’s article detailing the FJ Cruiser’s core structural components, I’d like to add a few more details, specifically addressing the drivetrain systems. The FJ Cruiser can be ordered with either a 5-speed automatic or 6-speed manual transmission. Both of these transmissions are extremely capable. It really comes down to personal preference as to which model you choose. I personally prefer an automatic since I’d rather focus my attention on the trail. But for many, a manual transmission is the only way to drive. Arguments as to which is better and why are similar to the IFS versus solid axle argument. There will always be pros and cons to either side. Even though I tend to lean towards the automatic model, I’ve included videos that provide more details for both transmission models below.
FJ Cruiser: Building on a Solid Foundation
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Perhaps before I dive into the modding madness, I should provide some details regarding the FJ’s stock capabilities and features. Targeted at the 20- to 30-year-old off-roading demographic, the FJ was designed with ruggedness in mind. Even though the exterior shell of the FJ Cruiser is brand new, many of the underlying components are based on slightly modified versions of other existing product lines. Some may see this approach as cobbling, a vehicle designed in true Frankenstein fashion. But in my opinion, Toyota’s approach to designing and eventually producing the FJ Cruiser prototype was pure genius. Rather than rely on newly designed and therefore untested parts, Toyota dug into their existing product lines in order to determine which parts were proven to be the most reliable over long-term testing. By piecing together the strongest and most reliable parts, Toyota was able to produce not only a quality vehicle, but one which contained many of the best features from other vehicles.
Purchasing My Expeditionary Vehicle: A Brief History
To save some of you the disadvantage of wading through my admittedly-wordy content, I’ll divulge the dirty little secret up front. For those who prefer to skip straight to the end of the book, my expeditionary platform of choice is none other than Toyota’s FJ Cruiser. For those interested in some of the history behind my purchase, please do read on.
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My first encounter with Toyota’s FJ Cruiser platform was, oddly enough, not on the street or on a car lot. Our paths initially converged, believe it or not, in the overly-commercialized alleyways of the local town mall. My wife and I, while enjoying a brief but leisurely reprieve from our busy work schedule, came out of one of the mall shops only to be presented with a vehicle unlike anything I had ever seen. To say it’s unique in style is a rather broad understatement. The Toyota FJ Cruiser is a most refreshing combination of nooks and crannies, achieving both form and function in its design. Unfortunately, because it was a mall display, all the doors were locked, preventing lookie loos like myself from getting a true first-hand impression. But that did not prevent me from curiously peeking and peering inside through any glass I could find. The encounter was brief, but succeeded in planting a seed, a seed which began to slowly grow.
Madness With a Purpose
This is most assuredly not my first blogging experience. But it does represent the first time I’ve ever been truly motivated to generate content on a regular basis. I’ve started blogs in the past with half-hearted intentions and not surprisingly, they really never went anywhere. But things are about to change.
The purpose of this blog will undoubtedly become clear in just a few short posts. But in summary, I needed a place where I could document my vehicle “modding” madness. For those unfamiliar with the term “modding”, it’s simply a slang term used to refer to any modifications made to a product that alter that product from the original manufacturer’s intended design. In most cases, mine included, the intention behind the modifications is to improve the original product in some fashion.
My plan with this blog is to document, in great detail, the various thought processes that go into modifying a vehicle, and provide both textual (instructions) and graphical (photos) content to allow others to follow suit, should they choose to do so. It will also serve as a historical reference, allowing me to look back months or years from now on past projects, reliving moments both sweet and sour. Hopefully, anyone stopping by will benefit from my experiences, both good and bad. But if not, I’m still thoroughly enjoying the process so it’s still a win-win in my book. Please fee free to leave feedback if you have something you’d like to share that’s related to the content of this blog.