Pluggers by Rick McKee for January 23, 2022

Making me think of Bob Seger.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zzT3haPytkg

How else do you get back to your cabin?

If you live on a dirt road, you might be a plugger.

Well, there’s only offroads to his bear cave amidst the woods.

Most Pick – Up Trucks are status symbols for I see very few hauling anything .

Usually for work, not play.

Watching “Matt’s off-road Recovery” on YouTube, they’re better off not.

one of the funny things at my stage of life is watching the city dudes driving their four-wheel-drive p/u trucks all decked out for off road with a lifted body, light rack, roll bars, big mud wheels etc. etc. go over the small speedbumps and potholes in our city. they slow waayyy down, gently go over the obstacle one axle at a time and then take off. when I come to it in my little dodge magnum I go over the exact same obstacle slowing a little just in case, with a little bump bump and the car barely shimmers. after shaking my head(have done lots of off-road in the mtns when I was young, sometimes in vehicles that were definitely NOT made for off-roading) I wonder why they spent all that money to look tough and rugged. because they look anything but.

Yes. Yes we do. And sometimes, it’s even fun!

How else are you going to find out if bears really do it in the woods.

If Pluggers didn’t take their off-road trucks off road, the country would be littered with AWD cross-overs and cars that the owners thought were as good as 4-wheel drive vehicles.

And back in the 90’s, Pluggers didn’t get caught up in the fad and buy a white Ford Bronco.

Heck! My driveway is considered off road. At least until we get around twenty tons of gravel spread in the spring. Pulling out onto the road in heavy rain or any kind of slick stuff requires at least AWD, sometimes even 4WD-L.

The more ‘off-road’ accessories, the less chance the vehicle will ever be off the pavement. Winches, roll bars, high suspensions, high-intensity light bars, high air intakes and exhaust pipes, wide knobbed tires, fender extensions, etc. In a heated garage with Terrazzo floor. And hand washed.

I guess I’ve been a Plugger since in my 20’s with my ‘85 CJ7, which I stick have.

A plugger has a need to be off-road other than recreation. It usually involves firewood.

You should live in Chicago, LA, Seattle …….

Care to wager how many yuuuge, lifted, fully outfitted pick ‘em up trucks or “rugged” SUV’ s every even go off pavement, let alone off-road? It’s a teeny, tiny percentage. And a lot of even those only do it once and aren’t very happy about doing it that one time.

Average pick-up is now > $50k, more than a BMW, entry Tesla.

I once thought about taking my Ford Taurus out on a Navajo Reservation road while visiting Arizona. I quickly changed my mind and decided not to abuse my car. I have driven on dirt roads and gravel roads, but never on a ROCK road before. I did wish I had a real pick-up truck, though.

… and gently laugh at those who don’t.