Follow These Off-Roading Tips To Avoid A Tow

If you’ve ever gone off-roading, you know how much fun it can be. If you haven’t yet tried it, or you’re preparing for your first time, get ready for the excitement and adrenaline rush! 

But don’t leave the beaten path without paying attention to some important guidelines. Otherwise, your day could end with a recovery tow — not the memory you want of your first off-roading experience.

Know Your Vehicle

Whenever you go off-roading, your vehicle takes a beating. It’s true, high-powered SUVs and trucks are not designed to stay on smooth pavement permanently, but you still should know the your vehicle’s capabilities before you put it to the test.

The first fact you’ll want to know is its ground clearance height — that’s how much space you have between the ground and the vehicle’s underbody. If the underbody scrapes against rocks and dirt, it can cause major damage.

You also should know the vehicle’s approach angle, breakover angle and departure angle. The approach angle is how steep of a surface the vehicle can climb without hitting the front bumper. The breakover angle is a measurement of the steepest hill crest the vehicle can cross over safely. The departure angle is the steepest surface a vehicle can descend without harming the rear bumper.

Know the Landscape

Next, make sure you are familiar with the trail beforehand. If you’re new to off-roading, you will have to practice reading the landscape and anticipating hills, bumps and other obstacles.

It may help you to drive through a trail for the first time with a friend — someone who knows the terrain well and can warn you before your vehicle stalls out in a mud pit or ravine.

Pack the Right Gear

If you’re scared of getting stuck, off-roading might not be the sport for you. You’ll definitely need another vehicle to help tow you out of the mud or water at some point — it happens to the most experienced off-roading experts, and some even consider it part of the fun.

What you want to avoid is getting so stuck that you need professional towing. You can bypass this risk by packing the right gear in your vehicle, including a heavy-duty, off-roading tow strap and durable gloves to protect your hands.

It also doesn’t hurt to pack extra fuel, water, snacks, a headlight and flashlight and a blanket, in case you do get stuck and need to wait for help.

Travel in Groups

One of your best defenses against needing a professional tow is to always go off-roading with a buddy. If one of you becomes immobile, the other can help tow the stuck vehicle out. It’s also safer, in case you suffer any injuries, to have a friend nearby who can get you the medical help you need.

Don’t hesitate to call Stauffer’s Towing if you need recovery assistance during an off-roading adventure: Our team knows just what to do to extract any vehicle quickly and safely.