Rover Holic

Here are our guidelines for off-roading. This list is not comprehensive by any stretch of the imagination, but it represents what we have compiled from years of off-roading. Also, there are no guarantees.  Even if you follow all of these instructions, some mishap may still befall you.

Vehicle Preparation

1. Make sure your vehicle is in proper working order. If in doubt, take it in for service.
2. Check your tires for excessive wear. You will get stuck with bald tires.
3. Remove your running boards if you have them. The have a tendency to get torn up when driving off road.
4. Wax your vehicle. Use a good Carnauba car wax. This will help protect your paint from being scratched while driving off road.

What to Bring

1. As a common courtesy to others, be self-sufficient. Don't depend on others to always to come to your rescue. Here is a list of things that you should bring with you each time you go off roading. 
2. First Aid Kit
3. Sunscreen
4. Mosquito Repellent
5. Fire Extinguisher
6. Orienteering compass or GPS (in case you get lost)
7. CB Radio or FRS Radio - Different groups use different radios, so check with the Trail Leader.  Bring your cell phone if you have one. However, you cell phone may not work in much of the forest.
8. 1 gallon of extra water for each person in your vehicle. Bring enough to drink and to use to wash up in the event that you fall face-first into that really big mud puddle.
9. Food - Bring enough food for you and everyone in your vehicle. Bring enough extra to allow for something unexpected to coe up.
10. Map of the area
11. Tow Strap - Carry a 2" nylon tow strap between 20' and 30' in length
12. 2 D Shackles rated at least 12,000 lbs (3/4")
13. Receiver Shackle Bracket - fits into your 2" receiver hitch and allows you to attach a D Shackle for recovery.
14. Tools - Bring a set of hand tools in order to make trail-side repairs. Also bring a shovel to dig yourself out and a saw to cut up any debris that may have fallen onto the trail.
15. Clothes - Be prepared for in climate weather. In Florida, that means rain gear in the summer. Also, wear sturdy shoes; boots are best.

What Not to Bring

1. Here is a list of things NOT to bring: 
2. Hitch Ball - These things are terribly dangerous off-road.
3. Alcohol - Alcohol and vehicles don't mix.
4. Guns - Most forests forbid visitors to carry fire arms inside the forest; even if you have a concealed weapon permit.
5. Chains - Bring tow straps instead.

Off Road Driving Tips
Here are a few rules of thumb to follow:

1. Only engage your differential lock when absolutely necessary. Keeping your differential locked will dramatically increase the wear on the drive train and tires. When approaching a difficult section of terrain, stop to engage your diff lock. Proceed through the difficult section, stop again, and unlock your differential. If you have not used your differential lock, ask one of us. We will be more than happy to go over it with you.
2. Go as slow as possible; as fast as is necessary. Hot-dogging will only get someone hurt and it will tear up your vehicle.
3. When driving off road in soft sand, air your tires down to about 20 pounds of pressure. This will make your tires softer and allow your vehicle to float on the top of the sand rather than digging in. It will also make your off road driving experience much more comfortable as your tires will help absorb bumps, etc. Be sure to carry a tire pump (manual or battery operated) to air up your tires when you are done and a tire pressure gauge. Do not drive over 40 miles per hour on under-inflated tires. They will overheat very quickly.
4. Keep your gear stowed securely. When driving off road, things will move around. Avoid carrying hard-edged items (steel tool boxes, shovels, etc.) around loose in your vehicle. Use soft-sided bags to keep items neatly stowed.
5. Use common sense and your own best judgment. Avoid situations where you do not feel comfortable. Do not do anything that you are not comfortable with.
6. Do not be afraid to ask for help!

Trail Etiquette

1. Always keep the vehicle in BACK of you in sight. Stop when you loose site of that person. The person in front of you will do the same. If you have a CB, notify the Trail Leader that you are stopping to wait for another person.
2. If you get stuck, it is the navigator's responsibility to hook up the tow strap.
3. When driving on-road, turn on your lights to let everyone know that you are in a convoy. If you need to pull over, only do so when there is enough room for everyone behind you to pull off as well.
4. Never go off by yourself. This is just common sense.
5. Always let someone knows where you are going and when to expect you back.
6. Follow the Tread lightly guidelines and stick to existing trails.

Deep Water

1. Read your instruction manual on deep water wading. Range Rovers and Discoverys are not designed for deep water. Most North American Spec Land Rovers are equipped with V8 engines and computers (ECU, etc.) that are not designed to work well under water. The wading depth of a Series 1 Discovery is about 20". Be sure to read you manual as the wading depth of your vehicle may be different.
2. Once water gets into any electrical or drive train component, your vehicle is headed for serious repairs. If your vehicle is in water for any period of time, chances are water will be sucked into every component below the water line.  One unlucky owner of a Series II Disco got stuck in about 30" of water and had to leave it in the water overnight. The resulting repair bill was in the neighborhood of $20,000.
3. If you think you may be going through water deeper that 12", tape up all gaps in the weather stripping on the bottom of the door frames with duct tape. This will help slow the flow of water into your vehicle.
4. Turn off all electronics especially the air conditioner before entering water of any depth. Running the A/C causes the supplemental electric cooling fans (in front of your radiator) to kick run. As soon as you hit water, the electric fans will pick up the water, force water through the radiator, and completely cover your engine with water. This causes a great number of stalled vehicles. It is guaranteed to stop yours.
5. Speed is very critical when wading through water. Going too fast will push water up into your engine compartment. On a most newer Land Rovers, this means flooding the electronics (including the ECU) and stalling the vehicle. Going too slow will cause the loss of momentum and cause you to get stuck where you might have otherwise made it through. When entering deep water, ease into the water until your front bumper begins to push the water out in front of you. Then gently accelerate to create a small bow wake in front of your vehicle. Match your vehicle's speed to the bow wake. You want to follow the wake; keeping your bumper just behind the peak of the wave. This will help to keep water out of the air intake.
6. If you are planning to play in water, by all means, read what you can on the subject, watch a video or two, and seek the advise of an expert.
7. Do not be afraid to take your vehicle to the dealer after playing in water. The peace of mind you will get from a check up will be well worth the money you spend.

Vehicle Recovery

1. The best recovery method is prevention. If you feel that you are getting stuck, stop immediately. Most of the time, you will be able to back out of whatever you got yourself into. Do not try to force your way out of a situation. Brute force will only get you in deeper, making your recovery that much more difficult.
2. Always be very careful when recovering another vehicle. If you are inexperienced, seek the advice of an expert. Most offroad accidents happen when trying to recover a vehicle.
3. Once you are stuck, take a breath and examine the situation carefully. It is not critical to rescue the vehicle right away. An extra three minutes is not going to change much unless you are in 3 feet or more of water or in quick sand.
4. When using one vehicle to recover another, use a recovery strap specifically designs for the purpose (a 2" or 3" recovery strap should suffice for most vehicles). Do not use a chain, emergency tow rope, jumper cables, etc.
5. Always fasten the recovery strap securely using D shackles to the specially designed recovery points on both vehicles. Please note that the recovery points on the front of all Discoverys are very weak and will break easily. The safest way to recovery all Range Rovers and Discoverys is to attach a shackle bracket and D shackle to the Class III receiver on the back of each vehicle. Be sure to purchase these items before you head into the forest.
6. Have one person provide instructions to both vehicles. Make sure that person is standing in a safe place. This way, both vehicles will work together as a team. Neither driver will be able to hear the other over the noise of their engines during a recovery.  It might be a good idea to practice a few hand signals before the recovery is attempted.
7. If possible, keep the vehicle being recovered in neutral and allow the towing vehicle to do all of the work. This is usually makes for the safest recovery.
8. Always let the recovering vehicle (the one not stuck) to do most of the pulling. You do not want the vehicle being recovered to come flying out and crash into the other vehicle. Remember, if you were in mud or water, your brakes will not function fully until they have had a chance to dry out.
9. Perform the recovery using as little force as possible. Do not try to pull the other vehicle free using brute force. You are more likely to break something or injure somebody.
10. Stop and uncouple the vehicles as soon as you are free of the obstacle. The second vehicle has a tendency to run over the tow strap.
11. Do not use a hitch ball as a recovery point. The recovery rope has a tendency to work itself free from the ball during recovery. Additionally, the ball itself can break. It was not designed to take that level of abuse.
12. If you are outside the vehicle during a recovery, stand well clear of both vehicles. If something breaks, the strap and miscellaneous debris will be coming at you carrying about 5,000 lbs of punch. You should be at least two vehicle lengths away from all vehicles during a recovery.