SCUFF MARKS

DEANO'S RANGER HAS LOW MILEAGE BUT IS EARNING ITS BUSH PINSTRIPES

- DEAN MELLOR

THE Ranger has only done another couple of thousand clicks since the last update, but as usual much of that has been in the dirt for product testing and photo shoots and, as a result, it now sports a few more scuff marks.

Overall the paint has held up well for a vehicle that lives outside in the weather. I started using Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax on it not long after I bought it, and that seems to have done the trick, keeping the water-beading off for at least a few weeks before I need to reapply it. Some of the window rubbers are starting to fade, especially on the driver's side that cops the afternoon sun.

As mentioned in the last update, the ARB side-rails and the ARB rear-step towbar are a bit scratched up. I knew this was likely to happen when I fitted the bar work, which is why I opted for a black powdercoat finish rather than colour-matching it to the vehicle's paint. When it starts looking too ratty, I'll respray it.

Other than off-road driving, over the warmer months I used the Ranger to haul kayaks down to the local waterways. My tandem Hobie is a long unit, so it spans the Yakima roof bars fitted to the canopy and the Rhino-Rack Pioneer Platform on the vehicle's roof. Lifting it up on to the roof is no easy task, so I have fitted a ladder roller to the rear roof bar, which makes the job more manageable. I can get another single kayak up there with the Hobie strapped down, which is perfect for our three-person family.