June 03, 2004
Practical 4x4 Off Roads Information
Hi
Welcome to this edition of the 4x4 Newsletter!
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TOPICS:
- A note from the editor
- South Africa Tour - Jeep Wrangler TJ
- Luxury Survey Results
- Do you have a passion?
4x4OffRoads.com
I have been busy with many things! I am spending a lot of time up in my little hut. It is now almost completed on the outside. Only the door is left to be fitted and a small portion of the roof and walls above the windows are jet to be sheeted.
Our family car, the Dodge Stratus, has also been keeping me occupied since it broke down the other day. I am now in the middle of the process of changing the head! This seems to be not uncommon for these cars.
Highland roads have also been closed for all traffic for the past weeks. I decided to spend a day, driving around Reykjavik, my hometown, to see if I would find some interesting 4x4's. Sure enough I found what I suspected!
Take a look at the story HERE.
It always pleases me to receive good stories and pictures from all over the world. Simon Morris from South Africa sent me an interesting article. It's about the modifications he and his friend Ronnie Rengers did on a Jeep Wrangler TJ.
If you have not already read the story it can be found right HERE.
A huge thanks to all that took part in this survey. I have tried to gather views from different regions of the world to represent the various needs and habits of off-roader. Most of the answers to the Luxury Survey are submissions from Europe (mostly Iceland) and N-America. There were also 6 submissions from Africa and one from Australia.
278 valid answers were received and are summarized here.
| Region | ||
| Europe | 51,8% | 144 |
| N-America | 44,6% | 124 |
| Africa | 2,2% | 6 |
| Australia | 0,4% | 1 |
| (blank) | 1,0% | 3 |
| 278 |
The answers to the questions give us an idea about the preferences of
serious 4 wheelers.
| How much do you value luxury in a 4x4 | ||
| High | 10,8% | 30 |
| Medium | 50,5% | 140 |
| Low | 38,6% | 104 |
| 277 |
| How much do you value off-roads capabilities in a 4x4 | |||
| High | 95,7% | 265 | |
| Medium | 4,3% | 12 | |
| Low | 0,0% | 0 | |
| 277 | |||
| Are truck and SUV manufacturers heading in the right direction? | ||
| Yes | 6,5% | 18 |
| Not sure | 32,9% | 91 |
| No | 60,6% | 168 |
| 277 |
Here is a quote from one of the participants, I think he has a point:
It's also that people want to drive the same vehicle "rich" people do. by adding Luxury items to SUV's the manufacturers are able to expand their buyer base. Look at land Rover for example, once they started adding more and more luxury Items their sales (in the US anyway) skyrocketed.For years pick-ups were work vehicles, people who owned and bought them know that the Luxury stuff would just break or look like crap plus they couldn't afford it. Then into the 80's and the 90's people started buying trucks for more recreational uses and daily driving when the driver didn't want one. Now trucks with leather interiors aren't all that uncommon. Its what people want, sure there are still the "work" buyers but even they are buying a bit more luxuriously than previously. Why? well the trucks are easier to find the "work" trucks, and they aren't that much more expensive.
Basically most buyers want a pickup or SUV but don't want the "bad" or non luxurious traits that accompany, or used to anyway, those types of vehicles.- Donald Endsley
| Mark features that you think should be standard in your 4x4 | ||
| Tow hooks | 91% | 252 |
| A choice of gear ratios | 88% | 246 |
| Lockers front and rear | 87% | 242 |
| Large tires | 78% | 218 |
| Spring suspension front and rear | 72% | 200 |
| Communication (CB/VHF/Telephone) | 63% | 176 |
| Winch | 58% | 162 |
| Navigation system | 54% | 150 |
| Central door-locks | 38% | 105 |
| Electric windows | 33% | 93 |
| On-board computer | 29% | 82 |
| Powerful sound system | 24% | 67 |
Tow hooks are considered necessary by almost all off-roaders. A choice of gear ratios and lockers front and rear follow closely. That could be something for manufacturers to consider. Lockers come standard only in a few vehicles and a choice of gear ratios is not available for many SUVs. Large tires are standard in Hummer and also in the upcoming Jeep Rescue, so hopefully we will see more of that!
A great majority wants to see better suspension with coil or air springs and many mention solid axle should be standard. Communication systems are considered to be necessary probably as a security item, the same can be said about GPS navigation. A winch would hardly make the standard list of any truck in the foreseeable future.Less popular are central door-locks, electric windows, on-board computer and a powerful sound system. This goes in line with the general message that luxury should be kept to a minimum in off-road trucks.
Other features mentioned include air-suspension front and rear with height control, auxiliary heater, tire inflation system, leather seats, lockers controlled from inside your 4x4, skid plates, manual low range shifter, stronger axles and differentials, more powerful diesel engines, extra gas tanks for the gas guzzling V8s, manual wheel hubs, soft top, diesel option, weatherproof seats and floor covering, roll cage, part time transfer case, standard transmission, auxiliary lighting, extra low gear, air conditioning, a jack that will actually work with a big truck, full-size spare, more wheel travel, no more torsion bars, snorkel, coolers for transmission/oil/steering, tie down points, air compressor, minibar, swivel chairs and a camera :)Solid axle and a part time transfer case are the features most mentioned.
Joe from N-America says:
Live axle front and simpler design, better gear ratios and tougher componentry. Jeep came so close to the ultimate compromise with the XJ and ZJ's except for the flimsy bodies and light duty driveline parts. Diesel options and manual trans options as well. Hell, just import some of the offering from Europe such as the Nissan patrol and the diesel Mit's. Trucks should be trucks, not tall cars.
(The tables will look a bit strange if you are receiving the text version of the
newsletter. If that is the case you can read it on-line
HERE.)
I am sure you do!
Are you interested in knowing more about the internet and how to be a part of the fastest growing marketplace in the world?
I have put up a special section for downloading high quality e-books. These e-books have changed the way I look at the internet and the possibilities it represents! I suggest you download the ones that interest you and I would love to hear your thoughts on them.
Best wishes,
Thrandur Arnthorsson
