Dear Sundog: Am I a jerk for not owning an electric vehicle yet? I live in a city, commute to work, and like to get outside. I have a decent car that gets decent mileage, but feel like I would be doing better for myself and the planet with an EV. Should I buy one? 鈥擫ooking for Environmental Alternatives that are Friendly

Dear LEAF,

Let鈥檚 say you鈥檙e the average American who commutes 42 miles per day round-trip to a job that you find moderately soul-sucking. Maybe your labor serves a corporation that enriches its execs and shareholders while doing ill in the world. Maybe you work for an idealistic school or nonprofit, but are expected to work nights or weekends without additional pay. Or perhaps you simply sense that your one and only life on this gorgeous Earth is slipping past while you compose reports and gaze at Zoom.

In any case, you want to lead a more principled and less wasteful life than your vocation allows鈥攜ou don鈥檛 want to be a jerk鈥攕o you upgrade your Corolla for an electric vehicle. Where will you find that $35K or $75K? If you can pull the funds directly from your savings or trust fund, then God bless you. Otherwise, you鈥檒l borrow the money and make a monthly payment. You鈥檒l have to keep doing your job in order to afford your green ride.

You will likely be paying interest to some bank. Will that bank use your hard-earned dollars to manifest a better society? More likely, their profits will go for millions in dividends to stock owners, or they鈥檒l be loaned out again to finance all kinds of hideous adventures, from oil pipelines across to deforesting the .

So by reducing your dependence on the gas station鈥攐ne tentacle of the fossil fuel industry鈥攜ou鈥檝e now become a partner to some other tentacle. Also, much of the electrical grid from which you鈥檒l power that EV is still burning coal and gas to make electricity, so unless you鈥檙e charging from your own rooftop panels, you haven鈥檛 fully escaped even one tentacle.

So, no, LEAF, you鈥檙e not a jerk should you choose a different path. And yes, if you鈥檙e buying a car鈥攅specially to replace a gasoline car鈥攊t should probably be an EV. But there are so many variables.

You will no doubt have heard about the of using rare-earth elements like cobalt and lithium for electric batteries. It鈥檚 true: mining is bad. But this alone is not a valid reason to pass on buying an EV. The damage required to extract these miracle elements is much smaller than the alternative鈥攄rilling for oil and gas, and digging coal to produce electricity. If you can鈥檛 stomach the exploitation of nature and humans that is inherent to the industrial economy, let me gently suggest that you make a more radical lifestyle change than getting an EV鈥攁nd try giving up your car altogether.

Sundog does not give advice he would not heed, so here鈥檚 my full disclosure: even I鈥攍iterally a professor of environmental studies鈥攄o not own an EV, not even a hybrid. My family鈥檚 fleet consists of a 2005 Toyota Tundra that gets an alarming 15 to 22 miles per gallon, and a 2012 Subaru Outback that does only slightly better at 21 to 28.

As a matter of principle, I don鈥檛 think the only way to save the planet is by transferring billions of dollars from regular citizens to the corporations that build cars. As a matter of budget, I have never owned a new car. All my vehicles have cost less than $10K, except the Outback, which was $16K. 滨鈥檝别 actually never even sat in a Tesla, but I imagine driving one to be like having an orgasm while watching a looped clip of Elon Musk declaring: 鈥湵踱�檝别 done more for the environment for any other single human on earth.鈥�

Let me state on the record that I love cars and trucks. They鈥檝e provided much joy in my life, usually along a lovely lonesome stretch of two-lane blacktop or at the terminus of some rutted old ranch road. But those sort of experiences likely account for less than one percent of overall driving. In the past century, we have built American cities to accommodate people using cars for the most mundane of outings like commuting, shopping, and bar-hopping. The tradeoff is not just carbon emissions and pollution, but also sprawl, isolation and streets unsafe for walking and biking.

Turns out that in cities built before the era of the automobile鈥攆rom New York to Barcelona to Kathmandu鈥攜ou can get around without a car. When you remove traffic jams, parking tickets, the endless search for a place to park, the glum designation of a sober driver, and the claustrophobia of being locked in a metal box, city living is just more . . . fun.

When Sundog and Lady Dog set out to design our own lives, it was not to be in some Old World capitol, but rather in a midsized city in the Rockies. We didn鈥檛 aspire merely to burn fewer fossil fuels: we wanted to free ourselves from our car. We bought a house less than a mile from the place we work, less than a mile from the center of town. Our kid goes to preschool two blocks from here. Now we get around mostly by foot and bike, and can walk to trails and a creek. Many days go by where our dented guzzlers sit on the street鈥攚e drive each vehicle about 5,000 miles per year, about a third of the of 13,500.

The downside is that the houses in this neighborhood are a century old, dilapidated, small, and expensive. It鈥檚 a bit of a whack-a-mole game: our heating bills are low because we live in 1,000 square feet, but we can鈥檛 afford solar panels or a heat pump. We don鈥檛 spend much money on gasoline, but we can鈥檛 afford an EV.

Had we decided to live 21 miles from our jobs, we might have had a big new well-designed home and a slick new EV. But we love walking and biking; we want to teach our son that he can do the same, and that his parents are not his chauffeurs.

So why do we bother owning cars at all? For one, Montana is a lovely place to live, but it sure costs a lot to leave. Cheap airfares are not really a thing here. Neither is public transportation. So if you want to take a family vacation within a 1,000-mile radius, you鈥檙e likely driving. We bought the Tundra during the pandemic to tow a camp trailer (our 鈥渙ffice鈥�) and to haul lumber while we built a permanent office. Now we use the truck for long river trips, which entail carrying heavy loads for hundreds of miles through remote areas and down rutted dirt roads.

I don鈥檛 know of any EV that could do this. The Subaru is the town errand runner, and also takes us down bumpy roads to lakes and up icy mountains to ski. If it bites the dust and the cost of used four-wheel-drive EVs drops below twenty grand, I鈥檇 be happy to upgrade.

None of this makes Sundog feel particularly righteous. My point is that choosing a car is not a stand-alone decision as you forge an ethical life.

Mark Sundeen teaches environmental writing at the University of Montana. Despite his fleet of internal combustion engines, he refuses to purchase a parking permit and therefore commutes on a 1974 Schwinn Continental, with a ski helmet in winter.

If you have an ethical question for Sundog, send it to sundogsalmanac@hotmail.com

The post Am I a Jerk for Not Owning an Electric Car? appeared first on 黑料吃瓜网 Online.

I think of my old car sometimes when I drive by the Walmart Supercenter. The parking lot there was essentially the launch point of my first real long-distance road trip as an adult, spanning ten days and eight states in the late spring of 2004. We drove my 1996 Pontiac Grand Am GT, a car that my friend Nick announced had taught him that he would “never buy a two-door car.”

I didn鈥檛 keep a journal of the trip, but I believe Nick said that while standing in the Watchman Campground in Zion National Park, on maybe our eighth day of wrangling gear in and out of the car’s back seats. We couldn鈥檛 use the trunk because it was full of everything I could justify bringing from my grad school apartment in Missoula, Montana, to our terminus in Scottsdale, Arizona, where I was moving in with my then-girlfriend. We tried to keep what we needed in the backseat, and of course to access anything in the backseat, you had to fold the front seat down, lean in, and bend around the corner.

I believe this type of two-door design was, and maybe still is, referred to as a 鈥渃oupe,鈥� a word that is almost never paired with the word 鈥渁dventure,鈥� which is what we were trying to use the Grand Am for, and certainly not the word 鈥渄irtbag,鈥� which is the type of adventure we were trying to have.

We left Missoula about 10 days before Memorial Day. Nick bussed in via a Greyhound from somewhere in Iowa, an 18-hour ride he鈥檇 probably never do again.听 So a car, any car, a space he鈥檇 only have to share with one person, probably felt like an improvement.

I had gotten the car through my college roommate Chris, whose brother, Andy, had bought it at an auction, repaired the one thing that was wrong with it (someone had tried to steal the passenger-side airbag), and then sold it to me. There were a few reasons why it was not the ideal road trip car, some of which were my fault.

I had packed the trunk almost full by the time Nick added his stuff, and then attached a trunk-mount Yakima bike rack to haul an old Schwinn mountain bike all the way to Arizona, so if either of us wanted anything in the trunk, we had to remove the bike, pull off the bike rack, and then open the trunk. The bike and the rack, of course, fell off the back of the car multiple times on bumpy mountain roads, first on our way up and down to the Mt. Pilchuk trailhead outside of Seattle. The summit was in a cloud when we arrived at the end of our short, steep hike.

People sleep in all kinds of adventure vehicles鈥攐ld vans, new Sprinter vans, RVs, trucks with toppers, trucks with campers, station wagons, even in sedans in which the back seats fold down. The Grand Am鈥檚 seats did not fold down. And we couldn鈥檛 recline the front seats very far on account of all our stuff in the backseat. Still, we slept in the car twice, because we were young and durable, and had no other options, once next to the ocean somewhere near Aberdeen, Washington, and once near Barstow, California, where we鈥檇 driven after hiking up Half Dome and being unable to find a campsite anywhere near the park.

We camped almost all the other nights, except for a couple nights we spent on friends鈥� floors in Seattle and Bend. The trunk light somehow melted a hole in Nick鈥檚 Therm-a-Rest on the second-to-last day of the trip, so he slept rather uncomfortably on our last night in Mexican Hat, Utah. We鈥檇 walked into the ranger station at Natural Bridges National Monument late that afternoon and asked about campsites, and in an I-swear-this-actually-happened exchange that 滨鈥檝别 written about elsewhere鈥攊t鈥檚 so dumb it sounds like I made it up鈥攖he ranger said, 鈥淵ou guys don鈥檛 want to camp here. You鈥檒l be done with this park in an hour. Tell you what: Are you intense?鈥�

I looked at Nick, kind of shrugged, and nodded. We were young, fairly fit, and maybe looked pretty intense, I guess. The ranger went on to tell us to head south to Valley of the Gods, the entirety of which was BLM land, and we could just pull off the road and camp anywhere we found a spot. We thanked him for the advice and left, and I was unlocking the car door in the parking lot by the time I realized what he鈥檇 actually said. Over the roof of the car, I said to Nick,

鈥淥h, he meant 鈥榠n tents,鈥� like are we camping in tents or do we have an RV.鈥�

鈥淵eah,鈥� Nick said, not understanding my confusion.

The low clearance of the Grand Am meant we didn鈥檛 get too far into Valley of the Gods before we chickened out and drove back to the paved highway, and spent the night in a paid campground behind a lodge in Mexican Hat. It was not that intense. The next day we drove through Monument Valley, checked out the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, and gave the car a well-earned rest in a visitor parking spot at my girlfriend鈥檚 apartment complex in Scottsdale, after the biggest adventure it would ever go on.

To be fair, I had not bought the car under any pretense of it being a 鈥渞oad trip vehicle鈥� or 鈥渁dventure vehicle.鈥� I bought it because it was a pretty good deal, from a trusted friend, and I was not very picky about cars. And I didn鈥檛 treat it that well鈥擨 bought it in 1999, if memory serves, and I have been sober since March 2002, but the period of time between was a bit rough on the car. The inoperable driver鈥檚-side window was my fault (rolling it down when it was iced over), as was whatever went wrong with the front right wheel (hit a curb at high velocity). The windshield had been shattered once (a friend tried to jump over the car as we were leaving a party; I eventually got it repaired), and the trunk-mount CD player had been smashed by a full beer keg that rolled into it (on the drive back to our party).

Still, it was what I had, and entering the job market in 2004 with a graduate degree in journalism, I wasn鈥檛 exactly ready for a down payment on a new BMW. Or any car, really. I worked for a year in the Phoenix area, and then moved to Denver, where the Grand Am was even less useful, because, you know, snow.

Luckily, Nick, who lived in Denver, had bought a 2004 Toyota Tacoma, and was willing to drive to Summit County ski resorts in the winter and mountain trailheads all summer. One winter day, though, I drove up to Rocky Mountain National Park to snowshoe, and met a guy my age who also happened to be from the Midwest. We chatted all the way back to the parking lot, and when I stopped behind the Grand Am, he asked, 鈥淚s this your car?鈥�

I said, 鈥淵eah. It鈥檚 kind of a Midwest car.鈥�

He said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of a meth car.鈥�

I wasn鈥檛 about to defend the Grand Am鈥檚 honor. I mean, its overall aesthetic didn鈥檛 exactly scream 鈥淣OT a meth car,鈥� but it also had never really let me down, at least not in a big way. And although we never drove my car to a trailhead if there was any sort of questionable dirt road involved, I thought of the day the previous summer that we had taken Nick鈥檚 Tacoma to climb Grays and Torreys peaks. The road to the trailhead was rough with bumps, holes, and big exposed rocks, and I was glad Nick had volunteered to drive his truck.

But then, about a half-mile from the trailhead, the Jeep in front of us slowed, and in front of the Jeep was someone in a Honda Civic negotiating a very tricky-for-a-sedan spot in the road, backing up, re-orienting, pulling forward, backing up again, and then sending it, with nary a scrape. The Civic made it to the trailhead just fine. I lived in Colorado off and on for 15 years, and I learned that whenever you think that a Forest Service road is impassable by anyone without high clearance and 4-wheel-drive, you鈥檒l always see that someone made it up to the parking area in a goddamn Honda Civic.

The Grand Am survived our 10-day, eight-state road trip, and saw its share of national parks and quite a few Forest Service roads, but it was never my first choice if anyone else was willing to drive their vehicle for a day of hiking or skiing. One night in February 2006, I was cruising up Josephine Street in Denver with my then-girlfriend, and a guy floored it from a stop sign on 5th Avenue, not seeing us until his car bulldozed into the front passenger side of the Grand Am at full speed. We rammed into a light pole on the street corner, hard enough to bend it, but not hard enough to knock it over. Just after we came to a stop, I looked over to my girlfriend and asked, 鈥淎re you OK?鈥� She answered yes, she thought she was OK. A few seconds later, I quietly but excitedly said, 鈥淚 think the car鈥檚 totaled.鈥� The car鈥檚 destruction, of course, being the only way I would be able to replace it, with my $25,000/year salary at the newspaper. As soon as the insurance money came, I found an all-wheel-drive 1996 Subaru Impreza Outback on Craigslist. I figured it could take me anywhere I wanted to go, and it did.

The Grand Am was a bad fit for the lifestyle I wanted at the time鈥擨 was chomping at the bit to see the world, and the world I wanted to see didn鈥檛 have smooth roads leading to it. It was a piece of gear that didn鈥檛 work that well. But when I was first starting out, none of the stuff I had was very good鈥攃otton pants, clunky hiking boots, bargain backpacks that didn鈥檛 fit, a heavy sleeping bag, the cheapest climbing shoes I could find, thrift-store snowboard pants.

Would some better gear have been nice? Sure. But I鈥檓 glad I didn鈥檛 let it keep me from getting out there.

The post An Ode to the Worst 黑料吃瓜网 Car鈥攁nd All the Places It Took Me appeared first on 黑料吃瓜网 Online.

It鈥檚 a Land Cruiser, it鈥檚 a hybrid, and it will sticker in the mid-$50,000 range. If I stopped writing now, you鈥檇 still want one. And rightly so. The all-new 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser looks like a winner.

Toyota stopped selling the last Land Cruiser in the United States at the end of the 2021 model year. It was the end of a legendary, if flawed, legacy. While the rest of the world has always enjoyed a range of Land Cruisers running from hard-working commercial vehicles to mid-size consumer-spec versions, America鈥檚 only ever gotten a single model, which had grown very big, and very expensive.

Land Cruiser nerds鈥攁 group in which I proudly consider myself a member鈥攔efer to Land Cruisers by numerical model designations. You won鈥檛 find these numbers on any badges or in any marketing materials, but they help us easily differentiate generations and models that exist under the same badge. The last Land Cruiser Toyota sold in America is known as the 200-series.

My wife and I own a 200-series, which I have extensively modified with a one-off long travel suspension system, and a whole bunch of other fancy stuff. It鈥檚 very much not for sale, but if for some reason I did want to get rid of it, I鈥檇 probably set a price well in excess of $150,000. Toyota only ever sold about 3,000 units of the 200-series a year in this country. Ferrari sells more cars than that in this country every year.

Part of the reason for that limited volume was the price鈥攖he 200-series stickered for $85,000, and that was back before the pandemic sent the economy crazy. Everything else being equal, that鈥檚 a hair over $100,000 in today鈥檚 money. Another reason is that the 200-series was a deeply weird vehicle that only worked for a very specific audience. Price aside, it鈥檚 huge on the outside, but cramped on the inside, gets atrocious fuel economy, and while the seats are made from a quality of leather that would make a Rolls Royce jealous, the rest of the interior could have been borrowed from a 15-year-old 4Runner. To get the most out of a 200-series, you need to have deep pockets, no kids, prioritize off-road durability above anything else, and be willing to modify your expensive vehicle if you want it to work correctly. And even after all that, you also need to be cool with people in parking lots complimenting you on your 鈥渘ice Highlander.鈥�

In the rest of the world, the new 300-series Land Cruiser continues that tradition. There鈥檚 people in Saudi Arabia shredding sand dunes in them as we speak, and Australians using them to tow rugged camper trailers across the Outback. And also in those markets there鈥檚 tradesmen hauling lumber in 79-series Land Cruiser pickup trucks, and people parking on crowded city streets in their mid-size Land Cruiser Prados. 鈥淧rado鈥� is Portuguese for 鈥渇ield,鈥� and it鈥檚 been used to designate smaller Land Cruiser SUVs since 1990.

Rather than sell limited volumes of the 300-series in America, Toyota has instead decided to pivot, and sell us the new Prado. The official name is just “Land Cruiser”, but it looks like nerds may be calling this one the 250.

Power Train Capabilities to Come

All new Toyota 4x4s are now being built onto the same modular frame that debuted on the new Tundra, and the Land Cruiser 250 is no different. Where we do see a lot of differentiation is with the power train. Where the Tundra, Sequoia, and new Lexus GX (Lexus is Toyota鈥檚 luxury brand) employ a 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6, the new Tacoma uses a smaller 2.4-liter single-turbo four cylinder. And that鈥檚 the motor being used on this new Land Cruiser, complete with an electric motor in the transmission bell housing that takes total output to 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque. Toyota isn鈥檛 talking fuel economy yet, but expect miles per gallon in the high teens, if not low 20s鈥攁 significant improvement over the 200-series real world 12.5 MPG.

Like that Tacoma, the new Land Cruiser will employ an electronically-actuated disconnecting sway bar. This will combine good off-road wheel articulation with safe and predictable on-road handling. And while a disconnecting sway bar won鈥檛 be able to match all the superlatives applied to 200-series鈥� complicated hydraulic system, it will be cheaper.

Traction in the New Toyota Land Cruiser

One area where the 250 has the 200 beat is traction. Like the old one, the new Land Cruiser will employ a full-time four-wheel drive system, with a two-speed transfer case. This nominally operates in all-wheel drive, but drivers can lock the center differential at the flick of a switch. Unlike the old one, the new Land Cruiser will include a rear locking differential. 200-series owners had to turn to the aftermarket for that important part.

To briefly recap, when things get slippery all-wheel drive sends all torque to the wheel with the least traction. This improves safety by reducing the tendency for a vehicle to spin out while accelerating in low traction conditions. Four-wheel drive locks the speeds of the front and rear axles together, so the wheel with the least traction on one axle is only able to spin as fast as the wheel with the least traction on the other axle. This improves capability, enabling the vehicle to continue progress in situations where there鈥檚 little to no traction. Locking axle differentials then match wheel speeds across that axle, so the front wheel on the new Land Cruiser with the least traction will only be able to spin as fast as the entire rear axle, taking traction even further. So, the new Land Cruiser will be safe like a Subaru, and capable like a Jeep, all at once. Toyota is also including the latest version of its gee-whizz electronic traction aids to take things even further, much more easily.

More improvements come inside. Not only does the leather look nice, but now there鈥檚 modern touch screens, and nice materials used on the dash, too.

Those are about all the details Toyota is releasing right now. I expect to drive the vehicle sometime in early 2024, and sales should start next spring. And while I have a lot of questions about things like payload numbers, articulation, and durability, initial signs here are incredibly promising. (Stay tuned for my take, soon.)

One of the most common questions I get from readers: What SUV should they buy for all-round use? They want something reasonably efficient, completely reliable, and super capable. In the past, that鈥檚 been a hard question to answer as there鈥檚 been nothing on the market that combined all those factors at a reasonable price. Now there is. If you’re shopping for a new 4×4 SUV, you should buy this new Land Cruiser.

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Whether you think of it as the hottest summer you鈥檝e ever experienced, or the coolest summer of the rest of your life, pretty much all of us are dealing with record breaking heat right now. That鈥檚 doubly challenging for dog owners, especially those of us that want to include our pups in summer activities.

Dogs Die in Hot Cars and Trucks Too

Dogs begin to experience life-threatening heat stroke when their internal temperature reaches 105.8 degrees. There鈥檚 numerous variables, but in hot weather, a parked car can exceed that temperature in ten minutes or less鈥攅ven if the windows are down or it鈥檚 parked in the shade. This is a risk all dog owners and caretakers must constantly keep in mind. Never leave a dog inside a parked car, without the air-conditioning running, for even a brief period of time.

This same problem effects dogs traveling in pickup beds, whether they鈥檙e capped, wearing a camper, or left open. Unlike humans, dogs do not have the ability to sweat. They do not cool themselves evaporatively from their skin. So canines remain at risk of overheating through solar exposure if kept in a shade-free area, such as an open pickup bed. And, bed caps, toppers, or campers can also quickly reach unsafe temperatures.

An informal study conducted by GoFastCampers (GFC)鈥攁 Montana-based company that produces an ultralight truck bed camper, which clamps to a vehicle鈥檚 bed rails and houses four inches of insulation under a white roof to reflect solar radiation鈥攆ound that though the covered bed area heated up slower, and to less severe temperatures when compared to the cab of the truck it was mounted to, it still reached unsafe degree levels when parked in the hot sun for extended periods.

Gunner Kennels, which makes high-end, ultra-safe dog crates, has found that the interior of those crates听can run as cool as 15 degrees below ambient, even with direct sun exposure. But, right now, temperatures are well above safe levels for dogs across vast swaths of the country. And those temperatures can be even hotter in places we like to park our cars and trucks, like black parking lots, where asphalt captures and radiates heat. Even in 75-degree ambient temperatures, pavement can quickly reach 125 degrees when exposed to direct sun, and can project that heat upward six feet or more.

GFC did find that internal temperatures inside its campers and bed toppers quickly returned to ambient levels once the vehicle was in motion, with the side panels cracked to facilitate airflow. Don鈥檛 think of pickup bed caps, campers, or kennels as a solution to heat, but they may prove a helpful tool in reducing the heat exposure your dog faces.

There鈥檚 a plethora of wireless, battery powered thermometers that may help you monitor temperature inside a crate or pickup bed. But while they can prove a valuable tool, nothing beats you being there with your dog. (If you’re hot, they’re hotter.)

Heat Brings Other Risks to Traveling with a Dog

Encounters with Blue Green Algae

Hot temperatures combined with fertilizer runoff can lead to blooms of cyanobacteria, which can prove . Avoid unfamiliar lakes and ponds, or other slow-moving water sources. Be on the lookout for odd-colored water (it doesn鈥檛 have to be blue-green), and bad smells. Observe signage and consult local dog owner groups on social media for warnings of areas prone to blue green algae blooms.

Exposure to Dangerous Chemicals

Filling up your car at gas stations, or charging your electric vehicle causes a frequent dilemma for dog owners. You don鈥檛 want to leave them in a hot car, but gas station forecourts also accumulate all manor of chemical pollution. If you take your dog out of the car at the pump or charger, it may walk across an oil or coolant spill, then later lick its paws, ingesting poison. Instead, drop off your dogs with a human co-pilot in a safe location (like a perimeter lawn), before filling up, or open your windows and stay with your car and dogs. Then, immediately move to that perimeter lawn afterward, before unloading them. Or just give them a bathroom break somewhere else.

Unanticipated Humidity

Dogs cool themselves by panting, which allows moisture from their lungs to evaporate, reducing body heat. High humidity can prevent that evaporation, impairing a dog鈥檚 ability to cool itself.

Scheduling Exercise

Try to limit your dog鈥檚 exertion during the hottest parts of the day. Shift walks to early mornings and late evenings, and make sure they have plenty of access to water throughout.

Ingesting Too Much Water

Visiting the beach? Dogs love to swim in oceans and lakes, but rambunctious dogs can ingest a ton of water in the process. Especially if that water contains salt or chemicals, it can cause toxicity. Even too much fresh water can do the same.

Finding an Emergency Vet

I needed an emergency vet in the middle of the night, while traveling, a few weeks ago. Google gave me a few options, all over three hours away. I made sure to call them, verify they鈥檇 be open, and were equipped to handle our emergency before heading in the direction of any of them. Here鈥檚 a list of American Animal Hospital Association-accredited in case you find yourself in a similar situation.

Burnt Paws on Hot Asphalt

Pavement temperatures are reaching 150 degrees or more in Phoenix this month. That鈥檚 more than hot enough to burn the sensitive, exposed skin on your dog鈥檚 paws.

Hazardous Bug Spray

Deet and Picaridin, the two most common ingredients in bug spray, are both toxic to dogs.

How to Travel with a Dog: Build Yourself the Ultimate Pupmobile

So how do I keep my dogs safe while traveling in extreme heat? I heavily customized my pickup truck for that exact purpose. When I say I鈥檓 a crazy dog person, I really mean it. You may not need or want take things this far, but I think there鈥檚 some takeaways here for everyone.

Dial in Your Idling and A/C Capabilities

The first and most important factor in choosing a dog-friendly vehicle is your ability to leave it running, with air-conditioning blasting, for long periods of time and while you can monitor the vehicle鈥檚 status remotely. Thankfully, this is becoming easier through modern technology. While my XLT-spec Ford Ranger is equipped with remote start, it requires a key be inserted into the ignition in order to fully power the air conditioning. Fortunately, I can still lock and unlock the vehicle鈥檚 doors through the smartphone app, which also allows me to make sure the vehicle remains running with a quick glance at my phone. Some higher-end luxury cars and electric vehicles even allow you to remotely monitor or even adjust a car鈥檚 internal temperatures on their apps.

While I鈥檓 always reluctant to leave the dogs unattended, this provides a lot of peace of mind while running errands. A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I needed to alter our travel plans mid trip to visit a dying family member a couple of states away. Since we already had the dogs with us, and time was of the essence, we weren鈥檛 able to simply board them. The ability to keep them in a reliably air-conditioned cab while we spent a few hours inside a nursing home made our visit possible.

It may not always be easy to determine exactly how long, or how well, a new car or truck will be able to idle while running the A/C. While shopping around, make a point of researching this capability, and realize it can change depending even on trim level and specific options. Ask the dealer for a demonstration, and verify the function at home, for realistic time periods, before trusting it.

Skip the SUV, Get a Truck

I also prefer a pickup truck to an SUV for the purpose of carrying dogs for a couple of reasons. One: it gives me plenty of cargo space. I use that to carry 10 gallons of water, complete with battery-powered faucet. While that may sound overkill, it鈥檚 enough not only to give the dogs plenty to drink but also to thoroughly wet them down should they show signs of overheating. And all that, plus shakes, happen in the bed, without ruining any upholstery.

Two: It allows me to run an ultralight truck camper. Not only does the GoFastCamper give me secure place to carry dirty, wet dogs in mild weather, or for short drives, it also provides a mobile shade structure that I can setup anywhere from a trailhead here in town, to a beach down in Mexico. Opening the lift panels on the sides and rear creates a sort of portable cabana. Once set up like that, it remains cool enough in the bed that my dogs will actually jump in there to chill out on hot afternoons. And it does that while remaining well within the payload capacity of my midsize pickup.

Other Safety Tips For Traveling with Your Dog

Protect Your Pup in the Event of a Crash

滨鈥檝别 also equipped both this pickup, and my wife鈥檚 Land Cruiser, with dog barriers capable of arresting forward movement during crashes. I’m also careful to keep the dogs leashed up while driving. Paired with Ruffwear Front Range harnesses, which shift leash forces away from my dogs’ necks, along with my ultra-strong custom climbing-rope leashes and strength-rated locking carabiners, this set up ensures as much safety as possible on the road. (Also, carry a dog first aid kit at all times on any trip.)

Monitor Risks 黑料吃瓜网 the Car

That leads to one last note on dog safety. Moving your dogs out of a hot vehicle and into a cool, shaded place (provide water!) while you shop or eat or whatever may often prove the simplest way to keep them cool. However, it also exposes them to other risks. While no one will ever succeed at stealing my dogs, I do have to worry about children attempting to approach them, or nuisance my pups may cause if something gets them riled up enough to start barking or howling.

Bottom Line: Traveling with a Dog Is Complex

And I think that makes the conclusion here obvious: While you may be able to make travel during extreme heat safe for your dog, it does require constant vigilance, a lot of preparation, and plenty of hard work. Most times, it鈥檚 easier just to leave them at home.

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Quite literally: idling gets you nowhere. Idling creates car pollution鈥攊t’s a mindless bad habit that we don鈥檛 even think about, but one that has real implications on our health, our wallets, our vehicles, and our climate crisis. Yet unlike so many bad habits, this one is so easy to break. All we have to do is turn the key.

Ron Zima, founder and CEO of GoGreen Communications, Inc.,听is a man on a mission to raise awareness about what he calls our idling epidemic. The self-proclaimed 鈥淚dle-Free Guy,鈥� he teaches fleet operators and municipalities around the U.S. and Canada how to save money and emissions by curbing idling habits. 鈥淔orty percent of the average person鈥檚 vehicle time is spent idling,鈥� he says, and it can cost you anywhere from $200 to $1,000 in wasted fuel per year (depending on what you drive).

鈥淚f your car is more than 10 years old, idling is actually bad for the engine and can cause overheating. In today鈥檚 modern cars, idling is less detrimental to the engine, but if someone tells you that it鈥檚 actually good for your car, that鈥檚 a myth.鈥�

Why do we idle so much? Zima pins the problem on two things: outdated myths about how engines work and our smartphone obsession with scrolling. 鈥淢odern-day cars are engineered to be driven, not idled,鈥� he says. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e stopped for more than two minutes, you鈥檒l actually prolong the life of your car by turning it off.鈥�

As for smartphones, Zima says they turn us into mindless zombies. 鈥淕o to any school parking lot and you鈥檒l see rows of cars filled with well-meaning moms and dads, heads down, scrolling on their phones with the windows up, the AC or heat blasting, and toxic chemicals spewing out their tailpipes,鈥� he says. 鈥淥ur schools have become the location for dirtiest air our kids have to breathe in their lifetimes, and at a very critical time in their physical development.鈥�

Why Idling and Car Pollution Are Bad For Your Health (and Your Kids鈥� Health)

Dr. Patrick Ryan is a professor of pediatrics and environmental health听at Cincinnati Children鈥檚 Hospital Medical Center who studies the effects of traffic-related air pollution on children鈥檚 health by measuring air pollution at places where children spend time including their homes and schools and simultaneously monitoring children鈥檚 health impacts.

鈥淲hat we鈥檝e found is that just 30 minutes of exposure to ultrafine particles (which is what comes out of the tailpipes of school buses all over the country) kids experience lower lung function,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd if those kids have asthma, symptoms like coughing, shortness of breath are .鈥�

But the impacts don鈥檛 stop there. Ryan鈥檚 research also indicates that too. 鈥淲hen kids breathe these tiny particles, they can cause an inflammatory response,鈥� he says. 鈥淚n our studies we鈥檝e shown kids who are exposed to higher levels of air pollution in early childhood have at age 12. Other studies have also linked air pollution to a decrease in executive function and negative cognitive outcomes.鈥�

Idling + Car Pollution: The Toll on the Climate Crisis

The environmental impact of idling cars听and trucks is pretty staggering.

According to Argonne National Laboratories which does research for the U.S. Department of Energy, Americans , just by idling. Zima contends that that number is low and estimates that between the U.S. and Canada, it鈥檚 more like . But even taking the more conservative number, that amount of idling generates more than 58 million tons of CO2 emissions, the equivalent car pollution of driving almost 12 million gas-powered passenger vehicles for one year (source: ).

In April 2023, the Biden administration announced an ambitious plan to accelerate the transition to clean transportation future through a broad range of emission control technologies. If successful, the plan would require car-makers to eliminate 56 percent of emissions by 2032. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 wait 20 years for the world to transition to electric vehicles,鈥� says Zima. 鈥淲e need to take widespread action today if we want our kids and grandkids to be able to survive on this planet. Once we become mindful of it, breaking the idling habit is such an easy lever for us to pull, and it will immediately impact our carbon emissions.”

A Car Expert Reveals The Truth About Idling听

Outdated cars and old technologies contribute to the environmentally-crippling myths about idling. I spoke to Al MacPhee, former chairman of the Canadian Auto Dealers Association and owner of MacPhee Ford in Nova Scotia, to clear the air. 鈥淚f your car is more than 10 years old, idling is actually bad for the engine and can cause overheating,鈥� says MacPhee. 鈥淚n today鈥檚 modern cars, idling is less detrimental to the engine, but if someone tells you that it鈥檚 actually good for your car, that鈥檚 a myth.鈥�

Another popular myth goes like this: Turning your engine off and on repeatedly damages the starter. Not true, says MacPhee. 鈥淪tarters in today鈥檚 passenger cars are entirely different than they used to be. They don鈥檛 wear out.鈥� Same goes for batteries. 鈥淲e used to think that idling was good for batteries. But modern-day batteries do just fine on their own. They don鈥檛 need to be idled to keep their charge.鈥�

The bottom line, says MacPhee, is that engines perform best under load (auto lingo for while driving) at 40 to 60 miles per hour. “Idling engines are not happy engines.鈥�

3 Expert Tips to Avoid Car Pollution and Reduce Idling Behaviors听

Take Advantage of the Shade

On hot days, park in the shade and crack the windows a few inches. This will create a nice cross-breeze, says Zima. 鈥淎nd on really hot days, crank up the air conditioning five minutes before you reach your destination. Then park and turn off the engine. Modern cars are extremely well-insulated. The ambient temperature will stay cool for 20 minutes or more.鈥�

The Best Way to Warm Up Your Car in Winter

On cold days, don鈥檛 let your car idle in the driveway with the heat cranking. Turn it on, clear off the ice and snow, and immediately get in and start driving. That鈥檚 the safest and fastest way to warm up a car, says MacPhee. And wear a hat and gloves!

Raise Local Awareness to Stop Car Pollution

Start an anti-idling movement in your community. 听The EPA has created the with dozens of ideas and resources to curb car pollution at your school and in your neighborhood.

If all these reasons aren鈥檛 enough to inspire you to be more conscious of your idling, there鈥檚 also this: idling for more than a few minutes is also , and while these rules are all too infrequently enforced, the penalties can be pretty steep鈥�up to $500 for the first offense in some areas.

Doing right by the planet can make you happier, healthier, and鈥攜es鈥攚ealthier. 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 Head of Sustainability, Kristin Hostetter, explores small lifestyle tweaks that can make a big impact. Write to her at climateneutral-ish@outsideinc.com.听

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鈥淲e fight fire with humans on the ground and hand tools primarily. Some are squirting water, some are swinging axes. We are nowhere near a technological solution to the human aspect. Either work on solving that at some point, or focus on how you can help the tired, dirty, hungry, firefighter who鈥檚 been up for 36 hours do his or her job better.鈥� Those were the words of one frustrated fire chief, at the Wildfire Technology Innovation Summit in March, 2019, to deliver real, effective solutions for his firefighters.

The way we fight wildfires today, in 2023, is not fundamentally different from how they were fought during the early 20th century. Firefighters on the ground cut breaks with hand tools, or perform controlled burns with drip torches. They coordinate those actions via handheld radios with command centers that are often miles away. And communication across the five federal agencies responsible for wildland firefighting, plus the myriad state and local entities that might also be involved, is fractured and disorganized.

As more and more Americans move into the wildland-urban interface, and climate change increases incidences and severity of wildfires, this outdated approach is no longer a match for the scale of the problem.

Enter the , which President Biden signed into law in 2021. It provides $5 billion in funding through 2026 to improve the way in which our nation fights wildfires. A lot of that money is going toward mitigation efforts, improved pay for firefighters, and burned-area restoration. But at the Department of the Interior (DOI) alone, $72 million is being devoted to modernizing firefighting technology, and training firefighters to use it.

Enter the 2024 Ford Bronco

With these improvements in mind, this 2024 Ford Bronco is one of the very first examples of what that new firefighting technology will look like. Built in collaboration between Ford (which is donating the vehicle to the DOI as part of its initiative) and , a vehicle upfitter serving defense and first responder agencies, it incorporates a host of communication abilities, as well as the ability to push fire command operations through rugged terrain, closer to the front lines.

Starting with a bone-stock Bronco equipped with Ford鈥檚 Sasquatch package, Darley incorporated an integrated satellite, cellular, and radio-based communications system that brings redundant compatibility across an array of government and civilian communications channels. It鈥檚 powered by a large, 3.5-kilowatt-hour battery pack that charges from the vehicle鈥檚 alternator, and is operated by a single-tablet running prototype-incident management software developed by Darley. A drone housed in one of the rear storage areas adds the ability for incident managers to take eyes even further than the vehicle can travel itself.

This all probably sounds pretty basic to you and me, and the supercomputers we carry around in our pockets. But it’s probably the best indication of how far behind fire-fighting technology really is. Right now, incident command is run out RV-size vehicles using simple radio equipment. Those vehicles are too large and unwieldy to get further than paved roads. So, on-the-ground information about fuel loads or fire behavior has to be radioed in by individual firefighters, then assembled and distributed again by radio. And anything from the exact location of fire crews, to localized fire behavior can easily be lost or missed in that process.

鈥淲e鈥檙e using a tracking system that was developed in the 1940s and it was developed primarily to move military equipment for World War II,鈥� one firefighter told the (PCAST) in March, 2022. 鈥淓very one of your cellphones sitting on the desk in front of you can order whatever you need and have it delivered to your house tomorrow.鈥�

Here鈥檚 How the 2024 Ford Bronco Will Improve Firefighting in the Field

With the 2024 Ford Bronco, incident commanders will be able to quickly鈥攁nd easily鈥攍eave pavement behind. Equipped with 35-inch tires and locking axle differentials front and rear, the vehicle will be able to drive right into the frontlines of an active fire, then use satellite data, firsthand observations, and drone footage to assemble a live picture of current fire behavior, wind directions, fuel loads, and crew locations. Darley鈥檚 new software will display all of that simply and intuitively on the tablet. And, all of that information can be distributed across the tangle of responders, agencies, and managers either present in the field, or remotely. The Bronco is equipped with transmitters to establish a large wireless network, giving field workers the ability to receive and transmit data even in the absence of cellular networks.

鈥淲e could put real-time fire perimeters鈥攁nd by that I mean one minute from collection to firefighters鈥� mobile phones鈥攊n the hands of almost every firefighter in the country right now if we pointed and wrote a few checks,鈥� another firefighter told the in March, 2019.

This integration of multiple data sources into a simple, intuitive interface is similar to the technologies soldiers and their commanders have been using to fight wars in recent decades. Darley tells me they鈥檙e basing the fire equipment on the same capabilities. And just like to coordinate their efforts more effectively, with less risk in the ongoing counteroffensive, American firefighters will soon be able to fight fires more effectively, more safely, in the near future.

鈥淥ur biggest hurdle with all these different technologies is what we call our 鈥榣ast mile connection,鈥欌�� a firefighter testified to PCAST in March, 2022. “How do we get this data to boots on the ground?… The communication infrastructure is just not there.鈥�

Next Steps: Getting Firefighters the Gear They Need

Ford and Darley are building two of these Broncos, with this first example going into use in New Mexico鈥檚 Bandelier National Monument later this year. Its capabilities fall exactly in line with the in February, which found that existing technologies are capable of augmenting wildland firefighting efforts right now, and are desperately needed as fire behavior grows more and more dangerous.

鈥淭he needs of our wildland firefighters overlap substantially with those of America鈥檚 warfighters,鈥� reads the report鈥檚 conclusion. 鈥淲hereas we have a national commitment ensuring that our warfighters are not sent into harm鈥檚 way without the best of American science and technology at their disposal, no similar organizational framework exists to protect and empower wildland firefighters.鈥�

Now, finally, a substantial budget is being applied to making that dirty, hungry firefighter鈥檚 job better. And that solution is going to look a lot like this Bronco.

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43 months and three weeks ago, I wrote an article titled, 鈥�Is the Tesla Cybertruck Real?鈥� This weekend, over three-and-a-half years after first unveiling its electric pickup, Tesla tweeted a photo of what it claims is the first Cybertruck to be built at the company鈥檚 new factory in Texas. But my original question remains unanswered: is this thing real, or vaporware?

鈥淔irst Cybertruck built at Giga Texas!鈥� Tesla tweeted early Saturday morning, along with a cowboy hat emoji and a photo of dozens of workers posing in such a manner as to obscure nearly the entire vehicle鈥檚 body.

First Cybertruck built at Giga Texas!

— Tesla (@Tesla)

When Is the Actual Tesla Cybertruck Release Date?

This asks even more questions. Has Tesla now entered serial production of its much-hyped new truck? When will the more than 200,000 people who have put down a deposit on one start taking deliveries? What changes has Tesla made to the grossly illegal original prototype to make it safe to drive on public roads? How much will it cost? How fast will it be? How much range will it have?

Beyond the heavily-sloped windshield and a glimpse of a seriously enormous sideview mirror, there is no further detail. But, in the absence of actual information from Tesla, we only have third party data points, none of which point in an encouraging direction.

Development Issues with the Tesla Cybertruck

In May, German newspaper Handelsblatt published provided by a whistleblower, detailing problems at the company. Among those were indications that Tesla’s Cybertruck development is not going well.

鈥淭he report, dated January 25, 2022, which Wired has examined, shows that the preproduction 鈥榓lpha鈥� version of the Cybertruck was still struggling with some basic problems with its suspension, body sealing, noise levels, handling. and braking,鈥� . 鈥淗andling was also a concern for the alpha Cybertruck. The report noted a number of issues, including 鈥榚xcessive mid-speed abruptness and chop,鈥� 鈥榟igh head-toss accelerations,鈥� and 鈥榮tructural shake.鈥� It said that the truck experienced 鈥榚xcessive lateral jerk during low-speed maneuvering鈥� and that it needed to address problems with steering refinement and body roll. The EV鈥檚 strafe mode, a feature that allows the wheels to turn to allow the car to ‘crab walk鈥� sideways had 鈥榦nly basic functionality.鈥�

So… I’m Still Asking: Is This Thing Really Happening?

The Cybertruck is an ambitious product. If it ever does achieve volume sales, it will be be Tesla鈥檚 first ever pickup truck. One Tesla CEO Elon Musk claimed back in 2019 will have a range of up to 500 miles, and be capable of sprinting from zero to 60 miles per hour in 2.9 seconds. That鈥檚 on large, heavy 35 x 12.5-inch mud terrain tires. And the fantastical nature of those performance claims is eclipsed by the vehicle鈥檚 architecture. The Cybertruck unveiled in 2019 was constructed using an exposed stainless steel monocoque chassis, something no other automaker has ever managed to put into volume production.

That original vehicle also lacked even the suggestion of compliance with either domestic or international standards. It featured no sideview mirrors, no windshield wiper, a single lightbar rather than the required separated headlamps, an no energy absorbing crash structure (a bumper) on the front of the vehicle. Glass Musk claimed to be 鈥渁rmored,鈥� was quickly shattered by a ball bearing during a subsequent demonstration of its alleged strength.

All of that will have to change before the vehicle can be registered for road use. It鈥檚 not even clear if any hypothetical production Cybertruck will retain the steel monocoque, or switch to a more conventional painted aluminum unibody. If that change is made, then the angular shape will be retained for styling purposes only, rather than the functional load triangulation of the original prototype.

Meanwhile, other automakers have been busy producing and selling their own electric pickups. Fellow startup Rivian delivered its first R1T to a customer in September, 2021. Ford has sold tens of thousands F-150 Lightnings since that vehicle went on-sale in April, 2022. The $112,500 GMC Hummer EV also wears 35-inch mud terrains, and is capable of doing 0-60 in 3.3 seconds according to third party testing conducted by Car and Driver, while its enormous 205 kiloWatt-hour battery gives it a range of 314 miles. When I drove the GMC Hummer EV听back in April, 2022, its crab walk mode proved fully functional.

The Bottom Line: Who Cares?

And even while we still don鈥檛 have any solid details on what form a production Cybertruck might take, Musk appears to be doing his level best to discourage people from buying one. Following his , acquisition of Twitter last year, the billionaire鈥檚 public image has nosedived amid an embrace of , and troubling public behavior like the 鈥溾�� he鈥檚 proposed with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. many customers are moving away from Tesla as a result.

No longer the first electric pickup鈥攂测 a long shot鈥攕till without any firm information, or even a future date at which that information may be released or for deliveries to begin, and hyped alongside hate speech, the question hanging over the Cybertruck increasingly appears to be, who cares?

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In a time where large trucks bear much of the negative image associated with both the climate disaster and toxic masculinity, amid popular culture trends that promote doing more with less, it鈥檚 common to see outdoorsy types trying to press smaller vehicles into unsuitable roles. Because this typically results in exactly the opposite things drivers are trying to achieve鈥�worse fuel economy, diminished capability, compromised safety鈥攖his grumpy former car journalist feels the need to set the record straight. I know this is going to be controversial, but you probably need a bigger pickup truck than you think you do. Let me explain.

Small Trucks + Big Jobs = Huge Problems

It鈥檚 the job of a pickup truck to perform work. You choose one over a passenger car or sport utility vehicle because you need to haul people, dogs, and things off paved roads and through inclement weather in order to pursue your hobbies and lifestyle. For that reason, we quantify the work a truck is capable of performing by the amount of weight it’s designed to carry. A pickup designed to carry more weight will be capable of moving that weight more safely, and more competently, no matter the environment.

But, here on a continent where training is almost entirely absent from a typical driver鈥檚 experience, enforcement focuses on speed only, and where good information is lacking in most people鈥檚 vehicle-purchase decisions as a result, it can prove difficult to create both an accurate picture of the amount of weight you need a vehicle to carry, and the amount of weight a truck is actually able to carry.

滨鈥檝别 picked on the Toyota Tacoma before, but let鈥檚 again briefly use it as an example here, simply because it鈥檚 so popular amongst active 黑料吃瓜网 readers. The third generation Tacoma, which has been on sale since 2015 and is being replaced next year by a much improved all-new Tacoma, has a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 5,600 pounds. That鈥檚 the maximum it鈥檚 legal and safe for one to weigh on public roads. Because the Tacoma itself weighs anywhere from 3,915 to 4,550 pounds, depending on whether its two or four-wheel drive (the latter is heavier), or how large the cab is, that leaves 1,685 pounds to 1,050 pounds left over. The delta between GVWR and weight is a vehicle鈥檚 payload鈥攖he amount of weight it鈥檚 able to carry.

1,155 pounds鈥攖he payload of a Tacoma in its most popular configuration鈥攎ay sounds like a good amount of weight, but remember a truck needs to carry more than what鈥檚 in its bed. It鈥檚 got to haul you, your dogs, fuel, and anything else you may put in or add to it as well. After you add two humans, a full tank, and odds and ends, a Tacoma is left with only about 500 pounds of real-world capacity to work with.

According to , the wet weight of the Four Wheel Campers Fleet on Drew Simm鈥檚 new Tacoma is 1,798 pounds. That鈥檚 a long ways from the 500 or so pounds the vehicle is capable of safely carrying with humans and fuel on board. Add 72 additional pounds for the extra fuel in the Long Range America tank, a few hundred more pounds to account for protection parts like the front bumper and rock sliders, plus the roof rack, the snorkel, whatever鈥檚 in all those cabinets on the custom tray, plus photo and outdoor gear, and we鈥檙e looking at a truck that weighs at least 2,000 pounds over GVWR.

That math applies to other vehicles too. Payload on a Ford F-150 Raptor鈥攁 large, aggressive-looking truck if ever there was one鈥攊s only 1,400 pounds. Payload on a Jeep Gladiator Rubicon鈥攁nother tough-looking vehicle鈥攊s 1,200 pounds.

Overloading = Danger

What happens when you exceed GVWR? Because you can see the rear squat under all that weight, it鈥檚 common to think of excessive weight as a spring rate problem only. It鈥檚 not. Again, the work a truck performs is moving weight. Every component and system on a vehicle must function together to do that. Add too much weight and you鈥檒l be forcing those components and systems to operate outside of designed limitations. Overloading a vehicle applies stress to everything from the cooling system to the transmission, axles, differentials, brakes, and even the frame. While some of those components can be upgraded, there is no legal path to increasing GVWR in the United States. And, all of those components would need to be upgraded together in order to genuinely increase capacity鈥攕omething that would likely cost more than the vehicle itself. Cherry picking upgrades, like brakes, still leaves the cooling system and everything else vulnerable.

Take this Tundra for instance. The owner reports it weighs as seen here, but GVWR for the truck is only 6,700 pounds. The consequences? Driving down a simple dirt road of the kind accessible to Subarus and similar, its .

On road, an overloaded vehicle will feel ponderous to drive. It’ll struggle to accelerate, maintain speed, and climb hills. Fuel economy will plummet. The extra weight will also cause the truck to lean further in corners. Off-road, every extra pound you add makes any obstacle proportionally more challenging. The consequences for reliability? Mechanical failures will become common and components will wear out much faster.

The consequences for safety are more severe, resulting in extended braking distances, significant rollover hazards, and complete failure of crucial systems, like the brakes. In the event of a now more-likely crash, the vehicle鈥檚 crumple zones and other safety systems will be less capable of protecting both the truck鈥檚 occupants, and anyone they hit.

What I鈥檓 trying to demonstrate with these examples is how easy it is to overload many popular trucks. It鈥檚 not just quarter-ton pickups like the Tacoma that feature significant limitations. Payload for popular half-tons can also be surprisingly low. The most payload you鈥檙e going to get out of a normal Ford F-150, the best selling vehicle in America, is only 2,238 pounds (a special order package can increase that number). Fill the tank, put an adult in the passenger seat, carry extra gear, and you鈥檙e looking at only about 1,800 pounds leftover. And it doesn鈥檛 take a slide-in camper to exceed that capacity. Pouring footings for a new deck this weekend? 20 bags of cement will put that F-150 over capacity. And we haven鈥檛 even talked about towing yet.

Enter the Heavy-Duty Pickup

Yes, the same vehicles you picture when you think of rolling coal, and otherwise failing to compensate for rampant male inadequacy issues. But aside from being the perfect accessory for a goatee, big, intimidating pickups are just what many adventurous types need if they plan to haul campers, tow trailers, or perform any other job that involves moving a bunch of weight from one place to another.

Aside from image problems, 3/4 and one-ton pickups have traditionally suffered from a few other issues. As anyone who鈥檚 ever rented a big U-Haul will know鈥攔ental trucks are often based on heavy-duty pickups鈥攖hese things are slow, ride terribly, feature spartan interiors, and their dimensions make them genuinely challenging to navigate through traffic, or into a parking space.

Those are all problems Ford is attempting to address with its new Super Duty. Again defining a truck鈥檚 abilities through the amount of weight it’s capable of moving, the Super Duty is simply the most capable consumer truck ever made, with a payload capacity of up to 8,000 pounds, and a maximum trailer weight of 40,000 pounds. Compare those numbers to the overloaded examples above, and the problems they have would simply disappear in the back of a Super Duty. Heck, when those vehicles break, it鈥檒l probably be a heavy-duty pickup-based tow truck that carries them to the scrap yard.

I recently flew to Detroit to drive the heavily revised 2023 Ford Super Duty. When the company first introduced the fourth generation Super Duty in 2017, it addressed issues like ride quality and interior appointments with the use of a new high-strength steel frame mounted to an aluminum body that shares its cab with the smaller F-150, trimming hundreds of pounds off the vehicle鈥檚 curb weight while creating a stiffer, stronger platform. New engines and 10-speed transmissions addressed performance deficits, while increasing fuel economy. This year’s updated version brings high-tech driver鈥檚 aids that improve ease of use. Everything from reversing a trailer to parking to navigating tight trails has been made easier with the addition of multiple cameras, and autonomous driver aids. The truck is capable of taking complete control in some challenging situations, removing the potential for human error altogether, or simply saving you time and hassle.

Driving a Heavy-Duty Pickup in the Real World

Over the last few years, as interest in vehicle-based travel has boomed, 滨鈥檝别 found myself looking at the needs of readers and friends, and recommending they buy something like the Super Duty more and more often. And a lot of those people haven鈥檛 been the type of customer you鈥檇 traditionally associate with trucks like these.

Take Brandie Heinel, for instance. A resident of Berkeley, California, Heinel slaved away at big tech firms in the Bay Area for a couple of decades in order to put away enough cash to semi-retire, and spend most of her time traveling and camping with her husband and dogs. She knew she wanted to pull a travel trailer to bring along comforts like a shower and toilet, but had never owned a pickup before.

After deciding on a modestly-sized, 24-foot, 8,820-pound trailer, Heinel ran the numbers. She saw that they fit an F-150鈥檚 tow capacity, so she started shopping for one of those. That鈥檚 when she reached out to me. I listened to her describe plans to visit beaches in Baja, drive up to Alaska, and buy a cabin across the country in Vermont, and I steered her into a diesel Super Duty instead. Why?

鈥淲e鈥檝e seen people with the same trailer get five to six miles per gallon with their gas F-150s,鈥� explains Heinel. 鈥淲e get 18.鈥�

She also reports that the Super Duty鈥檚 driving experience remains unchanged, whether it鈥檚 got a trailer behind it or not. 鈥淲e experience no sway when [we’re] towing,鈥� she tells me. 鈥淓ven when towing over a mountain pass, we鈥檙e able to maintain 80 miles per hour without it even shifting out of 10th gear.鈥�

What Heinel is experiencing is the difference between something that can technically move a certain amount of weight, and something designed to move much more weight as its primary function, throughout every mile of its service life. Where smaller trucks prioritize versatility across commutes, school runs, and box-store shopping and camping trips, her Super Duty prioritizes the ability to tow and haul thousands of pounds. It’s a tool designed to perform the exact job I’m describing here.

Addressing Heavy-Duty Truck Objections

But Heinel’s Super Duty is bigger than pretty much anything else out there. It鈥檚 also more expensive, has a huge turbo diesel engine, and people look at big trucks like these and assume they must be desperately unsafe for other road users.

Let鈥檚 compare her Super Duty to that first Tacoma I mentioned: the one that鈥檚 at least 2,000 pounds over GVWR. It鈥檚 an absolutely ridiculous comparison to make, but because it holds up, it really drives home the point that attempting to press a tiny truck into big truck duties just isn鈥檛 a smart thing to do.

Fuel Economy

That overloaded Taco probably can鈥檛 reach 80 miles per hour on flat ground, let alone over a mountain pass. Heinel’s fuel economy while towing 8,000 pounds is 18 miles per gallon. Simply fitting 33-inch tires (which appear to be what our example is wearing), is enough to reduce the fuel economy of an otherwise stock Tacoma to about 12 miles per gallon. Add the camper and I’d be surprised if that Tacoma breaks eight miles per gallon. Heavy-duty pickups may get worse fuel economy than smaller vehicles while both are unladen, but utterly decimate any other vehicle on miles per gallon once there’s work to perform.

Safety

What about safety? Big trucks like these carry a lot of momentum, they can be hard to see out of, and the height of their hoods, even on stock suspension and tires, comes up to the shoulders of an adult. Hit a pedestrian or cyclist with an economy car, and they end up on the hood. Do the same in a giant pickup, and they end up under the wheels. But again, we鈥檙e comparing a vehicle designed to commute with one engineered to move heavy loads. And once we shift the conversation to talk of moving that weight, heavy-duty pickups start to look a lot safer. How do you think that overloaded Tacoma handles the other side of that mountain pass heading downhill? Or if it needs to perform an emergency braking maneuver to avoid a pedestrian? Its brakes, suspension, and transmission simply aren鈥檛 designed to remain safe controlling all that extra weight. Meanwhile, Heinel’s towing about half the weight her exact truck is designed to pull. She鈥檚 operating well within the safety margins of her vehicle, and is the more responsible, considerate road user as a result. “I ride my bicycle around Berkeley,” she says.

Cost

What about the price? A Tacoma TRD Pro comes out of a showroom at about $52,000. Replacing the suspension, brakes, tires, and regearing it adds about $15,000 to that total. The roof rack, bumper, and lights on our example will be about another $3,000. The Bowen Customs tray is $18,400. That鈥檚 around $88,000 that I can count just by looking at a photo. Super Duties start at about $44,000, but Heinel paid $92,000 for her Platinum Tremor. She鈥檒l make up that difference between her rig and this Tacoma from fuel costs alone in under 20,000 miles鈥攅very one one of which will be safer, more comfortable, and more confidence inspiring.

The right tool for this job exists. It is irresponsible not to use it.

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A monster truck fashioned from a hearse. A Geo Metro made of two front ends welded together. A red SUV with a fire-breathing dragon鈥檚 head fused to the hood. If you saw these DIY vehicles tearing through the high desert of central Oregon, 鈥測ou could mistake it for a scene from a Mad Max movie,鈥� says , a 43-year-old photographer from Ohio. But the , which Kaiser attended along with some 2,000 others last June in Redmond, just north of Bend, isn鈥檛 a postapocalyptic cinemascape. First staged in 2014 by a ragtag group who explored the woods in cheap cars, the annual off-road rally doubles as a massive trash cleanup. For three days, drivers in imaginatively revamped rigs clear large pieces of garbage鈥攎attresses and couches, abandoned boats and rusted camper vans鈥攆rom hundreds of acres of public land, which they then transport to designated landfills. 鈥淲hat intrigued me about the Gambler community was the way it brought together people into off-roading and people who care about environmental stewardship,鈥� Kaiser says. There鈥檚 no prize for gathering the most junk, but organizers are always upping the ante. The 2022 Gambler鈥檚 trash haul , and participants hope to top a million at this year鈥檚 edition in July. 鈥淭here鈥檚 always this tension around how public land is used, and I think that鈥檚 a healthy debate to have,鈥� Kaiser says. 鈥淏ut the Gamblers are giving more than they take. They鈥檙e invested in making sure that the outdoors are clean and accessible to everyone.鈥�

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It鈥檚 popular to shit on overlanding right now. Like any trend, this one has progressed from an underground activity, through booming popularity, and into the stage where people now act too cool for it. Whether or not it has the staying power to become a permanent part of the outdoor world remains to be seen, but I hope it can.

Two people who have recently been critical are my friends Jakob Schiller and Seiji Ishii. Jakob wrote a piece here on 黑料吃瓜网 calling out all the reasons why a near-$100,000 bulletproof camping trailer is overkill, and arguing it鈥檚 representative of a larger trend where people in overlanding are prioritizing things over experiences. , Seiji basically argues overlanders are snobs, and vehicle-based camping is great no matter if you鈥檙e sleeping in a ground tent, or like him, a six-figure custom van that comes complete with a battery-powered air-conditioner.

Not only do I believe both arguments are flawed, but they鈥檙e also indicative of some wider misconceptions about the overland world. And they limit the ability of both enthusiasts and the wider outdoor community to make the most of what is a genuinely useful way to access more and better outdoor experiences.

I鈥檒l start by using my friend Connor as an example. His path into overlanding is full of the type of decisions that people like to criticize, but is also empowering him to spend more time outdoors in far-flung places.

Connor moved to Bozeman, Montana, and bought a house around the corner from me during the pandemic. Since he鈥檚 also into activities like fishing, hunting, backpacking, rafting, international travel, dogs, and more, we hit it off immediately. He鈥檚 helping me get better at fly fishing, and I鈥檓 correcting what I see as the biggest gap in his outdoor skills鈥攖he ability to use a vehicle to access all the places we want to do those things, while remaining safe through the often extreme and completely unpredictable weather we get in the mountains.

Connor figured the easiest, fastest way to do that would simply be to copy my solution. So, he bought a brand-new Ford Ranger, then spent close to $20,000 upgrading it with stuff like a , fancy Old Man Emu suspension, ARB protection parts and , a quality winch, and some really good .

Since the worst parts of winter wrapped up a couple weeks ago (this is Montana, remember), Connor and his wife have been out camping a few nights a week. And, last weekend, I started the process of听 showing him how to get the most out of all of his expensive new stuff by taking him up a difficult off-road trail to a high alpine lake.

Connor, who doesn鈥檛 talk much, made two remarks during the trip.

One: 鈥淚 can鈥檛 believe how easy this is.鈥�

Two: 鈥淚鈥檓 going to bring my wife back here next weekend to catch fish and camp out.鈥�

Do you need to blow something like $60,000 (the price of the truck, plus overlanding add-ons) to reach that lake? Of course not. A crappy old 4Runner or similar would get there just fine. And Walmart will sell you a basic camping setup for $100 or so. What Connor netted himself by spending more money is an inarguable boost to outright vehicle capability, safety, reliability, comfort, and convenience. It鈥檚 what made that challenging trail feel so easy.

How鈥檇 he justify all that money? Well, he鈥檇 been budgeting for a new F-150 with a few luxury features. That鈥檚 a totally normal truck driven by millions of totally normal Americans. By going with a more affordable vehicle with fewer frills, he was actually able to add all those overland upgrades, and get away with a total spend that鈥檚 several thousand dollars less than the price of a truck that sits in millions of totally normal people鈥檚 driveways.

What鈥檚 he doing with it? Well, Friday after work, he and his wife are planning on hopping into it, driving back up to that lake, catching a few fish, letting their dog run around, and spending a nice night under the stars鈥攁ll in a place far beyond most people’s reach. Despite the headline price tag, I鈥檇 argue that鈥檚 a much better use of Connor鈥檚 vehicle budget than a stock truck that would pop its economy tires at the first sign of a rock.

Where does a bulletproof trailer fit into all that? While it may not be appropriate for Jakob鈥檚 needs, I can totally see it working for a family that wants a comfortable, safe place for children to sleep while camping. Maybe they live in a big city, need to park on the street, and are worried about the totally normal problems of theft and vandalism. Is it pricey? It鈥檚 way outside my budget, and I鈥檓 famously unable to produce human offspring. But, for a family living in say, San Francisco, it might be just the ticket to spending a lot more time outdoors. And in the context of Bay Area home prices, plus hotel rates at common California vacation destinations, spread over years of not having to worry about replacing broken windows, it might make sense.

Dear Overlanding Haters, You Are Wrong About These Things

1. It’s A Costly And Underutilized Hobby

To Jakob’s point, are there people spending too much time and money on overlanding, rather than actually going out and using these rigs as intended? Sure. But how is that different from every other outdoor hobby? My expensive non-woven Dyneema backpack is gathering dust in my gear closet as we speak, another weekend full of family obligations keeping me off the trail. I may not be the most committed backpacker out there, but I know I’m going to get more out of the increasingly rarer trips I’m able to take thanks to the seven-pound base weight I’ve spent decades perfecting.

2. The Environmental Impact Sucks

Another common criticism of overlanding is the activity鈥檚 environmental footprint. Let鈥檚 look at two trips I鈥檓 currently planning. The first is to Maui, to spend some time with my wife鈥檚 entire extended family. Two economy class tickets (emissions vary heavily by cabin) from Bozeman to Kahului through SeaTac and back would net 2.88 metric tons of carbon emissions, according to the calculator at . Then, this fall, we plan to drive to Baja Sur, where we鈥檒l stay for a few months before driving back.

Figuring 4,500 miles of total driving at 12 MPG (fuel economy is massively reduced off-road and the trip will take place both on and off road), net carbon emissions from our drive should be 2.63 metric tons. The common misconception that the kind of totally normal vacation that totally normal people take is more harmful to the environment than a very adventurous overlanding trip in a very modified truck is indicative of that fact that all of us are likely emitting far more carbon than we think, and it鈥檚 not always coming from activities considered outside popular norms. (Now’s probably a good time to remind you that off-roaders don’t actually drive off road.)

3. You Can Just Get There On Foot

The final criticism is one I frequently get but have never understood: Why can’t we just hike instead? Well, we do. Just like my wife and I plan to hike to the summit of Haleakal膩 after flying to Maui and renting a car, we鈥檒l get exercise by hiking with our dogs every day that we鈥檙e down in Mexico. The big difference will be that the paved trailhead at that volcano is going to be a lot more crowded than ones we 4×4 into down in Baja. The entire point of building or buying an overland vehicle is to access remote destinations more easily, and more comfortably. Spend as much time as we do chasing outdoor activities, and I think you鈥檒l understand what an upgrade driving a capable, safe, reliable, comfortable, and convenient vehicle brings to our lives. Heck, drive such a vehicle and you might be able to spend as much time outdoors as we do.

The Bottom Line: Overlanding Isn’t All Bad

Is this snobbery, as Seiji argues on GearJunkie? 滨鈥檝别 met loads of friends overlanding, including him. We were both camping on a beach down in Mexico. He had a $500 ground tent, I had a blanket. (Definitely a smart move on his part.) That first night, I was attacked by sand fleas resulting in head-to-toe bites that took months to stop itching. We still had a great time eating tacos, drinking beers, and soaking in some sun. Great trip, but I sure wish I鈥檇 taken the time and effort to bring better gear. That鈥檒l just be something he and I can laugh about next time we go car camping.

Overland travel鈥攄riving a vehicle places to do cool stuff鈥攊s an activity virtually all of us outdoorsy types are already engaged in. You can choose to hate on that fact, you can choose to take preparing for it way too far, or you can simply enjoy it. And like anything else that can be enjoyed, it can be enjoyed more the more you learn about it.

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