Well, I was right. My “first love” truck rolled out of the door at Transport Graphics in Rogers, Minnesota, in great shape. She’s now wearing Mossy Oak Duck Blind camo on her fender flares, rocker panels and bumpers. I think she looks “mar-vel-ous” as that fashion guy used to say on Saturday Night Live.
I haven’t had the chance to show the accents on the Ram 1500 Outdoorsman 4x4 to very many people yet, but I think those I told about the project will be pleasantly surprised. It was interesting to me how black or white the responses were from people I told of the plan. Either they were “all in,” thought it was really cool and had tons of questions, or they simply couldn’t understand why I’d want camo on a brand-new, factory-fresh pickup.
Not to be a chauvinist, but most of the “why would you do that” looks came from women in my family–my wife, my mother, my sister–and non-hunting women in general. They just don’t understand camo lifestyle. It wasn’t like I was planning to do the whole truck!
As I told you in the last blog, my growing love for this truck is more than just skin deep. The Ram Outdoorsman package really has the things a hunter and fisherman needs in a truck. But the addition of the Mossy Oak Graphics is eye-catching. And what red-blooded American male doesn’t want to be seen with a “love” that catches the attention of other red-blooded American males.
The installation of the three pre-cut kits took two certified installers about 3 ½ hours, including prep and clean up. Because these kits are so new, mine was the first these guys had installed. Undoubtedly, they’ll get faster with experience–just like I will when installing the Mossy Oak Graphics on firearms–but after fine-toothed scrutiny, I’m here to tell you that I don’t see how they could do any better job!
As we approach that first oil change with her new accessories securely in place, it’s really starting to feel “long term” with this truck. I’m beginning to feel sure we’ll test the 5-year color and 7-year adhesion warranties together. But should there be a need to part ways, the installers also showed me on other samples how easy the graphics are to remove. Just find a corner and apply a little heat from a hot air gun, and it will peel cleanly away without a hint of residue.
But I’m certain that’s not going to happen to us. My Ram is all dolled up, and we’ve got lots of places to go.
Are you in love with your pickup truck? Tell me about it in the comment box below.