Off-road Driving
Land Rovers? Made for difficult terrain - mostly never driven anywhere but tarmac. They are immensely capable vehicles. The network of green-lanes in this country provides opportunities to access parts of the countryside not otherwise accessible (by me). Unfortunately, they also provide access to a small, but significant, number of morons who are hell-bent on causing damage.
The Green Land ASSociation (GLASS) has a defined set of rules for enjoying green-lanes. These essentially boil-down to: be safe; be considerate.
I always go out on organised trips: it’s not unknown for us to finish the day having brought back barbecues, folding chairs and (once) a gazebo left behind by other users. More often than not, we have to move - and then report - fly-tipping to get through.
It is also an excellent means to get into the countryside people who may not otherwise be able to access the areas.
Many of the videos below are on Salisbury Plain - although some idiots with very agressive tyres and/or deliberately poor driving do manage it, generally speaking it is more difficult to ‘damage’ with a car an area driven through by tanks and lorries.
The vehicle.
As well as my daily drive, my Range Rover Sport is used to drive off-road and as a ‘tractor’ on our small-holding, towing harrows, flails, etc., In addition to the standard features, it has:
- Wrangler Duratrac tyres
- Raised air intake
- LED light-bar
- Auxillary driving and fog lights
- Easylift kit (+55 / -20 over standard settings)
- Terrafirma 18000 lb winch with synthetic rope, fitted to a discreet mounting-plate
- Pair of cable dampeners
- 28 t tow-rope with proof-tested shackles
- 12 t proof-tested shackles
- 9 t pulley
- Tree-strap / tow-rope
- Entrenching-tool
- First-aid kit
Now with 18” steel TuffAnt wheels and 265/65/18 Radar Renegade LT tyres.
Discreet winch?
The Terrafirma winch mounting kit is a ‘discreet’ mounting kit, i.e., the winch is not a prominent feature of the car. To make it even more discreet, mine is hidden behind a SpeedFlip numberplate device controlled from inside the car.
Video Gallery
Ford on SN7532-02
Brechfa Forest
A bonus late summer trip.
Brechfa Forest
Solo exploration
Crossing a Ridge
Only two wheels on the ground.
Ford on SN7532-02
Lovely Welsh Hill
Great views from the top
Roman Road
"Red Road" between Trecastle and Llandovery
SN7532 02 2
Woodland track
Mid Wales 1
Mid Wales 2
Mid Wales
Three punctures - only two spare wheels.
Dunlop Hill
Historic hill-trial venue
A muddy crossing...
A helpful farmer had ploughed the byway. I still got through, despite being on standard tyres.
Salisbury Plain 2018
This includes a bit of a swim at 16’ 20 s.
A large amount of tilt.
One of the times I have really started to worry about tipping over.
South Wales
Yes, it does go through a golf-course.
Strata Florida
A part of the old road. I came back with a boot-load of rubbish collect en-route.
Wiltshire Downs
Some rather overgrown gorse scratched the paintwork of the car.
Mid Wales, ‘17
More Wales.
Salisbury Plain
A trip around the Plain.
Salisbury Plain
On Salisbury Plain in the Td5.
Getting muddy
On Salisbury Plain in the Td5.
Salisbury Plain
On Salisbury Plain in the Td5.
Salisbury Plain
On Salisbury Plain in the Td5.
Salisbury Plain
November 2019
Mid Wales
November 2019