Published: June 5, 2017, 3:20 PM
Updated: October 11, 2021, 10:08 AM
The basics of off-roading
If you’re planning to venture off-road with your AWD or 4x4 vehicle beyond a simple cottage trail, there are some basics you should know.
By Allie Marsh
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The Land Rover Experience
Where better to learn them than at the Land Rover Experience, based at Chateau Montebello, just north of the Ontario/Quebec border, between Ottawa and Montreal. With four vehicles, four instructors and just eight guests, plus a purpose-built obstacle course and a 26,000-hectare (65,000-acre) plot of private land with plenty of trails, it’s a spectacular off-road playground. Here are the top ten things I learned from the Experience.
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#1 – Never off-road alone
Before you even set out on the trail or into the mud, make sure you’re not going alone. And I’m not talking about bringing along your trusty dog with you. It only takes one time getting stuck in the middle of nowhere with nobody else around to make you realize just how important it is to go off-road with another off-roader. So, bring a passenger, yes, but also bring a buddy with another off-road vehicle in case a situation arises where help is needed. Besides, like most activities, off-roading is just more fun with a friend.
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#2 – The three S’s and you
The three S’s of off-roading are ‘Seatbelts, Steering Wheel and Seat Placement’ and they are vitally important. The most important rule when off-roading is keeping yourself and your passengers safe and comfortable – well, relatively speaking on the comfort scale. Each occupant should be securely buckled in at all times with seatbelts, and if for any reason someone needs to exit the vehicle, it must be put into Park (or in the case of a manual transmission, parked in gear with the paring brake engaged). For the driver, seat placement should allow you to sit upright, and be able to put your wrists on the top of the steering wheel (for positioning; don’t drive that way!). You should also make sure your feet can reach all the way to the floor under the brake pedal.
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#3 – As slow as possible, fast as necessary
Unlike driving on a race track, where speed can be used to help shift the weight distribution of a vehicle, when off-roading, slowing provides much more control, traction and maneuverability – “As slow as possible.”
A vehicle that is in low range (gear) will ‘crawl’ on its own and won’t need much acceleration to keep it moving forward at a constant speed. However, there will be times when you need to touch the accelerator to pick up a little speed – or momentum – to climb over an obstacle – “As fast as necessary.”
Always remember, in terms of the brake pedal and the accelerator, “crawling” and using the vehicle’s own momentum will get you further ahead.
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#4 – Use both feet
Accelerate with your right foot, brake with your left foot. That’s right,;remember all those times you were told to only brake with your right foot when driving on the road? Well, off-road, braking softly with your left foot allows greater control over the vehicle’s speed when ascending or descending steep obstacles. Even though your vehicle is probably already in 4 Lo, meaning you’re travelling at a very slow speed thanks to the gearing and the engine’s compression, sometimes it’s still a little too fast for a controlled descent. Likewise, when climbing, to get over an extra hump, sometimes a little extra throttle is required, but it needs to be managed and this can be done with some left foot braking. The transition between the two is much easier and smoother if you use both feet.
Caution: depending on your vehicle’s brakes, it is not advised to “ride” the brakes as they may overheat. Apply firm pressure when needed, and release when not needed.
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#5 – Get in the groove
Making use of the ruts on the trail when off-roading will assist you, for a few reasons. Ruts are usually placed in the right place – where your tires need to go – to help guide you along a path that has worked well for other off-road vehicles doing the same. Chances are, there isn’t much choice for choosing a different line anyway in an area where there are ruts, due to thick bush or large trees surrounding you. Secondly, using the ruts will help to protect your vehicle from cosmetic damage by the small brush (and/or large trees, rocks and stumps) that surround the off-road trail. In addition, there may be sensitive land and/or animal habitats in the vicinity, and off-roading through these parts may cause even more damage good. A general rule of thumb when off-roading is to always ‘Tread Lightly’ (see Tip #10).
Caution: deep ruts may be problematic, and if you can’t estimate the depth of the rut (due to water) it’s best to stay up high and on the sides of ruts.
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#6 - Rocks: Up and over
Tires and their durability and capability have come a long way since the early days of off-roading. What tire manufacturers haven’t been able to master (yet) is to make a tire’s side wall impenetrable. So be cautious of rocks rubbing and gouging at the tires’ sidewalls. The best way to approach rocks (or large rough-surfaced obstacles) is to aim your tire to roll up and over it, dead on. If you have (properly) aired down your tires (see Tip #9), you have provided more (tire) surface for the rubber to meet the rock for better traction while going over the obstacle. If you have maintained your “Slow as possible, Fast as necessary” mindset, you may not even feel the bump, as an aired down tire and your suspension will do the job.
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#7 – Convoy: Always keep a vehicle behind you in view
When off-roading in convoy, always keep a vehicle in sight, preferably in your rear-view mirrors. If you lose sight of the vehicle behind you, slow down or stop, and wait until you see it reappear. If the vehicle in front of you is doing the same (keeping an eye out for you) a chain reaction will happen up the convoy of vehicles. If your group is on a radio, it’s a good idea to mention over the air that you have stopped and are waiting for the vehicle behind you to reappear.
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#8 – Spotters and hand signals
When off-roading, a good spotter can be very helpful, whether it’s a passenger out off-roading with you, or the driver of another vehicle out on the trail. As mentioned earlier, it is always preferable to off-road with another vehicle in case you are in need of assistance, so that driver can potentially be your spotter – and vice versa.
A spotter acts as the eyes of the driver outside the vehicle. He/she can see obstacles the driver may not be able to see from the driver’s seat, and can direct where and how to get the vehicle’s tires in the right place. Generally, it’s best to stand in front of the vehicle, a safe distance away, always facing the vehicle. As the driver, it’s important to trust the spotter, keeping your eyes only on him/her. Pointing left or right means steer that direction, while a closed fist represents stop and hold. A hand gesturing to move forward or toward the spotter means to move the vehicle ahead slowly.
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#9 – Tires and ‘airing down’
When driving on hard/paved surfaces, you want your tires to be hard or stiff, at their recommended on-road pressure, for control and efficiency. When off-roading, at low speeds, they work better when aired down to a lower air pressure. With less pressure, the tire works like a cushion, absorbing the obstacle you are rolling over. It will also provide you with more (tire/rubber) surface area to make contact with the obstacle or the soft surface, providing greater traction. A good pressure to start at would be 75% of the manufacturer recommended tire pressure. This will give you just enough softness to grip and cushion your off-road as mentioned above, but also leave you with enough stiffness for driving on a paved surface for a short distance, at low speed, until you can bring the air pressure back up to the recommended level. Off-Road tires tend to be made of different material and to look “knobbier” than regular street tires, and when aired down, the grooves and knobs will grab on to more material to help provide traction in mud, sand, soft/loose gravel and other off-road trail types.
Caution: Do not air down your tires too much, as doing so may result in the tire coming off the rim. And do not drive on the aired-down tires at highway speed as they may dangerously overheat.
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#10 – Tread Lightly
Our final tip when off-roading is to tread lightly. That means that we should leave the grounds we have ventured onto, in the same – if not better – condition than when we found it. Pick up your garbage. Stay on designated trails. Don’t roll over obstacles so fast that you move them out of their original location. Be cautious of wake damage to the surrounding area when fording puddles or streams. And keep an eye not only on the ground and how you leave it, but also the sides of the trails and the branches/trees above your off-road vehicle.
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Bonus Tip – Wash Off the Mud!
Once you have returned safely from your day on the trails, make sure to wash off your vehicle from top to bottom. Muddy water and all that you have collected throughout the day can be harmful to the many different finishes on your vehicle – especially the plastics – so make sure to wash off the day’s residue thoroughly. Muddy water, when drying, can suck out the moisture and oils from the paints and plastics, making them look old and tired quicker and faster.
Caution: driving on the highway or paved roads when your off-road vehicle has just been through a mud pit, may be hazardous for other drivers. Beware of what you may be dropping or flinging at other motorists on your return home.
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Take advantage of training opportunities
There are numerous opportunities, like the Land Rover Experience (which has four schools in North America), for off-road training, either with your own vehicle or with one provided. Find one in your own area and give it a try. Not only is it educational, it’s pure fun!
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