TLCA Member Club

Coastal Cruisers
837 Sharpe Street
Coquitlam, B.C. V3C 3M4, Canada

Club Contact: Steven Tetu, 604-944-0385, cruiser@uniserve.com, RAMullen@wimsey.com

---

Members of Coastal Cruisers

The Coastal Cruisers started as a small group meeting in a garage in Surrey, B.C. in early 1991. The issue that brought the club together was the need to raise money for maintenance of the cabin and hot tubs at the Clear Creek Hot Springs. Coastal Crusiers became a chapter of the Toyota Land Cruiser Association on November 25, 1991. Membership grew slowly but steadily, but the popularity of Clear Creek skyrocketed. With an ever increasing number of drunken idiots (NO, not club members) attempting tough drive into the springs, maintenance became a challenge. The largest pool was destroyed, cleaning out the cabin required shovels. In the spring of 1995, the Forest service closed the road, claiming the many creek crossings on the road posed a hazard to salmon fry at the mouth of the creek.

Despite the loss of their adopted trail, the Coastal Cruisers growth took off. Membership doubled in 1996 to over 40 members. When the club was formed, V8 FJ40s were the overwhelming majority. Although 40s are still the most common model, many of them are diesel powered now. The club includes vehicles ranging from a 1968 FJ40, through BJ40s, BJ42s, FJ45s, BJ60s, FJ60s, HJ60s, BJ70s, PZJ75s, to 1996 HZJ75s, making for arguably the most diverse collection of vehicles of any TLCA chapter. The trucks range from bone stock resto-mobiles, to rusted out bush beaters, to spring-over fully locked rock crawlers.

The demographics of the club range from 18 to 60 years old with a bulge in the middle of thirty-somethings. Or are those thirty-somethings bulging in the middle? :)

The club now meets on the second Thursday of each month at TLC Offroad, which is located at 2360 Douglas Road in Burnaby, B.C. (GPS LAT/LONG N49deg15.022' W122deg59.231'). The official business usually gets under way around 7:30, but the schedule isn't TOO rigidly enforced. Dave, TLC Offroad's founder/president, who also happens to be president of Coastal Cruisers usually boots the last few hardcores out of the shop around midnight. Discussions in the parking lot have been known to stretch on until well after 1am, regardless of weather.

We get out on runs on average once a month. Some of the past runs have included many years of Clear Creak, Whipsaw, The Graystokes, Black Tusk, Vancouver Island, with day runs up Blue Mountain for good measure. The club has had strong contingents attend the last couple Rubithons, a tradition that continues to grow.

Some other annual events include a Christmas Toy Run, Land Cruiser Days at Jim Pattison Toyota in Surrey B.C., vehicle inspections, and a clean-ups of Lattimer Lake and Lynn Creek Park.

Future plans for the Coastal Cruisers include joining the B.C. Four Wheel Drive Association, and publication of a chapter newslettre.

First-time membership dues are CA$70, which breaks down as follows:

• $10 first-time sign up fee (includes free sticker!).
• $35 TLCA dues (so you get your Toyota Trails etc.).
• $15 B.C. Four Wheel Drive Association dues.
• $10 Coastal Cruisers club dues.

Renewed memberships are CA$60.

To have your name added to the Coastal Cruisers e-mailing list and receive warnings of upcoming meetings/events, or for more information, e-mail RAMullen@wimsey.com.