Some good ideas and tech advice for vehicle prep

While surfing around the other night, I found this "down under" website - guess some of you may have seen it before, but there's some good ideas and tech advice for alsorts of off road, trekking stuff - feel a few projects coming on.

ExplorOz

The Articles section is well worth a browse around.

Hi

Having had a quick look at pics of previous event there are a lot of modified and standard vehicles so what's the general view on must have equipment?

Already got lift, mud terrains and skid plates but should I be adding recovery points, rock sliders, lights etc?

What have you guys done?

Cheers

Nickwalk...

If your modding just for the rally you can get away with just good recovery points. The off roading aint too severe.

Course the more you have the further you get.

Skibum

Nick, You have a Jeep. No Worries

Glad to see someone else carrying the flag this year for Jeep.

Seriously, as Frank says front and rear recovery points are useful. If the off-road bits are the same, rock rails would be useful to protect your sills.

And a big roof rack!!!!!!

Rally can be done in a standard truck.
The off road stuff last year was do-able without risk. At the end of the day, you have a 3000 mile round trip to complete, so nothing is going to be forced on you to risk not completing it.
Better to spend time and effort giving the truck a good service and check over in the weeks leading upto the start and rationalise a spares list.
Most of last years entrants completed the event without any mishaps. Those who did suffer any were generally down to "over enthusiasm" on the off road stages but the correct spares carried soon rectified the problem.

Thanks for the response guys and kinda figured I could get away with the standard mods. Did a trip to Morocco and through the Sahara some years ago in a Grand Cherokee and really went to town on that one!

Will be having a nice chat with my favourite off road garage (whilst also going after some sponsorship!) soon so will look to add bits and pieces to get the Commander ready.

If only there was a garage to prep your small child for the event also...

NickW - The points are covered well by Nick & Steve. There are some difficult bits of off-road; but nothing is compulsory, only the start & end of each day.

The clue is we have families taking part and roll cages are not needed - this is a fun touring assembly (the fun being had by the organisers Ha) with the 'unknown' being thrown in by your very helpful organising team!!!! Ha

Your focus must be on reliablity (Jeep = no prob). AT tyres will do the job - and make the long hauls quieter than MTs.

nickwalk wrote:

If only there was a garage to prep your small child for the event also...

Toys R Us

evo4x4 wrote:

Your focus must be on reliablity (Jeep = no prob).

Never thought I'd see the day when someone else said that on here apart from me

I did it in a Disco3. Only mods were a sump plate and ATs. As a couple of people will attest, that was plenty enough for the trials course (nil penalty points and a "respect!" from some other drivers).

Your Jeep will be perfect for the rally.

NoDo$h wrote:

Your Jeep will be perfect for the rally.

I wouldn't go that far!

First I've heard of any 'respect' being given by other drivers to Alan. I heard other words and (kind!) advice being offered but for sure not 'respect'

Skibum346 wrote:

NoDo$h wrote:

Your Jeep will be perfect for the rally.

I wouldn't go that far!

Some of the Land Rovers DIDN'T go that far

Just saying the Jeep will do the trick, not that it's better than my D3

evo4x4 wrote:

First I've heard of any 'respect' being given by other drivers to Alan. I heard other words and (kind!) advice being offered but for sure not 'respect'

Cheeky beggar. 'twas just before the drunken mayor of the ville decided to shut the road

nobody was getting any respect on that occasion and certainly not from the mayor,although even under utmost provocation, I managed to keep calm and refrain from showing him "UK respect" ie decking him

Aye a 'Glega Kiss' was on the cards................but I couldnae get doon tae his level