4-Wheel & Off-Road welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must include an address or a telephone number so the sender can be verified. Once verified, your name may be withheld at your request. Letters published in this magazine reflect the opinions of the writers, and we reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, brevity, or other purposes. Due to the large volume of mail we receive, we regret that we cannot reply to unpublished letters or return photos. Digital photos must measure no less than 1600 x 1200 pixels (or two megapixels) and be saved as a TIFF, an EPS, or a maximum-quality JPEG file.
Write to:
Editor
4-Wheel & Off-Road
420 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048-5515
fax 323.782.2704
E-mail to:
4wheeloffroad@primedia.com
Reader: I just finished reading the 4xForward (Aug. '06). Wow, I can't believe it's been that long since I first read about the Scorpion back in the August '97 issue. I am amazed to see where the sport of wheeling was headed. Freiburger's editorial was right on the money with his prediction of future trends in the sport. Its growth is similar to the growth of Monster Trucks. The first Big Foot was so low-tech by today's standards. The same can be said for the growth of Buggies. The Scorpion seemed so high-tech 10 years ago. Today that technology is commonplace in the sport. I can't wait to see what the future holds, and I will continue to read 4-Wheel & Off-Road to see what's to come. Thanks for the coverage on Alaska as well ("Running With the Moose Buggies," Aug. '06). We don't get nearly enough coverage of our great wheeling areas. I hope you guys make it back up here to check out some more of our great state.
yan Vaughn
Girdwood, AK
Editor: That's why I reprinted the Aug. '97 editorial from David Freiburger. It was an eye opener. Even though it was only 9 years ago, the industry as a whole has made great strides in technology. Now if we can only make even greater strides in trying to keep our public land open.
Reader: In your article "Trickest Trail Fix" (Aug. '06), you wrote about welding with batteries, jumper cables, and a welding rod. I was wondering if you could give me and your the readers a little bit more information on the subject. I'd like to know what kind of welding rod (a coat hanger?) you use, and does the battery need to be an extra one or can you use the one in your truck? If you use it while in your truck then will it fry anything when you try to weld?
Michael A. Oppegaard
Anchorage, AK
Editor: Welding with batteries is a long, involved story which we outlined many years ago, and perhaps should be rehashed in the future. The basic concept is hooking up two 12-volt batteries in series for 24 volts, and using a standard 6013 welding rod to join metal. As a rule, the batteries should be removed from the vehicles to prevent damage to sensitive electronics, sealed batteries are best to prevent hydrogen explosions, and proper arc-welding eye protection must be used. We've welded for over an hour with this setup, and always had enough juice left in the battery to crank the engine.
Reader: I love your magazine, but I cannot recall the last time I read about or saw an Isuzu Trooper in it. I have a '91 Trooper, which I love. I think it is a much underrated rig. I love being different because everywhere I go, everybody has Jeeps. It's bad enough that my favorite mag doesn't talk about Troopers, but nobody sells parts for them either. If you could help me in any way, that would be great. Trooper lovers unite!
Matthew Morreale
via 4wheeloffroad.com
Editor: Just your luck. If you check out this very issue you'll find a wealth of information on Isuzus and other orphan 4x4s starting on page 96. We call these rigs orphans because is really seems that everyone ignores them, even though just like your rig, many of them are highly capable machines that don't get the credit they deserve.
Reader: I was greatly touched by Kevin Williams letter about trouble on the trails in Moab (In Box, "Point Taken," Sept. '06), and was equally touched by your reply. I will not go on and on about the problems that these big rigs cause in Moab. Every OHVer in Texas has lost the privilege to ride across streams, even dry ones because of some jerk OHVers. We have been riding in Moab six times on our ATVs and have witnessed bikes, horses, motorcycles, ATVs, and big rigs doing all the bad things that were mentioned and more, plenty more.
Just because one group of ATV people act up doesn't mean that we all do. We will never be off the designated trail. We always carry trash bags to clean up other's trash. Please, please don't be narrow-minded when you point fingers. That goes for you too, 4-Wheel & Off-Road.
Scott Day
President, Quad Texas ATV Club
Editor: Right you are, and we applaud any off-highway group that respects the land and trails, and that goes for mountain bikers, hikers, and equestrians as well.
Reader: First off, I am a huge fan of 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine. As such, I am also a fanatic of the yearly Ultimate Adventure. The main reason I am so eager to order the DVD is I just can't wait, and I have to be one of the first people to receive the DVD when it is released. Also, the newest edition to the UA family is the Ultimate FJ, and pictures I have gotten off of www.poisonspyder.com and www.fabfours.com of the Ultimate FJ just aren't enough for me. Is it at all possible that I can pre-order the DVD, and if so, where can I do that?
Caleb Ripley
Phoenix, AZ
Editor: As of press time we don't have a verifiable phone number for ordering the DVD of Ultimate Adventure 2006. However, check our Web site www.4wheeloffroad .com for updates. We plan to have the DVD on sale by Thanksgiving for your holiday season enjoyment.