Full Size SUV's

RobertN · Sep 9, 2002

Re: Full Size SUV\'s

Our district requires a minimum class-b with fire fighter endorsement to drive engines or water tenders.

Also required is a minimum of 10 hours driving/operating each piece of equipment. Each driver is required to meet a standard for driving ability and operating ability. Once that is met, then a Battalion Chief can give permission to drive that apparatus to emergency calls.

We also can do as I am working on; we can learn to drive and have the DMV test done in-district. I have to drive with a licensed driver, just like any other driver on a permit. I can not, however, drive an engine or tender to an incident until completing my license.

Ya, they do frown on wrecking equipment, even when it is the older rigs...

Wingnut · Sep 10, 2002

Re: Full Size SUV\'s

Ranchman,
looks like I got on your bad side again for having an opinion but no validity (i.e. no Durango). Sorry. /w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif
In addition to my header of "WARNING ... this posting is NOT intended to hurt your feelings", I will also add, when relevant "WARNING ... this posting can safely be ignored because my opinion is not based on owning a ________". /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Sources were Consumers Report (yeah, I know, they don't like anything but Camrys so they're not reliable) and that weekly car show on PBS/TNN (can't remember the name ... started to say Car & Driver, but I don't think that's right.) This was shortly after the Durango was released so they could be completely different today.

NOTE: if ANYONE makes a decision on a vehicle based on a comments and opinions like mine .... PLEASE make an appointment to see your mental-health professional as soon as possible.

As I said, I found the looks of it interesting in the early commercials and therefore took a mild interest in it. The Consumer Report article (yes, I subscribe ... but not to their annoying greenie attitude), comments on the car shows and comments by the 2 people who work here (that have Dirangos) made me lose that mild interest.

Transfer cases were not mentioned, although transmissions were .... Chrysler still seems to have a problem matching transmissions to motors? No, most of the problems I heard about (Although CU questioned reliability) were the usual - rattling, component fit, the annoying piddly stuff.

I'm NOT anti-Dodge or pro-anything. Vehicles are simply tools to me (with the possible exception of my Goldwing). I'd LOVE to have a 1 ton Dodge p/u with a Cummins engine ... but $45k for a work vehicle that gets used once every two weeks is way outa my league! So I make do my 23 year old Ford 1/2 ton (2wd).

pete ... who needs to learn to keep his comments to himself.

RanchMan · Sep 10, 2002

Re: Full Size SUV\'s

Wingnut -

Sources were Consumers Report (yeah, I know, they don't like anything but Camrys so they're not reliable) and that weekly car show on PBS/TNN (can't remember the name ... started to say Car & Driver, but I don't think that's right.)

Yea, CR "gets stuff right" sometimes and sometimes "misses the boat" entirely. All part of that "consider the source" thing. (I heard some interesting stuff about how they "rate" their cars based on survey stuff from the local radio car guy, which seemed kindof suspicious. 'Course I can't verify he wasn't "fudging" the truth himself, but his explanation seemed plausible.) Car & Driver is shown on PBS and it sounds like the type of comments they would make (in addition to handling, acceleration, fit/finish, etc.) so you may very well be right in what you first thought. As with anything, I generally try to avoid the first year or 2 of availability as defects/design issues are more likely to crop up (like my stupid window problems /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif), but sometimes I make an exception.

Transfer cases were not mentioned, although transmissions were .... usual - rattling, component fit, the annoying piddly stuff.

Although I hate all problems, transmission/engine problems irk me the worst (mainly because with all the electronic junk that they have, the shadetree mechanic has a lot more difficult time fixing something - axles, brakes (the mechanical portion), etc. don't have that stuff to mess with.) 'Course I hate rattles too. I went on a trip with a buddy of mine in his Suburban and it had the most annoying rattle in the dash somewhere (new vehicle too). It finally got so bad that we stopped talking on the trip and turned up the radio to drown it out. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif /w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif

I'd LOVE to have a 1 ton Dodge p/u with a Cummins engine ... but $45k for a work vehicle that gets used once every two weeks is way outa my league! 

I HEAR THAT! Although I tow heavy stuff every once in a while, when I finally decided to replace my 13 yr old truck this spring (well, really just converted it in to a ranch truck as it wasn't worth selling since it has almost 0 dollar value now) as nice as it would be to have that diesel hass when towing, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I don't think I got half the truck for half the price - I mean it definitely can't do some of the stuff a Cummins could, but it can do 95% of what I need it to. Now if I constantly were taking horses or other livestock down the road, that'd be a different story....

Wingnut · Sep 10, 2002

Re: Full Size SUV\'s

ain't it amazing how EVERYTHING has to be computer controlled now-a-days? In my obsession for more miles-per-gallon (can't help it, want to keep my money in my pocket instead of taxes and more toys for the Saudis), I bought a baby motorhome. '88 Winnie LeSharo with a Renault powertrain (little 4-banger). One of the problems guys report with it is the tranny locking up if some other electrical component chokes on you - 'cause it confuses the tranny computer .... weird!
Most other things are "overcomeable" .... but a bad tranny not only leaves you by the side of the road ... but makes it impossible to drag anywhere! Especially in these days where most (is that a valid statistic /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif) vehicles are becoming front wheel drive.
I certainly agree with staying away from the first year of most vehicles ... especially from some manufacturers that seem to take a long time to get the line working proiperly .... but .... /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif if we all do that ... there's no second year either! Talk about a winless situation!

pete

Egon · Sep 10, 2002

Re: Full Size SUV\'s

Patrick:
Are you saying that when I parallell park the truck with a scd 80 grill gard and a back bumper sticking way out I should not use the braille/sound method ?
Probably a little testing is a good idea for most of us.
Egon

patrickg · Sep 10, 2002

Re: Full Size SUV\'s

Stephen (AKA hazmat) No worries, mate! I don't think anyone was listening and of course your secret is safe with me.

By the way, of interest to many pickup pilots. There is no production pickup sold in the USA in the last couple decades that gets better fuel economy with the tailgate down or removed. Ever since the "Fleet average fuel consumption" became important to the mfg's, they have tested the aerodymanics and voila, pickups are more slipery when buttoned up. Tonneau covers are a separrate issue. I get a chuckle at all the folks driving around with their tailgates down or removed thinking it reduces drag when it in fact increases it. Funnier yet are all the "trick" tailgates with vents, louvers, ersatz cargo nets and so forth. But then not only can you get a lisc to drive with only a cursory performance test, there also isn't an I.Q. test except for pickup pilots and the test is whether or not you drive around with the tailgate down, inviting someone to hit it in traffic or a parking lot and wasting fuel to be foolish.

Seems that the pickup bed captures a "bubble of air" and acts pretty much as if it had a top on it. Opening the tailgate bursts the bubble and increases drag. Don't you just love it when reality is counterintuitive or flies in the face of "common sense?"

Patrick

RanchMan · Sep 10, 2002

Re: Full Size SUV\'s

ain't it amazing how EVERYTHING has to be computer controlled now-a-days? 

Isn't though? Yea, EFI is nice along with anti-lock breaks and all, but even with all the benefits, 'puters can be frustrating when they control mechanical stuff and things go wrong. Sure, overall they're pretty reliable and all, but if they "konk out," well, you are outta luck. At least I don't have to "reboot" my car every couple of days like my desktop! (Microsoft - PLEASE stay away from my vehicles "black box!")

Not like the "good 'ol days" when bailing wire, duct tape, a hammer and screwdriver could solve a lot of the problems - at least to get you to the next town. 'Course memories tend to be a lot like wine - the good ones get better with age while the bad ones turn more sour, so even with all the electronics, we are probably a lot better off now than we were back then....

RanchMan · Sep 10, 2002

Re: Full Size SUV\'s

Seems that the pickup bed captures a "bubble of air" and acts pretty much as if it had a top on it. Opening the tailgate bursts the bubble and increases drag. Don't you just love it when reality is counterintuitive or flies in the face of "common sense?" 

Interesting. I always assumed the gate down helped too. The way you explain it though, seems to make sense to me. (fortunately I've always been too lazy to put the tailgate down! Who says laziness isn't a good thing??? /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif)

patrickg · Sep 10, 2002

Re: Full Size SUV\'s

Far out again, wasabi. Yeah, I was a 34151-A (Link) Link C-11-C was my baby except for stints in the roving B-52 or KC-135 RR xported sims. Didn't travel with them but did get to operate a bit. Had abbreviated basic at Lackland and finished BMT at Chanute, "in my spare time". Our quarters (48th Squadron) were an old compound of several two story brick dorm buildings, a small chowhall, and a small extension of base supply (made exchanging flashlight batts convenient as we used a lot of batts in the L O N G C O L D march from our "digs" to P-3. We were up against the base perimeter fence in the corner of the base as far from P-3 as you could get. Morning entertainment, when the sun came up enough before having to move out was to watch the farmer's daughter catch the school buss just outside the fence. She was a looker but then as you said, not a lot of competition.

I went through the worst winter they had in that part of Illinois in 75 years, huge snowbanks to dig out to access our dorms (barracks if anyone insists) We had (in theory) steam heat with radiators under the windows in every room. In the coldest weather snow would blow in around the ill fitting old fashioned double hung sash windows and collect on the venitian blinds where it would stay because the radiator didn't put out enough heat to melt it, even just a few inches above it. Eight months of classes and then as a reward for doing so good I got assigned to Minot, ND. for the duration. My personal low at Minot was minus fourtyseven degrees F, no wind chill just temp. Wind chilll was reported by a recording on the base weather phone. They reported average time to freeze exposed flesh, not the temp/wind/humidity, just the combined effect. They reported it down to 10 sec and then just said less than 10 sec and didn't try to split hairs. I have walked a mille across the base in less than 10 sec weather only to find I was the only one dumb enough to show up and got a phone call directing me to return to cover. Right, I stayed there and thawed out a while and waited for sunrise (0830 or so) before starting back.

I was at LAX in less than 4 hours after signing out, post discharge. I went as far south as I could and be in CONUS, San Diego. After thawing out for a few decades and finally getting tired of going to school, I moved to south central OK.

Terrific fun, Minot.

Patrick

patrickg · Sep 10, 2002

Re: Full Size SUV\'s

Egon, Not at all, it works for me. My bumper is 1/4 inch plate wrapped like the original (pretty good craftsmanship on the part of REUNEL sp?) Bumper with winch weighs just a wink under 500 lbs. 14,000 lb rcvr hitch in back, class V, and I have a 5 ft extension that adapts it down to standard 2 inch receiver tube for towing while the BIG camper is on the service body dual rear wheel diesel Ram. Without the camper on and the extension in place (with a marginally legal red flag) you can really surprise tailgaters.

The acoustic treatment in the big Dodge with Cummins is pretty good (great sound system actually is usable) so you can't hear light contact to the rear bumper or rcvr extension and given the weight of the vehicle with service body it takes a pretty positive docking hit to feel anything. It is real hard to tell when you have backed up enough if the car behind you is a small Beemer or some Econobox. To my knowlege, I have never hooked up with anything and dragged it off down the road, very far, since there are no barbs or anything like that on the hitch extension but I could weld up some barb-like accessories that would be able to be defended as some sort of safety chain accessory thingy.

Recall the Woody Allen movie (Bananas???) where in NYC someone is trying to back into a paralllelll (liked your alternative spelling that is so suggestive of the denotive meaning) parking space and his character motions the guy back, back, back---crunch, then says OK, that's good or whatever and turns and walks away. I consider that a training film!

Patrick