The Southern California Toyota Land Cruisers is a Chapter of the International Toyota Land Cruiser Association. We are active in all fields which relate to our sport, off-road adventure. This includes active support for both TLCA and the California Association of 4WD Clubs that includes trail maintenance, political awareness, family outings, and just going out and getting dirty on a weekend having fun. Everyone is invited to join us, no matter what Land Cruiser you drive, from all terrain to mall terrain. Even if you drive something else, you can tag along, since we know you`ll upgrade to a Cruiser before long.
President = Joe Roy (Newsletter) – josephroy@cox.net
Vice President = Patrick Goddard – patrickgodd@gmail.com
Treasurer = Jerry L’Ecuyer – jerry@tembotusk.com
Website = Chris Heron – cwheron@yahoo.com
Past President = Marc Mason – marc.mason77@yahoo.com
Adopt-a-Trail = Kim and Jim Harlow – kharlow@kleinfelder.com
SoCal TLCA Club Dues and Trail Assistance $25.00/yr. Please fill out our Membership Application and submit it by mail (we can now accept checks, money orders, or cashiers checks) or to Jerry L’Ecuyer at a club meeting. TLCA Dues $35.00/yr. (Includes 6 Issues of Toyota Trails Magazine). CA4WD Dues $50.00/yr. (Optional, but we encourage you to join. Includes 12 issues of In Gear Magazine)
March Club Meeting Report
We had pretty good attendance for this important meeting, with 16 members/rigs represented. Marc Mason volunteered to be this year’s Club Trail Run Coordinator, with David Slingluff assisting. Be sure to get your trail suggestions to these guys, and thank them for taking on this task!
We also decided to have a club “swap meet” at our May 5th Club Meeting. We’ll meet an hour early peruse the various offerings. So, you have a couple of months to go through your garages and find all those treasures you’ve accumulated over the years that you no longer use. Please bring anything off-road/camping related (spare parts, camping equipment, recovery gear, etc…)!
State of the Club Message
Okay, yes, I’ll admit it – I’m President again. Even though I’m an elderly man with a poor memory, you apparently don’t feel you have any better choices available. Sound familiar…? Anyway, at our January club meeting I accepted the continuing Presidency with a few caveats, which I’ll outline below; and which you’ll see unfold over the next few meetings. But, to start, I’d like to give a little report on the health of the club (in my opinion, at least).
When I began acting as President in mid-2019, SoCal TLCA had a small core group of long-term members, including even a couple of Charter Members who were still active after starting the club in the late 1980’s. Unfortunately though, the club wasn’t terribly active by 2019. I set some basic goals to try and bring back a level of club enthusiasm. I wanted to get the word out that the club was still active, and that we would have not only monthly meetings, but also monthly club runs.
By 2022, we were averaging 15-20 club members at each meeting. We had runs scheduled for almost every month (except December, because of the busy holiday period). We’ve had between 6-22 rigs attending each club run over the last couple of years, with an average of 10-12 vehicles. And, most importantly, we were attracting a new generation of Toyota off-road enthusiasts! Our members come from as far away as Long Beach and Pasadena to south Orange County. Based on the above information, we have what I would consider to be about 50 “active” club members (meaning you attend at least a few meetings and/or a few club runs or activities every year, and are current on your annual dues).
I put a lot of energy, thought, and time into making this the same great club that welcomed me as a new member in 2006. I scheduled club runs, and attended most of them, often acting as Trail Leader. I put together and maintained a Club Directory for those interested in sharing their contact information. I collected information to order club t-shirts, ordered them, and then sold them. I planned and organized our annual Holiday parties and Beach parties. I think my efforts paid off, and I hope you agree! Unfortunately, because of some very welcome changes in my life (Grandkids!) I can’t sustain that same level of effort into the future. So, the Presidency will have to change.
For 2024, as President I will:
- Chair the monthly club meetings
- Send out the Club Newsletter with any pertinent information that I receive (run reports, meeting reports, run reminders, etc…) from club members
- Post meeting reminders on our IH8MUD Clubhouse page
- Submit our annual “Club-in-good-standing” form to TLCA.
If we want the club to offer more than that, then club members will need volunteer to help in those areas that interest them. For instance, if we want to do monthly club runs, someone will need to volunteer as Club Run Coordinator to schedule the runs and secure a trail leader for each run. If we want an annual Beach Party, someone will need to volunteer to plan and execute the party. The same for our annual Holiday Party. And, for all the other things that we want to have as a club (directory, t-shirts, club flags/banners, etc…), we will need volunteers for those items. PLEASE NOTE: VOLUNTEERING TO COORDINATE DOESN’T MEAN YOU HAVE TO DO IT ALL! If we all participate, and are willing to share the work, we can continue to have an awesome club. I urge you to think about how you can do your part!
Thanks!
January Club Run Report – Calico
SoCal TLCA’s first trip of the year was our annual run to the hills outside of Calico Ghost Town. The weather could not have been better! The run was well attended, with the following members/rigs joining the run:
Chris & Helga – 100 Series
Patrick & Dillon – 100 Series
Rich & Katelin – 2nd Gen 4Runner
Jose – FJ40
Larry and Kathy – 80 Series
Joel – Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
Rob & son Robert – 80 Series
Dat – 80 Series
Ryan – 1st Gen 4Runner
Evan & crew – 5th Gen 4Runner
Van & crew – Jeep Wrangler 392 Rubicon
We all met at the designated spot, aired-down, and were ready to go on time. With Chris & Helga leading and Evan as tail-gunner, we proceeded up Mule Canyon Road to a trail leading up and down a hillside to a couple old “caves” that most drove through. We then headed over to Kramer Arch, where some drove up a steep rocky obstacle then through the arch. We proceeded up a rocky section of West Phillips Loop then dropped into Doran Canyon for a lunch break.
After lunch, we took an unmarked trail up to the top of the ridgeline between Doran and Odessa Canyons, which offered some great views towards Calico Ghost Town. This trail lead us to the Bismark mine, where most club members explored one of the deeper and longer mine tunnels. From there, we took a trail that traversed a small “waterfall” obstacle on our way to the Wall Street overlook. The trail to the overlook offered a few rock obstacles to add a bit of a challenge, but we all made it with no real issues. Since it was getting late we called it a day and headed out to Fort Irwin Road to air-up and head home before sunset.
At the end of the day, most attending concluded that Jose in his bone stock, 3-on-the tree, 28-inch tire, FJ40 deserved the “rookie of the year” award for how he got his truck through all of the obstacles on the trail with no real issues or damage. This was his first time to go off-roading and he was heck of a driver!
Great job Dat Tran for getting your article on the Big Bear-a-thon published in the September/October TLCA Toyota Trails magazine!
Click on this LINK for the article.
San Bernardino Mountains – February 2024 – Photos
Calico – January 2024 – Photos
Truckhaven Hills – November 2023 – Photos
Oceano Dunes – October 2023 – Photos
April Run Report to Rattlesnake Canyon by Dat Tran – Click Here
Big Bear – June 2023 Run Photos and Toyota Trails Article
Red Rock Canyon – May 2023 Run Photos
Cougar Buttes – March 2023 Run Photos
Anza-Borrego – February 2023 Run Photos
Club Meeting – Sunday, May 5 – 4:00 P.M.
Thanks again to Rich for volunteering his Modjeska Canyon lot for our meetings. Directions to Rich’s property are as follows: The property address is 17336 Croatian St., Silverado 92676. 
To get there, turn off Santiago Canyon Road on to Modjeska Canyon Road. Go just about 1/2 mile and turn right on Croatian. Go to the cul-de-sac and the property is on the left. There are no buildings, just dirt and trees. Since it’s an outdoor venue with no lighting, let’s meet at 4:00 PM. Bring your favorite camp chair, and your own food & drinks – just like we do on our club runs.
Best wishes, and I look forward to seeing you at the meeting or on the trail.
Thanks,
Club Sponsors
Club Membership
The SoCal TLCA is your Southern California chapter of the International Toyota Land Cruiser Association.
Our member’s four-wheeling interests range from roaming mild forest service roads to long-distance back country travel (overlanding) to hardcore rock crawling. Everyone is invited to join us! Naturally, we love our Land Cruisers, but any Toyota is a good Toyota. And even if you’re not currently driving a Toyota you’re welcome to tag along. We love to be out on the trail, so while we may kid you a bit in your choice of rig, we’ll always be glad to have you along.
For questions about the club, please reach out to Club President Joseph Roy at josephroy@cox.net, and if you’re on Instagram, follow us @socaltlca.
Dues are $25: Cover the cost of the website, email exchange, Annual Beach Party, Holiday Dinner, etc. After 15 years with no dues increases, at our December 2019 meeting the club voted a modest $10/year dues increase to ensure we are financially able to meet our club goals. All club duties will continue to be fulfilled on a strictly volunteer basis.
If you have not paid dues or want to update membership info, please click on the link below.
Download Club Application: SoCal Land Cruiser Club Membership Application
Other Information:
So Cal TLCA Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/socaltlca/
Visit the club’s page on IH8Mud
So Cal TLCA Facebook event page (any volunteers to keep this updated?):
https://www.facebook.com/events/2055929414458332
The 10 Commandments of Modifying an Overland Vehicle
