Starting Out Off Road

[CaptJimmy]

Hey all,

As some of you know i picked up my first forby about a month ago, a 2000 model Series 2 Discovery. I'm looking to head off road, probably with a few forum members. As my car is basically stock standard [only extras are rover bar and IPF driving lights], what are my options as far as forum trips go, will my car handle the terrain or are there some basic mods i need before i head out.

Also, any trips around Sydney that are happening, how does one become on the list for these things.

Cheers
CaptJimmy

[George130]

You should be fine. My first trip with AULRO was also my first with any challenge. Check out the upcomming trips section for NSW and join in if your interested. Those running it will tell you anything you need to know.

[DEFENDERZOOK]

<span style="color:blue">and be careful of the legalities......
this is not a club....just a friendly outing.....
so you need to know what your insurance covers you for......


even on an easy trip.......if it rains the track may become impossible....
or should i say impassible.......(or more fun...depends how you read it....)

but most of the hard sections of tracks have chicken tracks around them....
and no-one will laugh at you if you back out of a track....
and no-one will force you to go if you dont feel comfortable.....

a good start will be one of aces bbqs.....there are some challenging tracks
but nothing too serious so as to minimise damage so we can all get home again....
then as you gain more and more experience and everything gets too easy...
and you know what your vehicle is capable of.....you start to tackle more difficult
terrain....
its all good fun.....


if you wish to do some mods to it.....some off road tyres make a big difference.....
but even in standard trim.....they are very capable off road.....</span>

[Ace]

Hi Captain Jimmy, the first thing you should invest in is some good tyres, if you use you car as a daily driver then some All Terrain tyres such as BFGoodrich A/T&#39;s, Good Year Wrangler A/T&#39;s, Cooper A/T&#39;s or S/T&#39;s, Mickey Thompson BAJA MTX&#39;s (i have a set of these and have found them to be excellent. Tyres will transform an ordinary 4wd into an excellent one. Other reasons include- damage A/T tyres are stronger then Highway tyres and highway tyres in muddy conditions are dangerous as you have very little control in really slippery conditions.

I am organising a BBQ soon so keep and eye on the upcomming trips forum and the general forum for the dates, i organise these weekends as more of a social thing but with some challenging but not impossible 4wding mixed in. All of the tracks we do factor in several members with standard 4wds. Matt

[muddymech]

good idea to get a strap and may be one shakle, just incase.
if you have never off roaded before plenty of good books out there or even back of the hand book to give you some pointers. i found the land rover book by tom sheppard to be great, not sure its bang up to date ie electronic traction control but it lays out driving techniques in an easy to follow manner