Off-Road Driver Training
Having a rugged 4x4 is one thing, but like any other machine, you need to know how to use it. Before this trip, our only driving experience has been with two-wheel drive passenger cars. We'd never done any serious off-roading before, or even engaged a diff-lock.
In order to learn more about 4WD trucks and how to operate them, we went to Berkshire 4x4 (www.berkshire4x4.co.uk), an off-road driver training school in Reading, England. Berkshire 4x4 works with both individuals and corporations that need off road driving skills. They bulldozed several acres of abandoned land to build a collection of muddy courses and large hills as obstacles. When we arrived,we met Rick a Land Rover enthusiast, who'd be our instructor for the next two days.
After signing away our rights, we got a briefing on the basics and then jumped into Rick's truck for a drive. We started with the basics, changing from high range gears to low and then engaging the differential locks. One of the more interesting lessons was how much the vehicles are in their own right. When we were in one particularly muddy trench, Rick had Sharikay take her hands off the wheel and her feet off the pedals. The Land Rover (with automatic transmission) had enough torque to pull along on it's own and steered itself around the course by following the ruts in the mud. Once you learn about this "auto-pilot" you learn to stop fighting the truck.
Other eye-openers were how much braking power the large engine holds when in low range and how far you can tip a vehicle on an angle without it tipping over. Perhaps the best lesson came on the second day when we were learning how to cross deep trenches. Eric went first and Jim second. By the time it was Sharikay's turn, the top of the trench had become so wet and muddy that the wheels wouldn't grip, there was just no way she was getting thru it. The truck was eventually recovered, using a winch, though not after first attempting to use a Hi-Lift Jack. This event provided the Recovery training portion of the course!
Both Jeremy and Rick are extremely knowledgeable and were a huge help in getting us ready for the road ahead!
Salisbury Plain - TLC Outing
(Organized by Julian Voelcker - www.landcruisers.info)
