Dogpilot
Active member
Well if the 18's work for you, you should continue to use them. I myself do my field work for money, I bill my time in the field as a geologist for when I am working, not stranded. I spend on the average 5-8 days a month in the field. I do bill for the time if I do get stuck someplace, but the bean counter types do raise an eyebrow. Reputation is everything and if you are perceived as the guy that has issues in the field, you get fewer contracts. I have this vehicle because it is fast to get to site and one of the best offload vehicles I have used to date. I keep it stock, I keep my aircraft stock as well, except for instrumentation. The 20's have worked flawlessly for me and Like I said still have two reserve rims, one not so nice cosmetically. The vehicle is reaching its service life, so it is being replaced next year, in theory with the presently un-obtainium Defender (you can't order the 2022's yet and 2021's have all been built). I think I shall stick with my tire/rim selections until it is replaced in its entirety. Again, I don't air down, really never had since I ran Series IIa vehicles with Armstrong Norseman's. I think people talk about it and buy more equipment so guys write about it so people talk about it and they get paid to push gear. Gotta get the gear. I am kind of a minimalist myself.
In the other shot, it is my #2 Land Rover in Deep Springs Valley a bit to the north of Death Valley, decades ago. Did I air down to get out of that? Nope, just gathered up some sagebrush and packed the track for 18" and backed out. Did drive down the Owens River for a half mile to clean the baby poo mud off the vehicle. Water table rose about 2" there unexpectedly and I broke through the crust crossing the valley. Note, that vehicle was stock as well. It is why I have always ran Land Rovers when I could. You don't need extra stuff and they tend to work out of the box. I really only have issues with other vehicles, like the enormous F-350 I had in Mexico a couple of years back. Only time I have ever used a winch. My summer intern for the truck semi-jackknifed towing the big turbo-generator across the Yaquai river from the mine exploration site, kids.
In the other shot, it is my #2 Land Rover in Deep Springs Valley a bit to the north of Death Valley, decades ago. Did I air down to get out of that? Nope, just gathered up some sagebrush and packed the track for 18" and backed out. Did drive down the Owens River for a half mile to clean the baby poo mud off the vehicle. Water table rose about 2" there unexpectedly and I broke through the crust crossing the valley. Note, that vehicle was stock as well. It is why I have always ran Land Rovers when I could. You don't need extra stuff and they tend to work out of the box. I really only have issues with other vehicles, like the enormous F-350 I had in Mexico a couple of years back. Only time I have ever used a winch. My summer intern for the truck semi-jackknifed towing the big turbo-generator across the Yaquai river from the mine exploration site, kids.