Eighties on Edison 2026: Not Every Land Cruiser Stayed Upright

October 25, 2026

Dark 80 Series Land Cruiser with its lights on driving under a fallen tree on a dirt trail, another 80 behind it

Thirty rigs showed up at Edison Sno-Park outside Bend on October 17. Twenty-six of them were 80 Series Land Cruisers. Nobody there had seen that many 80s in one place, so naturally we took them all down a black diamond trail full of lava rock to see what would happen.

Not all of them stayed upright.

Eighties on Edison is put on by Technique Vehicle Outfitters in Bend. They rebuilt my motor, so I'm a little biased. I was there with a camera, and the video above is the whole day in 26 minutes.

/THE DRIVERS' MEETING

Saturday started in the Sno-Park lot with everyone airing down. One guy went down to 9 psi. The guy next to him had opinions about that. He went anyway.

Then the drivers' meeting. One rule from it is worth stealing: know what the truck in front of you can do. If they're on 40s and you're not, don't follow them. They're going places you don't want to go.

GME brought radios for anyone who wanted to try one. I didn't drive the trail. I bounced around between trucks with my XRS-660-U handheld. How the radios held up with 30 trucks in the trees is in why switch to GME GMRS radios.

/THE EDISON TRAIL

The trail leaves Edison Sno-Park on the Edison OHV route and runs through the Deschutes National Forest to Kwohl Butte Shelter. This is the line we ran.

Map of the Edison trail from Edison Sno-Park to Kwohl Butte Shelter in the Deschutes National Forest

/LAVA ROCK

The first obstacles are lava rock. It's sharp and has no respect for rock sliders.

Silver 80 Series Land Cruiser climbing over black lava rock between fir trees

Most of the day looked like this. One person driving, two or three outside pointing at where the tires go. A lot of the spotters were strangers that morning.

Two spotters standing on lava rock guiding a white 80 Series up through the dust

Red 80 Series Land Cruiser with orange traction boards under its tires on a lava rock ledge

A white 80 Series and a flatbed rig working through lava rock while people watch

/THE ROLLOVER

Then one of the 80s went over on its side. Everybody cleared out, a winch line went on, and it came back onto its wheels. The owner's fine. He's also fine with me posting this, which takes a certain kind of person.

An 80 Series Land Cruiser on its side on lava rock with a winch line on it and a person standing on the door

/THREADING THE TREES

Past the lava, the trail tightens up through the trees. Some of them are standing. Some are lying across the trail at roof rack height.

Four people hanging off the side of a white 80 Series to get it under a fallen log

When a rack and a log disagree, you add people. One gap was close enough that the spotter called it "as close as it's going to get." It went through anyway. Somebody in the video has the rule for this section: if it fits, it ships.

Black 80 Series Land Cruiser with a snorkel coming down a dusty trail through pines

/THE SPINE AND THE BIG CLIMB

After that it's up the spine and the big climb. Turn the sound up for that part. Max still ended up needing a winch off the rock.

/THE BREAKS

Nick's FJ80 broke an axle. When the shaft came out it had twisted almost two splines, and a piece of it stayed behind in the diff. Steel isn't supposed to do that.

And an FJ40, outnumbered by 80s all day, lost its rear driveshaft. Add the rollover and that's three trucks with a better story than the rest of us.

Blue FJ40 Land Cruiser with a front winch on a rocky dirt trail

/BACK AT CAMP

Then back to camp at the Sno-Park for the night.

Man in sunglasses holding a red GME koozie toward the camera

Four people standing in front of their Land Cruisers in the Sno-Park lot at dusk

/SUNDAY: OVER/LAND COFFEE

Sunday was Over/Land Coffee. Backporch Coffee Roasters came out, and it was a fun way to start the morning. Nobody had to spot anybody.

/THANKS

Thanks to Technique and the crew who put it together, GME for the radios, Backporch for the coffee and Crux for the beer.

/NEXT YEAR

As far as anyone knows, this is the only event in the country built around the 80 Series. If you own one, or want one, come out next year. Not sure which 80 you're looking at? Here's how to read FJ80, FZJ80 and HDJ81. Updates go up at eightiesonedison.com.

Kingston