TOMMYHPX4X4,
Well admittedly I didn't call because I work the graveyard shift and it was more convenient to e-mail. And TWO GUNS I also got an immediate reply, but not from Ranger Simpkins; however, the e-mail I received simply read that they were not allowed and didn't explain any procedure for making an appointment with the Chief Ranger. Admittedly, I guess that I must have overlooked that area of the website to contact the Chief Ranger for an appointment (my bad). I must admit that the site is info packed--perhaps with too much to view at once for me!
It was about a five-hour trip for my friends to that area and there was apparently no mention to them to check with the Chief Ranger at all. These boys aren't Internet savvy and the mentioning of the trails being open to UTVs appeared in an ATV magazine according to them and they claim that the article never mentioned restrictions (have to admit that I would have called before making the trip myself...but hey, they're good ole farm boys). These trails are heavily promoted for tourism for the lower half of the state and bring $$$$ to an area that greatly benefits from the trails.
Now, I don't think my buddy with the Gator XUV is the type to make an appointment and then travel five hours for an inspection of his XUV and then still have the chance of the Chief Ranger telling him it's not approved, no matter how slim the chances might be. Would you yourself consider the five-hour trip, the motel stay, the food expenses and especially the fuel cost (cha-ching) for your truck and the trailer for the chance of the Chief Ranger saying no or perhaps that he'll have the answer in a week or a month? (I would have to call and ask for an approval timeline from someone before I even loaded...and TOMMYHPX4X4, sometimes it's better to have a written e-mail response rather than someone not recalling a telephone conversation with you when you get there!) Not that it would happen, but you have to consider the good and the bad.
Still, you can't make me believe that just one lonely Gator HPX or XUV has shown up at those trails over the years and that the Chief Ranger never had the "opportunity" to inspect one after all these years. I would think he is there not only to enforce the rules, but to make sure that the tourists safely enjoy themselves and return (that's what keeps him in a job after all). This is ATV and UTV country, but I'd venture to say that JD dealerships likely outnumber Kawasaki and Polaris dealerships in that area of the state. If one of the trail rangers spots an XUV or HPX that shows up at the trail to register and pay their fees, why not offer the chance to have it inspected by the Chief Ranger rather than lose the tourist dollars and sending someone home? Again, I wasn't there, but I think my buddy would have offered up his XUV for inspection rather than ride as a passenger in one of his cohort's Mules as he did or go home. The generic reference to Mules and Rangers appears to open the trails to two-wheel drive models of those UTVs that were likely not inspected and in certain areas may cause even more damage to trails due to the lack of traction and control in difficult terrain. Finally, in my initial post I mentioned that I can't offer up an XUV or HPX to test as I have the TX 2WD model. I'm looking to purchase in early 2008 and trade in my TX, possibly on the XUV, but if they are not approved in some manner by the time of my purchase, I will certainly have to consider the Mule, Ranger, or RTV because hundreds of miles of trails on a side-by-side in the beautiful West Virginia hills of gold sounds like fun. I just think something doesn't add up. Is it in the "sponsorships" from other manufacturers as others have mentioned? Well, I just don't know.
