The following websites are either directly or indirectly related to our 4x4 hobby, with respect to resources, land use, environmental issues, outdoor recreation in general, tourism and travel in BC, and of course, Toyota 4x4's. I have visited every one of these sites to review their content; some are "required reading", and all are well worth visiting.

Please report any dead or changed links to me.

To view the home pages of the Toyota 4x4 people I 'wheel with, see the Friends page.

Last updated: June 20/03

Reference

BC Insurance (Motor Vehicle) Act

BC Motor Carrier Act

BC Motor Vehicle Act

BC Motor Vehicle (All Terrain) Act

BC Motor Vehicle Act Regulations

BC Wildlife Act

Non-Commercial

I've defined "non-commercial" as describing websites whose primary mandate is to provide information or entertainment, and not to sell or promote commercial products or services.

4x4Wire's Toyota 4x4 Section

Tech, tips, trips, maintenance, product reviews, trail reports, a Toyota 4x4 Mailing List, and more. Lots of good information.

About.com's 4-wheel Drive/SUV Site

All kinds of links on all kinds of 4x4 and camping-related subjects, plus articles, club listings, discussions, chat, a newsletter, and more.

BC4x4.com

Four-wheeling in British Columbia. Has land-use issues, trip reports, photos, tech, maps, mailing lists, product reviews, links, and an event calendar. Check out the message board for Toyota-related discussions and swap & shop. It's Canada's biggest 4x4 site, and it's the place to be for 4x4 owners in BC.

BC Forest Land Commision

The Commission is charged with the responsibility of administering the Forest Land Reserve (FLR) which consists of designated Crown and private land. The Commission acts in an advisory capacity to both the Minister of Forests and Cabinet on the designation or removal of Crown Lands from the FLR.

BC Geological Survey Branch NTS Maps

The GSB is part of the BC Ministry of Energy and Mines; this map index allows you to click on the region you are interested in, and will provide you with an NTS map and a cross-referenced report on subjects such as area mines, ARIS data, and other geological information. You can also create your own interactive maps using their regularly-updated data.

BC Land Use Coordination Office

This site contains regional land use plans, Land and Resource Management Plans (LRMPs), LRMP maps and policy and process information, information on Protected Areas and Special Management Zones, and other land-use information.

BC Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks

The Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks is responsible for the management, protection and enhancement of BC's environment, including the protection, conservation and management of provincial wildlife, water, and air resources; the management and allocation of Crown land; and the protection and management of provincial parks, recreation areas and ecological reserves.

BC Ministry of Forests

The Ministry of Forests is responsible for managing BC's Crown forest land. Check this site for news releases, land use plans, wildfire reports, and regional contact information. Recreation maps for some regions are available online; other recreation maps are available for a small fee from the Nanaimo office. Also has a vendor list by city for purchasing MOF Camping Passes.

BC Ministry of Transportation and Highways

Road reports, inland ferry schedules, route information, highway maps, major incidents (closures due to avalanche, flood, etc), and more. If you are planning to go 'wheeling near the Coquihalla Hwy or Whistler, check out the Coquihalla webcam or the Whistler webcam to see current weather conditions.

BC Wildlife Federation

The BCWF's objectives are: to ensure the sound, long-term management of BC's fish, wildlife, park and outdoor recreational resources in the best interests of all British Columbians, and to coordinate all the voluntary agencies, societies, clubs and individuals interested in that objective; to develop and support a comprehensive educational program to make all British Columbians aware of the value of British Columbia's fish, wildlife, park and outdoor recreational resources; and to arouse in the public conscience a recognition of, and a respect for, the place of fish, wildlife and outdoor recreation in the wise integrated use of the nation's natural resources. Has Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Education (CORE) and related hunting information.

Forest Alliance of British Columbia

The Forest Alliance of B.C. is a coalition of British Columbians from all areas of the province and all walks of life, whose common concern is to protect B.C.'s forest environment and forest-based economy. The mission of the Forest Alliance is to find ways to achieve both environmental protection and economic stability in the use of British Columbia's forest resources.

Forest Renewal BC

Forest Renewal BC is a dynamic investment agency charged with supporting a full range of forest renewal activities in every region of the province. It is a working partnership of forest companies, workers, First Nations, environmentalists, communities and the provincial government. FRBC is the agency responsible for closing and deactivating old forestry and logging roads. See where your provincial tax dollars are going.

Four Wheel Drive Association of BC

The 4WDABC is a non-profit organization of environmentally-responsible owners and drivers of four-wheel-drive and sport-utility vehicles. Join them in their fight to keep BC's back-roads open. The 4WDABC publishes the "Backroader" magazine, available at most 4x4 shops and Big-O tire dealers.

GasTips

GasTips is a real-time, user-supported site listing the lowest gasoline prices in Greater Vancouver and Vancouver Island by city. They also have a table listing the lowest reported prices in the last 36 hours, as well as other statistics.

GhostTowns.com

Online reference for ghost towns throughout the USA and Canada. They are committed to information and preservation, and host a BBS, chat room, and classified ads for persons interested in learning about and exploring ghost towns.

Goldpan.ca

Goldpan.ca is Canada's online community for amateur prospectors, ghost towners, treasure hunters, rockhounds, metal detectorists, spelunkers, and explorers of abandoned mines. This is another one of my sites.

The Kettle Valley Railway Homepage

If you plan on driving or visiting the old KVR right-of-way, do yourself a favour and spend some time at Hector Turner's excellent site, with history, stories, reference sources, photos, links, and a really nice KVR route map.

Lionsgaters 4wd Club

The Lionsgaters are one of BC's biggest and oldest 4x4 clubs. Membership is open to all makes of 4x4 vehicles, and there are monthly runs, monthly meetings, special events, social events, and trail cleanups. Vehicles range from stock to heavily-modified. The club is based in North Vancouver, and new members are always welcome.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (Canada)

The Mission of MADD Canada is to stop impaired driving and support the victims of this violent crime. Be smart; don't drink and drive. Americans should check out M.A.D.D. U.S.A..

Off-Road.com's Toyota 4x4 Page

Home of the Toyota 4x4 mailing list, this excellent site has tips, tutorials, tech, FAQs, and links. The mailing list is the best place on the 'net to obtain information about your Toyota 4x4 pickup or 4Runner; previous digests are viewable by date or searchable by keywords. This is the site that got me interested in Toyota 4x4's on the Web.

Pirates of the Rubicon Message Board

The POR message board is extremely active; there are a lot of ideas and opinions being voiced here. Good place for advice, recommendations, and caveats. Extensive Toyota section; geared towards rock crawling.

Rid Roads of Impaired Drivers

Based on Vancouver Island, RRID's goal is is to enlighten and inform; working to keep traffic safety a public issue, providing education and finding effective solutions to prevent impaired driving while applying pressure to the courts for adequate sentencing of impaired drivers, and to offer support to the victims of impaired drivers.

Safety Alerts

Safety Alerts provides recent, comprehensive, and up-to-date safety alerts and factory recall notification via free email subscription, and also keeps an updated list on their website. Includes trucks, ATV's, outdoor equipment, food, etc.

The SR5 Network

The SR5 Network is designed for owners of 4wd and 2wd Toyota Trucks and 4Runners, and exists to provide its intended users access to information about other owners, technical matters, and parts availability. Has free classified ads, a discussion board, and chat.

ToyotaLinks.com

One of the biggest lists of current Toyota 4x4 links on the Web, covering pickups, 4Runners, Tacomas, Land Cruisers, clubs, tech, quick-time movies, mailing lists, FAQs, and vendors.

ToyotaOffRoad.com

Toyota news and info, articles, message board, parts swap, links, and photo gallery with "stucks". Not just for pickups and 4Runners; also for Land Cruisers and Rav4's, as long as they go 4-wheeling.

Tread Lightly!

Tread Lightly! promotes responsible four-wheeling, and is dedicated to protecting public and private lands through education. People view us by our actions; set an example, stay on the trail, and Tread Lightly on public and private land.

U.S. Army Field Manual 21-305: Manual for the Wheeled Vehicle Driver

This manual has some good information for 4x4 drivers, particularly Chapter 9: Emergencies (including blow-outs, skids, running off the road, brake failure, and fires), Chapter 21: Off-Road and Winter Driving (including how to cross a variety of terrain and obstacles, such as ditches, ravines, streams, rocks, snow, and more), and Chapter 22: Vehicle Recovery (including winching, manual recovery, and field expedients; the only thing I'd change would be to use a tree saver strap instead of a chain when using a tree as an anchor).

YotaRepair.com

This site is designed to assist Toyota Owners with questions they may have, and Dealership personnel to share information. The site owner has twenty-eight years experience in service department operations; nine with Toyota. He has won all the awards and achieved Master Service Manager status while working at dealerships that won seven Toyota Presidents awards. He will be able to answer most of your technical, warranty, or product questions; all contents are from Toyota reference material and real life experiences with the Toyota product. His goal is to start a national network of technical information among Toyota dealers.

ATV

I've set up a separate section for ATV links, as I'm starting to get more involved with the hobby.

Quads.ca

ATVing in British Columbia. This is my ATV site, as ATVing was starting to over-run my Toyota 4x4 site. Discussion forums, trip reports, photo gallery, ride guide, resource directory, and more.

ATV Canada

Discussion forums, photo gallery; lots of Alberta and Ontario riders.

ATV Nature Watch

ATVNW presents and encourages a code of ethics for ATV riders, addressing the following key areas: safety and the environment, sensitive habitats, trail etiquette, private property, and crimes in nature. Developed in conjunction with the CATV (listed below) and the Canadian Ecology Centre.

Canadian All-Terrain Vehicle Distributors Council

The CATV is a national, non-profit, trade association which represents the responsible interests of the major ATV distributors, as well as the manufacturers, distributors and retail outlets of ATV-related products and services, and individual owners and riders of all-terrain vehicles in Canada. Note: website works with MSIE only.

Lower Mainland ATV Club

The Lower Mainland ATV Club is a group of responsible ATV riders with a common interest in ATVing. The club was formed to bring ATV riders of all ages and experience together, and to promote rider safety and environmental awareness.

Quad Riders Association of BC

ATV/BC is an umbrella organization for BC ATV clubs. They promote safe and responsible ATV use, and are concerned with land-use issues and continued trail access.

Corporate

I've defined "corporate" as describing websites whose primary mandate is to promote or sell commercial products or services. If you buy something from a company listed below, please tell them that you found the link to their website here.

Host4Profit.com

This is the company that hosts this website. I'm extremely happy with their service, and highly recommend them to anyone looking for a web host. 300MB webspace, 10GB/month traffic, site stats, shopping cart, control panel, unlimited email addresses, and tons more features, all for only US$24.95/month.

North Shore Off Road

NSOR is BC's biggest 4x4 store. Cheerful, knowledgeable staff, lots of stock, and a well-equipped shop. I've purchased a lot of gear from them over the years, and I've always been happy with their service. Their main store is in North Vancouver, BC, and they have another store, Sport Trucks Unlimited, in Surrey, BC.

ToyotaFiberglass.com

These guys have the cure for your rusty box woes; they manufacture fiberglass replacement boxes and related accessories for first- and second-generation Toyota pickups. They are available in short-box or long-box versions, and allow for the use of your factory tailgate (or their fiberglass tailgate), lights, and fuel-door. They are located in Westbank, BC; check out their website for product photos and some shots of customers' rigs.

If you've been linked to this page, please check out the rest of the site!