"The road to Scorpion Bay was 2 hours of nastywashboard. It shook this $95k 4x4 Ford apart."

  I've not made that trip myself, but my brother has many times.  The last was also in a new Ford 2 wheel drive van and they lost the exhaust, both front shocks and several assorted plastic items.

  He has never had an issue getting a VW Vanagon or bus there and back (sep maybe the roasted motor in his buddies 79' bay fighting a headwind back out and into So Cal).

  Brian
  wishing I had enough disposable income to make my ubberwagengrubbencampenvannermobile too
  ~  hmm plasma donation, thats it lots of plasma donation ~