June 2003
About Paul and his 'D' My name is Paul Auge and I'm a weapons systems engineer working for a contractor supporting the US Navy. My wife, Susan, is a Registered Nurse who works in critical care. We have two sons — Randy, 21, who's in the US Army and Michael, 16, who's a sophomore in high school. We enjoy all kinds of outdoor activities, including but not limited to, fishing, boating, hiking — especially in the mountains, off-roading, bicycling, and just sitting in the back yard watching the fish and flowers in our pond. I'd always wanted a 'D' since I first saw them advertised in late 97/early 98 and bought my 1998 Flame Red 'D' in January 2000. We were at the Dodge dealer looking for a 4x4 truck to pull my son's Polaris 4-wheeler and get to the better fishin' spots. I saw several 'D's, but they were all 2x4's, so I test drove a 4x4 Dakota and the "new-at-the-time" Dodge off-roadster Ram 1500. Then I saw this Flame Red 'D' sitting on the side of the building and asked about it. Turned out it was just returned off a 2 year lease, was immaculate and had every option available. I fell in love with it and the rest is history! I take my 'D' off-roading in the Mississippi mud every other weekend with my son's 4-wheeler in tow and in the company of several Jeeps, Toyotas, and Z-71's — and once in a while another 'D' (Big J's). While I admit the 'D's not the best off-road vehicle, it does pretty darn good for a mid-size SUV and is a good setup for a daily driver/weekend off-roader. The only time I get stuck is when I high-center. That's why my first addition was a Warn brush guard and winch (which has been worth its weight in gold!) I've also become the neighborhood tow truck as I get calls and doorbell rings from stuck vehicle owners all of the time. I always stop what I'm doing to provide assistance when I can and, when offered money, just tell them no thanks and to just return the favor to another in need. My 'D' also takes us to our favorite fishing spot, which entails traversing 4 miles of sugar sand beach. The 'D' never fails to chug through, leaving an 8-inch-deep footprint. My wife has even gotten the bug and wants to trade in her van for a Dakota 4x4. Of course, I'll have to add the mods for her. I found the DOC by searching the web for 'D' stuff. I was actually looking for places to buy off-road accessories when I ran across the forum and soon joined as Gold Member. Mark "Big J" Johnson then contacted me via email about joining the GCDOC. It was a 2-hr drive, but we decided what the heck. We sure are glad we went as we met some great folks and have become friends with Mark and his wife Sissy. After reading the FAQ's and the posts on the forum, I got the bug to modify my 'D' (see below). With the help of DOC'ers Mark and Dan, I've performed all of the mods myself. The information and help I've found here have been invaluable. I've never met such a diverse group of people that have come together to help and enjoy one another. Everyone here shares their experiences both good and bad. Whenever someone asks a question I try my best to answer and provide whatever information I can to return a small part of what I've gained. Me and my tool box are always available. I want to thank the DOC for this honor. I am very proud to be a member of this great organization and I look forward to meeting more of you at DRMR 2003. The details of my 'D':
Editor's Note: Paul was nominated as Durangoer Of The Month by a fellow member, who said: "For the past 2 yrs, Paul has been a devoted GCDOC member driving 90 mins each way to attend meetings which other members, only 5 mins away, didn't bother to attend. He's always responding to forum posts where he can offer opinions/experience, supports the DOC by putting www.durangoclub.com stickers on his 'D' and passing out business/club cards, and recently helped recruit a third GCDOC member to bring our chapter up to three full time members! He's also very experienced off-road who plans on attending DRMR this year!" This website is in no way affiliated with Dodge or Chrysler LLC.
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