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Rhythmic bouncing points to poor shock control, so I would address that first. Timbrens are really nothing more than glorified bump stops and will reduce compliance; the only way to achieve correct load carrying and ride height is either custom springs (if you leave the camper on all the time)...

Yes indeed! The troops cut off the tops of them, filled them with sand and gasoline, and used them as stoves, known as Benghazi Burners. Probably a hundred other uses—everything except safely carrying fuel . . .

Here's a photo of a rare intact flimsy in use.

I'm going to try not to get into another argument here. However, running a tire at, say 50% pressure at 30mph on a dirt road will not have the same effect on that tire as running it at 50% pressure at 75mph on pavement, period. The heat-inducing hysteresis is vastly reduced at low speeds and on...

Awesome. I need to add that to the article!

Since the subject of NATO fuel cans has popped up here several times recently, I thought I would link to an article I just published. There are more and more Chinese-made copies of NATO cans appearing on the market, outwardly similar but not even close in quality to the European models. Often...

You do have to pay attention to conditions and react accordingly. In Egypt some years ago we needed to get three Land Cruisers up a 300-meter-tall dune escarpment. Time to air way down? Except the escarpment was also littered with razor-sharp limestone outcroppings called kharafish. We had to...

No. My argument is that increasing traction on a loose surface increases safety, period. And I disagree that being in four-wheel drive reduces the information available to the driver. Why would it? In either case there is going to be a point at which traction is lost or is about to be lost, and...

I don't care how thick the sheet metal of your truck bed is, it's crazy to secure a camper with bolts anchored by nothing but fender washers, as I've seen done, or even two by four-inch plates. You're talking about a few bucks worth of steel to spread the stress over an area 5 times as large...

That's okay, Chet; we can disagree and I do, amiably. However, to your statement: "Again, I stand by my earlier statement that driving in 2WD is safer in areas with and without poor traction since it forces the driver to maintain an acute awareness of the surroundings and available traction...

Chet, I think you are contradicting yourself here. You say personal safety trumps dirt, yet engaging four-wheel drive on a dirt road, even if it's not "absolutely required," increases safety. I understand the value of experience gained with bad tires, etc.—been there—but it's incontrovertible...

I once had to do trail survey work with a guy who refused to engage four wheel drive until his tires were spinning and digging up the substrate. Then he'd refuse to air down until, again, his tires were spinning and digging up the substrate. Better to be proactive.

Of course you adjust for conditions, which was why I Italicized in general. But airing down isn't only about traction. It significantly increases ride comfort over rough roads and trails, and reduces stress on the suspension. It also, importantly, reduces wear and tear on the trail.

In general, try about 20 to 25 percent lower than whatever your street pressure is for dirt tracks, 30 to 40 percent lower for four-wheel-drive trails, and up to 50 to 60 percent lower for very soft sand. So if 40psi is normal, try around 30 for dirt roads, 25 for four-wheel-drive tracks, and...

Are you absolutely sure the rotors are warping? About 90 percent of "warping" issues with brake discs actually involve glazing from overheated pads, which causes pulsing in the pedal that feels exactly like a warped disc. Beware of hyped "upgrade" kits that might not be so at all. Please read...

I have to agree.

I'm about to write a comprehensive comparison of field jacks for Tread magazine. One is the Pro Eagle off-road floor jack, with fat tires that roll well in gravel and dirt. An interesting concept. Obviously a lot bulkier than a bottle jack.

The problem with the air-bag jacks—well, one problem—is that to change a tire you have to lift the vehicle through its entire range of suspension travel to get the tire off the ground, since it's lifting at the chassis. Stock jacks were made to be minimally effective for changing a tire on...

Thanks for the tip! I ordered a couple extras.

Yes: Metro Vac. I've reviewed several of their products (although not 12V) and all have been very high quality. As far as I know they are corded, but that allows significantly more power.

Good to know about the Gelg can.

I have never used a Sceptre can whose cap didn't seep in even moderate heat. There's a reason companies sell big wrench-like tools to tighten them. The large diameter cap and gasket simply can't apply enough pressure. The cammed cap used on the Wavian or surplus NATO cans doesn't leak.

Sadly, the "experts" often fall prey to the same advertising hype the rest of us do—cross-drilled rotors, larger calipers on stock rotors, and other less-than-worthless modifications.

One more for Wavian.

Please read this article. It should help you avoid wasting money on useless "upgrades."