Random Thoughts.....

Cherokeekid88 said:
and correct me if im wrong, but I think I read that Virginia Creeper ( is it considered poison sumac?) rash is less common but worse than poison ivy and oak?
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I dunno, but it sucks. I rarely know which it is that I got into, because its usually some remnant vine on a log or something I rode by on the mountain bike or dirtbike.
 
At what point in your SxS quest…do you just go back to a full bodied vehicle???

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UTfball68 said:
At what point in your SxS quest…do you just go back to a full bodied vehicle???

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I get it, why everyone says this but there is really no comparison. I have been in a SxS out wheeling with a regular group of "crawlers". Once you are used to tooling down the trail at 25-30 MPH, it is absolutely painful to be behind a "crawler" in a side by side. Thats probably why the 1 ton XJ in my garage continues to sit, unfinished. SxS are too much fun, and cheap people are just too proud to admit it.

I will probably be selling my general and buying a 5 seat Xpedition so i can take my entire family out.
 
Spence said:
Once you are used to tooling down the trail at 25-30 MPH, it is absolutely painful to be behind a "crawler" in a side by side.
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Having rented a turbo S in Sand Hollow and tooled around the access roads at 81 mph (tires were spinning limiting traction at that speed) I can say you ain't lying. I see very little reason to have a crawler or Jeep in Utah when a very capable SxS will do everything I did when I took my TJ out there, but faster and smoother.

However, everything I've done east of the Mississippi is better in my Jeep (my opinion) because there's simply not enough room out here on trails to open a proper SxS up on trails (granted I've never been on the SxS only trails at windrock nor Hackfield McCoys other than Ivy branch) and plus MUD. Given it's only sand in Utah, cleanup can be done with a good blower. Whereas out here you've got mud everyfuckingwhere in/on a SxS after a ride to clean up.
If I ever moved to Utah though...I'd be ordering a SPEED RG edition Diablo and sell my Jeep for damn sure
 
I think a Sxs is perfect for a place like windrock, because you don't need to take them up rattle rock to find a good challenge. There are tons of blue and black trails that will provide a challenge in a Sxs without being impossible. Trails that are borderline boring in a jeep because you have to ride a good distance between obstacles. A jeep beats you to death, but a SxS gets to you the good stuff with the quickness.

That said, i ride with a group of old men. We don't have turbos and 35s. Still an assload of fun, and no problem to cover 100+ miles in a day. You could never do that in a jeep.
 
While I dont disagree on size and price, there are a number of parks that are SxS but not fullsize vehicles. Not sure how strict they are on what a "sxs/utv" is.

I had a sidekick that was all tubed out, and while it was fun, it didnt have the power/acceleration of a sxs, even a 800. and it didnt take jumps as well, since it was so front heavy. a bigger engine/turbo would help with the acceleration, but not bias. SxS have come a long way from then also, but I only had ~$2k in it. I think that goes back to @Spence comment about being cheap.
 
The answer is simply "If you want to drive it on the road on a regular basis." If its solely a trailer queen, just get the SxS. Fullsize vehicles are heavy, slow and not nimble bc they are designed for a different kind of road and, more importantly, high speed impacts.
 
maybe ill be the outlier here. But i think the market for side by sides is growing as more states make them street legal. Ive strongly considered getting one with a fully enclosed cab and doors with roll up windows as my weekend around town Vehicle/ hunting rig. The price point and not being able to take it on all roads are my two biggest reasons not to get one right now. look back at the 60s/70s you had broncos, scouts, blazers, jeeps all that the tops could come off and were at first small enough to go on small trails and roads into the back woods. Personally i think there has been a void for something like that for a while and now its being filled by SXS. 30,000 is pretty steep but id much rather spend that and slide it into a tree and scratch the plastic than do the same thing in my 65,000 bronco.
 
UTfball68 said:
At what point in your SxS quest…do you just go back to a full bodied vehicle???

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To answer directly.....when a blown LS comes stock and the power to weight ratio hits about right....that's a start but we need suspension capable of acting like spiderman on speed. After that some folks would buy the big "H" badge. It damn sure would be more reliable then a "Poplaris". 😁
 
Anyone else have mixed emotions about the debt ceiling deal reached last night? On one hand, I'm really disappointed. As a Ron Paul disciple, I'm always a fan of potential government collapse. On the other, I'm glad it happened in time. I got my hopes up in '12 or whenever we "breeched" the limit and was crushed when they gave all the fed employees backpay for their days off. Offence intended @RatLabGuy 😂
 
awheelterd said:
I'm really disappointed. As a Ron Paul disciple, I'm always a fan of potential government collapse.
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I hate it when my kids issue empty threats like "I'm never pooping again." So when overpaid adult children threaten that the government will just shut down, as hopeful as that makes me, it pisses me off because it's just another version of "I'm never pooping again" that will be shit all over in no time.
 
Im not excited about the pain that would ensue if we even temporarily defaulted on our debt, but what is it going to take for the general public and more importantly "the government" to realize that something has to change. Spiralling our country into such a masssive debt that one day(soon) we won't even be able to cover the interest is unconscionable and should really piss us off.

I do think that if this were happening when the economy was on fire, that would be one thing and maybe someone should try to make a point, but we are walkign on thin ice at the moment so im happy they passed something.
 
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awheelterd said:
Anyone else have mixed emotions about the debt ceiling deal reached last night? On one hand, I'm really disappointed. As a Ron Paul disciple, I'm always a fan of potential government collapse. On the other, I'm glad it happened in time. I got my hopes up in '12 or whenever we "breeched" the limit and was crushed when they gave all the fed employees backpay for their days off. Offence intended @RatLabGuy 😂
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During the sequester we didn't get backpay. Took a 20% pay cut for several months.
I'm also of the opinion we should not get full backpay during a work stoppage. Maybe 50% or something. And 0% for congress.
RHSCTJ said:
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what's most frustrating about this whole "plan" is right from the getgo they agreed to only focus on non-military spending. Yet DoD is nearly $900B a year and by far the biggest % of all discretionary spending. Cutting $10B or wtfever off of IRS and other things is peanuts by comparison. A 2% cut to DoD would go way farther.
 
Spence said:
I have never understood why this is such a non-negotiable item in the budget, people wouldn touch it with a 10 foot pole. like somehow if we buy a few less jets next year, the terrorists will suddenly be knocking on our doors here in America?
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Because people are scared to talk about it, most military personnel are underpaid. So most think the budget cut would cut pay. Which it would probably so they can buy them jets and get kickbacks.
 
Trust me when I say the jets and tanks are the least of concern when you’re wanting to trim fat off the Defense Budget!! The military adheres to Fraud, Waste, and Abuse models about as well as a fat kid holds a donut. To trim the fat the fastest would be to remodel the integration of civilians and the way that the military contracts new equipment development. There is so much red tape during R&D into initial fielding that is obscene (as in you as a taxpayer would be absolutely disgusted!). I’m not saying cut ties as that just cannot happen but if it were streamlined it would be a huge savings of taxpayer dollars.
 
Noel said:
Because people are scared to talk about it, most military personnel are underpaid. So most think the budget cut would cut pay. Which it would probably so they can buy them jets and get kickbacks.
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Oh, i do agree that for what we ask of them, military personnel are grossly underpaid, but what portion of that $900B is payroll? I'm guessing a fairly small part.

You are right, anyone who wanted to do the right thing and address the of the real wasted money like @skyhighZJ mentions above would just get accused of hating the military and wanting to cut the pay and endanger the lives of out soldiers. I just wish more people could see through the bullshit and at least have a real conversation about this stuff on the national level.
 
skyhighZJ said:
Trust me when I say the jets and tanks are the least of concern when you’re wanting to trim fat off the Defense Budget!! The military adheres to Fraud, Waste, and Abuse models about as well as a fat kid holds a donut. To trim the fat the fastest would be to remodel the integration of civilians and the way that the military contracts new equipment development. There is so much red tape during R&D into initial fielding that is obscene (as in you as a taxpayer would be absolutely disgusted!). I’m not saying cut ties as that just cannot happen but if it were streamlined it would be a huge savings of taxpayer dollars.
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This. The "cost" of manufacturing a jet is kind of negligible compared to everything involved in getting to the point of making the first one. Our R&D and subsequent testing & QA process is out of control.
Best for @skyhighZJ and I to not get started on examples lest this thread spin out of control quickly :dumbass:
Spence said:
Oh, i do agree that for what we ask of them, military personnel are grossly underpaid, but what portion of that $900B is payroll? I'm guessing a fairly small part.
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Its a small fraction, like $160B. And that's all personnel, including civilians. 75% or something of the DoD budget is contracted.
 
skyhighZJ said:
Trust me when I say the jets and tanks are the least of concern when you’re wanting to trim fat off the Defense Budget!! The military adheres to Fraud, Waste, and Abuse models about as well as a fat kid holds a donut. To trim the fat the fastest would be to remodel the integration of civilians and the way that the military contracts new equipment development. There is so much red tape during R&D into initial fielding that is obscene (as in you as a taxpayer would be absolutely disgusted!). I’m not saying cut ties as that just cannot happen but if it were streamlined it would be a huge savings of taxpayer dollars.
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There is also massive waste in their procurement. If this was less public Id share a classic single story right here in NC of millions a year flushed
 
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