Off-Road Driving Techniques to Handle Rock Gardens, Sand Washes, and Badly Eroded Trails
Learning off-road driving techniques can help you avoid problems when you get out on the trails and face unpredictable situations.
Learn the driving skills you need to get through rock gardens and sandy washes without breaking your rig. We’ll cover which suspension upgrades actually matter, why your tire choice makes or breaks your day on technical terrain, and the skid plates worth investing in. Plus, find out what to do when you’re stuck between a rock garden and a hard place, and why taking care of the trails you love matters more than ever.
Here are a few things you should know:
How healthy is your vehicle?
The off-road vehicle suspension you ride on helps put your 4WD up high and ready to cover any trail and come back without too many scratches, but there’s more to the health of your off-roader than that. You need to check for service needs, issues from the last time you hit the trails, and proper trail-riding equipment. Tighten any hoses and fittings that might have come loose, and make sure you have the equipment needed for your recovery strategies. On-trail maintenance isn’t fun, but it can be necessary. Make sure you have the right equipment for any potential challenges.
Understand proper off-road driving techniques
When you’re faced with sand wash while driving on the trails, you might give in to the instinct to step on the brakes. That is the opposite of what you want to do. Learn the proper off-road driving techniques and practice them so that you don’t have issues when faced with trail erosion that requires management of your driving skills and how you handle a tough situation. It could be the difference between your vehicle making it back to the road and not.
Rock garden navigation requires understanding of your vehicle
Can your vehicle handle a rock garden filled with massive boulders? Do you have rock sliders and excellent ground clearance? How much was that ground clearance impacted during skid plate installation when you added them? Rock garden navigation requires skills, patience, and a vehicle that is ready to handle the job. Even when you have the hardware to take a beating, you might end up with dings, dents, and busted lines that cause your rocky trail ride to be interrupted by on-trail repairs and maintenance.
Tires matter and must be adjusted
Adjusting the tire pressure will significantly impact the performance of your off-road vehicle. When you lower the tire pressure, you increase traction on sand and soft soil, because you increase the tire’s contact area. You need to exercise some caution when doing this, because too little tire pressure leads to sidewall damage. Many experts recommend reducing tire pressure by 30% for soft terrain.
Planning is one of the most important off-road driving techniques
Where are you going during your time on the trails? You need to plan the route and know the terrain that you’ll be driving on before heading out. This is one of the most important off-road driving techniques because it allows you to prepare your mind for what’s coming up and what you need to be ready for during your time behind the wheel. Use topographic maps and GPS devices to have detailed images depicting elevation changes and trail conditions.
Keep going through the mud and sand
When you have momentum heading into mud or sand, you have to keep it going. Momentum can increase flotation, which means you’re actually moving through the soft surface. If you hit the gas too hard or at the wrong time, that momentum could end because you get stuck. You also don’t want to hit the brakes and end the movement in the middle of a sandy path or mud bog. It’s a good idea to practice off-road driving techniques that help you maintain or increase momentum and flotation going through soft terrain.
Keep it slow and remember your off-road driving techniques
When you’re on the trails, you have to go slow. Driving at 10 MPH is actually fast and could be way too much for your skills. The slower you go, the more you can see and enjoy while on the trails. Don’t outdrive your skill level; go slow and steady to keep things smooth. Driving fast, even 10 MPH, is a recipe for disaster when on the trails.
Using proper off-road driving techniques, you can have a great time when you take your 4WD vehicle to some of the most remote and interesting places that can’t be seen from the road. Use these tips to help you while on the trails.