Protection vs Performance

[Sean K.]

Originally posted by CampMaster:
Pans may work in the desert. I didn't wheel too much out there, though when I did it was bone dry.

I don't think that a pan is a viable option in the PNW. It's just too wet and muddy. I beleive mus would pack up over the pan. So unless you trailer it too and from the trails - your going to have some Hwy heat building up without any air circulating to cool it.

I do understand your suposition about the pan providing more universal protection, since the ladder inherantly provides hole which rocks could hang up on. No matter how good the spotter or the line, eventually you will get stuck.

Every wheeler must balance the type of wheeling and terrain with the pros/cons of lifting to improve approach/break over/departure angles. If you don't encounter side hills often, the COG becomes less critical.

Manny ways/types of wheeling... means there isn't one solution for all situations.

I agree about the mud.....unfortunately, I get very myopic with my viewpoint. I've lived all over the US (MT, NM, CO, OK, AR, AZ, CA, UT) and wheeled all sorts of terrain, but I've been heavily involved with rockcrawling for about the last 8 years or so (even competitions) and I tend to only think in those terms now, so I apologize again for my comments.

I also trailer my junk everywhere now....have been for about the last 4-5 years I guess. We just experience too much metal fatigue that you just can't see to safely run on the road. (Not all of the bellypan experience I was commenting on was on trailer queens....but the majority was to be 100% honest).

Sean