Until you check out the FJ Cruiser yourself, you’re really only getting half the story of its capability. Consider the Toyota Trail Team as your personal trail ambassadors to help you figure out the full scoop on the vehicle – as well as the path of most resistance with the least amount of trail wear-and-tear.

The question isn’t so much where the Toyota Trail Team has been with the FJ Cruiser since its launch, but more like where haven’t they been. Toyota’s Trail Teams are criss-crossing across the states, bringing the FJ to Toyota Land Cruiser Association Club events, non-Toyota club trail rides, desert racing and rock crawling events, mud events, jamborees, dealerships, and spontaneous – or “just-for-the-heck-of-it” – events. In short, the team takes their FJ Cruiser and the trails as seriously as you do.

Experts in trails, maintenance and safety, the only thing the Toyota Trail Team likes more than driving their FJ Cruisers is talking to other outdoor enthusiasts about 4-wheeling. You can catch members of the team posting information and answering questions on such popular Websites and forums as www.fjcruiserforums.com and www.ih8mud.com. If you’d like to check out their bios and journal entries on FJ Cruiser performance, hop over to www.toyota.com/fjcruiser.

Getting Down & Dirty (But Treading Lightly) With The FJ Cruiser Trail Team

The FJ Cruiser Trail Teams dedicate themselves to the love of 4-wheeling just as whole-heartedly you do. For example, there’s Tim Scully, Lead Driver from Greer, South Carolina. A Certified ASE Master Technician and off-road enthusiast, he’s considered to have mud running through his veins. Scully knows about rocks as well, especially in Tellico. He’s also a past winner of the East Coast Rock Crawling Championship. Even internationally recognized 4x4 trainer, teacher of environmental awareness and trail etiquette, Bill Burke, has joined and led the Toyota Trail Team.

Lead Producer for the Central Trail Team, Rod Ness of Iowa City, Iowa, recently shared information with ORC about what is like for a Toyota Trail Team to show up with the FJ and interact with the off-road public at an event.

A highlight for Ness and his FJ Cruiser Central Trail Team was attending the 18 th Annual Rubithon event, put on by the Toyota Land Cruiser Association (TLCA) this past July 21-25. Set on the Rubicon trail, one of the most beautiful and most challenging trails in California, the event is an excellent opportunity to experience the high country of the Sierras (forest-lined trails, clear freshwater lakes) for the first time. “The trail challenges skill levels and can punish harshly when it decides to,” commented Ness. “The Rubicon is what any off-roader aspires to do.”

As a long-time supporter of the FJ (even before the vehicle was produced), Ness made many effective and authentic points about the FJ Cruiser. “The FJ Cruiser is Toyota heritage with a modern twist,” explained Ness. He made a point about the Land Cruiser moving up in price point, but the FJ being tailored specifically to outdoor lifestyles on a budget. Ness also showed how the vehicle is a great choice for beginners who are looking to develop off-road skills. “Younger off-road enthusiasts who want to get into the sport can step into the FJ and feel comfortable,” said Ness. “Another nice thing about the FJ Cruiser is its capability for the off-road and the daily drive.”

When asked how Ness felt seasoned off-road enthusiasts where responding to the newest member of the Toyota Land Cruiser family, Ness sited universal respect. “Not only do a lot of hardcore Land Cruiser loyalists respect the capability of the FJ, they also see the vehicle as an affirmation of what they have been doing all these years.”

Ness views the FJ Cruiser as an acknowledgement to 4-wheelers and the 4-wheeling market. “Unless there are vehicles that are capable, the sport will dry up,” mentioned Ness. What is real – and really nice – about the members of the Toyota Trail Team is how they also serve the non-Toyota off-road enthusiasts as well. “We’re not out to change their mind,” said Ness. “They see it another component of a business getting back into 4-wheeling.” You can catch where Rod Ness will be next as well as where other Toyota Trail Team members are headed at www.toyota.com/fjcruiser.

First Step to Becoming a Part of the FJ Cruiser Trail Family (After Your FJ Cruiser Purchase, of Course)

While the Toyota Trail Team can certainly teach 4-wheeling enthusiasts about the features of the FJ Cruiser, they are also a living example of how a strong an off-road community or club is to increasing trail awareness and love of the sport. Consider joining the Toyota Land Cruiser Association as your off-roading, FJ Cruiser club of choice. Founded in 1976 by a group of Land Cruiser enthusiasts from Ventura County, California, it’s expanded to just about every single state in the United States. With more than 50 different chapters nationwide and nearly 5,000 members, it is a great way for off-road enthusiasts to enjoy an outdoor lifestyle on the trail together.

The goals of TLCA have been geared to organize and promote Toyota 4-wheeling in a safe and inclusive family-like manner, while adhering to the values of Tread Lightly and the responsible use of public and private land. TLCA events are held every year. To educate enthusiasts about the FJ, the Toyota Trail Team brought the FJ to over 22 separate Toyota Land Cruiser Association Club events.

What’s great about TLCA is that the organization welcomes “newbies” and seasoned trail drivers alike. It’s a real chance to experience the camaraderie that off-roading brings to families and individuals from all parts of the country. For membership information, please visit www.tlca.org or call (800) 655-3810.

When the Toyota Trail Team visits events and trails in your area, consider it your right to get close and personal with the FJ Cruiser and where (or how) to ride our country’s beautiful trails with safety and sustainability always in mind.