What colors are best for expedition vehicles

[JackW]

A friend of mine rented a white Land Cruiser in Costa Rica - he was driving down one of the back roads and a motorcycle cop stood and saluted as he went by - apparently all of the high government officials in the area also drove white Land Cruisers - it's good to "blend in"....

 

[tamangel]

international travel and colors..

I realize we are talking here about USA based travel but seems there were some rigs traveling outside the USA that took into consideration, the local military's view on cross border incursions or other rebels.. read: not recognizing a vehicle type or color brings forth paranoia and closer scrutiny.. I remember a poster that said he had regular trouble in Mexico due to his new 4 door Jeep w/ a dark green (seemingly military?) color scheme. I've see Zebra striped, hot pink, polka dotted, anything to make sure that there vehicle isn't considered or appears to be a threat..I suppose a vehicle here w/ that type of coloring would bring closer scrutiny for our authorities..

Mike :1888fbbd:

***********
Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain.

 

[BigAl]

I'm wondering what colors are best. ...any experiences you could share?

thanks

I like Desert Tan in flat, think Gulf War era Humvees. It does not get too hot or show pin stripping much. It also blends well in to the environment, giving you a serene, peaceful feeling every time you look at it

 

[thingsventured]

I like Desert Tan in flat, think Gulf War era Humvees. It does not get too hot or show pin stripping much. It also blends well in to the environment, giving you a serene, peaceful feeling every time you look at it

I AGREE!!! BUT THEY DON'T MAKE 'EM THAT COLOR!!!

oh, and turn your jeep over, they work better wheels down.

 

[Maximus Ram]

Ah yes, tan(beige)...the color of my 82 yota......great color. Hid the dirt well(didn't have to wash it for months and you never knew), hid the scratches well and blended with the enviroment out in the Nevada desert.....

 

[Martinjmpr]

Almost all of my 4wd vehicles have been white but it wasn't my choice - it's just that in most cases I bought them used and that was what was available. IMO color is about the last factor I would consider when buying a vehicle. About the only exception I would make is black - I simply don't like black vehicles, especially for something that is going to be used where it gets hot. I regard white as pretty boring, but relatively inoffensive. I did have one silver vehicle, a 1984 Mazda B2000 pickup (4x2) that was so slow I called it "The Silver Slug" (because nobody would ever mistake it for a bullet! )

When I drove a white 1990 Mitsubishi Montero in the mid-90's I thought it might be fun to freak out the conspiracy theorists by painting "UN" on the doors, but then again, since the thing wasn't bulletproof I decided against that.

On the one occasion that I actually got to pick my vehicle's color, the color I chose was a dark forest green, just because it's my favorite color. My current camper shell (which I bought used) is forest green, which actually looks pretty nice on my white Taco.

When I was shopping for shells, the dealers would always assure me that they would be able to perfectly color match my truck, but I knew that if I ended up buying a new camper shell, the last thing I'd want would be a color match! That would just be a little too much white for me!

BTW there was a recent news article that stated that the most common color for cars now is white.

 

[Paul R]

For what it is worth, I am a big fan of white! I had a black pick-up and driving it in the summer really felt like driving in an oven! It really drew heat into the cab. I think I remember seeing a mythbusters where they had different color cars and the black one did infact heat up much faster. I could see after a while they will even out and be about the same, but I'd be willing to bet the black gets hotter quicker.

 

[thingsventured]

IMO color is about the last factor I would consider when buying a vehicle. About the only exception I would make is black - I simply don't like black vehicles, especially for something that is going to be used where it gets hot.

Yeah, i'm moreso thinking about light versus dark. I don't hear people complaining about green and other medium colors though, just seems like people mention black gets hot a lot quicker and/or hotter.

 

[FourByLand]

I personally don't think you can go wrong with either of these shades of green.

:ylsmoke:

 

[Pskhaat]

If interior temperature is really that much of a concern, put one of those reflective shades in your windsheild.

As you rightly mentioned in your post, here in the desert, those things help, but the difference between 150F and 140F is immaterial It's bloody hot inside.

 

[Nitromethane43]

If interior temperature is really that much of a concern, put one of those reflective shades in your windshield.

Even with one of this shade things a a black vehicle vehicle can get over 165 degrees in summer, I'm sure higher since the thermometer only goes up to 165, with silver the highest in the thermometer memory was 147.

 

[asteffes]

I like off-road vehicles painted colors that tend to blend in with the scenery or at least the rest of the crowd. I don't care as much for bright, flashy colors out in the woods.

Black is a nightmare to maintain and does get hot. Silver and white probably show scratches the least and are easy on the eyes.

 

[madizell]

Black is a nightmare to maintain and does get hot.

Mine is black but I found a solution to the high maintenance problem -- I stopped washing it. There are so many scratches dents and dings, why try to keep it shiny?

As for hot, the V-8 makes more heat in the cabin than the desert sun. I don't find it any hotter inside than any other vehicle I have used.

 

[Maximus Ram]

I have a Black truck and a White XJ and have not noticed any real difference in interior heat. Luckily both have a/c , so on the 100+ days, that helps:sunny:

 

[michaelgroves]

I don't think it's the increase in interior temperature that's the problem - it's the fact that black bodywork can get hot enough to burn you after it has been standing in the sun for a while. Not nice to touch accidentally, and unbearable if you have to fix something under the bonnet!