No, Im not talking about Xtreme Offroad- I'm still waiting eagerly for that one to arrive!!! Yesterday I grabbed a mag off the rack at the gas station that I hadnt seen before,(needed something to help keep me awake at work!!) It was called 4x4 Garage or something like that. I dont know if it is new or just new to me, but it sucked!!!!! Was mostly just a bunch of reprinted articles from a couple of other mags from a few years ago (Petersons) Pretty much confirms my suspicions that they dont give a damn about the enthusiasts or their own integrity- It's all about grabbing all the money they can!!!! People dont waste your money on this rag!!!! On another note, Ive read on another site (YAAAR) that the new Xtreme Offroad is downright AWESOME!!!

 

If it's the same 4x4 Garage mag I'm thinking of (put out by Petersons?) I would have to disagree on this one. They put this out once a year and it's basically a compilation of all their good, useful tech articles. If you never read another one of their magazines and you bought this edition every year you'd have every good piece of info they printed without having to filter through all the crap. Each regular edition has 1 page of useful info and 100 pages of junk. So I would say just buy 1 mag per year from them and make the Garage edition it. Btw, that mag is how I learned to do the twin stick mods to my t-case.

I'm sending in for Xtreme Offroad today. Sounds like it's awesome from all I've read. I was really impressed because the reviews were not only good for the tech but also for the overal quality of the mag and pictures.

 

I don't think its the same one- the one I bought had some pretty lame articles- and about 12 pages of "parts sources" Or maybe I am just expecting too much anymore- fresh, informative, interesting articles??? that would be too much to expect from Petersons!!!!

 

I have to agree with Ivan on this one, I have the 4xGarage from about a year ago and it was pretty good. There is a Book like thing out there in the book stores that is similar. Primedia's OffRoad mag blows imho. 99.9% of the journalists for Primedia are gay.

 

Peterson's and fourwheeler suck for the fact that they run articles on how install an airraid cold air intake, and how rancho's new 6" chevy suspension lift works. same thing over and over and over and over and over and over and over.

I finally got my copy of xtreme offroad mag, and it was real good. I'm not much into rock crawling, but it was still 100% better than all of primedia.

 

You guys keep me entertained well enough.

Peterson's 4Wheel & Off Road lost me forever. I like Rick Pewe's direction and staff. I didn't mind "marketing" reselling my name and address (I mis-spell my name on purpose just to see who's selling it), they just took it a little too far.

First they send me a DVD, "look it over, if you like it send $, if you don't just stick the enclosed label on and mail it back". Uhh, xcuse me, but in this State if I didn't ask for it, I didn't sign for it, it's called a Free Gift. Every few weeks after that, I'd see another letter asking for money, or the DVD.

As much as I'd like to tell them what I think of their marketing strategy, I don't want them to discover they still have an address they can sell.

Color me red, cover me with frost; never, ever, ever again! Mike

 

A friend informed me that this was basically illegal . . . sooo I've got a few DVD's now that I never paid for. He called them up and told them that he wasn'y paying for the DVD he never asked for and kept it. I just never said a work but they keep sending them. They also send me collection notices but I just trash them.

 

i got the same thing in the mail too. but unfortunately i sent mine back. i was thinking about keeping it since like you all said, i never asked for it, but it doesnt bother me. other than that i like peterson's mag. it seems that i'm one of the few though. what other good magazines are there out there? thanks a bunch guys

 

i got that in the mail too, but i copyed it to v.h.s. before i returned it.

 

I kept the DVD and never answered their letters.. opps.

 

If that collection notice is from a collection agency, you soooo own them in court.

I'm kind of an old guy, 43. I've learned a lot of consumer law first hand. I can obtain a free credit report every year thanks to back child support. I'm pretty sure we're entitled to one free report per year any way. It would be hysterical if these people showed up. They don't even have a Postal reciept to prove that I have the product I never asked for.

What really set me off is the tone of the follow up letters. Did anyone else have the feeling that their personal integrity was in question?

I noticed the return address was in Boulder, CO; about a 20 minute drive from my house. Here's another legal precept: He who delivers is liable for pick up.

I would have invited a representative over for coffee and discussion of marketing strategy, but why bother? I've already been purged from the mailing lists, no more offers for Playboy magazine. Awwww shucks (not)!

OK, rant over. I do want to say something good:

I like Rick Pewe, he's a gearhead first, writer second. When he left the publication in the '90s, I let my subscription expire. When a kid came to my door selling subscriptions for his school's band, I went to the grocery store and thumbed through a copy. Rick Pewe is editor now; cool something worth reading!

Perhaps the Editor should direct marketing also.

Enough for now, Mike

 

Hypoid, good news.....you'll soon be able to get a free credit report every year no matter what! A new law that has passed. As for the P4WD&OR, I got a few of their DVD's as well.....and a ton of their begging notices for the $7. They all went in the trash...and eventually the DVD did as well. I watched it....wasnt very good. Their magazine is usually fairly interesting, but I have noticed over the years that half the pages are advertisements. This I dont like and is keeping me from renewing my subscription. And guess what......just in time to receive my first issue of XORMag.

 

I just wanted to say that Extreme Offoroad is the only mag to make a effort to provide me their mag in a format I can access. To me that is just awesome.

 

I'm a loyal 4W&OR and Fourwheeler reader. The thing that ticked me off about the DVD is it was stuff I already had. The TTC from Fourwheeler. I buy it every year and the DVD they sent was of action two years ago. I thought that was stupid. Since I already had all of that on video, I sent it back. And I still got a request for payment. I called them promplty and told them I sent it back. I haven't had any problems since. But you guys have my interest.....(insert spain accent here) What is this Extreme offroad you speak of? I must have it Damn you!!!......(Back to the texan accent.. I'm going to have to look this up.

RubberDuck

 

Agreed. I still have the first issue from a long time ago.......somewhere in my stack of rags.

Cody