4x4 Mag - Basket Case Vehicles

Basket Case Vehicles

written by John Deaville

It seems that there is more of a tendency for people to turn up at Off Road events with a 4x4 of all shapes and sizes on trailers. One reason being that they have scoured far and wide, for a 4x4 that they can Off Road in and not bother about how much damage they do to it. You only need to look at the back of off-road mags or the Autotrader magazines to see how many old Landrovers are offered for sale as "good off-roaders", basically MOT fails with big wheels and tyres and a "roll cage" built from scaffold tubing ! What they do not think about is how safe the vehicle is they are driving around in, sometimes in the most extreme of off-road circumstances. For the safety of themselves and others all vehicles must be safe and in a roadworthy condition, it's not just a case of buying a "shed" and putting it on a trailer and then turning up at a pay-and-play-event.

Off Road Clubs are either ARC or RAC affiliated and as such have a strict safety standard to follow, i.e. all vehicles must be either R T Vs (Road Taxed Vehicles) or go through a scrutinering test, to make sure they are safe to drive in off-road events. The scrutineers undertake training courses and everything is carried out to a strict code of practice. If these vehicles are not safe then it's like taking your vehicle for an M O T, and it failing it must be put right and checked again before entry into the evet can be granted. Even down to an insecure battery under the bonnet.

So why should people be allowed to not only risk their lives but the lives of others, by driving around on an off-road event in a 4x4 weighing considerably more than a family saloon, with perhaps little or no brakes, a chassis that is rotten and fit for only scrapping, and perhaps many other numerous dangerous defects which are not clearly visible.

We all know how easy it is to break things with out trying, but they must be kept up to a certain standard. Seat belts fitted in all vehicles and fastened in properly, as its no joke being thrown about with no means of being fastened in, even an ordinary seat belt is better than nothing. These seats need to be held in with the correct amount of bolts, not with a selection of mis-matched self-tapping screws and speed clips ! And what about those who leave all kinds of equipment under the seat ... when being thrown about those self-tappers will not hold the seat in place. More precautions should be taken to make sure your vehicle is safe and will not fall apart at the slightest hole you hit while off roading.

Other things that seem to be ommitted are windscreens, not a very good idea not to have a windscreen, it may look good but no-windscreen and no-goggles/helmet is a recipe for disaster. Just look what happens to a windscreen when hit by a flying pebble on the road. Just think what that would do if it hit you in the eye ? Ever had a branch spring back and hit the windcsreen/windscreen pillar ? Fancy that on the side of your face, or your passenger in the face ? Do these people consider safety, do they engage the brain as well as the 4x4 lever ?

By this point you may possibly consider I may have an axe to grind regarding sensible vehicle preparation, and you could say I do, not because I'm some kind of fanatic, rather because there's many people like myself who enjoy attending non-competitive events which are not ARC/RAC club organised and there's a concern that some people do attend try and attend with "basket case vehicles". For safety's sake make sure your 4x4 is safe to use.

Remember, every time you use your 4x4 off-road wear and tear occurs and accelerates any weak parts or failing components, so check the vehicle over after each off road event. So if anything wants repairing it gives you plenty of time to put it right. You must remember that things can go wrong when you least expect it, like the rolling over of your vehicle when coming down a steep gradient. It's quite funny watching people get out and laugh, I bet they don't laugh when it starts to go, wondering what the outcome is going to be and where it will end up ... more like screams of terror than cries of laughter ! So why laugh and joke saying "quick take a photo" and "shall I try again, to see what happens". These kind of people we do not need at any sort of 4x4 event, as it only takes one fool to kill or seriously hurt someone. All precautions must be taken to make sure all equipment is safely stored away, as there is nothing worse than a "D" link flying around the cab on a piece of rope looking to see what damage it can do. So for safety's sake and the safety of your passengers make sure everything is stored away, and your vehicle is SAFE to drive on any 4x4 event you may wish to partake in.

Next month we'll be looking at ways to prepare your 4x4 for off-roading.