On May 19, 2:06 pm, Stewart Kissel
wrote:
Your diatribe reminded me of a line from a long forgotten
movie from the '70's called 'Rancho Deluxe'. I clipped
the quote below from a review of that movie. Oversized
SUV's rate right up there with Coca-Cola and MacDonalds
as proof what clever marketing combined with US tastes
can produce And I happen to drive a F150-great
tow vehicle, lousy gas mileage.

'I've seen more of this state's poor cowboys, miners,
railroaders and Indians go broke buyin' pickup trucks.
The poor people of this state are dope fiends for pickup
trucks. As soon's they get ten cents ahead they trade
in on a new pickup truck. The families, homesteads,
schools, hospitals and happiness of Montana have been
sold down the river to buy pickup trucks!... And there's
a sickness here worse than alcohol and dope. It is
the pickup truck death! And there's no cure in sight.'

Conversely, I cannot understand why people would want
to drive something the size of a Tahoe, or Suburban
or whatever on a daily basis. Most of these are simply
marketing exercises to improve profits. Cheap, relatively

unsophisticated light truck design. Add massive body



(to cart sprung bendy chassis) - way up
high so the CG gets even worse, and market it as a
lifestyle. Give it slab sides to look macho - Very
good for profits, even if the roll over accident rate
soars...- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I own a 2001 VW Eurovan camper. It has the Passat engine (6 cyl, 24
valve) and 16 " wheels. It tows like a dream
and gets near 20 mpg. They quit importing to the US in 2003 and now
are in high demand. I paid a little over
30k for mine. A year later for the exact same vehicle the price went
to 40k and now people are paying
up to 50k for a low mileage version of the 2001-2003 models.

It also doubles as a good around town vehicle (unlike most RVs) It
seats six and drives and parks like any
midsize car.

George