The MV Hobby, De-Mob

[Robert Bergeron]

Friends,

Historical military vehicles and old cars are not the same.

This summer i paraded WW2 and Korean war veterans before the crowd at our local airshow at the airport in a WW2 GPW and a F-15A Cmp . A Corvette would not of made the grade...

What a great reception the Vets got !

Yesterday , i brought the 1944 GPW to a WW2 veteran's funeral. His 5 sons and one daughter were all there around me as if i was their father's long lost buddy he had last seen in Antwerp ! They were so thankfull i felt a little self conscious for the attention i got.

I bring at least two trucks to the local Cenotaph for Remembrance day . I have had veterans drive them in convoy for old times sake. They really, really appreciate .

Our hobby is alive and well, we just have to outreach and get involved with and in the community .

The point is , we are custodians of historic military artefacts not just collectible old sport cars. Let's show them to the kids and folks so they learn their history.

My two cents.

Bob

[hrpearce]

Since this poll started several responders have moved up an age group making it not entirely accurate today.
As the numbers change it appears the age of entry into this forum is around 41 +.

[Jordan Baker]

Thanks so much for making us all feel that much older. Although I'm happy to still be in the under 35 group.

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Jordan Baker

Thanks so much for making us all feel that much older. Although I'm happy to still be in the under 35 group.

Blink and you'll be celebrating your 50th birthday wondering what the hell happened. Ask me how I know. I can still pound steel and reach into the bowls to change fuel pumps and the like so things aren't that bad.

[rob love]

I am not any older myself, but I have to say that hatches on armoured vehicles have shrunk, and I no longer jump off any vehicle.

[hrpearce]

Looks like I'm the one raising the average age here then. Still getting the work done just steadied off to enjoy the view.
Bring on next year and the three day working week, looking forward to that.

[maple_leaf_eh]

Originally Posted by Robert Bergeron

...
I bring at least two trucks to the local Cenotaph for Remembrance day . I have had veterans drive them in convoy for old times sake. They really, really appreciate .

Our hobby is alive and well, we just have to outreach and get involved with and in the community .

...

I do something similar at my Legion Branch's parades. The vets get to drive/ride while I march.

Terry

[Ed Landstrom]

I haven't seen any statistics to back it up, but there's a popular theory that the current crop of teenagers aren't interested in learning to drive, let alone restore, because it would interfere with the time they spend on their electronic devices. According to this theory, getting his driver's license on his 16th birthday is no longer a boy's major goal. Even if he is interested in military vehicles, driving one on a game console is better than driving on a road in every way (cheaper, safer, cleaner, more comfortable, and he doesn't have to leave his patents' basement to do it).

If this theory is correct, we may run out of Uber drivers. It's a good thing autonomous vehicles are almost ready, or no one would be able to get around.

My children learned to drive quite a while ago, and none of their children are quite there yet, so I don't have any personal experience with the supposed phenomenon, but there must be people on here who can comment.

[chris vickery]

Ed, todays generation of Millennials scares the crap out of me for more than one reason. Not all of them, mind you, but most.
Its easy to assume that as we get older we become our parents, simply complaining about the way today's youth acts, their attitudes etc.
This time though, I really think kids are different, and in a bad way.
Self entitlement, lack of empathy, no morals, unable to maintain personal relationships, the list goes on.
Time to hide under a rock.

[Lang]

Well,

I was starting to think the same thing but realized there is hope.

When we started the Military Jeep Club of Queensland (all military vehicles and possibly the largest Military club in Australia) back in 74 we used to have serious bush runs. Often with 30 vehicles with mud, steep country, creek crossings or beach runs. These were family oriented and heaps of kids came along.

A large number drove vehicles in controlled situations away from the road. My daughter could drive a blitz easily at 12 years old.

As time went by the kids grew out of going on trips with their parents and the club changed to a membership of paraders and showers, not users. I think this was a combination of the increase in cost and an ageing group.

Many of the old crew who did not mind getting their vehicles dirty continued but runs became smaller and definitely more sedate.

I was starting to lose interest but quite suddenly those kids of the 70's, 80's and 90's started to re-emerge with their own kids after a break to make a living and raise a family.

We now have strong bush camping often with more than 50 vehicles, very family oriented with herds of rug-rats in their mini-jeeps, climbing trees, exploring the bush, falling in the creek and getting covered in mud. You can see the great majority from about 8 years old being taught to drive a jeep by their dad. By the time they reach 14 or 15 they are full-on driving off road and dad just sits there beside them.

I do despair about today's button and screen do-nothing generation but when I see those other kids I think there is hope for the world.

Lang

[Gordon Yeo]

Golly Chris, your assessment of todays youth sounds like an indictment of the parents! The old expression is, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Lang

I hope your version of a MV hobby is a growing reality. We've seen some what the same growth of the hobby when we were in our 30s and 40s . We would have 30-40 vehicles going out on trail rides and lots of people showing for parades then as that core group aged the numbers dropped. The trail rides got to be dirt roads rides but we kept going.

Recenctly here in the US I've been seeing a growth in the hobby with a group of younger people getting into the MV hobby. If you have not checked out SteelSoldiers web site do so.

I'll dig out their URL address and also find their demographic page. My only lament with SteelSoldiers forum is that they don't use real names using web handles instead. Which for me takes away from the community feeling I have for MLU. But that may be a reality of younger generation and the internet.

But again thanks Lang, your next to the last paragraph gives me hope.

Cheers Phil

PS Link to SteelSoldiers demographic https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showth...iers-users-age
General forum web address https://www.steelsoldiers.com

Also our big summer rally has seen growth in the last few years, with an infusion of people of younger people coming with thier kids.