How many thread the needle or just go for the pin stripes

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fitzmotor

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I drive a lot of fire roads and crazy trails (Deer Peak trail and House Trail and others) so as I'm tooling along slowly at times, it gave me time to think, as I was trying to thread the needle between all the stiff brush that has given me the pin stripes I already have.

I got to wondering how many Raptor owners carefully wind their way through the brush, vs those who disregard such thoughts and and point and shoot through the trail/road.

In the beginning I just shot right through and after a mild set of pinstripes, I figured that I better try to pay attention or I will turn a almost clean truck into a POS looking truck.

The problem really comes from the width of a Raptor, many many vehicles go down the trails/roads on a regular basis, but they are narrower vehicles, they are the ones who push the brush back to where it is, so when I come through as the wider vehicle, I can see in my mirrors that I only have a inch or two, or even zero on either side for clearance.

So if I'm in a Ivan Stuart (Ironman) mood, I hammer the throttle and forget about it, later in the driveway I'm commenting to myself how stupid that was, but it was fun, if I'm in a casual parade speed cruising mood, I thread the needle and avoid most of the brush, not nearly as much fun and it takes forever to travel any distance.

I even went as far as to bring my cordless hedge trimmer to cut back the brush, but I never got out and used it, just drove the slow boring way through.

Eventually I think the brush will win and I will have to repaint/replace the flares and buff the paint.

Of course this post is more for the offroaders vs the concrete queens.

Around here all the Raptors are pretty and shiny, I have yet to see one like mine with scratches in the paint and gouges in the skid shields.

Maybe I should start a poll, LOL
 

PlainJane

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I'm not reckless with mine, but I drive it like an off road truck. Pinstripes are part of off-roading in NV so I don't let them bother me, avoid them where possible, and send it where it's not.

Same here in SoCal. I even have pinstripes on my headlight lenses.

I will most likely leave the repair to the next owner - After I DIE
 
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zombiekiller

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i subscribe to the "make it fit" mentality.


Yeah, I know it costs me money to replace fiberglass , doors, mirrors, bedsides, bed supports, etc....BUT



Who am I kidding? there is no "but". It's nothing a new wrap or paint job can't fix.


My last wrap lasted exactly 6 days. Not thrilled about it, but whatever. pay to play and all of that.


( my truck is 99" outside of fender to outside of fender. a stock raptor is 88.5")
 

DFS

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i subscribe to the "make it fit" mentality.


Yeah, I know it costs me money to replace fiberglass , doors, mirrors, bedsides, bed supports, etc....BUT



Who am I kidding? there is no "but". It's nothing a new wrap or paint job can't fix.


My last wrap lasted exactly 6 days. Not thrilled about it, but whatever. pay to play and all of that.


( my truck is 99" outside of fender to outside of fender. a stock raptor is 88.5")
Your truck should be an exception to all conventional wisdom, parents had an H1 Alpha that couldn't fit anywhere, so I can't even imagine what your truck is like! Besides being the most badass rig on this forum!
 

Raptor 2014

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I only worry about large branches and modify the bush or tree accordingly. Most pinstripes never go though the clear coat. Don't take the scratches out because each time you do, your clear coat gets thinner. I do minor timing on thick brush but an electric hedge trimmer is a great idea. The question is do you want to spend your day trimming or driving.
 
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fitzmotor

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I was up on the mountain yesterday after posting this, I realized most of the branches that hang out in the road are dead and it seems the brush has some form of intelligence, as the branch curls toward the road as it dies (not away or sideways), all of the alive stuff seems to grow upward and away, the dead stuff lays over to put out a fingernail so to speak, the brush must laugh at all of the paint it gets to leave a mark on.
I drove through a lot of brush yesterday, really after the initial pin striping no point trying to avoid more, besides it's no fun driving that way, trying to avoid it vs hammering right on through it, not to mention how slow you have to drive to only get a few scratches, I enjoy driving much more when at speed, besides, unless it's a big hole or dip the suspension rides much smoother at higher speed vs crawling through everything.
 
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