Reader: I am looking for a unique and fun way to support my family. I am willing to sell advertising space on the sides of my shaved head, in the form of a permanent or temporary tattoo. I would be willing to attend any functions that we agree upon. I know Golden Palace has paid for head advertisements, but that was for a short period of time and then the person let their hair grow back. I have been shaving my head for 6 years, and do not plan to let it grow back. I am also willing to travel and attend events of your choosing. I have pictures of the tattoos that are currently on my head (one is a checkered flag going into flames). I have just welcomed my fourth child (and one stepchild), and I am looking for a better way to give them all a better future, and thought this would be something fun, interesting, and definitely different to do to support them all.
Joseph Neupert
Liverpool, NY
Editor: Our local sales vermin are salivating over your offer, but for now we're mulling it over. As a show of appreciation, though, we'll send you a box of Four Wheeler swag-which likely won't include a baseball cap. Thanks for writing.
Reader: I have been a faithful reader since the '80s. I just wanted to say thanks for the great magazine, and to tell you about a new privately owned ORV park in South Carolina.
The Gulches of Indian Mound (864/449-5698, www.gulchesorvpark.com) is an 85-acre park on the Saluda River in Laurens County. Skip, the owner, has done a good job and runs a clean family-oriented place. I have been twice and will return with my 2- and 5-year-old daughters and wife. Can you let others know about this park and pass on the news? As far as I know, this is the only ORV park in South Carolina. There are trails for all types of experience and all types of rigs. I own an '00 TJ and have done very little modifying to it and still had a great time!
Please help spread the word for the East Coast crowd. Thanks for the help, and send some free stuff!
Steve Hudson, Firefighter/NREMT-B
Hickory Tavern, SC
Editor: Consider it done on both counts, firefighter. Thanks for the tip.
Reader: First off, congrats! I thoroughly enjoy reading your magazine. However, I feel that the 4x4 marketplace and the truck market in general are slipping through the cracks. Although I'm only 17, I have noticed a steady downfall in the practicality of the so-called 4x4 industry. It seems as if every year, the market takes two steps forward into suburbia.
This is especially noticeable with the new Lincoln pickup, and the '07 Chevy Avalanche. This suburbia fad is mostly due to those city slickers who opt for the 4x4 or diesel packages, which they proudly boast around as status symbols. The effects of this are seen with upcoming models. If this weren't true, there wouldn't be so many people buying new 4x4 trucks with factory 20s and chrome accent packages (now also available with H2s). All in all, I currently feel very disappointed in the 4x4 marketplace, and I'm looking for someone to share my exuberance for trail trucks. Thus I will never be able to satisfy my hankering for stock 'wheelability unless there are some major changes made.
Now that there have been changes made to the Duramax, Cummins, and Power Stroke diesels, y'all should have a Four Wheeler Diesel of the Year contest.
Chris Field
via fourwheeler.com
Editor: We were hoping to have the newest Big Three diesels included in our 2007 Pickup Truck of the Year test, which will appear in the March '07 issue. Unfortunately, none of the manufacturers were able to deliver the vehicles in time to meet our deadlines. However, as soon as we can round 'em all up, we plan to test them side-by-side in an epic Three-Way Tow-Off; watch for it in mid-year 2007.
You want a 'wheelable 4x4 straight outta the factory? Well, the Hummer H2 and H3, the Jeep Wrangler JK, the Land Rover LR3, the Dodge Power Wagon, the Nissan Xterra and Frontier Nismo, and the Toyota Tacoma TRD are all extremely capable trailmobiles in stock trim. We do understand your concerns-and yes, many so-called 4x4s are becoming more suburb-friendly and less trail-engineered, but there are still plenty of OE options out there if you want to buy a brand-new 4x4 today and take it 'wheeling tomorrow.