Off-road driving should be enjoyed by everyone involved. Your family and friends participating would like to experience the great outdoor life available to South Africans without the fear of unpleasant and unnecessary ‘accidents’. These ‘accidents’ can be avoided if you follow the advice given in this guide.

You should give yourself time to get acquainted with your new vehicle. Drive it around for a few weeks to get accustomed to how it handles and to familiarise yourself with all the controls, etc. Read your Vehicles Owners Manual! Get a friend with off-road experience to accompany you on your first trial run on sand roads, steep banks, loose sand and other minor obstacles in order for you to practise using your gears and diff-lock. Low-range has to be experienced in order to appreciate the enormous power your vehicle has. First-timers need to learn how to control and best utilise this available power. Remember, this power alone will not get you through difficult obstacles and situations. It is not wise to attempt a tough 4 x 4 route on your first outing.

All novice drivers should attend both Level 1 and Level 2 Off-road Driving Instruction Courses. It is recommended that your spouse or partner should also undergo this training as a situation could arise whereby you may become incapacitated. This back-up could prove invaluable.

Off-road Conditions

The most common obstacles you will have to overcome in off-road conditions are sand, mud and rocks. In addition, there may be stretches of beach, sand dunes, river crossings, mountainous terrain or snow and ice. High speeds in 4 x 4’s are dangerous due to the various road conditions and also because 4 x 4’s generally have a much higher centre of gravity and the chances of rolling over are thus much greater than that of passenger cars.

Important Guidelines

· Obstacles should be inspected before any attempt is made to negotiate them. It is often advisable to walk through the obstacle in order to obtain a proper perspective of exactly where the wheels should be placed when attempting to negotiate it.
· Select the correct gear and high or low ratio for the respective surfaces and remain in this gear throughout.
· Your tyres should be inflated/deflated to the correct pressures according to the terrain/obstacle.
· Seat belts should be worn at all times excepting when crossing a river.
· Keep your foot away from the clutch pedal in order to avoid unintentional engagement when negotiating a rough stretch of terrain or obstacle whilst driving a manual vehicle.
· Both hands should be on the steering wheel and remember not to hook your thumbs over the steering wheel. A sudden jolt could result in a broken bone and painful consequences.

SAND

Always inspect the route you are going to take.
· You need to determine the type of sand, its depth, moisture content and compaction which should all contribute to your decision on how you are going to overcome this obstacle.
· Engage 4-wheel drive.
· Deflate your tyres to approx. 0.6 bar in front and approx. 0.8 bar in the rear. This results in broadening the surface area of the tyre and also lengthens the surface area in contact with the sand. This allows more rubber to make contact with the sand and assists in ‘floating’ over the sand rather than cutting into the surface. These pressures may be varied according to the prevailing conditions.
· Select the appropriate gear for the sand conditions – usually 3rd or 4th in 4-low. Avoid the changing of gears whilst driving if at all possible. Do not drive too slowly as you need to keep up the vehicles momentum. Drive at about 30km per hour if the sandy conditions permit. Do not brake but rather depress the clutch and allow the vehicle to stop of its own accord. This will decrease the size of the dune which will build up in front of your wheels. When starting up again, first reverse in your tracks for about one metre and then move forward gathering the required momentum to continue forward.
· Keep to existing tracks or the tracks of a vehicle travelling in front of you. Keep a good following distance of at least four or five vehicle lengths behind. This is in case the vehicle in front gets bogged down and will allow you to avoid landing up in the same predicament.
· Keep your vehicle as light as possible when attempting to traverse sandy conditions.
· It is imperative that you maintain momentum on sandy side slopes in order to avoid sliding.

DUNES

Sand dune driving is one of the major conservation issues and should be approached with the utmost care. The environment can be damaged and one should stick to the roads wherever they exist. Coastal dunes are very sensitive and, particularly where there is some form of vegetation, driving should be avoided as it is vitally important to conserve the coastal biome.

The inland dunes of the Namib and Kalahari are less sensitive and the wind quickly erases all tracks. Large tracts of adjoining plains are covered by lichen fields. These plants play a major role in stabilising the plains against erosion. Driving on the lichen will destroy them and research shows that your tracks will remain for up to eighty years!

When driving up and over the top of a dune, one should first check for people and vehicles on the other side. In addition the gradient of descent should not exceed 37 degrees and most people would be unsure about attempting less steep inclines.
· The vehicle should not carry any excess weight. The lighter the vehicle, the better.
· The centre of gravity should be kept as low as possible. Remove all items from the Roof Rack and carry inside the vehicle with the heaviest items packed on the floor.
· Certain dune types are sometimes impassable due to the extreme softness of the sand. It is usually wiser to inspect the dunes on foot before attempting to traverse them.
· Ensure that your tyres are sufficiently deflated.
· Keep constant power/ speed on the slopes in order to maintain the momentum of your vehicle.
· Slow down as you reach the crest of a dune with the intention of stopping at the top with your vehicle’s nose over the top, resting on it’s underside, with the vehicle nearly horizontal pointing slightly downhill.
· Once your vehicle is successfully perched on the crest of the dune, it is necessary to dig away the sand supporting the chassis between the wheels.
· Determine whether you should engage low-range first or second gear depending on how steep the slope is. The higher gear will mean a faster descent but should prevent the sand beneath the vehicle falling faster than the vehicle. This should be avoided as it could cause the vehicle to slide sideways and end up rolling! If your vehicle does start to slide, accelerate in order to prevent the slide from continuing. Rather descend a slope faster as this is safer than descending too slow.

BEACHES

The same principles used for sand driving apply to driving on beaches. A beach can usually be split into two parts: the area above the high water mark which consists of deep loose sand, and the intertidal area, which is much firmer compacted by the action of the waves.

The best place to drive is obviously the firm flat area forming the intertidal strip. One must still, however, be alert to the fact that this may not always allow for easy driving. Often the sand may be soft and one may get bogged down. A beach comprising broken sea-shells often becomes even more bog-like when wet.
· The best time to drive on a beach is while the tide is going out. This will afford you extra time to dig yourself out should you become bogged down.
· Drive as close as possible to the water’s edge without splashing as this will be he firmest surface.
· Avoid shiny wet patches as they indicate deep soft patches of water saturated sand.
· Avoid night driving if possible, especially on unfamiliar beaches.
· Avoid wheel spin by not using a too low gear ratio but it is recommended that you use low range which will allow you to change down quickly should it be required.
· Remember, beach driving in South Africa has been banned and any vehicle doing so unlawfully may be confiscated by the authorities.

MUD

One should first attempt to ensure that there are no unexpected obstacles beneath the surface of the mud. Engage four wheel drive and lock the differential. Smaller engined vehicles should attempt getting through in second gear low range. Larger engined vehicles can attempt it in third gear low or first gear high. Remember, the lower the gear the more likely that the wheels will start spinning. If the gear chosen is too high, it may become necessary to change down and momentum may be lost. If wheel-spin does occur, decelerate gently until traction is regained. Driving through mud is a balancing act of accelerating when the tyres have traction and descelerating when they don’t.

At all costs, avoid accelerating and allowing the wheels to spin wildly. Rather stop and this will prevent your vehicle from being bogged down even deeper. Another useful tip is to gently swing the steering wheel from side to side while driving in order to assist traction by the sidewalls of the tyres. This obviously works best when the mud is of a constant and firm texture.

WATER

It is always wise to wade through water with a stick or spade in order to search for any obstructions, holes, or any other potentially dangerous situations. Beware of fast flowing rivers which could wash your vehicle away.

If the depth of the water is higher than the vehicle fan, insert a plastic sheet behind the radiator grill in order to prevent the fan from spraying the water and causing an electrical failure. Never remove the fan belt!

Try to prevent your vehicle’s axle breathers from ingesting water. Sudden cooling and contraction of the casings could result in water being sucked in through the breathers resulting in contamination of the axle oil.

Drive slowly through the water in order to keep the spray at a minimum. At about walking pace, a bow wave will be formed, dipping down behind the bumper area and keeping water away from the fan.

After wading, remove the bellhouse sealing plugs. Check the Air Filters. In order to get rid of any water which may have been sucked in through the breather valves, remove the drain plug. The water will drain out first as the oil floats on top of the water.

If your engine suddenly stalls for no apparent reason, it may mean that water has been ingested. Do not attempt to restart the engine as this could result in serious damage. The vehicle will then have to be towed out.

Engine oil that is a milky grey colour indicates that water has entered the engine sump. This oil will have to be drained and the engine should be flushed at least twice with oil or engine flush before refilling. The universal joints should also be re-greased after driving through water.

MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN

Southern Africa has an abundance of 4 x 4 routes with magnificent scenery and a wealth of fauna and flora. Off-road driving in this terrain requires the same techniques used for driving on rocky ground.

Very steep terrain and hairpin bends require that one drives slowly and that one remains calm in difficult situations. One must never become impatient! Do not hesitate to use your lowest gear and diff-lock.

If your vehicle sways from side to side, becoming dangerous, off-load your luggage from the roof carrier. Keep as much weight inside (on the floor) of the vehicle. If the vehicle leans too much to one side, get your passengers to hang on to the high side of the vehicle. Drive very slowly and ensure that no one is in danger or that they could be crushed against the side of the mountain.

GRASSLANDS

Tall grass can hide obstacles such as ditches, rocks, logs and anthills, etc. Drive slowly and follow existing tracks. Dry grass can also clog your radiator and result in overheating. A grille guard or mesh placed in front of the radiator is a wise precaution. Dry grass is also a potential fire hazard if it gets wrapped around the exhaust or propshaft. One should stop regularly to inspect your vehicle and remove any offending grass.

SALT FLATS