Just pointing out some solutions for issues that were mentioned:
You can use an external antenna with a HH CB, by simply running the coax to the same spot where the rubber antenna mounts to the HH CB....that way, you can run it as a rig mounted CB with an exterior antenna for better range and reception/transmission, and unclip the rig antenna and clip the rubber one back on to wak about with it outside, etc.
I do find that the small CB and and larger CB all have the exact same power...and that the tuning of the antenna for it makes an ENORMOUS difference, but, not which CB (Exceptions are the "Souped Up" CB's that are illegally pumping out more power, etc...as far as power goes...but they are even MORE dependent on good tuning of the antenna)
The "All In One" CB, where the mike IS the entire CB, are GREAT for an X or other rig with less space, as they have the same power, etc, as the other CBs...are easily swapped from rig to rig because they use a simple jack to plug/unplug...so the same CB can be used in all your trucks by simply installing the jacks and antenna in all of them, and plugging the CB itself into the one you're IN that day, etc.
People who have fried their CB are almost always the victim of bad tuning. Receiving does not fry things...its when you key the mike and transmit that causes too much of the off frequency transmission to be lost as heat in the radio, which fries things.
"Frying" can be cumulative, as in high heat cycling, over time, degrades components...so you might overheat stuff regularly, over time, and, eventually, suffer a failure...even though it "works" up until that failure...which might takes weeks, months or years of use, etc....depending on how out of tune you were.
The mag mounts are great/convenient for people who want to boost a HH CB, a simple out the window antenna to a mag mounted whip on the roof works really well performance wise....BUT, if you wheel where there's stuff overhead (Branches, etc), they do tend to get knocked askew or off, etc. If your antenna is knocked over, its out of tune, and when you key the mike, you can fry it.
On the X, the roof bars can be used to brace the antenna against, to minimize the odds of knocking it over, etc....but, that does change the tune...and you need to always put it in EXACTLY the same spot once you get a "tune" you can count on. (That goes for any mag mount that is slapped on as needed rather than left in place permanently.)
The longer and higher your antenna, generally, the better your signal will be...but, the easier it will be to whack the antenna on stuff....so out in open areas, beach/dunes, etc...a full length whip is best....but at RC, the Pine Barrens, etc, where even a 4' whip gets whacked repeatedly....shorter is more practical.....and even a 4' whip can easily get 2-10 miles of range if well tuned.
Generally, FRS radios work better, but, never seem to catch on for off roaders...the CB has had staying power, and, if you have FRS, and everyone else has a CB, your FRS is a paperweight. I do tend to bring them along, as I can give one half of a set to someone with NO radio, and at least keep them informed as to the chatter/what the CB people are saying...like We are breaking for lunch in 30 min, we're stopping to fix Joe's CV, or whatever....so they are a little better in the loop.