MPG Champ
It's for off-road use only, it's sorta small-about a foot shorter overall than a regular-cab Tacoma-and its top speed is governed to 25 mph. But the Champ 4x4 from Tiger Truck LLC will haul, thanks to a payload capacity of more than 3,300 pounds. It's available in a choice of engines, including a 1.0L four-cylinder gas motor (estimated to reach 43 mpg) and a 1.1L three-cylinder Cat diesel (37 estimated mpg). Though the truck's design is Chinese, the Champ and other Tiger truck models are assembled in Oklahoma. Log on to www.tigertruck.com for more info.
Recreation Rescue Works It
Hummer's Recreation Rescue, a new program from Tread Lightly! and Hummer, drew forest service employees and more than 35 volunteers from central-California 4x4 clubs to a day of trail maintenance on the Bald Mountain OHV route in the Sierra National Forest east of Fresno. This was the second trail maintenance event made possible by funding from Hummer, project grants from Tread Lightly!, and elbow grease provided by local off-roaders. The volunteer team worked to improve and stabilize a section of the Bald Mountain trail that is subject to erosion during the spring snow thaw and summer storms. The group also closed and restored unauthorized routes that had developed over time.
Club Spotlight
Editor's note: What's your 4x4 club up to? This is the place to share news about trail cleanups, charity runs, raffles, trail rides, and other special events going on in your neck of the woods. Email some info and high-resolution photos to 4wheel offroad@sourceinterlink.com, or you can mail them to Club Spotlight, c/o 4Wheel & Off-Road Magazine, 6420 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048. Sorry, but we can't return photos.
Snake River Offroaders
The Snake River Offroaders do several cleanups a year, trying to keep the trails open and enjoyable. In May 2008 we cleaned up an area south of Idaho Falls, Idaho, called Hell's Half Acre. We filled a 30-yard dumpster with non-recyclable garbage and hauled several trailer-loads of metal scraps to the local recyclers, including several old cars. Our club president, Chad Cannon, spent a lot of time organizing this event, the BLM got involved by paying for the dumping fees, helping in the cleanup, and taking a free ride on a junk car. PSI Waste Systems donated the Dumpster and its transport. We would like to thank everyone who got involved and made this a big success.
-Travis Jenks
FJ Bruisers
One of the FJ Bruisers' favorite local wheeling spots is Green Ridge State Forest in Maryland. Wanting to give back to a place that has given them so much fun, they teamed up this spring with the park rangers to rid the trails of trash. More than 20 club members showed up with rigs, winches, and trailers ready to lend a hand, hauling everything from discarded cans and tires to refrigerators and sofas. The day turned into such a success that they returned a few weeks later to plant a grove of trees, and they've already planned a follow-up trip in the fall. -Vaughn Ripley
This Just In
* Suppliers working on Ford's 6.2L big-block V-8, which has been called both Hurricane and Boss, have been told to stop working on the engine, according to Automotive News. A Ford exec was quoted as saying the program is still a go, but in smaller volumes than originally planned.
* "Phoenix" is the code name Chrysler has given the next-generation Grand Cherokee, according to Automotive News. The new Grand, due as a '10 model, will be built at a Detroit-area plant in which the company is investing some $1.8 billion to produce the Grand and "other undisclosed products." The trade journal describes the new Jeep as having "a unibody construction and a fuel efficient V-6." Hmm. No more Hemi?
* This year's gas pains knocked the Ford F-Series pickup off its long-held perch as the best-selling vehicle in America. But not for long. After giving up the title for a couple months to the Honda Civic, the F-Series was back on top again by summer. Guess there aren't many contractors who can put a pipe rack on a Civic.
* Edge products has Received certification from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) that makes its Evolution gas-powered programmer line 50-state emissions legal.
* Will we call it a Rattan? Automotive News confirmed in a recent story that Nissan is giving up the development and assembly of its Titan fullsize pickup and will turn it over to Chrysler, which will build the truck as a Ram-based offshoot at its Saltillo, Mexico, plant. For the '12 model year, the Titan will be a Ram mechanically, though it will have unique sheetmetal and a Nissan-only interior. The Armada fullsize SUV, based on the Titan's F-Alpha platform, is not expected to survive the shift.
Earth Watch
* On a Saturday in July, more than 40 Jeep Cherokees registered for a fund-raising event for Friends of Johnson Valley (FOJV), which is trying to keep the popular Hammers trails in Johnson Valley open. The military would like to occupy the land in Johnson Valley for testing purposes, which would put an end to running trails such as Sledgehammer, Clawhammer, and Wrecking Ball. Most of the vehicles at the run were from the Jeep Cherokee club NAXJA. While this was not an official NAXJA event, the support Johnson Valley received from this club was awe-inspiring. For more information on the preservation of Johnson Valley for off-road enthusiasts, please visit www.fojv.org.
* There is a new way for enthusiasts to support the BlueRibbon Coalition's (BRC) efforts to protect recreational access. Vehicle owners can now turn their unwanted but usable vehicles into valuable contributions. Vehicles can be donated at any time, and the proceeds of each donation benefit the BRC, which is devoted to "Preserving our natural resources for the public instead of from the public." Vehicles for Charity, a division of the Metropolitan Association for Retarded Citizens, acts as the agent for the contribution. You can visit www.sharetrails.org/vehicle-donation-program to get the process started online.