Just like Dr. Emmett Brown said in the first Back to the Future movie; “Roads? Where we’re going we don’t need roads.” If you are an avid four wheel enthusiast, you don’t need roads either. In fact, you probably prefer to be off the road instead of staring at endless strips of asphalt. Going off-road soon, the folks at Beck in Palatka, a Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM dealer in Florida gave us a few tips to make sure you get home safely at the end of the day.
Travel with buddies
People that do a lot of off-roading often travel with friends. This is smart because things can happen when you’re off-road. An extra set of hands can help you out of a bad situation and can mean the difference between making it home or dealing with an emergency situation all by yourself. Let’s face it, off-roading with friends is more fun too.
Know Your Vehicle’s Limits
Just because you drive a 4×4 vehicle doesn’t mean it’s capable of going anywhere. It’s important to know your vehicle’s limits. Those that are into serious off-roading have vehicles that are built for it. Common sense prevails here. If a given trail looks too steep or rocky for your vehicle, don’t chance it. You could end up causing a lot of damage.
Lower your Tire Pressure
Especially with off-road types of tires, it’s a good idea to let some air out before hitting the trail. This is good for two major reasons. First, it softens the ride by allowing a tire’s sidewalls to flex more. Second, lower pressure allows your tires to grip the terrain better. However, don’t lower the pressure too much. A good rule of thumb is to keep your tire pressure around 18 psi. If you let too much air out there’s a risk the tire will pull away from the rim and then you have a flat – in the middle of the wilderness!
Go Easy
Drive at a reasonable pace and allow your vehicles suspension to do the job it was designed for. If you’re going crazy and banging away your vehicle’s chassis bump stops, things are going to rattle loose. If the ride is jarring everyone in the vehicle, it’s a safe bet you’re driving too hard.
Bring Recovery Gear
One of the best bits of advice while off-roading it to bring recovery gear. Serious off-roaders bring along tools, ropes and ratchet-winches. You never know when you or a friend might need to be pulled out. By the way, the real serious guys mount a power winch on the front of their 4×4 so they are immediately ready to pull their vehicle out of whatever mess they got themselves into. Not only are front mounted winches a nice accessory to have, they look pretty cool too.
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