Truckworx - Crankworx Whistler 2023

Jul 30, 2023
by Christie Fitzpatrick  



Crankworx is all about mountain biking, of course, but it's also home to some of the best truck-viewing north of the border. Bikers descend on Whistler's day lots for a week of dirtbaggin', racing and definitely *not* sleeping in their vehicles.

Whistler's five main parking lots were packed full of off-road monsters, expedition-style motorhomes, and some homemade conversions that look straight out of Mad Max. We took a walk through the parking lots to see if we could find anything interesting, and were not disappointed.

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Author Info:
christiefitz avatar

Member since May 21, 2017
109 articles

203 Comments
  • 383 13
 This needs to be a more permanent thing !
  • 131 3
 Noted. Monthly 'Trucks of Whistler' update?
  • 71 0
 @christiefitz: give the wagons some love too!!
  • 14 0
 @christiefitz: Weekly, please.
  • 20 1
 NSMB: Pistons and Pivots
  • 3 0
 @bishopsmike: and all the people said amen!
  • 4 0
 @AndrewHornor: Resort Municipality Vagabondage
  • 4 1
 @whislander: thanks for sharing my page!
  • 7 1
 @christiefitz: don’t worry I have it covered on insta @rigsofthedaylots Wink
  • 3 1
 @christiefitz: honestly , I think any major event. WC or what ever it is , show us the peoples trucks where the races are !!!
  • 4 0
 Look! I'm overlanding!!!
  • 104 0
 Eagle5 for the win
  • 31 0
 May the schwartz be with you.
  • 8 0
 Beater Dodge vans runner ups
  • 2 0
 Pretty sure that guys was there in mid June. We sure he doesn’t live there?
  • 1 0
 He’s been living in the parking lot for years! How does he do it?! I got the knock day 2 or 3….last year
  • 7 0
 Parked by him midweek. Easiest time finding my car ever. Fucking sweet ride.
  • 6 0
 “You listen! On this ship you’re to refer to me as ‘Idiot’ not ‘You Captain’. I mean…you know what I mean.”
  • 6 0
 @ADGproductions: He might have given the local enforcement officers the raspberry
  • 4 0
 The weather station on top clenches it.
  • 1 0
 @quesoenfuego: Along with the Starlink phased array!
  • 1 1
 @ADGproductions: he rolls out on a unicycle in the morning.
  • 1 1
 So where do all these squatters go when the lift closes? Are the sides of the roads for 20 miles lined with $40k squatter vans & camper trucks & Prius' with foil window covers?
  • 6 0
 I want to see Eagle5 and Colonel Mustard team up and kick ass together.
  • 66 4
 Thanks for NOT focusing on euro can conversions, those things are like sides by sides: all over the place, expensive as hell, and such overkill.

Love the old Toyotas!
  • 6 0
 Have you checked the prices on the Toyota campers?
  • 51 0
 Colonel Mustard needs some sweet bike in the back. Maybe a Doctahawk in ketchup red.
  • 2 1
 Mounted on a gun rack!
  • 48 0
 Colonel Mustard in the parking lot with a handlebar
  • 41 0
 The rear overhang on that brown Toyota is ridiculous! How do they turn right without taking out oncoming traffic?
  • 10 0
 Hard for most of us to turn right
  • 20 0
 Just do 3 left turns.
  • 37 0
 Luckily there is no weight on the front wheels so he can't turn right.
  • 17 0
 @HughBonero: I'm not an ambi-turner
  • 3 0
 I actually met the guy who owns that truck one night. Those boys figure it out
  • 2 0
 @jwa9681: I'm wondering if they've got the bikes there as a wheelie bar
  • 5 0
 Never mind turning, going up a slight angle change would take the wheel off. Not to mention it can't be legal.
  • 1 0
 So that's a freaking 4 cylinder right? Can't possibly go up a hill with the front tires on the ground either.
  • 1 0
 @blowmyfuse: 4k rpm all day prolly
  • 31 0
 We need a full write up on that C10
  • 11 1
 As a fellow C10 owner, I concur.

www.pinkbike.com/photo/25254226
  • 27 0
 Clicked for 'Camry conversions', was disappointed.
  • 1 0
 same!
  • 18 0
 60 series LandCruiser is a straight up win. Eagle 5 though,
  • 2 1
 With paint only guys at fox factory could love.
  • 15 0
 So how does KIMBO get out if someone comes along and closes the tailgate?
  • 2 0
 Maybe the window in the door opens and they can reach the latch handle from there
  • 9 0
 This is the best photo essay in a long damn time! I'm currently a vintage Yota-breh but I had a 71 Tradesman van and fully support those who keep them rolling! You can take the engine cowl off in the winter and have an (tiny inline-6 on mine) engine keep your legs warm while you drive.
  • 20 8
 these look like all the "rigs" trying to run me down on the ride to the trails. Them and amg mercdes with ebikes on the back
  • 18 17
 Let me guess, road cyclist turned mountain biker?
  • 16 4
 @mitch1992: Some of us are just not lazy motherf*ckers and like to ride to the trails.
  • 13 1
 That German Shepard was stoked
  • 6 1
 Could you imagine the smell coming from that rig? A couple of riders and two dogs - yikes. I can barely stand me and my own gear after a ride.
  • 12 0
 Yes, more on the C10!
  • 14 3
 That Delica takes the win for me.
  • 8 0
 Might be Levy's
  • 7 0
 Surprised I had to scroll this far down to find some love for the Delica. That's a totally sweet rig. Really annoying that anything resembling that has to be grey-market, unobtainium stateside, yet the roads & trailhead parking lots are *crawling* with ridiculous f*cking Tundras, F250s, and massively overloaded (Overloaded, as in the gvwr of a Tacoma in *no way* accounts for all the crap people are bolting on to those things.) Tacomas.

We need a somewhat rugged vehicle for family camping/road-trip adventures with more room than our little compact SUV, and preferably decent mileage. We *don't* need $70k+ of 15MPG monster 4x4 with another $40k worth of "overlanding" gear bolted on, but it seems those are our choices.
  • 3 0
 @SoCalTrev: Not so! You can pickup 4x4 Hiaces with no problem here ~ bigger than the delica and cheaper than a syncro westy.
  • 2 0
 @tipsword: Yep! Lots of different vintage JDM machines are hitting the states yearly! I took some pics of a sick 90's Hiace 4x4 on my block a few months ago. I believe it was a Super Custom variant with a turbo diesel.
  • 3 0
 @tipsword: Interesting. I will have to do some digging.
  • 12 1
 Favorite crankworx article so far!
  • 10 0
 Damn that C10 is sexy! 72 I belive judging by the grill. 4 wheel discs....nice.
  • 2 0
 That thing appears to be a full pro-touring build. I would bet it's on an aftermarket chassis. It is sweet, regardless.
  • 6 0
 Wilwood discs. There's been poured some money into it.
  • 16 6
 hip sprinter vans with instagram handles don't belong here. or anywhere really
  • 8 1
 The two Toyota Sunrader 4x4s are the best ~ both pre-86' straight axle no nonsense get'ya there and setup base camp trucks. I'm surprised to not see a VW Westfalia or syncro in the line up.
  • 1 0
 Gta be so underpowered tho..not nice cockpits either.
  • 2 0
 I can personally vouch for that regarding that seafoam FJ60.
  • 1 0
 @JWadd: I've always wanted one! My friend did a diesel swap in his
  • 2 0
 @jrocksdh: If it were mine, it would have at least a 22RE with a low pressure turbo on it if not a crate V8.
  • 2 0
 @tipsword: yup..in a free state/country engine swaps all day.
  • 7 0
 Would be cool to see the insides, and how people arrange them.
Also, it seems that there's a dire need for a camping ground in Whis, at least for the trucks, so that people could stay and sleep there legally?
  • 3 0
 You could do another series of articles on sleeping arrangements in Whistler. Between price and availability people have packed themselves in pretty well.
  • 14 6
 None of that is street legal here any more, unfortunately... Well, the discovery and those two delivery vans are.
  • 27 30
 None of that is street legal here any more, fortunately. Fixed that.
  • 3 5
 @Rastafazi: haha no
  • 23 10
 @daweil: Haha. Yes. Have you ever been hit by a car?
A lot of these bumper designs are dangerous, not only to cyclists and pedestrians. Some of these might make sense in certain scenarios. In North America. That’s totally okay.
Nevertheless I am really happy not having to share European roads with stuff like that.
  • 11 4
 @Rastafazi: No idea how you're downvoted for saying that on a cycling website but you're 100% right. Keep deadly, front ends, blind spots and overhangs out of cities. If possible off of any road.
So many people, esp. kids dying due to this shitty suv trend as well.
  • 3 3
 @colincolin: Out of cities, sure. Cities are awful enough places even before you fill them with wankers in massive SUV's that never even drive in a grass field let alone properly off-road. However that's where I stop agreeing with you. Proper utilitarian trucks absolutely have a place outside of cities, and banning them from all roads would be a stupid thing to do. Anyone who lives outside of a city could tell you that.
f*ck people who drive SUV's on the schoolrun or to the supermarket though.
  • 5 2
 With at least half of the cars shown actually I would not expect to have much trouble getting them through registration in Europe.
  • 6 1
 @Rastafazi: In NA there are large free-roaming mammals that are sometimes suicidal and can total your truck and kill your passengers.I'm a bleeding-heart animal lover but having a Bambi-Basher is crucial here.They aren't all just for Mall-Crawling (but that is also a popular sport here).
  • 6 2
 @gabiusmaximus: you mean f*ck people in cities with their 10 million rules that read like the Torah.

I mean...how else are you gonna let that moron in a Prius ram the back of you at a stop sign and drive off like he wasn't there?

Bumpers with utility (bars, brush guards, tow points, winches, etc)....they are the best tools on a vehicle. They can act as welding tables, bottle openers, help you shove a tree off the road, leave your radiator intact when Bambi YOLO's your grille...and so on.
  • 6 3
 @blowmyfuse: I mean f*ck cities in general. Horrible places mostly populated by people who have no idea about life outside. Especially the ones that drive gleaming SUV's that have never done anything more challenging than carrying a new shelf home from IKEA.

Out in the countryside, I completely agree. Big bumpers, winches etc, all super handy.
  • 8 1
 This is awesome. My two favorite things on one website!
  • 2 0
 How illegal is it to sleep in a vehicle in BC? On a scale of just where posted to only on public land to nowhere? Southwest US has free camping on public land (usually blm) so I’ve never really had to worry about going anywhere.
  • 1 0
 Very illegal. Do just a tad a research and you’ll find that local governments outlawed living in your vehicle (huge problem with van lifers in Squamish and Vancouver). Other than that, there are loads of service roads you can drive for miles to access camping. The closest I ever stayed to Blackcomb in my van was about a 20-30min drive. Not bad for free accommodations close to the day lots!
  • 1 0
 Well in the US you can live on any street for free...tent or van. People call them homeless but they're more like transportable homes.
  • 26 21
 I always assume Sprinter van owners are d-bags, might be a little bias tho.
  • 15 2
 One just asked me how much money I make! He was obviously put off by my rusty pickup and ss hardtail.
  • 7 0
 It’s tough, I kinda have the same initial reaction, but the people I know who have van conversions are all cool. They would never ask how much money someone has, and I’ve never gotten shit from them for driving an old car. I’ve finally broke down and I’m buying a used one. Traveling around with my kid and a bunch of bikes with a good place to comfortably hang out is appealing.
  • 2 3
 @pdxallarounder: Must got a different group out on the west coast...
  • 6 1
 @pdxallarounder: so how much money you make? Razz
  • 5 0
 @Roost66: I’m sure there are still plenty of db’s driving sprinters out here, I just don’t know them.
  • 4 0
 @AndrewHornor: not a dentist!
  • 6 12
flag mtbneill (Jul 30, 2023 at 13:38) (Below Threshold)
 You sound like the typical California D-bag. Precisely why I moved out of that shit hole for greener pastures.
  • 8 0
 Can confirm.

Source: Drive a sprinter. Am a total D-Bag. Hobbies include running over adorable woodland creatures, blocking multiple lanes of traffic, idling my diesel engine in wilderness areas and driving past MTB'ers on dusty fire road climbs at 50+ MPH. The good news is that I put stickers advertising my dental practice on both the side of my Sprinter and my 4 Yetis, so it's all a write-off.
  • 3 0
 Wow that's an interesting attitude.
Maybe they worked hard for it...so what about transit owners then?
  • 2 0
 I want a Sprinter - would be my #1 choice. With the 3L V6 diesel thank you very much.
  • 6 0
 Frankly I'm shocked the disco owner doesn't ride an Orange!
  • 6 2
 First gen Tundras FTW #betterthanatacoma. Off road bumpers are kind of stupid unless you’re really hardcore off roading. Expensive and heavy
  • 1 0
 I miss my '06 Tundra. The first gen Tundra was better than my 2nd gen taco in all ways, especially interior and legroom. Tacoma has moderately better fuel economy, but the interior looks like a Yaris, it's more cramped than a Miata and the 1GR, which while reliable, sounds like doodoo compared to the 2UZ (hard to beat a 4 valve v8 for sound). The 2UZ has lasted a million miles in a few trucks now (I haven't seen Toyota do similar press on the 1gr). Also 1st gen Tundras are way more affordable than Tacomas. Downside is good examples are difficult to find and parts are a bit of a pita to source compared to more common vehicles (only 3K sold per year in Canada for the first gen). The 1st gen Tundra is the perfect sized truck imo and the full rolldown rear window is .
  • 1 0
 I've had a few save my front ends..animals/bad drivers/shopping carts..
  • 4 0
 @eh-steve: Don't sleep on 1st gen Sequoias as well, easy to sleep in those - 6'+ dead flat floor with third row out and 2nd row tumbled forward.
  • 2 0
 @bicycle019: Definitely. Basically the same as the Tundra, but around here they seem to go for more than the Tundras (quite rare). Basically as difficult to come by as a clean lx470. Only issue I had with the 4.7 is exhaust leaks. Not surprising on a vehicle 17+ years old.
  • 5 0
 Eagle 5 for the webs win! Colonel Mustard a close second.
  • 5 0
 Lotsa good looking rigs in 4 to 8 mpg range there.
  • 4 1
 Sprinter Vans and Realtors are the genital herpes of mountain towns.

"Tesla, Lacroix, bottle of water, wifi, pilates..." www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iysw5I50Cr0
  • 1 0
 Some of those vehicles aren't making it through the first water bar they get to with those departure angles. Shit the one looks like it can't even clear a speed bump. I think my favourite is the Brown early 90s F150 with the camper. Basically every family event I went to had half a dozen of those
  • 5 1
 Do people actually respect the "no sleeping in vehicules" sign?
  • 5 0
 I see a lot of workarounds going on here.
  • 2 0
 For the most part, yeah. But a lot of us have it down to make it seem that we ain’t. Just tricks of the trade if you’ve got some common sense.
  • 3 0
 Is camping in the parking lots allowed? Killington in VT has official camping in an overflow ski parking lot.
  • 2 6
flag bigmeatpete420 (Jul 29, 2023 at 22:39) (Below Threshold)
 They knock every morning at 430-630 and 830 if they think you’re in there. 120 fine and you get removed the 2nd time. Just get a hotel
  • 4 0
 Are you technically sleeping in your vehicle if you are sleeping on a roof tent?
  • 1 0
 You need a vent so the windows don;t fog up and you're good.
  • 1 0
 @opignonlibre: Was thinking the same... I'm not "in" my vehicle, so there!
  • 1 0
 @suspended-flesh: they will knock and then come back later to check
  • 3 1
 I don't understand lowered trucks. But I live where there are potholes, so maybe it's a geographic thing?
Great pics, though!
  • 1 0
 They look cool. That's all.
  • 1 0
 Well like a lowered car they're gna be better handling/easier to load/unload. .makes sense for 2wd.
  • 1 0
 60's and 70's trucks handle significantly better if you lower them 2"- 4" or so, beyond that you start losing the ability to use it as a truck. The body roll on a stock height 60's pickup is crazy, especially an F-100 with twin I-beams and no sway bars.
  • 4 2
 @rigsofthedaylots ON INSTAGRAM! I made the page because I’m the creepy guy that walks around taking pictures of peoples rigs lol
  • 4 0
 Love that 'Mine the gap' sticker
  • 4 0
 Car 900$ - Bike 8000$
that´s Lifestyle
  • 2 0
 Priorities...
  • 2 0
 I agree this should become an ongoing thing, but cover trailhead parking lots around the world. Just receive the photos from Pinkbike regulars and post them every week.
  • 3 0
 I want a dolphin Land Cruiser
  • 2 0
 Love the Truck Works! Can’t imagine the Yota frames being in good shape. Love the Different rides.
  • 1 0
 Imagine we didnt live in BC where 66% of our income went to mortgage, food and other cost of living.....maybe then we could afford one of those.
  • 1 0
 dude that red toyota with the camper has like 12 feet of overhang behind the rear axle with the box and bike. how does that not scrape like crazy everywhere?
  • 6 3
 They're all so cool.
  • 3 1
 If there's not a Mog in the Dogworx article...
  • 3 0
 We need more of this
  • 3 1
 That Chevy short box is lit.
  • 2 0
 Bush bumper over the line
  • 2 1
 Awesome stuff, I'd love some individual "truck checks" Colonel mustard is sweet, any specs on the power plant?
  • 4 1
 1 less sprinter
  • 1 0
 Whistler is a real bitch if a place for camper trailers, I feel for that one dude
  • 1 0
 Sprinter (Revel conversion) with 8 bike slots, I would expect 2 slot bike rack at the front
  • 1 0
 That Centurion needs a better lock for the bikes. Those could be gone in the blink of an eye.
  • 1 0
 RIP vehicles getting ticketed. I hope it's a cash prize for looking too fly
  • 1 0
 Spent 5 days in lot 4 and no ticket. Just a warning ticket on the first night and nothing to follow. My van very much looks like someone would be sleeping in it as well
  • 1 0
 One of the coolest parts of going to a place to ride mtb. Is seeing the rigs and different setups!
  • 8 6
 Boycott sprinter vans and eebs..make the world a better place
  • 2 0
 @rigsofthedaylots would like to have a word with you
  • 2 0
 Love my Delica 120000 km of pure BC beauty
  • 1 0
 We can't have nice things like that down here. State of Maine used to allow it, then they pulled the rug out from under all the people who imported them.
  • 1 0
 @JWadd: Why? What's wrong with them?
  • 2 0
 Orange junky Dodge for the win complete with parking ticket.
  • 1 0
 +1 for the Silver Dodge ProVan Tiger CX... These rigs seem to slip under the radar (which is nice).
  • 1 0
 Yet, the 5 year old bike rack (Thule) looks more janky than the 40 year old vehicle (FJ60) it's attached to.
  • 1 0
 That seafoam green FJ60? That thing is a SWEET no-frills utilitarian indestructible vehicle! So so VERY sorry I sold mine!
  • 1 0
 @JWadd: It is so very sweet...and that Thule rack almost ruins the whole thing.
  • 1 0
 @handmedowncountry: Its only a bike rack dude owned many of them but that one suits my needs better
  • 1 0
 Only a bike rack Its not for looks more for getting the rigs from point A to B
  • 1 0
 really loved scrolling through the pics whilst "working". Need more of this!!
  • 2 0
 How do all these bikes on outside of vehicles not get stolen?
  • 6 5
 Did Levy get canned? I feel like this kinda article is his jam
  • 1 0
 Smart use of space on the flat deck gmt800
  • 1 0
 Is that a Toyota Chinook?
  • 1 0
 Yes. I had one of those many moons ago.
  • 1 0
 @RayDolor: This one would deserve some love, I wanted something similar with back seats, ended up towing small caravan. How was it? It looks just so perfect
  • 2 0
 @bok-CZ: I had an '81 Chinook. It served me well.
It's always been my preference in general to have a vehicle that I could take a nap in...
  • 1 0
 Love Truckworx every year !
  • 1 0
 Loved the OB sticker on the KIMBO.
  • 1 0
 More of this content please!
  • 1 0
 Nobody else spotted the sneaky R8?
  • 2 0
 Yes, but dogworx.
  • 1 0
 Only Cranworx coverage I need
  • 1 0
 Excellent selection of trucks
  • 1 0
 awesome except the front mounted bike-mobile, that ones just plain dumb
  • 1 0
 I wasn't sleeping, I was "resting my eyes"
  • 1 0
 It's like a bunch of Shoestring Lodges on wheels...#theboot
  • 5 4
 Not another sprinter
  • 1 0
 The good life indeed.
  • 1 0
 yes to alll the rigs
  • 1 0
 Awesome pics
  • 3 2
 One less sprinter
  • 1 0
 More of this please
  • 2 3
 I'm envious of some of those rigs. Thankfully no yelping about carbon footprints and gas guzzling in here.
  • 3 0
 Now that you mention it...this is Jurassic Parking lot.
  • 1 0
 @handmedowncountry: old cars are better for the environment than buying new ones. And cooler.

studyfinds.org/keeping-old-cars-help-environment-more-than-new-electric-cars
  • 1 0
 @straleyjj: "Specifically, researchers find keeping older fuel efficient cars on the road longer reduces CO2 emissions significantly more than speeding up the global transition to green technology...Our hypothesis is that driving current internal combustion engine vehicles a little longer during the transition to green vehicles is a viable strategy to help the environment"

I don't think any of the vehicles above classify as an "older, fuel efficient car." Also, I am not sure how much I trust an article that can't use commas properly.
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