bt50 wrote:Side B crew has some good runs....link up with them
Pajero supposed to handle well....more than likely you will need to have AT tires at the very minimum (see if you can get hold of some Sumitomo Serengti or Firestone ATX)...for more serious offroading MT's...
Word of Caution-dont rush in and look to get fully equipped re winch, lockers, this, that etc...try the van out and you will know its capabilites and then you adjust to suit...
As you're new I suggest you do some research on offroad driving techniques etc so you are aware of what to expect on a trail....
I can guarantee you that the frist time you drive offroad it will get into your blood.....lol
Feel free to PM if you need any advice etc
Enjoy
^^ what he said.
First upgrade that's usually recommended is a set of good all-terrain tires. Doesn't have to be the most expensive, just try to get the best that your budget can allow for.
Tyres on the more budget friendly end include - Hercules Terra Tracs or RoadtStone AT II (approx $800-900 for one) , and the higher-end includes Kumho KL78 ($1125) and BF Goodrich AT K/O ($1600).
Like BT-50 said, don't worry yet about getting suspension kits, MUd Terrain tires, winches, snorkels, etc. etc.
**** LEARN TO DRIVE & HANDLE YOUR VEHICLE FIRST *****
Yes, a fully kitted out truck will get anyone in a trail and you'll be able to do lots more than a stock van - but for an inexperienced driver, this usually means you'll get stuck further into the trail, and usually get stuck a lot worse than everyone else (where you'll need much more expert help for recovery, plus you'd risk losing the truck depending on where you got it stuck and how unrecoverable it is).
Perfect example - there's a story of an inexperienced young driver who drove a frontier, got fully kitted out - lift kit/suspension, snorkel, bumper, winch, etc. etc. A dream truck for most of us offroaders. Same afternoon he picked it up from the shop, he went and got the truck DROWNED in the Las Cuevas river (even with a snorkel). ALmost unrecoverable, and the stupid driver panicked and tried recovering it, damaging it even more. Had to call in expert help, and even they said that the truck wasn't at fault - it was the inexperienced, impatient and also possibly quite stupid driver (who just got his license).
Now, note this - I AM NOT calling you stupid or anything like that, but what I am recommending is that you learn to handle your rig first then start upgrading from what you feel needs to be upgraded. I myself took my brand new (3week old) Navara with highway tyres and open diff, got it badly stuck on a mountainside with a 40-foot-drop to the ocean right next to me. From that day on, I promised myself I would learn every single thing I could about handling my truck, learning how to recover myself and others SAFELY and how to read a trail and find the best path. After that, we've gone on many, many runs and I have only gotten stuck once or twice after, cuz I had to tow someone out and dug myself in.
However, I would still like to know if the Diesel Boys are still in operation. From what I'm seeing on this forum, they haven't made a run in a long time. Doing a search, I have seen that they have done runs with small sections of offroading that I prefer at this time as I do not know the capabilities of my Pajero. Can you answer for them? Is there a website or facebook page I can check for them?
No, I can't answer for them. I'm the president of Side B and we are a completely different organization from the Diesel Boys and have no affiliations.. They haven't made a run in a while and I honestly cannot say if they are in operation. I've been in contact with a couple of their members a few times, but as for their organization, I don't honestly know, wish I could help you.
If you are interested in a run with them, you can send a PM to a couple of their executive members:
- biggy82
- Venum
- Sweeks (CEO)
They will have more information for you.
As for Side B now, yes, we have a few runs planned this year. Not all of them will be hardcore, some will be easy and Grade 1-2 and thus friendly for beginners. You are quite welcome to come to any of our runs. Some WILL be hardcore (as much as road-going pickups can allow) and you are welcome to these as well. Oh, and we'll be having an off-road rally later on this year that's open to all categories of vehicles, however it's catered for those with minimal off-roading experience (but with higher-grade offroading options for the more seasoned vets - i just hope their vehicles are caiman proof!) so anyone can join in (even an AWD CRV or Rav 4 could be able to run it). It'll be more about fun rather than hardcore offroad, so stay tuned for that!
We always try to teach those who are looking to get into off-roading how to do it safely and how to handle their vehicles. In fact we've had a "Training Day" session last year which was very well attended (25 trucks!) where we taught recovery techniques in one of the hardest trails - Las Cuevas. Everyone made it out safely and we got a couple new mud-addicts out of it. As a side, we also taught First Aid on the beach after the mud-stage.
So, if you're interested in joining Side B on a run, feel free to put your name down on the next Roll Call list and send any of us a PM:
- lighthammer
- Droppa
- 3stagevtec
- Jeremy Mohd
Or come join our Facebook group -
Side B - Keep On Truckin'Hope that helps man, and hope to see you soon.
Anyway, we'd look forward to having you on a run with us..
