aplumma

I will make a request of the OP to make sure that the dates are correct and that this is not just a misunderstanding of the dates on the calendar. I am looking for this to end with the informed answer because we at OFC need to make sure the reviews are accurate . Thank you Art

I see nothing but a fight coming. The opinions on one side of the border VS the ones on the other side are both filled with misinformation so this topic is a no go. Art

Thank you all for turning this thread into something I enjoy reading again. Cheers Art

I guess that you all cant take a friendly warning. Here is step two if you got a note from me you are a breath away from being modQed. Step three is coming and this thread will be erased and not allowed to be restarted. STOP mock cussing and STOP personal attacks. I am trying to be nice here but I are not going to allow this to continue. Art

I really don't care what you say about the teams or the collective group of fans for the teams it is the personal attacks on each other that I will not allow. Art

Thank you for stopping the personal attacks. Cheers Art

LAST CHANCE FOLKS. Either you all drop the insults or your going to be modQed. This is the warning to all of the insulting messages that are being exchanged. First time is for 7 days and the second time is forever. You want to insult each other do it as a P.M. and hopefully you will not get reported. Art

Alright folks this is not a bash fest here so we need to remind people that we are a friendly group that does not insult each other. I will not lock this thread however I can ban people from posting in the forum. Let's not go down that road but instead take this as a warning and play nice again. Owner Art

Welcome back Cliff, I am sorry you have had a rough patch and the lose of Sue. You do know that when your world gets dark that this is a place to come to instead of avoid. You have way to many friends who care about you here and will help you any way they can. One of your friends Art

With all of the mandates for better fuel economy it is going to be a battle to make the trucks as safe using newer lighter build materials and processes. Hopefully the manufacturers will keep an eye on safety as well as fuel economy as we go forward. Art

People who look at the basics of what a vehicle is should see a few things that transcend brand names. First the lighter a vehicle is and the smaller an engine is the better the gas mileage is. The heavier built the vehicle is and the larger the engine is the more gas you will burn. You can tow with a VW bug but it will be stressed past it's design and blow up shortly after hook up. The physics of metals and lubricants will not completely over ride abuse. Design is also important in the drive train a transmission is designed to modify the stress on the engine while attempting to deliver the best ratio for fuel economy. That translates to a light SUV or car is not designed to take on heavy loads on a consistent bases. The enemy of all mechanical things is heat it is the great destroyer. If you want any mechanical item to keep functioning as long as possible give it the best lubricant you can, dissipate heat as best you can and do not exceed the design of the vehicle. If that sounds like a 4x4 truck then that is the correct answer or if you value fuel economy over performance or brute strength then a small SUV/ car is the ticket. Art

I run a 4x4 with hi, low and 4 wheel differential lock. I run it 90 percent in 2 wheel drive 5 percent 4x4 hi, 4 percent in 4x4 low and 1 percent in 4x4 low diff lock. The one percent got me out of an expensive tow bill. That said if you are going to be running the roads then AWD makes the most sense to me. The wife's escape has auto AWD and it is amazing in the snow (what little we get). If you plan on going off road or hauling then 4x4 is the way to go. If you talk to mechanics they can tell you the difference between the build and the durability of 4x4 VS AWD that is found in most light duty trucks and SUV's. As far as gas goes, the bigger the engine and the heavier the vehicle the worse the mileage will be. You can't have it both ways which means you have to decide before you buy what is more important to you. Art

Let's keep finger pointing down to a minimum I am sure we all are guilty of making bad calls at some point in our driving adventures. Thank you Art

Dave I am going to pin this on the front page to help spread the word. Art