Offroad driving tips for a novice

Hello all,

Little Suzi, the pavement princess, will take us to the Mull Rally next week. mullrally.com/
We've never been offroad together, but she was bought for this purpose, as my partner now has limited mobility and can't make the hike to the far flung places on the island we like to visit.

I have no experience of offroad driving and could use some tips before we go.
I'm hoping Little Suzi will take us all the way down the dirt tracks onto (and off!) the beach(es).
Does anybody have tips for a novice?

Take it easy, take it slow, put it in Low before you go down hills. Try not to use the brakes, correct gearing gives you better control. Make sure you have a capable 12v airpump as you will need to lower pressures off-road and then raise them again for the bitumen. I go 26psi on highway, 14psi off-road. This gives you a bigger footprint for more grip/traction and allows you to float over sand.

I'd give water crossings a flick until you know better. Shallow creeks are fine if there is little water flow, but you should still walk across yourself before putting the vehicle in.

Over time you will mod the vehicle to suit your lifestyle. Just ask questions, you wont appear silly as we all started out newbies. Always travel with others as you never know when you will require a "tow-out" plus it is good to get into the social side of travelling off-road.

Most of all, have fun. This (4wd) is a lifestyle choice and not usually a necessity so enjoy the outings, meet people and make new friends.

If you take it on the beach, don't ever park below the high water mark

Beach sand can be nasty, sometimes it is hard packed, sometimes it is like quicksand, but it looks the same to me. Also it can change from firm to slimy as the waves start coming in. (Yes I've got bogged down in beach sand, was very lucky to get out without losing the car.)

Thanks for the tips.
I didn't think about tyre pressures, and I'll certainly keep her well away from the sea.

I assume I should use 4WD on grass, mud, or other slippery surfaces. But the manual says don't use 4H or 4L on hard surfaces as it puts stress on the drivetrain. What about something rocky & uneven like this?



Stick with 2WD unless it's wet? I don't want to break her, first time out.

with a situation as in the photo, personally i'd try in 2wd, i tend to stay in 2 wheel alsong as able before switching to 4wd,

but i think 4wd on that kind of sufface would be fine as the tyres would still be able to 'skip' to release and tension in the system as they skip across the rocks,

looks like a great little place to drive, where is it if you dont mind me asking?

if you fit manual free wheeling hubs of an sj you could use 4wd low and it will only drive the rear wheels