Feeling pretty badass today so you decided to go off-roading to feed your craving for adventure. Everything is fine and you’ve seemed to conquer all. You’re feeling pretty badass. Your quite dirty but still moving. Then all of a sudden, you can’t seem to move anymore. No matter what you do, your car won’t go forward or backward. You’re stuck.
Before you feel bad about getting stuck and having to call someone to bring a dolly for off-road recovery, remember that getting stuck is part of the fun. It happens to all and the most important thing is to learn from them. Did you notice what you did wrong to get yourself stuck? If you did, then good for you, you’d be avoiding those the next time you go off-roading.
Even if the experience is the best teacher, getting stuck can stall your fun. Sometimes, you just get stuck but lessening the chance of that enables you to have pure and uninterrupted fun. Avoid rookie mistakes and avoid getting stuck while off-roading by following these tips:
Tip 1: Understand Your Vehicle’s Ground Clearance And Approach Angle
In order to know whether you could go through an obstacle, you have to know your vehicle’s approach angle and ground clearance. This proves to be important when you are facing a rock as an obstacle.
You have to know whether your vehicle has enough ground clearance so that you don’t scrape the bottom of your vehicle or end up getting your vehicle stuck on the huge rock. You wouldn’t want to get stuck on that rock with your wheels dangling off the ground and your car’s mid-section on top of the rock.
Tip 2: Take Advantage Of Your Low Gears
A steep incline is common in off-road adventures. One of the best ways to tackle this obstacle is to use your lowest gear available. Some vehicles come equipped with a dual-range transfer case which makes it easier to shift They can be activated by the simple use of a lever. With this, the second set of gear is used to help power up the vehicle at lower RPM.
However, if your car doesn’t have that feature, you can simply manually select to use the lowest gear available. Most of the time that is enough to get you through that obstacle without getting stuck.
Tip 3: Lower Down Your Tire Pressure
When driving on the road, we highly suggest using the recommended tire inflation given by the manufacturers. That is because the vehicle is moving over pavement and at that pressure, your vehicle is likely to efficiently use fuel.
However, for off-roading conditions, it is best to lower down the tire pressure. This is because you are going through various terrains. With higher tire pressures, there is a tendency for your tires to bounce and lose traction.
With lowered tire pressure, the tires can better absorb impact because more of the tires are touching the ground. This also equates to a better distribution when it comes to the weight of your vehicle. Additionally, driving through mud and sand is much better when the tire pressure is low because the tire treads can better hold onto the ground. This improves traction on those low traction surfaces.
Tip 4: Go Off-Roading With A Buddy
Off-roading can be fun and exhilarating. You get to have an adventure and explore the wilderness. However, that is also quite risky especially when you are doing it alone. You can’t be sure what happens so it is best to be prepared. No matter what equipment you have, the best preparation is to have someone with you in your off-roading adventure.
Additionally, your off-road buddy can also be your spotter. They can greatly help you go through difficult obstacles. You just can’t see everything when your inside and driving the vehicle. With a spotter guiding you, it will be much easier to go through the obstacle and avoid getting stuck.
Tip 5: Learn To Adapt
The fun in off-roading also comes from the unknown. There are various conditions that are also constantly changing. Figuring out how to go through them safely and successfully is all part of the fun. When something unexpected happens, it is up to you to plan and execute. When your plan doesn’t work, it may be time for you to re-evaluate the situation, plan again with a few changes then execute.
Tip 6: Prep Your Vehicle
One of the most important things you should do is to prep your vehicle. You don’t just go out for an off-road adventure when you feel like it. Proper preparation prevents you from getting stuck and experiencing mishaps.
If you are the type of person who would suddenly want to go on an off-road adventure on a whim, then it would be best for you to have your vehicle always prepared for the off-roading adventure. Maintenance should be up to date and a thorough inspection of the vehicle should be done before offroading.
Agile Towing Company isn’t your typical Cary towing company – we gladly go where the other towing services dare not go!
Whether you are rock crawling, getting dirty in the mud, or 2 tracking keep Agile Towing Company in your speed dial – we’ve got the experience, tools, and trucks to help assist with your off-road vehicle recovery.
