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I just was disappointed that I couldn't see something more of the vision that I've got for my truck.
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Tim, you have to admit - your wording is sometimes not very well thought out. Like the statement above. Heres 5 ways how it could be taken in context.... And remember J/K.
1. I didn't like the truck on the cover because it is not as good as I had hoped mine might be some day. /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif
2. My truck is in no way close to as capable as this truck, but since I have "friends" who have killer trucks, I can justify my wanting or needing to feel like mine is as good as this one...
3. I like Fords....
4. I am a mudtruck guy with very little experience offroad and now that my new friends have shown me the light, I will now hope to build a rockcrawler type truck that will in 10 years not be as capable as this truck shown all dalled up on the cover.
5. I haven't even came close to achieving nor spending the kinda dough this fella has, nor do I have any Magazine contacts and know nothing about Magazines in general other than they have colorful pictures.
Take it however you may. I was a nice guy and didn't give you too much hell for hijacking my post. As far as Magazine coverage - Orion hit the nail on the head. Its about being in the right place at the right time. I know, you've heard that from Grandpa all your life, but its true. Take my experience with Ken Brubaker of Fourwheeler...
The Long Story...
I was (and still am) a Nobody who had one successfull years worth of Midwest K5 Thing series of runs under my belt. Steve Frisbie had attended the Springfield Missouri Jambo in his non wheeling show truck wannabe (in your eyes) Coil Springed M1009 with non Dana 60 and a large smile on his mug. Ken Brubaker was at this event and featured several Missouri trucks including Steve Frisbie's 85 M1009. Frisbie called me and asked if I wanted to attend the elite few to watch the photo shoot. I couldn't attend, but Layne did (K5BLT4FUN). In fact, heres how one tidbit of CK5dom helped this equation - Layne actually spotted Frisbie into the "Cover Shot" position. They had been "posed" alot during the day, but decided to play around after the shoot. Layne got the K5 so twisted up, and said "Theres your cover shot" alerting the press and they snapped it. Anyway, this long rant will eventually get to the point.
Months after the Cover shoot, we were headed to the Indy Jambo - again, non wheeling people like us going to a jambo to scope out the latest in chrome diff covers and $40k paintjobs. Acutally, with the birth of Missouri Offroad Outfitters, we have travelled alot promoting his products and Jambos seem to generate a good number of people. I also use these to probe for new Vendors to sponsor our Runs. Frisbie enters the rockcrawling Comp's at this Jambo - so there, thats your hardcoreness you are looking for, I have it we are hardcore! We were driving up to the "staging lanes" and saw Brubaker riding in a golf cart. Brubaker spotted the yellow beast and said "Hey Steve" and walked over. I then put on my entreprenuer cap and went to work with my "gift of gab". I explained to Brubaker about the Midwest K5 Thing series of runs. He seemed very interested and told me a quick blurb about him wheeling in a First Gen as a kid. He cited many things like "Blazers are so cool", etc... This eventually became the reason for the sidebar in our Blazer Blitzkrieg writeup. At that time Brubaker was a freelancer - he gave me his business card and we shook hands and left it as a "will contact you later" type of transaction. I gave it the typical "two weeks then call" type deal. We stayed in touch for nearly 8 months - emailing and calling. Finally, Brubaker called and said he had went to work for Fourwheeler and could possibly get us a spot in the magazine. We here at CK5 picked a date and it met his shed-ule and we were set. You have to do more than that...
I called and arranged hotel lodging for Brubaker in Disney, Oklahoma - where the run was to be held. Things like this are what get you noticed. You need "the Gift of Gab" as Frisbie always say's about me.
At these Jambo's, I take time to stop by vendor booths who have sponosored us in the past and thank them. I stop by the normal's: Superlift to gab with Trent McGee another longtime supporter of our runs and a Blazer owner. I almost always run into Ken Brubaker and chat with him if he has time. The one thing I NEVER DO - is ask him "when are you going to do a feature on my Junk". I remember hearing Brubaker mention he might single out a few K5's during our Spring K5 Thing - Disney run to do a Feature Article (Cover Shot). The weekend went by too fast and he didn't have time - BUT! Does this make any of us in the Blazer Blitzkrieg writeup loosers? Does it seem as if, we are unworthy of a cover shot? Hell no! You should have seen the trails we were running down there - they make the "Orange Trail" look like a sunday drive!
My philosophy on wheeling is far different than yours Tim. I am not a braggart, I don't swell up when people talk good or bad about my rig. I don't mouth openly about cover trucks or about how Fourwheeler has show trucks. And most importantly, I try hard not to offer negativity in any way unless its constructive to this site.
One thing you might not have noticed since you are relatively new to this site. We are a Brotherhood here. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
