Soft Roader Opinion

Submitted: Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006 at 10:12

ThreadID: 34691 Views:2114 Replies:9 FollowUps:5

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cuffs

As the owner of an X-Trail I am used to ribs of not having a REAL 4wd, as I am not into desert crossings and rock hopping, I enjoy the ability to go off road; beach drives for fishing and rugged tracks in the Flinders. I associate with other 4wd ppl & sometimes have to take the lesser track to get to the same destination ( Vic High Country). I have learned a lot from this site & always looking forward to your advice and experiences as many other soft roaders here do, may be we should be referred to as high rangers instead of soft roaders. Remember we like to tow and make the same destinations as other die hard 4WDers, Innamincka, Birdsville, Longreach and the Kimberly’s, just felt like expressing my opinion.

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Reply By: Willem - Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006 at 10:27

Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006 at 10:27

No worries mate

Click on my Rig Pic and you will see a High Ranger on the side. SWMBO loves it to death.

We dont use it for anything offroad but it is a good little car for bush roads.

AnswerID: 177180

Reply By: Sand Man (SA) - Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006 at 10:33

Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006 at 10:33

Hi Cuffs,

Wouldn't be too many people laughing at you here mate.
It sounds like you have a capable vehicle to suit your specific needs. That's all that is required.
The Flinders for instance, usually determines a need for reasonable ground clearance, rather than "Low Range" capabilities and that is generally only for creek crossings in some of the gorges. Not everyone has a desire to do "Skytrek".

Good on you for expressing your opinion. Just like I have just done.

Bill

I'm diagonally parked in a parallel Universe!

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AnswerID: 177183

Reply By: ro-dah-o (WA) - Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006 at 11:25

Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006 at 11:25

Ignore the knockers champ,

If your vehicle gets you where you want and does what you need, who cares!!!

It has 4 wheels and drives doesnt it????

AnswerID: 177188

Follow Up By: GaryInOz (Vic) - Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006 at 19:47

Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006 at 19:47

If it gets you back, you're lucky...

What will happen if you get into a no way forward/no way back under your own steam? Can happen in an instant with a change in weather. Any recovery hooks on you vehicle??? Strong enough to tow/winch if necessary?

Insurance??? what insurance?. "Vehicle used inappropriately/beyond design specifications".

Yes, I'm a knocker...

FollowupID: 433287

Follow Up By: ro-dah-o (WA) - Thursday, Jun 08, 2006 at 00:19

Thursday, Jun 08, 2006 at 00:19

fair go. Obviously within reason and the capabilities of the vehicle. Nothing wrong with a jaunt along the beach, CSR or simpson, might reconsider , eh?.

Exactly the same can happen in one of those nissan or toyota type vehicles, and the same will still apply, just further in the bleep

FollowupID: 433415

Follow Up By: GaryInOz (Vic) - Thursday, Jun 08, 2006 at 00:33

Thursday, Jun 08, 2006 at 00:33

see my entry below....

FollowupID: 433417

Reply By: RupertDog - Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006 at 11:34

Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006 at 11:34

Cuffs

Have to agree with your comments. I have an old Rav 4, which seems to go everywhere (or at least everywhere I want to go!). Usually do beach runs, and bush tracks (in WA). Did the powerlines trip last weekend, and definately put the Rav thru it's paces, not to mention the Disco we went with.

Usually travel with guys who use their 4bys as family car during the week, and for a bit of fun on the weekend, so we don't go extreming. I think we limit our travels by fear of major damage, rather than limits of the car. Usually travel with a Disco, 2 x Hilux, Prado, extreme Patrol and a Suzuki XL7. All seem sto do ok where ever we go.

I think if you pick the right track, and are aware of your vehicles limitations (in my case ground clearance), you can keep up with the big boys, and still have as much fun.

I too enjoy this site, and will be able to put in practice a lot of what's said once my finances are better suited to 4wding (Does that ever happen?????)

RD

AnswerID: 177190

Reply By: TerraFirma - Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006 at 12:49

Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006 at 12:49

Xtrail is lovely little rig, just stick to the trails marked "X"..!

AnswerID: 177211

Follow Up By: Michael ( Moss Vale NSW) - Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006 at 18:45

Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006 at 18:45

So when you get to the centre of the "x", what do you do, veer right or Left??? decisions, decisions!!!!

Patrol 4.2TDi 2003

Retired 2016 and now Out and About!

Somewhere you want to explore ? There is no time like the present.

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FollowupID: 433268

Reply By: Member - Matt M (ACT) - Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006 at 13:16

Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006 at 13:16

Just brings home the point that it is NOT about the vehicle, but the style of travel and adventure that the vehicle allows you.

This is a community that enjoys travelling this great country and seeing/experiencing what it has to offer. How you get there is not the point.

AnswerID: 177214

Reply By: robak (QLD) - Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006 at 13:22

Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006 at 13:22

Cuffs

I wouldn't worry too much about people who talk $hite.

Every car has it's positives and negatives and you buy the car that suits your needs at the time. There are some places (like dry creek beds) that I got my car through that a full size 4wd would never go because they are too wide and can't fit between the trees. There are also places I wouldn't go where others can.
If you're happy with it, why are you bothered with what others say.

R.

AnswerID: 177215

Reply By: atoyot - Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006 at 22:44

Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006 at 22:44

Good on you. If you wanted a "REAL 4wd" you would have bought one. Whilst not questioning the ability of a real 4wd over a soft roader or "high ranger", the ability of the driver to know the capability of the vehicle and their own skills often dictates the difference between getting home and not. I've seen plenty of people driving real 4wd's get stuck where a well driven lesser vehicle has just cruised through.

As a responsible 4wder, I'm sure that you would have appropriately rated recovery hooks front and rear, and if you did get stuck, the majority of us "low rangers" would have no qualms in pulling you out. However, like with just about everything else, there are those who give responsible soft roaders a bad name by thinking they can go anywhere, getting stuck, then expecting to get recovered without the benefit of decent recovery points.

There should be more encouragement of soft roaders in the clubs as well, as more drivers should be trained in how to use their vehicle appropriately. You never know, they might even broaden their horizons a bit and want to get a more suitable vehicle for crossing a desert or rockhopping.....

Just ignore the knockers and enjoy using your truck for the purpose you bought it,'

regards

Andrew

AnswerID: 177333

Follow Up By: GaryInOz (Vic) - Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006 at 23:48

Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006 at 23:48

"...As a responsible 4wder, I'm sure that you would have appropriately rated recovery hooks front and rear, and if you did get stuck, the majority of us "low rangers" would have no qualms in pulling you out. However, like with just about everything else, there are those who give responsible soft roaders a bad name by thinking they can go anywhere, getting stuck, then expecting to get recovered without the benefit of decent recovery points...."

Nowhere to put them. They are a monocoque design that does not have any longditudinal link front to rear (unlike Pajero/Discovery etc., with frame in chassis type monocoque), and has several transverse welds in the floorpan. You are in effect putting all the snatching stresses through intermittent transverse spot welds in a thin metal floor and sills (spot welded to the floorpan). I have a video of a vehicle (granted, a car) that had the rear end of it ripped out simply by being pulled out of a snow drift.....

Remember these vehicles "safety cells" are designed not to crumple, with no indication how they perform under tension and they only extend as far as the passenger capsule. The crumple zones that are used in the front and rear of vehicles are inherently made to come apart/deform with minimal force (compression, and assumed, tension) to absorb the energy of an impact.

Cuffs and atoyot give me an email on ckg 612003 at yarhoo spot com spot au (Minus space in username and guess the rest...) and I will email it to you next week (I'm off to QLD tomorrow am).

FollowupID: 433406