What Should I Know Before an Off-Road Trip (Photos)
Hi, and welcome to the wonderful world of Wranglers. For all of you who haven’t had the pleasure of taking your JK out for an off-road romp, please allow this to serve as a helpful aid with do’s and don’ts to help you to have some fun.
1. The Basics
First things first, if you are thinking of going out and having some "getting to know you" time with your Jeep all alone, we strongly advise against it. We don’t doubt your skills as a capable adult, but there are bad situations you can get yourself into in a hurry when you’re learning. There’s a bunch of information you can pick up before hand, such as what gear you’ll need for various situations, recovery techniques, off-road preperation, and what to do on the trail. We also suggest taking some time to looking at all corners of the Jeep, and the underside too. This will give you an idea of where all the corners and low hanging bits of your vehicle are. With this info, you can maneuver in a way that will cause zero to minimal damage to your Jeep.
2. Watching Your Step
Knowing where to tread lightly can be your best bit of advice, once you find yourself traveling off the beaten path. Watch for trails that have ratings such as easy, medium, and hard to gauge your skill level. However, even easy trails can have some tricky sections that’ll make you consider turning around, so take your time. If you’re new to four-wheeling, then the cliffs or any surface next to a ledge with loose gravel, is not your friend. If you find yourself in trouble, don’t be afraid to ask for help from a fellow off-roader that may be traveling by. There is no shame in knowing when you’ve bitten off more than you can chew.
3. Fun in Numbers
I think a prudent thing to do, would be to find a local Jeep club in your area and meet up with that group for a solid day of fun. Most groups welcome new people to their clubs with open arms, and this also solves the never go alone rule.
4. Steady as She Goes
Okay, so you’ve met up with a great group of folks, and are out having fun, when you come to a steep face and feel your anxiety building. Take a deep breath and relax. Now that we have that out of the way, just put your Jeep in 1st gear and 4LO. In this gear, the engine will do the majority of the work for you, rather than you having to brake all the way down. There will be some situations where you’ll need to apply some braking but when possible use the engine to slowly creep down a hill.
>>Join the conversation about What Should I Know Before an Off-Road Trip right here in the JK Forum!
5. A Little Preparation Goes a Long Way
Before setting off to wet, dirty, mudding activities you may want to get out some type of lube first. Enthusiasts recommend spraying the frame and underbody with cooking spray, WD-40, or Armor All, to make the cleanup post mudding easier. If you are thinking of going through water crossings just make sure your air intake is higher than the water, and if it looks like you might have a problem taking a line, then don’t do it. If you have a manual transmission, then for the love of everything holy DO NOT disengage the clutch when in deep water or mud. If for whatever reason, you stall it underwater, pull the clutch interlock fuse and start it while it’s in gear. If you happen to completely submerge your axles then it would be good for you to change the fluid there.
Off-roading is fun and a challenge of mind over matter. Have fun and be safe out there.
For help with service and maintenance of your Jeep, checkout the how to section of JK-forum.com
