Really what possesses people?

[trekster]

Really wanted to slap this guy today, not for getting out there and having a go but being by himself with a young kid as well. Imagine if he got stuck would have been a long walk home, We only saw him and the jeeps in the whole day so he was very lucky to find someone willing to take him out and help out if he got stuck.......

[Ben-e-boy]

Did he need recovering or help doing these hills

[Hodge]

Really wanted to slap this guy today, not for getting out there and having a go but being by himself with a young kid as well. Imagine if he got stuck would have been a long walk home, We only saw him and the jeeps in the whole day so he was very lucky to find someone willing to take him out and help out if he got stuck.......

That is the more annoying part, bringing kids with him in an unsafe matter etc, , and wasting other keen helpers' time draggin' him out.

[mudski]

Yeah came across a guy with his wife and kids in a Audi A6 Wagon past Sheepyard flats heading towards Tobacco flat and the slate mine. Yes! An 80K car trying to get up the start of a 4x4 track. Right next to him was a big sign saying 4x4 Only. I asked him what the hell he is doing and he just smiled and said if I press this button I can lift my car 2inches. And asked me if I thought he would make it. What I should have said is "Yeah sure mate, I'll follow and film you and when you get stuck I will just smile and wave". Stupid me told him he would make it.
Same weekend we followed a stock Rav4 attempting Monument track. A very rocky downhill section, there was a bow wave of rocks in front of him he was pushing whilst doing this downhill part.
Was an amusing weekend.

[NP99]

When out trail bike riding a few years ago, on some pretty gnarly loose & steep tracks up in the high country we met two girls driving a an old Volvo station wagon in what was definitely 4wd country. No idea how they had managed to get there, but they did look like they were enjoying themselves.

Cuppa

As long as they were having fun

[trekster]

Did he need recovering or help doing these hills

No as we were descending, however there was real risk here for him to either get snagged up on a mound or just slide all the way down and make for a nasty accident....

[Kast]

Gday lads,

I can see all sides to this but have to agree on the safety front.

Xtrails, whilst not a top tier 4wd, are pretty darned capable. All this does is encourage a false sense of security. That's no excuse for proper understanding, knowledge and preparation.

On a recent trip to Coral Bay a mate and I stopped to dig out a brand new colarado. All the options (but no the recovery gear) bogged up to the armpits 50m onto the sand. First time we went around he was stuck but letting air out (for the first time). We did a 20min lap and on return he'd aired down and was throwing rocks under the fronts.

My mate threw in the maxtraks, which can't quite help someone bogged up to their .......
Some decent digging and muscle to push and 15min later he was off the beach and done for the day.

My long winded message is threefold:
1. It's not the equipment, its the person operating it

2. Smarts and common sense can outdo $$$ and technology in most cases

3. Eyes wide open. Anything else and you're in someone else's hands. I'm pretty sure we've all got the same preference on that one.


Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk 2

[Clunk]

I have to say...... I used to own an XTrail and took it to places that the big boys thought Id have no chance in hell, they were quite impressed at how capable the little thing was. Yes they did it with ease and yes it was harder work for me. But its all about picking the right line and taking your time................... oh and I never got it bogged on the beach either.

and yes, I no longer have the Xtrail because I wanted to go where the big boys went and I definitely couldnt

[Drewboyaus]

I have been guilty of the same thing, many years ago I took a Datsun 1600 down to blowhole beach in deep creek conservation park.
Got down there ok but had lots of tries before finally getting back up again with a few sill and back quarter panel dents.

Go the Datto 1600. Awesome little cars! Me and a mate flogged a 240Z up a bunch of gnarly tracks up Bunyip way when we were young and stupid.
Also having seen Xtrails and Ravs in action in the hands of skilled drivers they are very capable units....no Patrol but capable none the less.


Tip tip tip......tap tap tap....

[trekster]

My long winded message is threefold:
1. It's not the equipment, its the person operating it

2. Smarts and common sense can outdo $$$ and technology in most cases

3. Eyes wide open. Anything else and you're in someone else's hands. I'm pretty sure we've all got the same preference on that one.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Couldn't agree more!