Buying new Max Tow off the lot??

[Davexxxx]

I think there are two things at work here, and they aren't necessarily the same (though they often travel together).
1) "I'm superior because I bought PRODUCT X." I think a moment of reflection on this reveals it as insecurity and/or the need to belong to a group (of people who like PRODUCT X too much), and while it can be a bit galling, that realization makes it easier to respond with "Sure man, that's pretty cool. Why don't you show it to me?"
2) "I spent a lot of money/time/effort/resource X on PRODUCT X and therefore it MUST be perfect because of my effort to obtain it and my need for it to fulfill a role." I think that this one can be multifaceted in and of itself, but broadly is easier to see through and empathize with.

It took me a long time to realize that people are often a LOT less self-assured than they let on.

This is kind of what some of us were trying to impart to the college student the other day.

When you let things, or your job define you, they can eventually become anchors.

There is nothing wrong with being proud of a possession, or career but like beauty, they can be thin and fleeting.

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[amschind]

Did you install a TOD transfer case or still have the XLT locking unit in?

The fans on the minis typically blow air out, if you're placing it forward consider getting a couple yards of 1000d nylon fabric and create your own cover. That's some really heavy duty fabric and comes in different colors. The brushed aluminum might look good, but it's not very practical especially if you're moving around and have store it vs rolling up a custom cover. Though you could possibly fab up a 3 sided with top that has little opening doors to let the fan breathe.

I thought about the Raptor auto/locking T-case but ultimately the cost benefit was not there for me. I know the folks up North love them, but I'm in Texas, and if I'm off road I know it beforehand and it will likely be wet red clay or caliche (dry either one is pretty benign). What I really need are P rated touring tires that can magically morph into Mud-terrains. I know that folks like to rag on KO2s, but they've been the standard for a long time for a reason: they aren't great mud terrains and they aren't great road tires, but they are PRETTY GOOD road tires and PRETTY GOOD off road tires at the same time.

What snow we do get is honestly pretty easy to handle with even a FWD vehicle. The one time that I've ever been scared was a bad freeze in Houston a few years back where I was rushing home from work to Galveston and almost lost control avoiding a sideways car on an overpass. The solution there was to drive slower than I was or better yet stay off the roads, not to have an auto T-case.

I do really like the cloth cover idea. Sunbrella tends to do better in the sun, but this is relatively shaded. It would also be a much smaller headache than trying to rivet aluminum. The other idea is a hybrid with an aluminum "arch" around the perimeter of the exterior unit and roll up cloth on the front and rear faces. Just bending the aluminum is pretty easy, and I could rivet it down at the bottom and to the cloth tabs. I'll have to put some more thought into this, but it's a really good idea. Thanks!