Off-road tips/tricks

You’ve got location, you have the car, now you actually get to go out. Off-roading can seem incredibly intimidating, usually your seeing very built up specialty vehicles with people who have lots of knowledge and experience but they al had to start in the same place.

There are many unwritten rules most of which have to be learned the hard way.

let’s start with just driving on the trail. Knowing your cars ability and what obstacle your encountering is the biggest challenge, you’ll only know your vehicles ability by pushing the scenarios. Obveously having 4x4 or awd puts you in a better position for navigating. Bringing a friend or being apart of a group is also highly encouraged. Most people in this culture love it, love sharing it and love helping others. While it presents itself as intimidating the culture is to have fun and almost always to help others, after all we are all off-road for the same reasons despite what vehicle you are driving.

When you are on a trail there are certainly a few guidelines to fallow. Blind corners are a big concern, u are climbing up or going down around a 90 % corner there may be someone speeding around the other side. Always assume other people will be sharing the road even if you haven’t seen anyone. I take corners a bit slower and possition myself as far left or right as to share the road of someone is coming.

More typically is passing other cars on 1 lane roads often with a cliffside. There are always pull offs, or return around points on trails, but they may be limited and you may need to pass someone when one isn’t available. What it turns into, is both of you getting as close to the edge of the trail and passing each other slowly. It sounds a bit sketchy and it can be, but I’ve also had everyone I pass assist in any way they can, if someone has the more capable vehicle they will try to get out of the way moreso.

What off-road obstacles will you encounter?

On the simple end, and they everywhere is a simple hole or pot hole. Some trails are littered with hundreds of them, they could’ve be a couple inches deep or a foot or more, driving slowly and picking your path. This will also help in understating your vehicles tire width. By driving slowly you take away most risk of damage, although you also need to understand your cars lowest point which may be a vital part that you don’t want to scratch. Take your time and move slow if you need to and get out of the way of others who don’t need to move slow.

Larger rocks, sharp rocks.

Tiers are the best upgrade you can make on your car, off-road tires are a must, a tire sidewalk can pop easily even on smaller rocks. Rock crawling is entirely different then encountering rocks when off-roading, we are talking couple inches up to a foot, rocks most cars can navigate these no problem. The tire being the biggest factor, even in a 2wd car the tire determines your grip. Side wall damage occurs when you have a pointed rock rub or puncture the sidewall of the tire, leaving it most often comeplty destroyed if that happens. Tire patching kits aren’t made for side wall damage. Easiest way to avoid this is pay attention to where you drive, you can drive over sharp rocks no problem, but be careful if you are getting into slightly larger rocks and no room for navigation