4Wd Clubs - Whats the benefits..??

1. Meet like minded people, Generally.
2. See fit outs to vehicle and plagerise ideas for your own purpose, get to see them in action.
3. Find places to go that you didn't know about. New locations etc.
4. Learn more about 4wding and enhance your skills etc.
5. Knowledge pool of people to get valued information from......

Been involved with 4wd clubs for years and find them great, well for us anyway.....

G'day mate,
In my opinion, finding a 4x4 club that suits your needs is a bit like picking a new puppy. There are all sorts of clubs in existence. Some are more for the older-type folk who do mostly caravan trips etc. At the other end of the scale there are the "hard-core" blokes who snub you if you don't have a 6" lift, huge mud tyres etc etc. I don't think there are any of the latter in SA, and probably none of the former either.

Our club (the Yorke Peninsula 4 WD Club), of which I am currently the President, describes itself as a "family-based touring/camping club". This means we tend to do most of our trips to a camping destination. Of necessity (due to the nature of the terrain around here), most of the kilometers we cover are, unfortunately, on the black-top.

In our club, we encourage people to come along on a few trips before actually joining up. The fees are fairly modest (our club charges a $20- joining fee plus $65- annual subs; subject to change at the AGM). For your money, you get to have the security of knowing you are with a like-minded bunch of people who can assist you if something should go "pear-shaped" on a trip. We also find that our kids tend to gravitate to other kids and thus leave us alone to enjoy the company of other adults etc. There is also the comforting knowledge that you are covered by a club insurance policy....this has nothing to do with your vehicle cover if you bend it; more to do with damage to somebody's property (eg: if a camp fire gets out of control etc, provided you have complied with all normal requirements within the law etc). I must admit, this last point is a bit of a grey area as I have no first hand knowledge of anybody who has ever had to make a claim etc.

Another potential benefit is that you may get to visit areas that would otherwise be off limits or which you may not even be aware of. A recent example of this is the couple of Woomera trips our club has done over the last 18 months or so. We had access to areas that the general public doesn't normally get to see, because we know the caretaker up there.

Before joining this club, I too was sceptical. I didn't like the thought of being in a regimented environment; being told what time we had to pack up camp in the morning, or when to stop for the day and set-up camp. I didn't like the thought of other blokes drinking to much grog and getting aggro....or the other option of a tea-totaller frowning on me cos I cracked a stubby around the camp fire etc. These fears we soon allayed; we pretty much do whatever we like; normal coutesies are applied by all members at all times. We have no instances of the nature mentioned above or people playing loud music or in any other respect being "anti-social".

We are about to host a visit to the YP from about 23 members of the Mount Lofty 4WD Club and we are looking forward to that weekend (in May). We have a few members from Adelaide who have joined our club because the president is such a great (and modest) bloke........several of them are members of this forum.

I'd say, give it a go and see what happens........you may be pleasantly surprised.

Cheers

Roachie

Hi Straps

The above posted reasons are great , but remember what JFK said.
" Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country"

The bottom line is this world is that its a numbers game and places will remain
open in proportion to the number of people behind these groups.

Robin Miller

I think the replies above have covered the bases reasonably well.

I have always taken the view that "You only get out of clubs what you put in" if you stand on the side and don't partake in trips or activities then your club experience will be greatly diminished.

That philosophy goes for any type of club, I am currently a member of a 4wd club and a golf club and have received a huge amount of pleasure from both because I remain active within the club environments.
Clubs are all about people and its a matter of finding a club that provides you with the personal interaction and activities that suits.

Go and visit all 3 and see what they feel like to you.

Cheers

There's a saying that goes something like

"Your life will only change as a result of the people you meet or the books you read"

When joining a club you will meet lots of people with an interest in your subject matter, and you will be exposed to new ways of doing things within that area as well as areas related to people rather than interests.

Last club I joined (to race go-karts) I finished up being the vice pres for 5 years or so as well as racing, with my son racing also. He finished up getting his job through the a club member who liked his determination to succeed on a modest funding level.

I've been on a few different club runs and to tell you truth I wasn't all that impressed. I'm a fairly social and outgoing kind of bloke, but from what I've seen I think they're not really my cup of tea. Dunno, maybe I just haven't found the right club.

I go on a few runs from time to time with an internet based club (which avoids the politics) and that's OK, but still not the same as going bush with your good mates. I think too many people and convoys of 4x4's spoil it to tell you the truth. I like going bush for the tranquility and not giving a stuff about anything or anyone for a while.

Each to his own I guess.

For every club there is always one or more idiot who wants to criticize or display condescending behaviour towards you as a new member. Your car or the equipment you carry will be inferior to his. He and others will emphasize training without actually asking what you already know about four wheeling and recovery techniques. I've seen actual punchups as a result of the above.

I may live in a house with a block of 350 sqm with noisy neighbours, my work area may be a desk and a chair with noisy colleaques around, my nursing home unit will perhaps be half the size of my courtyard block, and I may finally have to share a spot in the cemetery with the same idiot from the four wheel club, but I certainly do not wish to listen to him at the campsite.

Shane,
My wife and I have been members of the Newcastle and Districts 4WD Club for a few years now and have met a group of like minded people, have enjoyed trips we would not have attampted on our own and have recently led a two week trip of eight trucks.

On the whole our experience has been very positive, but we also go on trips alone and this is the best time of all in my opinion.

Being a member of a club is not a marriage, go along and see if the members are welcoming, if it does not seem right move on. It probably takes a few trips with a club to sort out whether first impressions are correct.

Happy driving.
Chris

Hi all

Have been in a club for 14 years, their has been a couple of times I think it is a hassle due to a couple of idiots but they tend to disappear as quick as they come. If I have the time I put more into it when work gets the better of me I back off a little.
The best thing is all the new stuff I learn from the new members and friends that I have made, my kids have grown up with these people and I think they are better for it.

Have fun

Craig

I was a big believer in clubs in the past, but now Im not so sure... You get people terrified of change, and without change, clubs just keep disappearing into the never never, older people, older ideas, and in the end it will implode.

I'd say just stick with your mates, and enjoy doing what you like to do instead of some bleep in pensioner with no idea/clue/interest in what you want to do trying to run the show.

Shane
Personally I was NEVER going to join a club. I eventually joined the Gold Coast Club with intention to do the Driver Awareness Day and then never be seen again.

4 years later they can't get rid of us. For us, it's a case of "You get out of it what you put in"...

There will always be someone who will knock the clubs.

Or someone in the club that will knock your rig.

Or your tent/trailer/camper/caravan.

Or your camp oven.

But you get that bloke everywhere you go anyway.....

Go along to a couple of meetings, have a chat with a few of the members, read their magazine or internet site, get a feel for what they do. If you don't like it, fair enough, move on.

Hope this helps...

Cheers

Brian

We (then girlfriend, now wife) went along to a club meeting 3 or so years ago and it was not the environment for us, but tryed another one recently and found it really freindly. We had to do a driver awareness program and have learnt heaps from that and other club members.

We have now done things both with the club and by ourselves that we would have never done otherwise just from a confidence point of view.

Definitely recommend joining a club, but you also have to find the right one that suits you and what you want out of it.

Try it, if you don't like it, try another one or go back to what you were doing before.

I tend to think either you're a club type person or you're not...?

Do you do the club thing in other areas of your life? If so a 4WD club may suit you otherwise it probably won't. Personally I can think of few things worse than going bush with 8+ other 4WDs - but that's just me :)

Mike Harding

I tend to agree you are either a club person or your not. I am not in a 4x4 club but was first president of our fishing club for the first 10 years and they were great years, not all went smoothly and that a fact. We had many people come to join our club some stayed other it was not for them.

I always said come to a few meetings and outings and see if it is what you were looking for. I found the club thing great as we had comps against other clubs over South East Qld and I have many great friends all over where i can call and go fishing.

I see this as no differnt to a 4x4 club before I join one i would want to go along on a few outings and attend some meetings to see if I fit in. We are all different so what ones wants out of a club may not be what someone else wants. As for committment form new members I don't think thats right to ask them IMO, they are welcomed to join in but I'd rather they get the feel of the club and be relaxed.

I do agree with the statement "You only get out of the club what you put in" Clubs can be a great social place if you get the right group ........ but get the wrong one and group and you can be put off clubs.

Contact each club and ask them you can make an informed judgement :)

Brian

From what I've seen, good clubs usually have a lot of trips on their books.

I've also been eyeballing the Adelaide clubs lately, having quit a previous club 2 years ago.

Of the 3 clubs you mention, I know a couple of very good people from the Holden Club, but don't know much about the rest of the club.
Mount Lofty Rangers is very good - enthusiastic membership, good trips and very kid friendly, if thats what you want. I think they may have reached their membership limit.
I don't know the Southern Fleurieu club.

Overland Club and Wanderers also look good to me.
The 4wd Association is currently supporting a new club for softroaders - got underway about a year ago, but I'm not sure whether your Frontera would be classed as such.

Clubs are very inexpensive - you may want to join 2 - lots of people do.

Tried it once but for no ones fault my workin roster saw me never around forthe trips. had some damn good knowledge as well old doggers CALM workers etc
I did pick up a vks ariel and base for chep though as well as split rims and rags
Really regret not being able to make more of it