'09 Dakota Big Horn/Lone Star
Dodge's midsize Dakota pickup, restyled in '08, transitions to '09 largely unchanged, though there are a few new developments. The 4.7L V-8 has been revised with improved cylinder heads, an increased compression ratio, and an ignition system that fires two spark plugs per cylinder. The changes improve the V-8's output to 302 hp (from 290) and 329 lb-ft of torque (from 320). The mid-level SXT trim is gone, replaced by the Big Horn model (which is known as the Lone Star in Texas only). Dodge has also developed a new Crate 'N Go removable storage system for under the rear seat of crew-cab models.
Club Spotlight
All Wheelers Off Road Club Ahtanum Cleanup
Clay Graham of the All Wheelers Off Road Club, based in Yakima, Washington, sent us some photos and information on a cleanup in Washington's Ahtanum State Forest. Joining the All Wheelers were members of the Eastern Washington Off Road Forum, PNW4WDA, Lower Valley Canyon Crawlers, Jeeping Nomads, Peak Putters, Ridgerunners, Tuff Enuf Cascade Crawlers, Outlaws, Washington ATV Association, and even members of the Ski Benders snowmobile club. In total there were 58 volunteers on the ORV Trails sign-in list. Among the debris hauled out that day were tires, a refrigerator, countless soda cans and bottles, and oil jugs left behind by loggers working the area with chainsaws. Once the hard work was done, club members enjoyed a potluck dinner.
Editor's note: What's your 4x4 club up to? This is the place to share news about trail cleanups, charity runs, raffles, trail rides, and other special events going on in your neck of the woods. Email some info and high-resolution photos to 4wheel offroad@sourceinterlink.com, or you can mail them to Club Spotlight, c/o 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine, 6420 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048. Sorry, but we can't return photos.
Coolest Afghan Fan
I snapped this pic while on guard duty, thought it was pretty cool. The Afghan guy is Almar Ahmadzai, a member of the Afghan Security Guard who does security on the towers and checkpoints of some areas. The soldier pictured is Specialist (Spc.) Brent Reed, a member of Alpha Company 201st Engineer Battalion, 1st Platoon, Third Squad (Meat Squad), based out of Forward Operating Base (FOB) Gardez, Afghanistan. Spc. Reed and Almar Ahmadzai are good friends, and when Spc. Reed introduced him to Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road, Almar went wild looking at all the trucks. He spent an entire six-hour guard shift looking over the pages of the magazine, asking what brand this truck was and that one. When the shift was finally over, we promised to bring him another mag as soon as we got one. So watch out, four-wheelers of the world. The Afghans are gonna get in the game soon!
Spc. John A. Howard
577th Sapper Co.
This Just In
* Media reports and speculation over GM's recent troubles-you know, that it's going bankrupt any day now-have become so rampant that the General has developed a website to counter the rumormongering. Go to www.gmfactsandfiction.com to review topics like why GM's vehicles supposedly aren't as fuel-efficient as imports, why GM is reportedly asking the government for a bailout, and whether or not the upcoming Volt electric car is real.
* In September, which was National Preparedness Month, Hummer delivered 13 H3 disaster-response vehicles to Red Cross chapters around the country. Hummer's relationship with the Red Cross began in 2004, with a commitment to provide the organization 72 vehicles as well as $100,000 each year from the GM Foundation. So far, 31 Hummers are in service with the Red Cross.
* Tired of playing in the sand at your local dunes? Check out the Hummer Driving Academy (www.hummerdrivingacademy.com/en_event.html) and its latest journey-a week-long trip in November to Morocco, where members will cover more than 800 miles of North African terrain, including stints in the Sahara Desert.
Earth Watch
* Our friends at SEMA report that nearly 2.1 million acres of land in central Utah would be open to OHV use and oil drilling under a proposed resource management plan issued by the federal government. The land is controlled by the BLM Richfield office and is located in the counties Sanpete, Sevier, Wayne, Piute, Garfield, and Kane. Among other actions, the plan would permit substantially increased OHV use in the Factory Butte badlands, which have been subject to restricted access due to concerns about endangered plants. The BLM is in the process of issuing six separate land-use plans that will determine how 11 million acres of agency-controlled Utah lands are managed over the next 10 to 15 years. Plans covering the Moab and Kanab regions have already been drafted, while plans for Monticello, Price, and Vernal are being prepared. All plans are subject to public comment.
* Firestone Complete Auto Care and Firestone Racing held a joint event with the EPA to launch the agency's new National Lead-Free Wheel Weight Initiative. All of Bridgestone/Firestone's approximately 2,000 automotive service store locations are switching to more ecologically sensitive, nontoxic steel weights, replacing millions of lead wheel weights each year. Why? If lead weights come loose and fly to the side of the road, they could contaminate soil and water.