Magazines

[Jim Oaks]

What do you think of the truck magazines on the racks these days?

Why do you buy them?

Do you think they're worth it?

I use to like to pick up magazines, thumb through them, and see if I can find any articles worth actually buying the magazine for.

It seems like in past years I have found fewer and fewer magazine issues to buy.

Sometimes I feel like magazines are too commercial. I realize the cost of printing a magazine is high and they need advertising to help with the costs, but it seems like many of the articles anymore are nothing more than promotions for advertisers products.

I wonder sometimes if the majority of magazine subscribers are newbs. When the newbs get to a point where they're no longer gaining anything from the magazines, do they turn to the internet?

How many of you have turned away from magazines and get your media from the internet now?

 

[grey ghost]

with a great website like "therangerstation" who needs to buy the magizine?
the members here seem to know more than they publish


great job everyone who puts tech info on this site

 

[LearjetMinako]

Me. I find it easier to use the internet in my searches. But once in a while, I'll buy a magazine. Just because something on the front cover caught my attention.

 

[97BlackBetty]

I only pick up Petersons OR4X4 when they are doing the Ultimate Advetures articles. Its as close as you are going to get to real worl wheeling and real rigs. I like it because you have everything from Poison Spyder Customs full tube buggy to the readers rigs, downside is that there minimum tire requirement is 35's and lockers front and rear are required. So while they are covering 1000's of miles mixed street and off road and showing wheeling areas that most would never know about, most rigs are running 40's.

I like the quarterly / seasonal publications you provide Jim.

 

[samsonitesamsonite]

I buy JP everyonce in a while when the feature cheap upgrades.

 

[Mark_88]

I've pretty much given up on magazines...they cost too much and there is far too much advertising in them for the price you pay...I always thought the cover price should pay for the magazine and that the ads would be limited...

I have bought a few off-road and truck mags when I first got my Ranger...and computer mags were important for keeping up with technology...haven't bought either for about four years though...the internet is a far better source of information...IMO that is...

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I used to have 5 different magazine subscriptions...

I still have every issue... most of them are still in the plastic they came in as I never got around to reading them. Eventually I just let the subscriptions expire because I saw no reason to keep getting magazines that I just didn't have time to read. Every once in awhile I think about renewing subscriptions, but I have a hard enough time finding a few minutes here an there to shove my nose in a good book and relax.

 

[Doofy]

The only magazine that I really enjoy now is "Auto Restorer". The rest have to many ads and all those stupid cards that have to be removed before you can even begin to read.

 

[triumphrider-1]

I have a subscription to Hot Rod, and once in a while will pick up Petersons or another off-road magazine if they have an interesting article (Ultimate Adventures, SAS, mods for the cheap, etc).

Used to get Popular Mechaincs, but let that expire and never bothered to renew it, though it was a good read most of the time.

 

[racsan]

i like petersons and off-road. i think i still have a off road subscription. i tend to read mags at wal-mart rather than buy them. most info i really need i get online. i do still get summit/jegs catologs.

 

[Jim Oaks]

Back in the early 90's I use to pick up truck mags to see what I could learn about mods and events. I eventually started surfing the net and it enabled me to find the info I was actually looking for. Best part is, the info is free....minus the internet connection fee. The internet fee is a better deal than magazine subscriptions.

I've always wanted to do an online mag, but one guy can't write a whole issue. That's why I'm greatful for those of you who contribute. Many of you have a great deal of info that you just aint sharing.

I like the quarterly / seasonal publications you provide Jim.

Thanks, but I think we could do so much better than we're doing.

I was lucky that TRS-2 was built because of a magazine article.

I have (2) projects I would like to start in the upcoming future.

1) Vanessa wants a Ranger of her own. Once we finally get one, I want to help guide her as she builds it up, but as a better version of my Ranger taking advantage of the things I (we) have learned since TRS-2 was built. Plus, I think being able to follow a build up being done by a women would be good for the site.

2) The second is a cheap build. We need to show people you can get in to the sport without spending a fortune. I'm talking about a rig you could drive to the trail and back. Need to find a cheap truck. I always wanted to do this and have talked about it for years. We need to get more people offroading. I want to build a cheap rig resourcing as many used and home built parts as I can to build it as cheaply as I can. I figure it would make a great story and I could sell it for what I have invested to get my money back.


What do you guys think of an on-line magazine in a .pdf format so you could just download the whole thing and then read through it at your leisure offline?

 

[8594]

Hmmm...
I have Hot Rod that date into the 60's.
PV4 and Fourwheeler that have GVK&SD stories
At this point all of my subscriptions have expired, finally, even "Dirt Sports".

When there is content worth subscribing to I may rejoin till then not one dime, & till then. . .

 

[razrwild]

I have a subscription to Fourwheeler and Petersons. I just like to read through them at work on break since Im not allowed to use a computer at work.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Back in the early 90's I use to pick up truck mags to see what I could learn about mods and events. I eventually started surfing the net and it enabled me to find the info I was actually looking for. Best part is, the info is free....minus the internet connection fee. The internet fee is a better deal than magazine subscriptions.

I've always wanted to do an online mag, but one guy can't write a whole issue. That's why I'm greatful for those of you who contribute. Many of you have a great deal of info that you just aint sharing.



Thanks, but I think we could do so much better than we're doing.

I was lucky that TRS-2 was built because of a magazine article.

I have (2) projects I would like to start in the upcoming future.

1) Vanessa wants a Ranger of her own. Once we finally get one, I want to help guide her as she builds it up, but as a better version of my Ranger taking advantage of the things I (we) have learned since TRS-2 was built. Plus, I think being able to follow a build up being done by a women would be good for the site.

2) The second is a cheap build. We need to show people you can get in to the sport without spending a fortune. I'm talking about a rig you could drive to the trail and back. Need to find a cheap truck. I always wanted to do this and have talked about it for years. We need to get more people offroading. I want to build a cheap rig resourcing as many used and home built parts as I can to build it as cheaply as I can. I figure it would make a great story and I could sell it for what I have invested to get my money back.


What do you guys think of an on-line magazine in a .pdf format so you could just download the whole thing and then read through it at your leisure offline?

I guess I was under the mistaken impression that only magazine staff members were allowed to do articles rather than just anyone. As it is, I would be willing to see about writing up a few articles and submitting them soon as things slow down a bit around here (as in most likely not till after Christmas, lol).

There are many ways to build a cheap 4x4. I had originally planned to build my choptop into a capable 4x4 for under $1,000. As luck would have it, I blew right past that sum because when I got close to it, I decided I wanted to do more to it. Now at just over $1,600 (including the price of the truck and I subtracted out parts that I sold off of it), it's getting close to being where I'd like it.

For all that, I miss the 89 Eddie Bauer BII I fixed up and sold, $250 for the truck, nother hundred for the tune up, traded labor for some tires and rims, few misc other expenses, then I was taking it off-road every chance I got. It's seen more wheeling time so far than my Choptop has Stock BIIs with good tires and a decent driver are surprisingly capable trucks, I say that cuz I know I was surprised at how well it went under nearly any condition.

 

[COPPERHEAD85]

dropped all subs to the mags........damn pull outs!
walmart page filpper.........if it has some info thats usefull ill buy it.