Potatomutato's Blog (10)

There has always been the ongoing debate of whether one should sign up for the extended warranty or not. Some say it's a rip off whereas others swear by them. I probably fall into the former category, but opted to buy into the extended warranty for my FJC primarily because it was a first year model and I have heard things about first year models from any manufacturer.

 

Up until a couple of weeks ago, I wondered whether my investment would have a return. I've been one of the…

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Last Friday, July 1st, I came across on Twitter a good article on Overland Gourmet. It was a camp kitchen tip on the double duty uses of a camp coffee cup. Always trying to be an advocate of re-use/recycle, I re-tweeted the link via @norcalfj as did Adventure Vehicles. One thing led to another and we decided to come…

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The Q1 2011 edition of FJC Magazine featured a short interview with hog farmers, Jake and Jim Goaziou, in the article, Been There, Dune That! Below is an extended interview with the Goazious, in which they discuss their family life on a hog farm in Ohio, their experiences being subject matter experts…

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I can't say how glad I am to live in a region that has such an active group of FJers. In a way, I think we are pretty spoiled. Post up a trail run at least a week in advance and you are sure to have two or three people interested in joining, if not 15. Post up a happy hour social a couple days in advance and ditto. Continue

Last year, I wrote about how great Surf N Turf 2008 was. I could not imagine we would have been able to top that in terms of fun and borderline craziness.



Enter Surf N Turf 2009.



Where to start? From the build of the Taj Mahal to the jump competition, the beach cuisine to the night dune runs...there was never a dull moment aside from the few hours of sleep that were needed in order to kickstart the… Continue

Most of us see FJs on the road everyday, but it's rare when you see an FJer you know through the forums. For me, there has only been a few instances so far:



Date: July 15, 2007

FJer: LandCruiserSteve (from the Blue Room)

Location: Tusayan, AZ

Situation: I ran into Steve and his wife in Tusayan right after the inaugural FJ Cruiser Summit. My buddy and I were looking for the campgrounds just outside of the strip when we see this Sun Fusion rolling by the… Continue

Well, it's been over a week since the whirlwind that was Surf N Turf 2008 and I'm still craving for more.



From the detailed organization of getting 16 trucks down to the dunes in a single caravan to the organized chaos that enveloped the night runs, Surf N Turf 2008 proved to be quite an event to remember. In fact, the only thing that would have made it better was banana chocolate chip pancakes on Sunday morning.



Many thanks are in order to everyone who represented NorCal.… Continue

As autumn creeps towards winter, the ol' FJ will slowly begin its transition from trail bus to snow shuttle. The crossbars mounted with the gas tank tray will be replaced by the crossbars mounted with the 'board rack and the rear seats will be re-installed to accommodate more passengers for trips up to the slopes.



I'm hoping the FJ sees a lot of snow this year. The past few years, I've been regulated to less than 10 snow days each and that has sucked. As a result, I'm resurrecting an… Continue

The 2008 National Summit ended today and I can only imagine all the fun the attendees experienced this year.



After attending last year's summit, I decided that I would attend every other year from now on. As much fun as I had, the two day drive each way was a bit much. Sure, you could technically do the drive in one long day by switching drivers and such, but you'd also be missing out on a lot of great scenery and national parks along the way.



So as soon as the new dates… Continue

Rather than doing a chronological blog or a day-to-day journal, I'll be focusing on life with the FJ. Undoubtedly, my life has changed since I drove the FJ off the lot one evening back in October of '06. I have since met many new friends and have joined a community of responsible wheelers that love the great outdoors.



This blog will highlight my life with the FJ - the sights it has taken me to, the modifications it has gone through and the people I have met as a result of owning one.… Continue