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Preparation
1.
Know your vehicle. Read your owners manual. Learn how the four wheel drive system works, know where the controls are located and how to use them, know where the spare tire and jack are located, and know where to place the jack under the vehicle. Learn what you and your vehicle can do. A 4 X 4 has limits just as other vehicles do. Leave your ego at home and learn to accept defeat early. Backing off early and accepting that a maneuver is impossible or choosing another approach will avoid vehicle damage and personal injury. 2.
Thoroughly check the condition of your vehicle. a.
Are all of the fluids at their proper levels and have they been changed
at the proper intervals? b.
Do you have enough fuel to reach the next fuel stop? Carry extra fuel if
needed, but not inside the vehicle. c.
Are your tires, including the spare in good condition and inflated
properly? d.
Is the air filter clean? e.
Are the engine belts in good condition and properly adjusted? f.
Are the engine cooling hoses in good condition and not leaking? g.
Are the brakes functioning properly and have they been inspected
recently? h.
Look under your vehicle. Are there any leaks? i.
Does your vehicle have any known problems? 3.
Service your vehicle and repair any problems before leaving home. If
there are any weak links they will fail when you are far from civilization. 4.
Be prepared for getting "unstuck". You will get stuck if you
push your vehicle to its limit. a.
Do you have the minimum amount of equipment to get "unstuck", a
2 foot by 2 foot by 3/4 inch piece of plywood for a jack base, a good hydraulic
jack, long handled shovel, ax or saw, gloves, 2 D ring shackles and recovery
strap? 5.
Carry a basic tool and spares kit, lug wrench, pliers, screw driver,
basic wrenches, tape, baling wire, jumper cables, extra fuses, belts, 1 quart of
engine oil and transmission oil, radiator stop leak, engine hoses or repair kit,
tire pump, tire pressure gauge, and a tire repair kit. 6.
Carry an emergency kit, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, warm clothes,
sleeping bag, food, water, paper towels, Swiss Army Knife, trash bag, and a CB
radio. 7.
Take a first aid course. 8.
Get to know the area you plan to explore. a.
Get maps of the area and stay on authorized roads and trails. b.
Access local knowledge by asking the local land managers, other 4 -
wheelers and people on the trail about conditions. 9.
Let someone at home know your travel plans, routes, destination, and
return date. ON THE TRAIL: 1.
Drive with finesse; Wildly spinning tires and a fast bouncing pace not
only are dangerous and destructive to the environment, but they show a lack of
driver skill. Driving as slow as possible and as fast as necessary, will allow
you to accomplish your goals of travelling from point A to point B and returning
home without damaging your vehicle, injuring anyone, and having a good time. 2.
Travel in pairs. a.
If one vehicle becomes stuck or disabled the other can assist. 3.
Keep thumbs on the steering wheel, not wrapped around it. Steering wheel
kick back on rough roads can cause injuries. 4.
Be prepared by putting your Land Rover in low range and engaging the diff
lock (if your vehicle does not have a viscous coupling transfer case) when you
enter a road where you would not drive a normal car. Control the vehicle. Don't
let it control you. a.
Loose and wet surfaces should be treated like ice. The throttle should be
applied smoothly and released slowly. Steering is precise and you should know
where the front wheels are pointed at all times. The brakes are used as little
as possible. b.
Know your vehicles dimensions, height, width, length, approach angle,
departure angle, and ramp angle, so that you can pass through tight areas
without damage. Remember there is a right side of the vehicle, inside and
outside tire sidewall, and more than half of the vehicle behind the driver. 5.
Be aware of the surrounding terrain. a.
Look in all directions and well in front of the vehicle, so that you know
what lies ahead. Do not lean out of the vehicle and continuously watch the left
side of the vehicle b.
Check water, snow, high grass, and mud crossings for hidden obstacles,
such as logs, stumps, and rocks. c.
Use a stick to check depth and bottom conditions of water crossings. Land
Rovers can be driven in water 20 to 22 inches deep with no special preparations.
In water that is between 22 inches and the bottom the headlights use a sheet of
plastic to block the radiator. This will keep water from reaching the fan and
being sprayed on the ignition system d.
Cross streams only at legitimate fords. Drive slowly and steadily,
creating a small bow wave in deep water. Cross fast flowing streams at an angle,
driving slightly upstream. This presents a smaller surface area and lessens the
force of the stream on the vehicle. Apply your brakes several times after a
water crossing to dry them out. e.
Do not cross fast flowing deep streams. Your vehicle can be swept away. f.
Get out of the vehicle and assess difficult situations and pick a route
or line that will allow the vehicle to pass with the least difficulty. g.
Use a spotter to help negotiate difficult sections of the trail. The
driver cannot see under or on the right side of the vehicle. h.
In tight quarters the driver should keep the left side of the vehicle
close to obstacles. i.
Use your common sense and do not drive in conditions that make you feel
uncomfortable. 6.
When climbing steep hills use caution. a.
Know what is on the other side of a steep climb. Get out of the vehicle
and scout the area. Steep dropoffs are often just over the summit of a steep
climb. b.
Use a gear that provides enough momentum to climb the hill. If the gear
is too low you will just spin the tires and if it is too high you will not have
enough power to climb the hill. c.
Line up your vehicle so it has a straight approach at the hill and cross
the ridge at a right angle. This allows the differentials to provides traction
to all 4 wheels. d.
Climb straight up the hill, apply power at the bottom, and ease off the
throttle when you go over the top. This will allow you to keep the vehicle under
control. 7.
Be prepared for a failed climb. a.
Work out an escape route and know where all of the obstacles are.
Visibility is limited when backing down a hill and remember that steering is
much quicker and steering kickback is more violent when reversing. b.
Use reverse gear and low range to back down a hill. Keep the use of
brakes to a minimum. Engine braking will allow a controlled descent. Using the
brakes will lock the front wheels and you will not have steering control. c.
Avoid a sidehill situation. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TURN AROUND ON A STEEP
HILL. The vehicle may roll. 8.
When descending steep hills be under control. a.
Get out of the vehicle and look over the edge of a steep downhill. Avoid
surprises and mentally work out a route. Avoid any hills that make you
uncomfortable. b.
Make sure your front wheels are centered before descending a hill. If
they are turned to the right or left you could roll the vehicle. c.
Descend straight down a steep hill. Use the brakes sparingly. d.
Use engine braking to slow down. First gear and low range provide
excellent control. Reverse gear and low range offer the same control when
reversing downhill. e.
Keep the engine running. A STALLED ENGINE WILL NOT PROVIDE ENGINE BRAKING
when the vehicle is equipped with an automatic transmission. f.
If the wheels start to skid while engine braking down a steep hill apply
some throttle and steer in the direction the rear of the vehicle is skidding. Do
it smoothly. g.
On manual transmission equipped vehicles do not depress the clutch when
descending hills. If the vehicle stalls just turn the key to restart the engine.
9.
Use extra caution when traversing a slope (sidehill). a.
Be sure that the slope is not so steep that it exceeds the vehicles roll
over angle, drive slowly and steadily, and do not use the brakes if you start to
slide or tip. Apply the throttle and drive out of the situation. b.
Check that there are no holes that the downhill wheels will drop into. A
hole can increase the angle of tilt to the point of a roll over. c.
For the same reason make sure that the uphill wheels will not pass over
rocks, tree roots, or mounds of earth. Remove these obstacles. d.
Check the condition of the trail. Slippery surfaces will cause the
vehicle to slide down the slope and unstable soil may give way and cause a roll
over. e.
Passengers seated in the rear should move to seating positions on the
uphill side of the vehicle. In extreme cases passengers should vacate the
vehicle until the slope is traversed. f.
Cargo should be distributed evenly and kept as low as possible. It must
be secured in such a way that it will not shift and cause the vehicle to roll
over. g.
Any load on the roof must be tied down. In extreme cases take the load
off of the roof. h.
If you must cross a steep sidehill you can dig a trench on the uphill
side to place the uphill tires in. This will reduce the angle and provide a lip
to prevent sliding. If the sidehill is rock the angle can be reduced by letting
air out of the uphill tires and inflating the downhill tires with more air. 10.
Soft ground conditions need special techniques. a.
When crossing sand, deep hard packed snow, and marshy terrain deflate the
tires to 16 psi front and 23 psi rear. You may have to let more air out in deep
sand. This will increase the tires footprint and provide better traction.
Deflated tires will decrease your ground clearance and they are more vulnerable
to sidewall damage. Remember to reinflate the tires before driving at highway
speeds. b.
During the spring and fall months in the mountains, snow is often
encountered. Properly fitted snow chains will greatly increase traction (use
only Land Rover approved chains on the front tires). Remember that hard spring
snow crossed in the early morning can be impassable when soft in the afternoon. c.
USE THE ABOVE PRECAUTIONS BEFORE ENTERING SOFT TERRAIN. NOT AFTER YOU ARE
STUCK! d.
Use steady momentum to carry you through deep sand, snow, and mud. wildly
spinning tires will only bog you down. Do not use a gear that is too low. It
will spin tires more easily than a high one. e.
When wheels start to spin, ease off the throttle and allow the tires to
slow down and regain traction. f.
If traction is lost and the vehicle is barely moving, whip the steering
wheel quickly from side to side to allow the front wheels to hunt for traction. 11.
If muddy conditions force you to drive in the ruts, know where your front
wheels are pointed at all times. The vehicle will follow the muddy ruts, even
with the wheels turned to the right or left. If you encounter a dry spot with
the wheels turned, the front wheels will regain traction and throw the vehicle
out of the ruts. This can cause loss of control and a possible accident. 12.
In rough rocky terrain drive slowly and traverse obstacles with care. a.
Approach a log, ridge, rocky step or ditch at an angle. This will allow 3
tires to push the vehicle past the obstacle. b.
Straddle deep ruts, even if they are wider than your vehicle. This will
keep the vehicle level and avoid getting stuck in the rut. c.
Drive over large rocks with the tires. This will keep the rocks from
damaging the vehicle. Remember, the area between the vehicle's wheels can get
hung up if the rock has a steep approach and departure. Build a ramp in front of
and behind such a rock to avoid this problem. 13.
Convoy procedure. a.
Keep the vehicle behind you in sight and wait at intersections. If anyone
has problems you will know about them right away and everyone will know which
way to go. b.
Never follow another vehicle too closely, stuck vehicles stop very
quickly, flying rocks can damage close following vehicles, and you cannot see
obstacles or stopped vehicles in dusty conditions. c.
Roll up the windows and use the air conditioner. This will pressurize the
vehicles interior and keep dust out. d.
Never follow a vehicle up or down a hill until the leading vehicle is off
the hill e.
Never park at the bottom of a hill behind a climbing vehicle or in front
of a descending vehicle. f.
Never stop on a corner. The vehicles approaching from the rear will not
be able to see you. g.
Never leave anyone alone along the route. WHEN YOU RETURN TO THE PAVEMENT: 1.
Check the tires for sidewall and tread damage. Replace damaged tires. 2.
Check body for damage and repair anything that will damage tires or be a
hazard to yourself or others. 3.
Look under the vehicle for lodged debris, damage to steering rods or
undercarriage, and fluid leaks. Remove debris, repair damage, and replenish
fluids. 4.
Remove heavy mud from the wheels. Clumps of mud on the wheels will make
the wheel out of balance. WHEN YOU RETURN HOME. 1.
Clean and service the vehicle. Check the fluids and filters.
Transmissions, transfer cases, differentials, hubs and brakes may be
contaminated with mud and water.
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