I think this seems more useful.
That stuff is fun, but it kind of annoys me.
I've been in some fairly ratty places, in my time, and that's not where you usually see a vehicle set up in that manner.
Generally, they're passing through villages and well-traveled routes; hopping villages where people raise their kids, and where the little buggers are playing soccer in the streets.
The comes some first-world dingbat who is projecting the image that their town is just too shitty to drive a regular car through, despite generations of kids playing and growing up in those villages. It's a bit of an insult, and at the very least makes you look like a a tool.
Nothing wrong with the gear if that's your thing, but I think a lot of people are making themselves targets or simply losing a bit of credibility out there; and credibility is important. It'll get you places that you otherwise would never find.
That image has always bugged me a bit. I mean, fuck anyone who's offended by anything, but there is a case to be made for not being a dick; intentional or not, and whether everyone notices or not.
That's the nice thing about a local score (nearly always an irritation, but also nearly always generates more entertaining stories) or simply a Discovery. It doesn't stand out as much, and they're fairly common.
I get it when people are older or damaged. I don't know if I'll be taking washboards on solid axles again, or doing the sweaty, remote, dangerous stuff I used to enjoy. There might be a point in which I discover sleeping in the driver seat or cargo area just doesn't work anymore.
In that case, yeah; it makes much more sense. It's still a camping or mission-specific vehicle, though; rather than a vehicle designed for down and dirty work in remote areas.
That's one of the reasons I was considering a Prospector, despite my reservations. They're not too crazy-looking, having the appearance of a forestry maintenance vehicle, and I'll bet the ride quality is nice. Those fuckers are expensive as hell, but I feel you're actually getting somewhere
near what you're paying for, given the price of conventional RAMs.
Cheers,
Kennith