Anna Lewis
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Anna Lewis

Anna Lewis-LONMemberAnna Lewis

Forum User Name: FJ_Anna 
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"Wife, Food Scientist, and Outdoor Adventurer! I am the owner/driver of a 2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser (named Hannibal). From the minute I purchased the FJ, my husband and myself started our off-roading and overlanding adventures! With me driving and my husband navigating, we have hit the trails all across Georgia, Tennessee, Colorado, Utah and now our new home state of California."

Occupation: Product Innovation Manager
Birthday: April 29, 1980

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Questions & Answers

Anna Lewis-LONMemberAbout Anna:

Q: What is your favorite color?
A: "Hard question! Blue I suppose, an ocean-y blue"

Q: What is your favorite food?
A: "Chicken"

Q: Do you have kids? 
A: "Nope."

Q: Do you have any pets?
A: "Yes! 3 kiddos… 2 Harriers (Moxie and Billy) and 1 Mixed girl named Ruby (she was found under my Grandma’s house and we ended up taking her home and naming her after my Grandma). Another neat fact, Billy has been in a commercial before."

Q: Do you take your pets off-roading?
A: "Ruby doesn’t mind it, but Moxie gets sick. Billy is new so we haven’t tried it with him yet. We typically keep them home."

 

Anna Lewis-LONMemberAnna's Off-Road Facts:

Q: How old were you when you first started wheeling?
A: 
"34"

Q: Is your whole family into off-roading?
A: "Just my husband and I. My dad had a CJ-7 back in the 70s and took it off-roading some, but not nearly to the extent I do."

Q: Are you usually the driver or the co-driver?
A: "The driver."

Q: How often do you get to go off-roading?
A: "At least once a month."

Q: How did you get started in the off-road world?
A: "After I bought my FJ, I didn’t want to leave it as a boring vehicle that doesn’t get used, so we found a local trail that was supposed to be fairly easy and did it one Saturday. It was so scary but fun! It took 7 hours it seemed as we were going so slow.  I then found out about the Georgia FJ Cruisers group and got involved and started wheeling with them. Soon we were off-road almost every weekend.  I just jumped head on into it."

Anna Lewis-LONMemberQ: Where is your favorite place to wheel?
A: "I am still new to California, but I enjoy the desert (over in Reno) or up in the Mountains nearby.  My favorite ever though is Ouray, Colorado. I have done a lot of the trails there and it's just beautiful"

Q: What is on your off-roading bucket-list?
A: " One of my bucket list items is happening this October… getting to compete in the Rebelle Rally. I would love to experience the Rallye de Gazelles one day. I also would like to restore and make my own an old Land Cruiser FJ40."

Q: How are you active in the off-road world?
A: " Leading Ladies Rides at Toyota events, administrated the Georgia FJ Cruisers group for 2 years, etc."

 

Anna Lewis-LONMemberAnna's Off-Road Stories:

Q: What is your most memorable offroad moment?
A: "I had the opportunity to do a guided ride for 3 days with Bill Burke across the Grand Mesa. It was amazing!"

Q: What was your first wheeling trip?
A: "Tray Mountain, Georgia"

Q: What was your longest wheeling trip?
A: "It was more overlanding than wheeling. We just got back from a 5-day trip where we went to Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas. We had so much fun seeing the Devil's Tower, Mount Rushmore, Crazyhorse, Bear Country USA, did some canoeing, and finished of hte trip by watching the eclipse."

Q: What was your favorite wheeling trip?
A: "10 days (cross country from Georgia to Colorado the long way, stopping at New Mexico, Arizona, Moab Utah, and then Ouray Colorado)"

 

Anna Lewis-LONMemberAll About the Ladies:

Q: Who do you look up to in the industry? Why?
A:  "I have so many supporters and friends in the Toyota community. It would be hard to narrow it down. I have several guys that I consider my Gurus."

Q: How do you feel as a woman in the off-road industry?
A: "A rarity but once they see me wheel, they realize I know what I am talking about. I led a ride for a bunch of guys at the first Appalachian Toyota Roundup in Windrock Park, TN and the guys still say that was the best trail ride they have ever done there."

Q: Tell us a story about guiding, educating, or motivating ladies in offroad (past or future).  
A: " At the Appalachian Toyota Roundup this year, I was there as a member of Team Vagabond and had the opportunity to navigate and help teach a brand new female driver as she put her Tacoma into 4wd for the first time.  I rode with her all day showing how to pick a line, what to do when you start sliding, etc.  The next day my teammate and I led a group of 17 rigs on trails (some ladies who were driving their guy’s rigs and other female owners).  An rollover occurred on the ride and one of the ladies narrowly missed a big drop off and ended up in the trees.  All of us banded together to get her and her dog out of her vehicle and then worked with some of our rescue gurus to get the rig back right side.  I was able to drive it back off of the mountain for her and verify the safety of the rig."

Anna Lewis-LONMemberQ: What advice do you have for ladies who want to get started off-roading?
A:  "Do it!  Don’t be scared, find a group near you and just jump in.  If they don’t seem like a good fit for you, find another group."

Anna's Vehicle:

About Hannibal:
"2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser named Hannibal"

Q: Does your vehicle also serve as a daily driver?
A:  "Yes"

Q:What is the best modification you have done to your vehicle?
A: " A single modification? That is hard! How about a combo, my lift and tires to get me up higher over the rocks."

Q: Do you work on your own vehicle?
A: "Yes, but I lean on my husband and his skills. I call him my mechanic."

Anna Lewis-LONMemberVehicle Type: Toyota FJ Cruiser
Year: 2014
Tire Make/Size: BFG A/T KO2s – 34/10.5/17
Wheel Make/Size: 17” Alloys
Front Suspension: 2.5 Coilovers from Icon with SPC Upper Control Arms
Rear Suspension: 2.5 Piggybacks from Icon along with their expedition springs
Rear Differential/Locker: Stock Diff Lock & ATRAC
Rear Axle Shafts: Rear Links – Metal-Tech 4x4; Rear Sway Bar Links - DirtyParts
Engine Manufacturer: Toyota
Air Intake: TJM Snorkel 
Exhaust: MBRP High Tuck
Body Modifications: Front and Rear Tube Bumpers from Metal-Tech 4x4; Kick-out sliders from Orange Boxx Fabrication
Skid plate/Material: Ricochet - Alluminum
Painter Name: Full wrap by “It’s a wrap” in Modesto, CA
Lights Interior/Exterior: Lifetime LED – 40” Double Light Bar, 30” Single Light Bar, High Intensity LED Headlights, LED Fog Lights (All Lifetime LED)
Winches - Front/Rear Brand & Capacity: Engo 9000lb with Southeast Overland Synthetic Line and Factor 55 Orange Flatlink.