Also disallow tax writeoffs on 'em

Yeah absolutely. This silly car doesn't even have enough room for a suitcase and the dogs in the back but it's a good head an shoulders above my dad's holden station wagon.

Part of that is the battery sure (maybe the head part) a lot is also ground clearance. I need a bit of ground clearance sure but we used to manage with firm suspension just fine. If it's shaking the crap out of you just drive slower. No need to tear down lumpy roads at 80 km/h unless you're actually a farmer.

We are also talking 2 big greyhounds and 2 six foot people, one with back problems that prevent a more reclined seating position, living in the blue mountains. We're not your average family. This stuff is marketed to average urbanites who defs need to be able to fit an entire Holiday's worth of luggage and their whole family on those red pavement roads they take to the school in the morning?

Surely there's room for more practical stuff ffs.

While it's true that EVs are generally heavier than equivalent ICE vehicles, it doesn't actually make much difference. Heavy trucks account for the vast majority of road wear and tear. Even a comparatively heavy EV doesn't weigh anywhere near as much as a truck.

The "EVs will wear the roads out!" argument is generally trotted out by people who have been influenced by those who have a vested interest in keeping ICE around.

It's true that active transport and PT are better in most respects, its naive to think we'll be getting rid of cars any time soon. When people do need to drive, an EV is always a better choice from an environmental standpoint.

PT? Micro mobility/PEVs?

I literally see everyday these idiots with their giant "trucks" pulling their caravans up the east coast. The funny part is they can't even seem to tow them with any degree of confidence or at a suitable speed most of the time. I then see someone in a more humble vehicle that is towing a similar caravan with speed and confidence. It is more a mental issue of size,size,size makes me better.

Saw an ad on Facebook for a ranger the other day, 2 years old 21k km, description read never been off-road, mainly used to go from home to the office. Was selling to upgrade to the new model.

Also I don’t believe these fancier utes are very suitable for actual work, to much precious body work and paint around the bed of the truck. We have some single cab utes at work, and what gets put on the tray I wouldn’t want to be doing on anything I cared about the looks of. Also the height to get to some of the trays is ridiculous.

I can't speak for others, but I definitely do use mine for off-roading as much as I can.

Is it as much as I'd like? No - I have to earn the money to afford the hobby. But it's absolutely worth it, especially when I get to show my daughter some of the awesome things we have to offer.

The reality is that we're a rough, tough country, and getting to see lots of it requires special vehicles.

The reason this seems so recent is because, previously, 4WD vehicles were either purpose-built, or expensive if they were tricked out to be daily drivers. That made them uncomfortable or expensive.

With the death of our local car market, it's opened up a much wider, cheaper, more refined set of offerings, so more people can afford to get into the hobby.

Go buy an outback wagon. Not to crossover shit from the last 14-15 years.

It's an off-road caravan, which I take off-road. Ergo, I need an off-road tow vehicle.

What an ignorant thing to say

Each to their own. We enjoy caravanning. Did our time in tents - too much fuckery setting up and packing up.

Yep, from Melbourne. I generally get away once a month, sometimes twice. If there's a long weekend in there, then definitely as long as that, and will often tack an extra day or two onto it. I also do a two week trip each year with the family, as well as a one week 4WD trip with mates (move each day).

So many favourite spots:

• Mt Lovick, camp right near the hut
• Just about any of the campsites north of Dargo are really nice places, especially in summer (just sit in the river)
• Pineapple Flat is a definite top three (north of Mt Buller)
• Wonnangatta Station - always fun getting in or out via one of the spurs

Of course, where we go depends on what we want to do. If we feel like tackling Billy Goat's Bluff (for example), we'll usually use Eaglevale as base camp, and head out on day trips to check out the sights.