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Off road stories

4.9K views 18 replies 12 participants last post by  Cliff  
#1 ·
I was just surfing the internet and I began to think, I want to hear some stories about rovers kicking ass.
 
#2 ·
I take mine off-road about once a week and get plenty of stares when I do it but I don't do anything extreamly technical. (posted pictures previously of the types of trail's I do)

I just wish I had a third arm or a friend who didn't mind standing at a distance so I could get some better pictures. Typically they don't like to leave the comfy passenger seat. :cry:

:roll: "In need of more technical sites near San Antonio" :roll:
 
#3 ·
Once I took my rover off roading and got stuck in a 6 foot mud puddle/pond, it looked like it was just straight mud like everything else I was driving on, however it was not :? :evil: Oh well, I take it on the beach and local trails at least once a week when the rover feels like being nice..
 
#4 ·
Hey Chris

how does your RR do on the beach? ive wheeled my RR on mountainous trails... here in CA that typically means steep, loose dirt/rocky/sometimes muddy terrain...

but i havent wheeled on beach sand/dunes... there is a place down south... Pismo beach were you can wheel (ATV's, Motorcycles, dune buggies, and 4x4's) but with the RR being SOOOOO HEAVY ive been hesitant to take it out in the dunes.

what kind of tires do you run? what tire pressure do you run when driving the dunes?

ive seen pics from anohter chris who lives in the UAE... he looks like he does "okay" in the dunes...

whats your exp?
 
#5 ·
Honestly, I don't sink at all and I dont let anything out of my tires its really so much fun and pretty, go to my gallery site and look at my photos of me on the beach, its aweseome, and everybodys always looking it's funny, once the security gaurd went on the beach with me hah
 
#6 ·
scubaman99 said:
Hey Chris

how does your RR do on the beach? ive wheeled my RR on mountainous trails... here in CA that typically means steep, loose dirt/rocky/sometimes muddy terrain...

but i havent wheeled on beach sand/dunes... there is a place down south... Pismo beach were you can wheel (ATV's, Motorcycles, dune buggies, and 4x4's) but with the RR being SOOOOO HEAVY ive been hesitant to take it out in the dunes.

what kind of tires do you run? what tire pressure do you run when driving the dunes?

ive seen pics from anohter chris who lives in the UAE... he looks like he does "okay" in the dunes...

whats your exp?
Ken -

I actually asked Chris about this as well the first time he posted pics of the RR in the sand.

I used to have a Land Cruiser and one day at the beach, I actually got stuck in soft sand. I lowered the pressue on all four tires to 15 - 20 PSI and I was ablt to crawl the car out of the sand.

One thing you NEVER do in the sand: Do not use low range, and do not be heavy with your right foot. In fact pick a higher gear so the car does not dig itself into the soft earth.

Michael.
 
#7 ·
Ken,

I drive on beach sand just about every day. The soft sand is not too bad to get through if you take your time and get a feel for what the truck is doing. I've never been stuck in the RR. My wife is not very venturesome and usually is telling me to not get stuck! Actually, I pulled a Ford Expedition out of the sand this past weekend and usually pull someone out just about every day in the summertime.

If you go to a place with very powdery sand that is along the beach, bring a five gallon bucket with you. If you do stick it, get water and pour it around your wheels to get the sand soaked. You should be able to get enough traction to become mobile again. This can be a life saver if there are no other adventurers around.

Tom
 
#8 ·
Cliff said:
I was just surfing the internet and I began to think, I want to hear some stories about rovers kicking ass.
Well, this isn't really kicking ass, but I had fun... no sand, mostly rocks & dirt.
This trip was near Central City, Colorado.
This trip was the next day, near Empire, Colorado.

Beautiful scenery - I LOVE Colorado!!
Like 2KRR, not very technical.

jim
 
#9 ·
Warning: Long and boring!
Jim thats a great post and brings back fond memories!

That area of Colorado has some many great trails. Infact I've done that exact trail this October (snow on the ground), pretty beautiful. I really enjoyed the climbs you are talking about, and I found it to be a rover as$ kicking experience. You forgot to mention the great ruts in the climb which made it even more fun. As a minor aside the rover is able to climb them stock except for nitto terra grapplers, in "low range 3". I think you made the right decision on gearing as I believe manual 1 might have provided too much torque for the loose dirt and broke the tires free.

There is a trail very close to the exit Bill more lake trail, FR 171.3, This trail has everything, steep climbs, challenging rock placement, descent water fording steep ascent, ice, it is alot of fun, but I would reccomend going in convoy for safety. At the end of the trail you can go left or right (on 171.2 if my memory serves me), We opted to go right which took us back to I-70 through an even more arduous trail.

This trail had lots of twisting narrow, extreme pitch descents with several small climbs. I'm not sure the rover could go up this trail stock, but it can go down stock, albeit, carefully.

You exit visa via an insane "driveway" for three houses, which the owners will problably greet you with stares from their balconies as dogs bark. But they seem nice enough and everyone I met out there was great, -- A family of area natives in a suzuki (which they reccomended) helped me winch my truck off of the side of a trail when the right front tire lost its footing. I say thanks to them as these were truly salt of the earth people!


I'll be back in colorado in summer; I'd like to run "Jenny Creek" "China Wall" perhaps "chinamans gulch," or any others I find out about.

I think it might be fun to set up some trail runs followed with a trip to Wazee, Tommy Knockers, The Stanley Bar, or New Belgium brewing/Odells afterwards.
 
#10 ·
Cliff said:
You exit visa via an insane "driveway" for three houses, which the owners will problably greet you with stares from their balconies as dogs bark.
do you have any GPS coordinates for this? I'm looking at my topos, and I think I know which trail you're talking about...
I'll be back in colorado in summer; I'd like to run "Jenny Creek" "China Wall" perhaps "chinamans gulch," or any others I find out about.

I think it might be fun to set up some trail runs followed with a trip to Wazee, Tommy Knockers, The Stanley Bar, or New Belgium brewing/Odells afterwards.
I want to do Jenny, there's a nice lake at the end of that 1, too.

How about a multi-day ride, camping in between, and we can drink the beer around the campfire!
Let me know when you're coming out, this will be a blast!

jim
 
#11 ·
Well, yes last night, but not in the way you meant but more literally.

After seeing Syriana at the movies yeaterday evening (1 xP38 and several Mk III, one which gets totally destroyed - whoops wrong thread), still wide awake and enjoying myself way in the heavy snow showers so use that as an excuse to go and fill up with lpg and put a bit of petrol in the tank.

Also to find some quieter used roads in the suburbs which have no parked cars and 1-2 inches of snow. So a chance to try out abs in the snow, Traction Control and the handing, slide under power. Fun and predictable, great. Find the road leads to as snowy track so I follow that for a while and then there is a turning circle - some one is there before me and has been there quite a while because there are no other tracks. As I turned around my headlights lit up a bare ass going up and down :shock: and then a great flurry of clothes and buttoning up :lol: It must have been a bit of a disappointment (I was initially going to use the phrase 'anti-climax' :oops: ) that I wasn't a police car.

Entry back into the underground garage on a steep ramp with a side slope was entertaining (not). Interesting Z Z Z Z tracks left in the snow. I should have got out and cleared it first - lesson for next time.
 
#14 ·
In the sand the auto is working very hard, you have to careful not to cook it. High range is OK for the flat beach, but in the dunes you will need to be in low range, except maybe coming down steep dunes, then you are probably better off in high. If you have diff locks, use them. The taller the tyres the better. The idea is that you want to get as big a foot print on the sand as possible. But wide tyres push too much sand in front of them and simply makes the car work harder. But if you can't go taller, go wider. Except for very hard sand beaches, you will need to let your tyres down as low as you are comfortable with. Tread pattern does not appear to be an issue on the beach, but trying to get up dunes can require a bit of throwing sand out the back and all terrains or mud terrains may be better.

Ian
 
#15 ·
The trail seems to be between the Bill Moore lake trail and the Fall river resevior (trail) (I was hoping it would cut across to it to go to Alice), crosses Mill creek, passes by Red elephant hill, then down around "white mine" it links up with I-70.

I'll let you know when I'm back in Colorado, the camping trip sounds like an excellent idea. We should problably plan it before hand though, to hit the trails running.
 
#16 ·
p76rangie said:
Tread pattern does not appear to be an issue on the beach, but trying to get up dunes can require a bit of throwing sand out the back and all terrains or mud terrains may be better.
In my experience (duning in KSA, beaches in fla), you don't want to have mud terrains in sand. They are designed to dig down in mud to find traction, and will just bury you in the sand. You are better off with a less aggressive tread and low tire pressure to stay on top of the sand.

just my $0.02
 
#17 ·
#18 ·
Bomana, I have driven on the beach and dunes on all terrains, mud terrains, and agressive simex tyres. Sometimes you need your tyres to act as a bit of a padel wheel to get you where you want to go. For example the simex tyres tend to not push as much sand in front of them as they scoop into it more. But as you said, they can get you into trouble more quickly if you do not know what you are doing. I think muds are probably a good middle ground. But that is just for me, others may find things different
 
#19 ·
Is anyone else interested in a summer colorado/offroad camping trip would who want to help plan it?

Hopefully we can get a great group and bunch of runs!

I'm thinking about Poudre Canyon, Four Corners, or Georgetown/Idaho Springs areas, any other suggestions are well welcome.