Hooray.....a pro SUV comment.
I've rescued Jeep, and SUV, owners in the high Nevada/Arizona desert on more
than one occasion. The Jeep is a fantastic off road toy and can be a lot of
fun but is not infallible and is not meant to be taken into places where
help isn't available or the conditions are hostile. Every year there are
stories where people died of exposure after breaking down in some remote
location. Sometimes you don't have the option of cutting off your arm and
you just die. A Jeep is capable of getting you into trouble further from
what any sane person would consider a road and possible help. It's the
drivers who are in need of attention. These particular people (and they are
the visible minority) have no knowledge or experience with being in the
outback and think that their Jeeps will (not can) go anywhere. George Carlin
has a great bit about kids wearing helmets and that in the old days the ones
that didn't figure things out and got killed were simply weeded out early
before they could do any real damage.
In defense of the true Jeep owners.... Barbie and Ken driving down the
forest road are not having a few beers with Bill and Joe after a day of
rocky, muddy hill climbing in their stripped down, jacked up Jeeps. Their
club is their own and they are welcome to it if it gets them off. I'd sooner
run a cell phone user off of the road than worry about them. Serious Jeep
clubs are like biker clubs. You've got to maintain a level of participation
to remain a member and they hold organized runs and events. They don't want
me and I don't want them. I see them on the road and we always get a little
snicker but they are generally in a lot of discomfort (heat & dust) while
we're in absolute comfort. Jeeps are most visible but there are others.
There's even a Mitsubushi club that holds runs.
The modern Jeep with a V8 and every accessory known to man is nothing more
than a small and heavy cramped SUV and those cutsie ones are not meant for
the mud and the dust. Barbie would choke after ten minutes on a desert road.
They can't go out rock or hill climbing and can't even pack groceries or the
kids. Get hit in one and you could easily die or be maimed. The same is true
for the mega-lifted, tricked out pick ups and Tahoes etc that will never be
seen at a hill climb, let alone on a mining road. Some of them will tip over
if you blow on them. You will definitely not see them hauling rocks or
lumber; the things that they were designed to do. On the other hand, the
Cadillac Esplanade is one of the best stock American 4x4s on the market but
you'll never even see one of them on a gravel road and quite often they will
have large rims and low profile tires. The same goes for the Toyota Land
Cruiser and now the H2. Then there are the RAVs and the Suzukis etc that
should never go off road, without mods, but may be in snow or muddy
conditions that warrant having 4x4. 4x4 on an SUV is an accessory not a
condition of ownership. People shouldn't be criticized for not using it.
Don't encourage it. I don't want them roaming around in the desert.
I drive thousands of miles every year on incredibly dusty southwest desert
roads and get as far as 100 miles from the nearest telephone or service. I
wouldn't have anything else but an SUV in these conditions. Food and gear
stay clean and cool and we can sleep in it. I carry a second spare on the
roof along with gas and tools.
I've gotten way off topic....................
Bob Walker
"SBlackfoot" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:
[email protected]...
> > a sheep thing is buying an SUV, which is relatively worthless offroad,
and
> keeping it in
> > your driveway because you peer has done the same. Whatever one says
about
> jeeps, they are
> > one of the top 3 vehicles that actually go offroad. the tahoes,
> expeeditions, durangos,
> > etc. can only wish they could follow.
>
> Uhh... My little stock Jimmy can hang with the stock Jeeps fairly well
> offroad. And my brother's Pathfinder does pretty damned well with it's
> Swampers, although snowbanks have been a problem. lol SUVs are
worthless
> offroad? Rookie.
>
> > as for Macintosh users, well some people like paying more for less and
> being a minority
>
> To each his own. What do you care?
>
>
But in many ways, Jeeping is no different than any
