RE: Fishing Vehicles

[Jim Speaker]

I have a '96 Ford Explorer with a 4 litre V6.  It has two 4x4 modes, Automatic and Low - I can run it in automatic at any speed and it does some kind of slip-compensation between all four wheels.  The low mode must be engaged while in neutral at a dead stop and gives me the ability to crawl up steep stuff.  I've taken it into some pretty tough situations and done fine (Douglas Creek is ROUGH).  I've had to cross sections of creek in it and had to take it up a slope that was somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 degrees and covered with large chunks of basalt (not kidding).   Yeah, yeah - it's an SUV... but I call it a truck, or, MY truck.  I certainly don't drive it like an SUV... hehe  Anyway, I wish the seats folded down a little flatter but with a thermarest they are flat enough to sleep pretty darn comfortably.  During warmer weather I usually use my tent.  I can fit a 9' rod in while it is still set up when I'm buzzing from spot to spot - I like that a lot.  It holds all of my gear just fine and I have a Yakima rack on the top with gunnel brackets for my 16' Old Town Appalachian canoe.  I can also squeeze my float tube into the back while inflated and can easily add 2 tubes to the gear pile when they are deflated or semi-deflated.   Overall I think it's a great vehicle though it does hurt a little when I drive through brush and find a full-length scratch on it :-(  My wife likes it too for taking the kids places, shopping, etc, so it's excellent all around.  It took quite a while for the notion of it being MY truck to take hold with her <GGG>.   There ya have it - my 2-cents.   -tight lines- Jim Speaker -----Original Message----- From: BGTreece [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2001 11:28 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Fishing Vehicles Just got my darn e-mail working after downloading the "new and improved" version of msn. Anyway, the best vehicle in my career was my old '85 Suburban. Would carry all I and 3 partners needed. Would pass anything on the road except a gas station.   Currently have a '95 Toyota 4-Runner. Its fine for two, maybe 3 guys, will carry 2 inflated float tubes, plenty of ground clearance and fairly nimble.It's a little short on leg room for the back seat, not quiet long enough to sleep in without the tailgate down, but does handle 9' rods fine.   Bart