Full Size SUV's

Fireman_dcb · Sep 9, 2002

Re: Full Size SUV\'s

RobertN,

do you need the license for a vol. fire company? Here in NJ we're lucky... need a valid license. However, most depts. want to make sure that their $300k doesn't get rolled so they only allow "in-house" trained drivers operate the apparatus.

Doug

patrickg · Sep 9, 2002

Re: Full Size SUV\'s

Wingnut, We have the technology but not the will to require performance capability certification testing for drivers lisc etc. as applicable. Back in the bad ole days of the Viet Nam era I was in the USAF (SAC) My specialization was instrument flying instruction on a computerized flight simulator thingy. It simulated a single seat single engine jet fighter/trainer that most USAF pilots were familiar with (This trainer version was The venerable T-33). This training was to keep pilots fresh on instrument flight without wasting aircraft hours or risking a plane or pilot. The training included my administering recovery from unusual attitudes practice that could have been real interesting and exciting just before contact with cumulus granite if it were in a "REAL" airplane.

There are simulators for tug boats, USCG cutters, tankers, 18 wheelers, heavy equipment, and on and on. My simulator could simulate wind (with gusts and shear), rain, and lightning strikes (with appropriate radio static and RDF hunting) and so forth including sound simulation (I love the sound of turbine whine and slip stream noise in the morning). This is OLD technology (saw the identical simulator that I used, same make, model, and rev, just a different serial number in an aircraft museum in Arkansas a few years ago)

Giving a lisc exam from he** would be easy with a simulator powered by a PC (much more compute power than my sim had) so to reiterate and repeat for emphasis, we have the technology but not the will. It wouldn't be PC. There might be a spatial orientation bias favoring one sex over another or a cultural bias steeped in attitudes and beliefs that could be factored out and used as a basis for lawsuits claiming discrimination. Personally, I can remember when to be discriminating was GOOD. Now no one seems to recall that discrimination (per se) can still be good. It is ILLEGAL discrimination based on a prohibited basis that is "bad". Persons with discriminating tastes demand higher qualilty goods and services. And while in mid digression, I add that many FM radios would not work if their discriminator were removed.

Patrick

P.S. Decimation DOES NOT MEAN something is wiped out or completely destroyed no matter how much the talking heads on TV use it that way. Decimation originally meant to be reduced by 1/10, i.e. 10%. (Deci, like in decimal, decade) The ancient Romans had the practice of decimation, i.e. kill every 10th man and boy in a town that "acted up" under their subjugation. Gee, is it poliltically correct to ridicule the talking heads?

wasabi · Sep 9, 2002

Re: Full Size SUV\'s

My specialization was instrument flying instruction on a computerized flight simulator

Patrickg.....the world gets smaller yet. I too was an USAF Instrument Trainer Specialist in the early seventies. Did you spend any time at Eglin?

patrickg · Sep 9, 2002

Re: Full Size SUV\'s

Hazmat, Is the SuperCrew the 150, 250, or x50? I have owned a few trucks. Decades ago I had a homemade motorhome on a IH 4x4 with PTO winch. I have two Dodges now, a 3500 TD and a Dakota. All the rest of my life I drove Ford Pickups, only brand my dad had too. So on average, I'm about 75% a ford guy. Well lets reconsider that... My Ram 3500 has a third party (Stahl) service body on it and that has Ford taillights. I tell folks I have one of the rare Dodges with Ford taillights. Ford taillights have advantages: 1. When I fly by Ford PowerJokes going up hills by the time they get a sharp focus on me they see the Ford tail lights and don't feel so bad. I never quite got used to driving a non-Ford truck so the tail lights comfort me, sort of wean me off slowly. I put the FEL bucket through one of the tail lights with the tractor on the trailelr too far forward and backing too sharply. Advantage, Ford! The Ford light assy is cheaper.

Patrick

RanchMan · Sep 9, 2002

Re: Full Size SUV\'s

Wingnut -

but all the reports I've seen on the Durango have been VERY critical. Quality problems abound according to the reviews and comments from acquaintenances who have them.

Hmmm. I've "pulled back the sheets" and pointed out that I've had "issues" with my Durango, just that they were minor and cost me nothing out of pocket to have addressed. I haven’t encountered (either myself or friends with Durangos) who have the wholesale problems you seem to indicate.

I'm NOT saying that such reports don't exist. I'm just saying "consider the source." (If you'd care to post the links where you got your information, I'd be interested in looking at them). Funny thing about it is that "all the reports" I've seen with regards to reliability and consumer satisfaction don't seem to concur with your statement. (<A target="_blank" HREF=http://carpoint.msn.com/vip/usedrelover.aspx?make=Dodge&model=Durango>here's one example</A> - BTW, since the Durango stats only exist for 2 years on this site, I suggest you also look at the Dakota stats as it is essentially the same vehicle from the cab forward and floor down and goes back further in history, although I'm not sure what year the "major revision" took place.) If you want to look up another vehicle, use <A target="_blank" HREF=http://carpoint.msn.com/home/reliability_ratings.asp>this link</A> ).

'Course for anyone who may have been considering a Durango will probably seriously consider eliminating that option based on your words (even if a preponderance of the evidence "proves" otherwise). I'm sure the "seed" you planted regarding supposed unreliability and quality problems can't be killed since human nature means we have a tendency to remember the "bad things" (even if they aren't necessarily accurate) more than the "good things." Too bad - a "good" vehicle in my view is now getting a "black eye."

Funny thing is even though I could have said negative things about some of the other brands/models posted on this thread, I didn't because even though I have friends who own them, I do not, and <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.nolo.com/lawcenter/dictionary/dictionary_listing.cfm/Term/FFEBF86E-989B-4B2E-BC22081A6301B4F0/alpha/H>"heresay"</A> isn't admissible in court for a reason. I try very hard to stay consistent (although admit I may not be 100% successful) on that point - (e.g. giving opinions about things I have direct knowledge of vs. those that I do not.) Oh well, I guess that's another area where we seem to differ.

PS: WARNING ... This post is NOT intended to hurt anyone's feelings!

hazmat · Sep 9, 2002

Re: Full Size SUV\'s

Patrick,

It is the 150. The bed is about 5 1/2 feet long which makes the overall length very close to a regular cab + 8' bed or extra cab + 6 1/2' bed.

 WARNING WARNING WARNING 

The outer part of the bed is made of... gasp ... plastic.

Shush don't tell anybody I don't drive a real truck, just a toy /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

patrickg · Sep 9, 2002

Re: Full Size SUV\'s

Hey Wasabi, Like FFO man! No I was never at Eglin, you lucky dog. My Father-in-law ( a real rocket scientist who worked directly for WVB at Canavaral) worked as a civilian scientist at Eglin for a spell but earlier by several years. So, did you go to school in bld P3 by the flight line at Chanute? I assume you were also a 34151...

I went directly from Chanute to Minot AFB (at Minot, ND) headquarters of the 810 Strategic Aerospace Division) where when I arrived there was a contractor removing obsolete SAGE equipment from the SAGE building. They were using fire axes to cut big cable bundles into man packable chunks to toss on their truck. For the uninitiated the sage buildings were about 1/3 of a block by 1/3 of a block, three stories high with full basement and were near H-bomb proof windowless structures with enough air conditioning to cool the Sahara. Originally chock full of intel and air defense computers (vacuum tube type, hence the enormous AC capacity). Bld was replaced with a semi trailer of equipment.

So did you ever get to operate the B-52 or KC-135 sims that were hauled around on RR cars? They were cool.

I was in from AUG 63 to Aug 67 so we took turns. Well have to swap "war stories" sometime.

Patrick

wasabi · Sep 9, 2002

Re: Full Size SUV\'s

So, did you go to school in bld P3 by the flight line at Chanute? I assume you were also a 34151...

Yup on both counts. Sure was cold marching across that tarmac when the winter wind blew across those Illinois plains! I don't remember all that much from those days, but seem to recall that there wasn't a decent looking un-attached female anywhere near Chanute....we used to take road trips to Champaign sp? Urbana to chase college girls back then. Not much else to do there, eh? At least Eglin was by the beach!

Never got a chance at the B52 simulator, but marched under and close by some of those big birds....very humbling!

Gary_in_Indiana · Sep 9, 2002

Re: Full Size SUV\'s

Were any of the negatives you read about the transmissions? I've known Chrysler to have a real history of transmission problems in their trucks and didn't know if this was following that same pattern.