Cam's Garage

June 10, 2024 The Yearning for More Last year, my friend Jake and I embarked on a trip from east coast to west coast in the spirit of the Cannonball Run . You can read about our road trip in my 3-part blog series ( Part 1 , Part 2 , and Part 3 ). During the trip, Jake and I both genuinely believed that the Cannonball Run that we had worked about a year to plan would be the ultimate adventure. After a few months though, we both felt that we wanted something a bit more unconventional and potentially even a step further into questionable decisions. So we started brainstorming... Breaking Down the Options & Choosing a Path Forward When we started thinking of what to do next, our criteria was: Unique in not following in the footsteps of other journeys before Scenic drives Safety above all else Budget-friendly 10-12 days We developed a few options ranging from completely insane to relatively reasonable. Here were the options that we came up with in increasing order from least crazy to mo...

May 14, 2024 Toyota Life Recap If you either know me or have kept up with my blog for some time, you will be well aware that my favorite vehicle is the fourth generation of the Toyota 4Runner  (4th Gen) specifically with the 4.7L V8 and 4-wheel drive. I have loved the 4th Gen since I was a little kid when my father had one that he bought new in 2007. I purchased my first Toyota SUV in 2018, which was a 2004 Lexus GX470. The Lexus GX470 was built on the 4Runner chassis (technically the 4Runner was built on the Land Cruiser Prado 120 chassis), giving it the same 4.7L and 4-wheel drive system in a nicer package than the 4Runner counterpart. I wrote another post regarding My Introduction to Overlanding here  where I explored the purchase and history with my GX470. Generally speaking, GX470's are in better condition as well because the original owners were families not looking to destroy an off-road capable vehicle but safely get their kids to soccer practice. Below is a pictu...

May 3, 2024 Before I get started and inevitably offend a lot of Toyota enthusiasts, I will note that this is an opinion piece that is backed from my personal experience with my 200 Series and discussing with others. Please also note that while this is a Lexus LX570, I have converted the entire suspension to traditional coil-overs (including upper/lower control arms) to the Land Cruiser 200 Series; for all intents and purposes, this is a 200 Series and not an LX anymore. If you want more information on the conversion, I have some of it listed here and will update once that post is completed. Introduction I've owned a LOT of cars; 30 in total. Of the vehicles that I have owned, the vehicle that I aspired to own more than all of them was the Toyota Land Cruiser 200 Series because of its nameplate, drivetrain, and proven reliability feats. After 3 years of ownership and nearly 50,000 miles with my 200 Series, I can say that the Land Cruiser 200 Series is not the greatest Toyota SUV of ...