Suggestions for off-road driving?

In My Humble Opinion
1

From the IMHO thread for buying a decent used car, a tangent started to develop about driving off road.

➜ What is the most bulletproof way to buy a decent used car? - #29 by Reply ■

So let’s start a dedicated thread. What are your tips and tricks for off-roading, overlanding, driving on trails or rocks or mud or sand or snow or ice? For we who want to learn more, what do you suggest?

I’ll start by saying that I started my off-road exploring with a 2001 Honda CR-V some 20 years ago. It had very modest capabilities and I had some minor experiments with that. In 2014 I replaced that with a diesel Jeep Grand Cherokee with QD2 and rear ELSD (Quadra-Drive II, electronic limited slip differential) and I learned a lot with that Jeep. After 10 years and 200,000 miles I replaced that with my current car, a 2024 Subaru OBW (Outback Wilderness), and I’ve had that for one year. I’ve learned that the OBW is quite capable off-road.

All of the above were (are) my DDs, my daily drivers. They were not dedicated trail rigs, which many people have. Since they were my DDs I tried very hard to not break them while playing out on the trail. I usually succeeded, and the fails I’ll post about later. Breaking cars can get expensive. Learning from others can be less expensive. Hopefully.

My initial suggestions are three-fold.

(1) Find local trails that are fairly populated and regularly used. If you encounter a problem then someone should be along soon. The off-road community is helpful and friendly. I’ve been pulled out, and I’ve also helped pull out others. We’ve all been stuck. It is highly recommended you go with a trail buddy in a second rig who can at least drive you out if you get irretrievably stuck. Do not rely on cellular service. Where I live we have California OHV parks with trails that are rated and marked like ski runs: easy :green_circle:, medium :blue_square:, hard ◆, and extreme ◆◆. These parks are staffed and patrolled with state park rangers. Because the trails are rated these OHV parks are great places to practice. These OHV parks are a bargain: $5 for a day pass or $50 for an annual pass. Other states and locales might have similar systems, so check.

(2) Take a class. These have been invaluable to me. Local to San Francisco, twice a year the Esprit de Four club runs a ‘Safety Clinic’. I’ve taken this class 3x, twice with my Jeep and once with my OBW. My Jeep was brand new when I took my first class — less than one month old. Needless to say, with a $50,000 vehicle I was a little apprehensive by taking it out there, but they’ll never make you do something you’re not comfortable with. If you’re in a situation where some instructor or leader is telling you to do something you’re not comfortable doing, especially if you’re in your own vehicle (i.e., not a rental 4x4), if they’re pushing you, tell them to take a hike. As for my OBW a year ago (yes it was brand new), with all the Jeeps, 4Runners, Tacos (Toyota Tacomas) and FJ Cruisers and other more capable 4x4s there, people were surprised that a humble Subaru was out there with them. But as I’ve learned over the years it’s much less about the vehicle than it is about the skill and experience of the pilot.

➜ Esprit de Four Safety Clinic — Esprit de Four ■

(3) Join an off-road dedicated forum. Expedition Portal is excellent, and the one I used the most was Jeep Garage, although for obvious reasons I’m rarely there. I’m still finding a good one for Subarus.

➜ https://forum.expeditionportal.com ■
➜ Jeep Garage - Jeep Forum ■

You can find me there as user echo7tango. I have many threads on Jeep Garage.

What advice do you have? What suggestions? Thoughts?

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I think forums are a good place to learn what the capabilities of different vehicles are. I was never heavily into offroad driving, but I can say that my Wranglers (I had 3) were good rock climbers, if a bit light in the rear. I’m talking about the old two-doors, not the 4-doors, which I have no experience with. In sand, not so much. I nearly got stuck in Africa once because of loose sand. I own a Mazda CX-5 now, and while I haven’t been off-road with it, based on how it handles on snowy roads I believe it would likely be a good choice for non-aggressive activity. It’s the most stable car on snow that I’ve ever owned.

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  One very good source I have found for finding trails in the U.S. is OnX.  It costs, I think, about $40 or $50 per year.

  Just today, I learned of a free, crowdsourced trail database.  Wild West Offroad Trails.  Not nearly as robust as OnX, and some of the quality of the information may be dubious, but it’s free.

  An example of my concern is the listing on it for Signal Peak OHV Trail.  The trail, as listed here, includes what OnX lists as Signal Peak, Red Mountain Road, and some other roads connecting Red Mountain Road back to civilization; and lists the difficulty as 4 out of 10, implying that the entire route is of moderate difficulty.

  OnX lists its version of Signal Peak as a 6/10 or moderate difficulty, and at one point, @Seanette and I tried to take on that trail in our first Jeep, and decided it was just too much for us.  We got about ¼ of a mile in, before we turned back.  Based on OnX, we thought we might be pushing our luck on that trail; Wild West Offroad Trails would have led me to think I was going into something I could surely handle.

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We aren’t the only ones who’ve had trouble with Signal Peak. A group of modified Wranglers, with experienced off-road drivers, had to give up after spending a good deal of time unsticking each other from snow and other problems.

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  For the record, my vehicle is a lifted 2018 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk.  Not as capable as a Wrangler, but more capable than any of the vehicles mentioned in the OP.

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  So, what part of California are you in?  Perhaps we can go 'wheeling together, some time.  My big folly has much too often been going off by myself, in places where I really ought to have someone else along, in another vehicle, in case something goes badly wrong.

  @Seanette and I live in Sacramento.

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  What a day that was.

  I was well into writing up a description of that day, during which I discovered that I already had, some time ago, on this forum, so instead, I’ll just link to that…

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At least 2 spares. 3 is better, 4 if you got the space.
At least 2 batteries. Bonus if the second is hooked up to an isolator and is getting a charge. A third loose one is a good idea if you got the space.
A Farm Jack, bottle jack, scissor jack (as many as you have space for). Small blocks of wood and steels plates to keep the jack from sinking into what you are trying to jack out of.
2 Come-a-longs and as much chain/straps as you have room for.
Tools and spare parts. Belts, hoses, tubing. Axes, shovels, rakes and implements of destruction!
First Aid kit!
MREs, blankets, matches, WATER!
Sand ladders if you can rig it! I personally carry around 24’ of Marston Mat.
Keep your power steering system is in good shape, and full of fluid. In a Boulder Field, without it, you are doomed! And never grip the wheel so your thumbs/wrist shatter when you hit that big rock.
Fire Extinguisher is not a bad idea. And flares/flare gun. (I should switch that around)
If you drive a Jeep, comfortable walking shoes. :wink:

Don’t carry cans of gas! Think about it. More harm/trouble than its worth. Will probably leak or at least dribble or worse. Know your range. Know your route. If you are stupid enough to drive till empty, you probably deserve what’s coming.

EDIT: The Wisdom to Never Go Down what You Can’t Come back up and to know when to turn around.

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You forgot the dachshunds! :slightly_smiling_face:

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Never!

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I’m just south of San Francisco. Yes I’d like to go wheeling with you guys one day.

Bob, what kind of 4wd system does your Cherokee have?

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Really? Are you sure? What makes you say that? What does yours have that my Jeep didn’t?

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One basic tip for anyone who is stuck anywhere is to lower your air pressure (if not already lowered). IME you can safely lower most tires on basic rims down to 20 PSI, or even down to 15 or even 13. Lowering to less than 13 might be doable. I haven’t tried it.

Doing so creates ‘float’. Whereas before airing down your tires would generally be digging in while turning, with lowered PSI you’re increasing the surface area under your tires and they’ll often ride on top of the loose material (sand, snow, mud).

Be careful though, not to turn sharply or to drive too fast over bumps. You could unseat a bead, or your rims may slice through your tires. Drive slowly and carefully until you’re able to air back up.

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Got a link for that? I tried searching…

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I’ve done a lot of off roading. After graduating high school, my friends and I packed up two short bed 4x4 trucks and a hip-powed FJ40 (327 V8 in it) and headed for the mountains.

We spent about 10 days bashing around the Colorado mountains. Cooked over an open fire. Broke camp every day.

This was 1979. There where a LOT more trails to explore.

My advice? Don’t go alone, and take tow straps/tow chains. Winches are better of course (I have one on the back of my plow truck) But then we traversed some very rugged terrain.

Having a/some friends along also gives you spotters for very difficult situations.

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Slow and steady is the way to go. Except for sand. In sand drive like a bat out of hell.

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Since this is going to be one of my last posts for a long time, possibly ever, I will just say that off-road driving is one of the most destructive things you can personally do to the land. You might think about that, serenely, as you enjoy your hobby.

Some joyrider did circles in a piece of my neighbor’s unfenced pasture on a wet spring day, a few years ago. You can still see it. In the dry west, it takes much longer to heal than out east.

Have fun ruining everything for everyone else.

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For the less experienced folks, here’s a decent albeit tongue-in-cheek rule of thumb to get you started in your new hobby.

Two wheel drive on the way to getting stuck. 4WD on the way back out.

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Like those idiots who did donuts and drove on Death Valley’s beautiful Racetrack Playa. Real jerks. That was in the fall of 2016. I remember when it happened and it still makes me angry.

● Racetrack Playa Vandalism Suspect Identified ➜ Racetrack Playa Vandalism Suspect Identified ■
● Death Valley’s Famed Racetrack Playa Vandalized By Illegal Driving ➜ Death Valley's Famed Racetrack Playa Vandalized By Illegal Driving | The Weather Channel ■
● The Racetrack - Vandalism - Death Valley National Park Forum ➜ The Racetrack - Vandalism - Death Valley National Park Forum - Tripadvisor ■

If you’ve been to the 3-mile long Racetrack Playa you know how beautiful it is. It is a special place. And the road out to there is long and very rough: some 30 miles that takes 1½ hours.

Yes, as @Ulfreida says, when done incorrectly 4-wheelers and off-roaders can do damage to flora and fauna and landscapes that can take many years to heal. So tread lightly. Stay on designated trails. Do not go unnecessarily and ripping up the landscape.

Tread Lightly ➜ https://treadlightly.org ■

Here are some pictures of the damage. Some teams have gone out to repair it.

[Album] Fall 2016 vandalism to the Racetrack Playa in Death Valley
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Actually not. You always, always want to be under control. You can do some damage to your rig in sand.