April 2015 | Volume 8 | Issue 2
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- By Jim Akers
Additional photos by Bob Holliday
After a beautiful day on the trail with the Las Vegas FJ Club the Sunday before SEMA 2014, I am looking around the parking lot and everyone is hunched over airing up and checking their PSI. That is, except one person. I looked at him having an “adult beverage” and still socializing with his hood up and these hoses attached to all of his tires. I immediately stopped what I was doing and went to investigate. Well, his air compressor is running, he is not hunched over watching each individual tire, and he still has a smile on his face. What is wrong with this picture?
He starts to tell me about the 2Way Air system that he came across at a local 4x4 meet and greet in Vegas, purchased, and installed. It seemed simple enough and after explaining how it works, I was a more than a little intrigued. It is a manifold system that runs to a “whip” connector near each wheel. You connect each whip to each tire valve stem, turn on your compressor (in his case), and sit back and watch one gauge controlling all four tires. You can even install a pop off valve in the system so when you reach your preset inflation level, the valve pops and you are done.
When he was done inflating his tires we looked around and just about everyone with us still had one if not two tires left to air up. Running through my head was the fact that he was done faster than almost everyone there but he was also not complaining about a sore back or achy knees. He just walked around his FJ and disconnected his whips and put them in a nice little storage bag, closed up his hood and asked where everyone wanted to go for dinner. I think somebody might be on to something here. When we were about to leave he gave me the company info from 2Way Air and told me that they would have a booth at SEMA that week.
Just about every product ever created or any new way of doing something stems from someone getting frustrated with the way things “have always been done”. With that being said, one of the biggest frustrations that come with off roading is the time and pain that come with airing up and airing down. Pat Hickman shares that frustration, well he used to.
Pat was tired of running around his Toyota Rock Buggy and deflating each tire, one at a time, and then inflating them in the same fashion when it was time call it a day. So instead of just gritting his teeth and doing this routine over and over again, he decided he would come up with a real solution to this annoyance. You see, Pat is the founder and engineer behind Rock Smasher Engineering (a rock buggy suspension company). Pat came up with his “whip & manifold” system to create a way for us to deflate and inflate all of our tires equally and efficiently.
The 2Way Air system features flexible, easy installation along with durable and reliable materials. The polyurethane tubing in the kit (3/8” for the manifold and ¼” for the whips) are chosen for being more flexible and durable than a nylon or rubber tubing. “Push to Connect” fittings make assembly simple and straight forward. Where Teflon is needed, they come already wrapped. The fittings for the whips are a quick connector to make connecting the Shrader Valve for the tires to the brass inflation valves clean and simple. The kit works great with every possible way to air up. You can use onboard or non-fixed air compressors, as well as CO2. The 2Way Air Kit can be ordered by number of axels on your vehicle; 2 wheels for a trailer, 4 wheels for a car or truck, all the way up to 10 tires on an RV or Semi Tractor and Trailer. Installation is even flexible; you can mount all of the pieces where they work best for you whether in the cabin, under the hood, or in a trailer.
2Way Air was created not only for the off road community, but is used with RV’s and 18-Wheeler’s just the same. Though the users may vary, the usability is equally simple and straight forward.
This is one of those products that once you see it in use, you must own a kit yourself and once you use it you will ask yourself what took you so long to install it!
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- By Phillip Jones
One of the more scenic overland destinations in Texas is located within Big Bend National Park in the Texas mountains and basin region. By stitching together a route from the network of 4x4 park roads, a sightseeing overland trip with multiple nights of backcountry camping without ever leaving the park can be formulated. Because I was chasing a comet, BBNP was an ideal destination as it hosts some of the darkest skies in the Lone Star state.
Read more: A Comet Chasing Expedition in Big Bend National Park
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- By Phillip Jones
Photos provided by James Hart
In 2011, James Hart and Lauren Neel took off from San Francisco and headed south of the border seeking adventure in their 1st generation 4Runner. TCT Magazine interviewed them about their fantastic journey. This is the 2nd of a 2-part series. See the January 2015 issue for Part 1.
What were your most dangerous moments?
While in Colombia, we read about a tough mountainous track. This mud road, the width of a large truck, is carved out of the side of a jungle-covered mountain. Adorned by waterfalls and rivers, the road is frequented by rain and fog. Everyone told us to avoid this route, so it was obvious we had to check it out. The steep and winding road was slick with mud and the edge was a 700-foot sheer drop with no guardrails.
Adding to the challenge, it is a primary logging route for illegal wood harvesting. Expect to encounter a huge semi-truck barreling down the mountain loaded to the brim with illegal timber. Might-makes-right on this mountain and since there is not enough room for two trucks, it becomes a scramble to find some way to allow the bigger truck to pass. At times we were reversing down a slippery mud mountain road hugging the cliff edge. Occasionally we could see below a truck shattered into a pieces with cargo flung across the jungle canopy.
It was during one of these maneuvers we experienced the most dangerous time of our entire trip. We were coming around a bend when we saw a huge truck barreling down on us. It was approaching quickly and we did not have time to back-up or hunt for a new spot. I quickly jerked us over to the side of the road, yelling for Lauren to stick her head out the window and tell me how much room I had. She said she could not see any road! In this instant the truck passed within 2-inches of hitting our front bumper. It actually clipped my side-mirror as it roared past, not slowing even a bit. Had that truck been any closer, there is no doubt we would have been knocked off that cliff. I would love to drive that road again…it was epic.
We also traveled on the infamous Bolivian Death Road, where we spotted many memorial crosses. Traffic is lessened since a new highway was recently built. Despite lack of traffic, it was still pretty sketchy with the fog so thick, I could not see past the hood.
Did the 4Runner cause you any moments of panic?
While in the beautiful San Guillermo National Park in Argentina, we made it across a deep river crossing, but the truck stalled on the other side. Water got in the airbox. Fearing hydrolock, I removed the intake, filter, and MAF and let everything dry out. After about 30 minutes, I reinstalled everything and it started right up. Have we mentioned we love this truck? It never lets us down. We camped out in the park for a few days, never seeing another soul. Park rangers informed us the park only gets about 7 visitors per month!
In a remote park along the ridge of the Andes called Paque Lauca, Chile, we saw alpaca, flamingos, and hot springs while we bounced along because we lost a shock mount bolt somewhere on this trail. It was a week before we found a replacement.
Another incident was while driving on the beach in Brazil. We got stuck in the sand and the tide was coming up. We could see where it breaks on the sandbar. Ended up cutting to the left and mashing it, the sandbar broke way and I fell down that berm. Eventually we made it above the tide line.
How many other overland adventurers have you come across?
We have met many fellow adventurers from around the world: Germany, France, Switzerland, South Africa, Czech Republic, Australia, Holland, Argentina, Mexico, United States, Canada, Japan, Brazil, and others. The Pan-American Highway has popular campsites everyone goes to and it is easy to spot other overland vehicles on the road. Meeting up with other folks who share similar interests, mindsets, and lifestyle is always a welcome social engagement. It can be difficult to explain to someone back home the intricacies and quirks of extended living inside of a small truck, or the nuances of how to deal with an officer looking for a bribe, but fellow overland folk can relate.
From a cultural awareness standpoint, have your interactions with the various people you’ve met along the way been beneficial?
In America we are constantly blasted by the media, friends, and family that anywhere south of the border is a dangerous, desolate, wasteland—full of wild criminals wanting to kidnap, torture, and execute us. We were a bit apprehensive at first. My research from dozens of other overland travelers assured us we were going to be fine. Yet, we were still scared. How could the mindset in the U.S. be so inaccurate about a place that is right next door?
We crossed the border fully expecting chaos and mayhem. What we found was a polite guard who assisted us and happily welcomed us to his country. Within the first week in Mexico, we had made new friends, visited beautiful places, and eaten delicious foods. We found the people to be so warm, friendly, and giving. We saw no signs of the malicious violence we believed pervaded the entire country. This continued on and on. Danger and violence is out there; however, we have found that if you do not seek trouble, you’ll be okay. Perhaps it is a bit of hippy philosophy, but we found that people are mostly good. Sure, we encountered some who made us wary, but for the most part, the people have been great.
As far as cultural awareness, before this trip I couldn’t spot Ecuador on a map. Now I know the entire history of Ecuador, the current situation involving development of their rainforest, regional dialects and accents, geography, and the best place to get a cocktail in Quito.
What destinations are next?
We are considering an East Coast trip to Canada, then Alaska, and back to California—thus completing the entire Pan-American Highway. After that, make some more money and start planning the next big trip. Australia, South East Asia, Africa? Who knows? It’s a big world out there and we plan to drive the whole damn thing!
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- By TCT Magazine
It's here, so make some time to read this amazing issue of Toyota Cruisers & Trucks Magazine cover to cover!
Our team has gathered some of the best articles you'll see this year for our April 2015 issue, including:
- Land Cruiser Roundup
- Comet Chasing in a 4Runner
- National Parks
- 2015 CrewMax Tundra
- Rear FJC LED light mod
- 5th Gen 4Runner Snorkel
- Long Term Cooper Tire Review
- Overland Baja California
- Hiking Survival
- 2Way Air System
- Rokmen Off Road
You can also get TCT delivered straight to your iPad or iPhone via the TCT Magazine app. At just $2.99 per issue, or $9.99 for an annual subscription, it's the best way to experience Toyota Cruisers, Trucks, and SUVs. We include videos & slideshows for many articles, and everything is fully interactive!
We're also excited to welcome a new sponsor for this issue: Give a warm welcome to XVenture Trailers!
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