new to the fj cruiser and 4 wd, just want to know where a few good trails are to ride and if anyone knows where to get a roofrack at a reasonable price. I bought my fj and it didn't come equipped with certain aspects that I have come to appreciate. This is my main vehicle so I don't want to destroy it on a trail and im not a seasoned trail runner.

Welcome to the family.
There are some runs coming up towards the end of the month.
The pie run would be good for a newbie.
Hope you can make it.

newbies over here -->
azfj.org/index.php?nam...pic&t=9898

trails / reviews here:
azfj.org/index.php?nam...forum&f=14

runs here:
azfj.org/index.php?nam...forum&f=11


don't want to ruin the truck.. head to Sedona and follow a pink jeep.

oh and welcome

Welcome!

Where you at?

A lot of folks get a first 4WD vehicle and then want to cautiously test the vehicle in private rather than join in with other people when they first start out.

A lot of factors may play into it. In this day and age, it's perfectly understandable that people would be concerned about driving off into the desert with a group they've never met before. It's also normal to worry about being put into a situation that could be embarrassing in the company of strangers. It's certainly intimidating to take on the unknown in any capacity... all of this makes sense.

However, I caution anyone who starts 4 wheeling with the same advice: What you don't know can really hurt you. This is not a good sport to start out on solo. There are some genuine pitfalls to avoid, and experience is really helpful. 4 wheeling is a skill based activity, and that includes both the skills of identifying and then avoiding problems before they happen, as well as troubleshooting them, big and small, when they occur.

Although no hobby activity is without it's share of jerkwads, 4 wheeling is an activity which tends to attract very kind and considerate group-minded people. These are the kinds of people that want to work together and take care of each other. Many will literally give you the shirt off their back, and the ones who wouldn't are typically the ones that carry spare shirts just in case. When beginners go out on runs with these kinds of people, they're treated like royalty. The group will typically work to tailor the experience.

I cannot recommend strongly ENOUGH: Join in on group activity. DON'T just try to find a trail that you can experiment on. Many do, of course. Many do this and don't have any problems. Sometimes, however, bad things happen.

4 wheeling, as a group activity, can turn situations that could be frustrating, scary, or even dangerous, into good clean fun worth doing again.

Just my .02

Soapbox off.

New folks are always welcome on any run I post up. Pay attention to trail runs ratings.
azfj.org/index.php?nam...opic&t=248

Stick to sub 3.5 trails until you get comfortable with your rig. Mine is my daily driver as well but currently I'm driving my backup vehicle while it gets some repairs/upgrades. But me, and probably 4gaugesrprise, are not people to emulate.

Not everyone has a backup vehicle so we understand the hesitation. However, you have a good group of people here to help you get out of a jam, help you with upgrades, and wrench / weld on your truck.

It's pretty unique at AZFJ and there aren't any asshats. Bottom line, put what you have, where you have it in the introduce yourself here thread, azfj.org/index.php?nam...pic&t=9898
and don't hesitate to ask if this trail is appropriate. We're all been/are there.

Just go on a few runs with the non club then when you see what your FJ can do you'll be scared shitless to go at it alone!

Jimbolio wrote:

.. But me, and probably 4gaugesrprise, are not people to emulate.

Now there's an understatement.

Yeah, I'm more the example of terrible ideas. But I'll happily guide people through the safer spots and discuss more challenging options.

Welcome

Welcome phinn!

My rig is also my daily driver so I understand your concern. Hope to see you on the trails. As usual there is some sage advice from BellyDoc and Jimbolio posted above. Tread Lightly!

You won't break it on the New Year's pie run.
Good place to test out what it can do and make some friends.

TUFFY wrote:

You won't break it on the New Year's pie run. Good place to test out what it can do and make some friends.

Well, you probably won't break it.
Pay attention! Sounds easy, but some people fail and fail hard. Pay attention, listen to advice, keep paying attention. Should be a great time.

Especially on the flat easy parts of the trail....

azflycaster wrote:

Especially on the flat easy parts of the trail....

Drinking a redbull on that second washout, that's a doozey.
However, everyone got home safe and can now joke about it.