Ain’t nothing better than taking your 4×4 ute off-road for an adventure and a bit of pure adrenaline rush! Heading over to the bush or beach tracks… There’s nothing quite like it. But hey, it’s not like we can just decide one day that we’re going to take off off-roading without a thought to whether our baby is prepared for it. You don’t want to damage your ute, do you?!
Of course not. That’s why we’ve got to prep the ute before we take her off-road on our next adventure. That’s why we’re offering up the top tips for budding adventurers to make sure their cars are in tip top condition before they head off.
Get your ute in shape now!
Before you take off safety check
This is the most crucial part of your journey, checking that everything is in order before you set off. Here’s a list of your must do’s:
- Check engine & transmission oil
- Check your brakes
- Check coolant
- Check your tyre pressure – essential for off-roading
- Check tyres aren’t balding
- Check your winch and its cable, for emergencies
- Check your fan belt
- Check shocks
If you don’t know where to start with all this, then there’s no shame in taking your ute down to the local mechanic, informing them of your off-roading plans and getting them to get your ute a once over safety check up. This can save you time as well as leave you stress-free – don’t you have better things to worry about?
Accessories
Have you kitted out your ute with all the accessories that you will need for your off-road adventure? Are you making the most out of your tray? Do you have roof racks for carrying extras? How about a bull bar? A ute lid?
If you have a new ute you might like to consider adding some of these extras before going on your very first off-road adventure. The better equipped you are to start off with, the more smoothly all your off-roading will go in the future. A bull bar, in particular, is a really good addition to your ute if you plan on going off-roading a lot. You may often be whacking into bushes, or even hit the odd roo or two, and a bull bar can really protect your car from damage.
Your survival essentials
Do you have everything that you need should you have an accident or breakdown, out of mobile phone range? While a satellite phone can be a great investment in these types of emergencies, you should also pack a survival kit to ensure your safety.
Items that you should include in this survival kit are a first aid kit, some warm clothes for if you get stuck overnight, plenty of food and water, a spare tyre as well as your jack, a toolkit or boss leatherman, tow straps, jumper cables, a tarp, matches and/or a lighter, and a torch.
It’s always better to be safe than sorry when headed out for any sort of adventure, especially in our harsh Australian environment. While you might think you’ve got it licked over those tourists who end up getting stranded out bush, if you haven’t checked over your car before taking off, packed your survival kit, and, most importantly, told some people about your plans, then you too could wind up stranded – it can really happen to anyone.
Safety is the name of the game so prep well and prep early. Get your ute ship shape before you ship out, whether you’re going it solo, with a mate, or as a family off-roading trip.
