In September 2012, we bought a new Toyota FJ Cruiser. It was an Iceberg White, 2012 with a rear e-locker (electronic locker), A-TRAC (Active Traction Control), 115v/400-watt AC power outlet and a nice sounding stock JBL stereo system with subwoofer. The FJ was the first new vehicle I ever bought. Before owning the FJ, I had a 2005 Yamaha R1 motorcycle which was my only mode of transportation at the time. I loved that R1 very much, and she was my everything. We had a great time together and logged a lot of miles on the road, but I was missing something. Growing up in Washington state, I spent a lot of time camping in the mountains and hitting trails with old friends. I wanted to get back to the outdoor life. As much fun as it might be taking the R1 off road, I knew my insurance company would not approve. The search began for a 4x4 vehicle that would allow Ashlie and me to find adventure. There are several great options to choose from when looking for a capable off road vehicle. Since we would be driving long distances, I knew it needed to be reliable on and off road, have a decent amount of storage space for gear, could be easily modified (vendor availability) and look awesome. After doing a bit of research and several test drives, the Toyota FJ Cruiser was the vehicle of choice. Not only did it meet and exceed my initial expectations, but it also came with a great community of fellow Toyota owners and enthusiasts. Having belonged to motorcycle groups/clubs in the past, having that type of network again was important to me. I decided to sell the R1 and use the money as a down payment on an FJ. It was a bittersweet moment for me. After the tears had subsided, I took that money directly to a Toyota dealership and gave it to a sales representative. I originally wanted an Army Green TT (Trail Team) FJ Cruiser, but soon learned it might be easier to find a Unicorn and teach it to ride a Unicycle while whistling "My Achy Breaky Heart." Upon receiving that soul-crushing news, I decided to go with the IceBerg White FJ. One of my good friends also owned an FJ cruiser, which was modified. He had replaced the suspension, bumpers and a few other things. I examined his rig carefully to get some ideas. After lots of creepy staring and touching on my part, I decided I needed to start modifying my FJ. The original plan was simple modifications. Tires, suspension and maybe bumpers. Stock, the FJ is a capable rig. No doubt, it could get me where I wanted to go without any issues, but, where is the fun in keeping it stock. #ModtheYota My same friend introduced me to a Toyota club in the area which he had a membership with. After that, he recommended some Toyota social media pages to follow. If that wasn't enough, he suggested a few vendors and websites where I could buy parts. Having all this information thrown at me by my buddy and new Toyota friends, I had no choice but to go full potato with the FJ. I would wake up early in the morning and stay up late at night looking at social media pages, forums and window-shopping online. I compiled several lists of modifications, which seemed to change daily based on what new shiny products I found. What was supposed to be simple modifications approved by The Boss (my wife), soon turned into massive changes. Some of those changes may have shocked her. Like that time she came home, and the interior of the FJ was laying outside, on the ground. I knew I had been caught doing something naughty because the first words out of my mouth were, "this isn't what it looks like." At times, she did not agree with some of the modifications, especially since cutting into the vehicle was necessary and I had only made a few payments on it at that time. One such modification was the snorkel. Put simply; she was not thrilled that I spend money on and cut into the FJ for such a "silly" add on. Little did she know, the modification Gods were satisfied with my sacrifice and smiling down upon me. Shortly after installing the snorkel, we had a massive storm come through our area which led to flash flooding. She could not drive to work because the roads around our house had about three feet of water on them. She asked if I could drive her to work. I asked, "why do you think I can do that?" Her response was, "because you have a freaking snorkel, now take me to work!" From that point forward, she allowed me to accessorize the FJ as I saw fit, as long as I "needed it" or it was "practical." I quickly found a way to justify every modification and chose my words wisely when articulating the "why." If that failed, I switched to plan B which was reminding her of that time we used the FJ as an Ark so she could get to work. In the words of Hannibal, "I love when a plan comes together." Over the years, the FJ's physical features changed drastically and it was hardly recognizable as the vehicle I bought in 2012. As time went on, she developed her own personality and drew people closer to look at her. There were times I would walk outside from a public place and find people taking a picture of it, with it or reading all the stickers that littered the exterior. Without hesitation, I would start a conversation with these curious onlookers. They were even more intrigued when I showed them the patch collection on the headliner. Each sticker and patch told a story, and they found it fascinating. The FJ was a travel diary on wheels. When we left home for an off road event or a long road trip, it was about the adventure. If we saw a place we wanted to go, we went. If we wanted to get dirty, we did. If we wanted to stop and explore, it happened. The only limitation to our journey was the ability to forget about everything and enjoy the moment. The FJ gave us more than we could have ever imagined. Because of her, we traveled to all lower 48 states and parts of Canada, attended several off-road events, met thousands of people, and started a small business (BakesFJ.com, now Bourn Adventure). I never completely understood the impact of a vehicle, until owning the FJ. Every year, millions of people are brought together because of cars. Whether it is a car show, motorsports event, club or an event like SEMA. Owners, enthusiasts, and vendors all assemble because of cars. Just like so many of you, I have witnessed that first hand. When I first bought the FJ, I thought I was giving her a new life. I later discovered she gave me a new life in the form of memories, friends and a desire to seek adventure. Unfortunately, she met her demise on a cold, snowy highway in Ontario, OR in January of 2017. That day, she gave her life so we could keep ours. The FJ, like most Toyotas, is very well built and allowed Ashlie and me to walk away from the roll over without injury. Though the FJ is gone now, her memory lives on, and she continues to encourage us to Explore America. Even though the name of our business and social media pages has changed, the adventure remains the same. The road trip torch has been passed on to our other vehicles now, and they will each become a legend in their own right all because the FJ paved the path for them and us. Here's to the FJ! May you rest easy in Valhalla. Thank you for reading this article. We hope you found it entertaining. If so, please share it with others and don't forget to leave a comment down below! The world is a large place, and life is short. Together, we can accomplish much more than we ever could alone. -Bourn Adventure Author: Baker Gallery
2 Comments
Pictures from our road trips when we had a chance to stop at the "welcome to" state signs. When you cross them lines, gotta get a photo! One thing we have learned though, not all states make it easy to access their sign. Sometimes you have to get creative and it might turn into an adventure all on its own! Current States and State Sign Count: ∙2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser - 48 states (captured with all 48 state signs)
∙2017 John Cooper Works MINI - 48 states (captured with most of the 48 state signs) ∙B.A. 2005 Lexus GX470 - 15 states (captured with all 15 state sign pictures) ∙M.T. 2005 Lexus GX470 - 15 states (captured with most of the 15 state signs) ∙2019 Tesla Model 3 - 5 state (captured with all 5 signs) In April 2015, we picked up a 2014 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe, which just happened to be Ashlie's dream car. I must admit, I too shared the same dream. From the first time we laid eyes on her; we were in love. To the unknowing person, she is just another car. To us, she is much more, and we knew what she was capable of doing. The 2014 CTS-V comes from the factory with over 550 HP (horsepower). With a few bolt-ons, tweaks and turns you can quickly surpass that. The vehicle specs are impressive but fail to deliver the driving experience and my perception of her. To ultimately appreciate her body lines and on demand power, you need to experience it in person. Physics prevent us from doing that in this article. Like my man Bob Ross, please allow me the opportunity to paint you a picture of the happy little CTS-V rather than continue to spout performance numbers. Don't let the title fool you; she is no ordinary Cadillac. The CTS is a fast mover on her own, but the V designation at the end makes it Alpha in the Cadillac line-up. Performance wise, it was built to put other cars in their place and have their owner's question what just happened. Her bloodline has traces of Vette in it, and her heart is healthy with American muscle. The sleek design and placement of the classy Cadillac emblems lure unsuspecting prey into its' high horsepower jaws. Once the prey is within grasp of its torque filled claws, the supercharged heart beat begins to pulse, and she lets out a soothing roar from her exhaust as she elegantly devours her prey. Within seconds the fight is over. The once ambitious rival soon becomes just another tasteless meal. She doesn't go looking for her next snack. She knows that soon enough the next eager contestant will thoughtlessly challenge her strength. Although very sneaky and discreetly cloaked, she is easy to track. All one has to do to find her is to follow the trail of carcasses left along the path. Be warned; she might lash out if provoked. If so, it is to prove a point, and she will go straight for the jugular. Not all cars fall victim to her seductive methods. Just like many venomous predators, she has brightly colored markings to help level the playing field. Strategically placed across her body are the V badges, which serve as a warning to curious owners who might challenge her. If ignored, this could prove to be a fatal bite. The pavement is her territory, and she rules it with authority. Like the animal kingdom, the motorsports world is a large place filled with potential rivals in all shapes and sizes. There are a few beasts who wander these lands that can indeed give her a run for her money. When confronted by another true Alpha, rest assured, a battle is soon to follow. Without warning, the sound of sensual, mechanical perfection fills the air, and the release of raw power causes the ground to tremble. Onlookers are hypnotized by the sounds and sights. When majestic machines such as these face off, there isn't much blood lost. More times than not, when the fight is over, they respectfully recognize the power and might of one another and walk away with their honor. Normally, these types of encounters are not about dominance; it's a playful show of power between Kings and Queens of the streets. Thank you for reading this article. We hope you found it entertaining. If so, please share it with others and don't forget to leave a comment down below! The world is a large place, and life is short. Together, we can accomplish much more than we ever could alone. -Bourn Adventure Author: Baker GalleryIn October 2016 we bought a new motorcycle. The beautiful bike we picked up was a gun metal gray 2016 Yamaha R1 (1000cc). She was completely stock and had zero miles on here when we bought it. A few weeks after owning it, she had a little over a thousand miles on the odometer and a few new modifications. One of them being the exhaust. This isn't the first R1 we have had. Many years ago we owned a 2005 R1, which was my pride and joy. We have owned several motorcycles over the years, and I have loved the all, but the R1 is my favorite. In my opinion, the R1 is one of the best-designed and engineered machines available on the sportbike market. To me, Yamaha is the industry leader, but I'm sure a rider loyal to another brand would say the same about theirs. Before owning this R1, my favorite year was 2005. To me, that was one of the best feeling sportbikes on the road. It was light, fast and had very aggressive styling. In 2012 I parted ways with her to make room for a 2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser. I'm very happy to have another R1. Yamaha did a fantastic job with the redesign of the R1. This new model is now my favorite. The looks, performance, and technology they put into this bike is breathtaking. Out of all the motorcycle I have owned or ridden over the course of 14 years, the R1 is the bike that gets the blood coursing through my veins the most. I look forward to modifying it slightly and taking short road trips on her! Thank you for reading this article. We hope you found it entertaining. If so, please share it with others and don't forget to leave a comment down below! The world is a large place, and life is short. Together, we can accomplish much more than we ever could alone. -Bourn Adventure Author: Baker GalleryLet us talk for a second about tires. This can be a touchy subject for some. The discussion about which tire is best often leads to fist fights and head locks. I hope to avoid that in this article. This type of passion is understandable because tires are important; they get you where you need to go. Without them, driving would be a lot louder and commute times would be much worse unless you drive a Choo-choo train. Just like other articles I've written, this is my opinion of what I found worked well for me. I hope you find this information informative and helpful. There is no "perfect tire" that performs flawlessly in all occasions and conditions. Certainly, some tires do better than others across a wide range of environments, but there is not a perfect tire for everything. It all comes down to what you need them to do and where you are taking them. Finding the right tire for you and your adventure can be a daunting task and one that you figure out through trial and error unless you need a particular type of tire for a specific kind of environment (snow, mud, race, road, sand, etc). Specialty tires do one job well, but if you give them a different job, it can lead to failure and an expensive phone call to a tow truck. First, before choosing a tire, try to identify your adventure and some of the places it might take you. Next, try to find a tire that can accomplish multiple jobs while going from one environment to another. This is the method I used when selecting my first set of tires for the FJ, which were 285/70/17 Toyo Open Country A/T II, mounted on stock rims. At first, I was happy, but as I added miles on them, my opinion changed. They were good for road use but wore quicker than I was expecting. Off-road, they seemed to hurt more than they helped, especially in muddy terrain, which we have a lot of down south. On the positive side, they were quiet and did not affect my fuel economy much. I put around 23,000 miles on them before deciding to change. I'm not saying the Toyos were bad tires. Numerous people have told me that those same tires met or exceeded their expectations. I'm simply saying they weren't right for me at the time. I wanted a tire that was more aggressive but also had a decent life span. Now that I had a better idea of what I was looking for, I have revisited the above-mentioned process of selecting a tire that suited my needs. After doing some research, I became interested in the Nitto Trail Grappler. I decided to pull the trigger on five new 295/70/17 Nitto Trail Grapplers, which were mounted on stock rims. Right away, I noticed how heavy they were, which negatively affected my fuel mileage. Not a big deal driving around town, but the old pocketbook took a hit after taking long road trips (10,000+ miles). Where I would spend extra money on gas, I would later save on tire repairs or replacements. I remember running a trail in Texas where myself and two other rigs hit something protruding out of a small dirt wall. All of us hit our passenger side tires on this object. Once we reached the top of the hill, one rig had two flat passenger side tires, and the other had one. The sidewalls on all three tires were gashed open. I don't remember what tires they were running, but I know they weren't Nittos. I looked at mine and saw visible rub marks, but no penetration. Of course, there is a lot that needs to be taken into consideration to make it a fair comparison. Some things to consider would be the difference in speed, tire pressure, sidewall thickness, the way the object hit, etc. Nonetheless, I was still impressed with how well they took the hit and held air. When you go off road, it helps to air the tires down some. By doing this it allows for a larger "footprint," which helps the tire move around an object that could puncture it and allows for a more comfortable ride across rough terrain. I would occasionally air down more than I probably should, especially on stock rims. There were a few times I would drop down to 10-12 PSI (pounds per square inch). I would run them fairly hard at the lower PSI and put the tires in hard angles without popping a bead or causing other issues. In Texas, while at the 2016 Lone Star Toyota Jamboree, I got a little crazy on a trail (too much Mountain Dew) and almost put the FJ on her roof. When I came to a stop, the front end was down, and the rear end was getting Jordan hang time. The steering wheel pinned hard passenger and most of the weight of the FJ was on the front passenger tire. The incline angle caused water to leak out of my cooler, onto the passenger floorboards and pour out of the passenger door. People watching from the side didn't know if something had spilled or if I peed a little…they were correct with both assumptions! The only way out of this situation was forward. I could feel the tension in the steering wheel but did not know just how much of a bind the passenger wheel was in until looking at pictures later. To this day I am still amazed that I did not break anything or at a minimum, pull the tire off the rim. Needless to say, it was an exhilarating experience and one that I won't soon forget. In the top left picture, you can see the tire is folded up and touching the rim. In the top right picture, you can see the water pouring out from the door. There were other times I should have popped a bead but did not. I'm not sure how much of it was tire performance or luck. Either way, I am impressed at how well they held a bead at low to medium PSI, especially on stock rims. Some people could tell you; I was known for wheeling (off-road) in two-wheel drive when I probably should have been in four-wheel drive. I know that's not always the best for the transmission and other components, but I wanted to see how far she would go without help from the front tires. The FJ did well in wet, muddy or snowy terrain in two-wheel drive. There were several times I could feel the tires biting (getting traction) and pulling me through without hesitation. A few times, it seemed like the FJ was having fewer issues than others who were in four-wheel drive. Some of those same rigs were running different tires. I'm not saying my tires were directly responsible for the success, but in my opinion, they did play a large part. When I needed to put it in four-wheel drive in those same environments, I usually didn't have any problems. I wasn't that concerned about getting stuck because of a tire issue; I was more concerned about it being a driver issue. If I did get stuck or had a problem with an obstacle while wheeling, it was usually caused by me taking the wrong line, not enough momentum or getting hung up on said obstacle. To me, the tires did well everywhere I put them. I had them in rain, snow, mud, sand (hard and soft packed), gravel, loose dirt, and whatever else I drove through on my adventures. If there was a place I wanted to go, I went. I had all the faith in the world that my tires would get me there and back. My driving, now that's a different story. I also noticed they held together well. Rocky or other hard/sharp environments can cause a tire to lose pieces of its tread or lugs. Some know this as "chunking." Although I did see this happen with my tires, the "chunking" did not seem as horrific as with other tires. Again, not a fair comparison because I do not know all the conditions the other tires were in or tire compounds used. This opinion is just an observation I made while visually comparing tires. I attribute the success of the tires to how well they cleaned (able to get debris out of the tread), the meaty tread lugs, sidewall lugs, and tire size. Even though they cleaned well, there were times the tires would get "gummed" up with dirt/mud. When this would happen, I could still feel parts of the tires grabbing and pull the FJ through. There were very few times where I contribute the loss of momentum to the tires. More times than not, it was caused by suction, bottoming out, rear differential hitting, or other types of drag. The environments I noticed the most slippage or lack of traction in would be snow or ice. Depending on the depth of snow, I could feel the tires still getting traction. Ice, on the other hand, the tires would struggle. Having said that, they still did ok in snow and ice. Granted, I put the FJ belly up in those same conditions, but I do not blame my tires for that. It was more of driver error on my part. What impressed me the most was their life span. My set of tires saw pavement and dirt in all lower 48 states and parts of Canada. At the time of the rollover, I had about 60,000 miles on them. Most of those miles were highway, but they also saw heavy use off-road. Two of the tires had plugs in them; one of the plugs had probably 20,000 miles on it. I know, not the best idea running a plugged tire for that long, especially running two of them, but I wanted to see what these tires could handle. I wanted to push them until they failed. Not so I could bad-mouth them when they finally did fail, but so I could talk about how well they held up. The fact that a large, heavy off-road tire had fewer signs of wear on them than some all-terrain tires shocked me. Given the size and aggressiveness of the tires, they were relatively quiet at highway speeds. As the tires wore, they did get louder on the road, but not by much. I believe one of the leading factors into the longevity of the tires was that I rotated them every 3,500-5,000 miles. I have seen a few Nitto Trail Grapplers with fewer miles than mine that were in worse shape. When speaking with the owners/drivers of those tires, they admitted to not rotating their tires regularly. After the rollover, I gave the tires and rims to my neighbor. Now they will continue with their life on his FJ. I would estimate he should safely get another 10,000 miles out of them. If he rolls his FJ like I did mine, then those tires will last longer. Thank you for reading this article. We hope you found it entertaining. If so, please share it with others and don't forget to leave a comment down below! The world is a large place, and life is short. Together, we can accomplish much more than we ever could alone. -Bourn Adventure Author: Baker When I first bought the FJ I didn’t know exactly what I wanted out of it. I would watch videos, see pictures and read articles about what people were doing with their Toyotas. This gave me ideas and encouraged me to start building the FJ for what I wanted at the time. The first trips in the FJ were to off road parks with friends or organized events. I would stay there for a few days, do a little camping, meet new people, run the trails and check out other rigs. Initially, I wanted more of a dedicated off road vehicle/build. I thought about bigger tires, solid axel swap (SAS) up front and a roll cage (turns out I need that). I knew If I turned the FJ into a dedicated off road rig, it would eventually spend most of its life ridding on a trailer. I enjoyed working challenging obstacles, putting the FJ in crazy places and the possibility of trail damage/breakage. After almost two years though, I found myself not getting much out of it and wanting something more. By no means am I saying I regret doing that or that I didn’t have fun, because I had a blast. I loved hanging out with friends, meeting new people, running the trails, sharing laughs and having a cold beer by the campfire. If I had to do it all over again, I absolutely would and plan on doing some of that with the next rig. Attending events is still one of my favorite things. What do I mean by “not getting much out of it and wanting more?" At the time, I didn’t know what I was missing or even what I was searching for. After taking several large road trips across this great county of ours, I discovered my desire to Explore America. I found a passion of putting miles on the FJ (on and off road) while seeing new places and re-visiting previous destinations. Meeting new people in other states or re-visiting those friends I had met on past trips was amazing! It was mind blowing to me that I could be crossing a desert on Tuesday in one state and up in the mountains on Wednesday in another state. It was also amusing to talk with people who aren't used to seeing a heavily modified vehicle like the FJ was. It was even more amusing when I told them how far I was from home, the places I had already visited, where I was heading to next and pointing out all the dirt/mud from different states.They didn't expect a vehicle like that to travel the country. Each day was a new adventure. Even if it were a place I had already visited several times, I would find something new to appreciate. Most of the time, I knew where I was going and what I wanted to see, but I was not opposed to letting my A.D.D. lead me on an unexpected adventure. If I saw a sign, object or scenery that looked interesting or shiny, I was there. There were times I stopped for fuel or food and had every expectation of getting back on the road. Before I could, I would strike a conversation with someone who gave me a list of things to see and do in town. Without hesitation, I would modify my plan and go check it out. Case in point, my buddy Kennedy and I drove from Denver, CO to Kansas City, KS for dinner one day because someone said, "Joe's BBQ was good." Update: They're right! I can’t count the times we’d be driving and see a random road or trail and say, “I wonder where that goes”. More times than not, it led to nowhere, but occasionally, it would lead to an amazing view and provided an experience I almost passed up. When I think about how easy it is for us to travel now compared to past times, I feel obligated to get out there and explore. What people gave their time and lives for in the past, we can now see in days. Life on the road and sharing those stories gave me a joy that I can’t explain. Experience and time lead me to realize I wanted more out of a rig. I want something that I can get out there and go where I want, when I want, both on and off road. Something that has enough power and space to comfortably bring gear, supplies and other essentials with me. Something that will bring me back home thousands of miles later and something that’ll look good doing it! My intention and desire is to build the next rig so it is more suited for long distance adventures versus off road park adventures. I would say it'll be more of an “Over Land" style rig. In my opinion, there isn’t much difference in those two types of builds. Often times they share the same parts, modifications and characteristics as the other. Usually, both style builds overcome the challenges within those separate environments equally. So if they’re pretty much the same thing, why do I separate the two builds? The reason is, it helps to define my intentions, expectations and what I’m looking for in a replacement rig. Also, it helps me determine a priority of modifications and what should be done first to accomplish those type of adventures. Here is a list of possible replacement rigs for the FJ. Since I don’t have Oprah money, I need to narrow it down to just one. Let the draft begin! Lexus GX 470 |
Wheelbase: 109.8 inches Length: 188.2 inches Width: 74 inches Height: 74.6 inches Interior Head Room: 40.2 inches Front Leg Room: 41.8 inches Curb Weight: 4,871 pounds Turning Radius: 18.7 inches Engine: 4.7-liter V8 Horse Power: 270 (+/-) Torque: 330 (+/-) foot-pounds Towing Capacity: 6,500 pounds Ground Clearance: 8.3 inches Approach Angle: 30° Departure Angle: 29° raised, 25° normal Fuel Tank Capacity: 23 gallons Fuel Economy: 14 mpg city and 18 mpg highway |
![]()
| ![]()
|
![]()
| ![]()
|
![]()
| ![]()
|
2009 Land Cruiser.pdf | |
File Size: | 89 kb |
File Type: |
Vehicle information and specifications are from the following model years: | Vehicle Information Sheets used for this article: |
|
|
Baker and Ashlie are the owners of Bourn Adventure and together they author the majority of the articles and content found here.
Recently, Bourn Adventure has had the pleasure of hosting "Guest Authors" and sharing their adventure for others to experience.
If you have a story you want to share, please contact us and we will be happy to work with you.
Cheyenne Izaguirre
• A Colorado Christmas
Lee Jones
• Serendipity and the Smell of Beer
All
About Us
Adventures
Affiliates
Bourn Adventure HQ
Cryptocurrency
Events
How-To
Media
Miscellaneous
Review
Road Trip
Team
Travel
Vehicle Modifications
Vehicles
Year In Review
January 2022
November 2021
December 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
September 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
August 2016