Toyota VS Jeep at Barnwell Mountain

August 29-31 2025, in Gilmer, TX, at Barnwell Mountain Recreation Area.

So any of you mall crawlers actually wheel your shit or just talk about it?

See y'all there, if you ain't scared...



@Sirfive
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@JasonC.
@TX-TRD1stGEN

 

There's definitely some trails that challenge, if not break trucks out there.
Also a fun rock garden.

 

Last year Toyota won. I didn't go because I was broke and so was my truck. I'm not sure if last year was the first event or what. It's definitely the first time I heard about it. But I've been to the Lone Star Toyota Jamboree at the same venue a handful of times.

 

What about second gens? Third gens?
Y'all mall crawlers and brodozers or any of y'all actually do any off roading?

 

Probably going to pass on this grass. Got a big trip to NM in Sept then Merustober.

 

@texoma you going?

 

It's gonna be blazing hot. I wish this was in Oct or Nov. Oh well, might as well go. I might be selling the Tundra in the next months. I bought a 2007 GMC 3500 Duramax with the LBZ engine. One owner, super low miles and looks brand new. I'm going to buy a 40 ft gooseneck, and put a truck bed camper on the front of the gooseneck trailer, and then I can drive a vehicle on the back portion and start going to off-road parks all over the country. This has been my dream for probably 2 decades. Just never had the money and/or time. I am leaning towards buying a LJ Rubicon and HEAVILY modifying it. I just don't think I can do what I want to do, to my Gen 1 Tundra. The Wrangler is just easier to modify to the level I want. Plus I've done almost every mod I can think of short of a solid axle to my Tundra. I'm not even 100% on a Wrangler. I might get a Kawasaki KRX4... That's the other option. Even then I would modify it with a little stuff here and there and put 35s on it. Anyways, I've got a little time. Might as well go on a few of these trips while I still have the Tundra.

 

All I read was...

 

LOL...been there done that.
This was years ago!!!
The Toyota rally was held there many years ago!!!
This was back when Shannon Brookshire was running things.
We had people from all over the country show up!!!
Same with our beach runs.
Curious to see if anyone else was around back then.

 

Yeah....if you were around back in Shannons Day we probably knew each other.

 

Can't say I recall a Shannon.

 

He ran Tacoma Territory back in the day.
He worked for a Toyota Dealership back then.

 

In fact he was the Tacoma Territory starter back in the day.
Don't know for certain but Tacoma Territory might still be around.

 

Can't say I've ever heard of it.
I was a Tacoma guy before I became a Tundra guy. But I just hung out with some of the locals from Tacoma world circa 2012-2018

 

Too far, only time I hit this trip is for Jambo.

 

Then I suppose Merus is off the table as well. I really wanna check out more parks around the hill country. HF is great, but there's couple others I never been to.

 

Mine is way too long and all stock.

 

SWR was fun, and different. There’s some rowdy trails there for sure

 

He did change the name from Tacoma Territory to Toyota Territory
He sold the site years back and actually made some pretty serious bank off it.

 

Interesting...
Back in the day we didnt have anything but friendly competitions.

 

They have a trophy that says at Barnwell in the office. Last year Toyota won, but I couldn't make it.
That was the first I've heard of the event. I'm not sure how long it's been going on.

 

Nice!!
Who were the Judges?
Not by name of course.
Or was it a simple "How many made an obstacle vs didnt by percentage points?

 

I don't know....I wasn't there.
I just saw the trophy posted afterwards

 

@Tundra Texan here you go. I forgot I got an email this morning with some info.

 

Heck yeah! I remember those TTORA days! I used to wheel my 1st gen Taco with TTORA, TTR (Toyota Trailriders) and DFW-4WD. Even got to see Ivan Stewart at one of the annual Jamborees. Also wheeled a fullsized Bronco and a ‘47 CJ2A Willys at BMRA, and even got 2nd place in the stock class on the Rock Garden during a Mega Run event.

I’ve taken the Tundra to BMRA and Bridgeport a few times in the past, but honestly the wheelbase on these trucks is too long for a lot of those trails. Might get a used GX470 to do some 2 and 3-diamond trails out there.

 

If you were around back in those days we probably crossed paths many times.

 

Yeah, we probably did. I was around during the delphi forum days when I had a black ‘99 Prerunner that got stuck in the mud at Shiloh Ridge back when they were open. At that time, I don’t think Shannon’s Taco had a solid front axle. I then upgraded to a silver sky ‘03 TRD Taco and was a trail leader for a few of the Toyota Jamboree runs.

 

Yeah....I'll never forget Shannon coming out of the giant mud pit at Shiloh and driving straight into the side of a guys truck.
He couldnt see with all the mud on his windshield.
Of course with him working at a dealer he had them fix the damage.
Almost positive he'd done the solid axle by then.
LOL...Made him some sand shoes for the end of his crutches so he wouldnt sink at the beach.
Machined em out of solid PVC.