Tips for taking your vehicle off road
Guest Post – Steve and Sasha
“What is essential recovery equipment for a 4WD out in the bush?”
This would be our most common question at High Country 4WD.
High Country 4WD is situated in Sale, on the edge of the High Country, home to some of the best 4WD Essential tracks in Victoria. Most beginners travelling out in the bush, do not want to spend a fortune on equipment. But having a breakdown on a hairy track can lead to an expensive recovery. Sometimes, spending a little bit of money on recovery gear, can save costs in the long run.
Our tips for the Essential 4WD equipment for beginners
A reliable Jack for urgent 4WD tyre change
A simple jack that you can use even in the dark to replace a tyre is essential. It might just mean the difference between camping a night and getting home, it did for us.
We had just completed a river crossing in our two 4WD convoy, ending a great weekend. We had one tough looking climb to go, when we felt that dragging feeling of a flat! The sun was setting and some friendly campers offered their advice.
“That climb is rough, do not try it in the dark we have seen other 4WD’s not complete it.”
For us – camping another night was not an option.
Luckily with a good jack on board, a spare in the back and some man (and woman) power the 4WD was back on track. The climb was tricky, but we completed the track before sunset and were back on the highway heading home.
We were unaware we would face a 4wd recovery on that same high country track in the future.
The following week we upgraded the 4WD’s driving lights, just in case we were faced with another recovery late into the day. We didn’t want to leave it to chance we may lose visibility if we were to breakdown in the bush.
Essential 4wd Upgrade- The Winch
That weekend we decided to take a break from 4WDing, or so we thought. At 10pm my wife’s sister’s boys are stuck with a broken down 4WD in the exact same spot as our flat tyre in the high country. Now when I say broken down, they had burned out their wiring and had no engine, no power assistance for steering or brakes, and were basically just a dead weight. Their mates (who had not acted like mates), had driven off and left the boys to await a toe.
It would be our 4WD to the rescue!
The boys were definitely relieved to see us, with our 4WD winch in toe and prepped for any recovery. It was a slow haul.
We attached their car to ours with straps, my 4WD was up front and we slowly winched their 4WD out. Then after each climb, would carefully lower them down the other side.
Climb by climb, decent by decent, re-attaching our winch again and again as we got further along the track, we got the boys out of the High Country. It was 2am, we were all exhausted, but we had made sure the boys were not stuck out in the bush. The best 4WD winches (product/winch/) can get you out of all sorts of trouble. I also definitely got bonus points from the boys for my 4WD!
About the Author
Steve is a local in Gippsland on weekends and public holidays. He is either out&about in the bush or in the high country in his 4WD.
When he does have the time to get away on holidays he ventures to the Grampians or up to NSW with his wife in toe. Steve’s 4WD supports a lavish roof top tent, so when he wants to get away with his wife, they throw all they need in the back and just drive off.
On weekdays you will find him at work at High Country 4WD, the home of Ironman in Sale (https://highcountry4wd.com.au/) You might just say he lives and breaths 4WD’s and will always be up for a chat about what a 4WD needs.
Recovery Tracks for any 4WD
Essential for when you are bound to get bogged, stuck, or your son is driving.
The last time I got my recovery tracks out, it was completely avoidable. It had been a while since we went 4WDing and we were all a bit excited. My son, a little too excited.
The first mud crossing came up for the day. There was plenty of room to the left to drive past and miss it completely but wanting to brand the 4WD with mud, my son drove right through it.
Only it was not a simple mud challenge. Out came the recovery tracks, and quite soon we were driving again to better 4WD tracks.
When accidents happen, having the essential 4wd recovery gear allows the recovery to be fun. Without the recovery tracks on board any small ‘challenge’ could ruin the day.
On the bright side, we laughed at my son the entire time as he set to work getting the 4WD unstuck. It also made for awesome photos because with the right recovery 4×4 gear it is easy.
Air Compressors for managing 4WD terrain
The High Country terrain is tough on tyres and it is best to lower the pressure in your tyres when climbing over rocks and boulders to increase your grip. However, once the fun is over you need to re-inflate those tyres.
With a good air compressor, you can easily re-inflate your tyres once you hit the bitumen for better safety and control of your vehicle.
Being able to deflate your tyres makes all the difference on 4WD tracks, and having an air compressor makes it easy and safe to re-inflate once back on an open road.
First Upgrades For 4WD’s
After all our 4WD adventures, I cannot image 4 wheel driving without a high-lift jack, winch, recovery tracks and an air compressor on board. For any beginner 4WD enthusiast, it is important to carry this essential 4WD recovery gear https://highcountry4wd.com.au/product-category/vehicle-recovery/). I may not use them every time but when I need them, I am thankful that I have them.
4wd High Country Victoria
Some of the tracks out in the High Country are steep, aggressive, and unpredictable. Often you don’t realise the nature of the track until you are on it with no turn-around options. I know I feel better knowing I have 4WD recovery equipment on board for the safety of the crew.