Would like to try an off road park for the first time...any tips?

Hey guys. Been involved with autocross for a while, and recently began going to track days. However, in an effort to experience other parts of the automotive world, I recently leased my first SUV and would like to try it out at an off road park. I live in Akron, OH and have discovered that there is such a facility about 1.5 hrs from where I live. I am looking for any input or advice on what a beginner needs to know/bring for such an excursion.

The vehicle in question is a 2015 Cherokee Trailhawk (yes yes, I know...FCA abomination etc etc...it was inexpensive to lease and I actually kinda like it...)

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

If it is an unsupervised trail, be mentally prepared to break-down or get stuck somewhere where the recovery is going to cost a lot of money. This may not be as big an issue if you are going to a place that maintains the trails for this purpose and charges for the privilege. Rescue might be included in the price.

You want an air pump of some sort as you may be lowering the pressure in your tires.

Jacks like this can come in handy if you need to get the car unstuck by jacking and putting stuff under the wheels.

Things get banged-up off-road, did you say this was a leased vehicle?

Yes, it is. In doing my research, I found that this particular off road park seems to have a "beginners" area of some sort, which doesn't seem to have the drops and obstacles that typically damage a vehicle on the trail? Of course, I'm a noob so I'm not really sure...this is just what I understood from what I read.

I bet the ORV park has a calendar of some sort that would let you know when certain 4x4 clubs were going to be using their trails. Hook up with one of those groups and you'll have tons more fun. Plus there's usually a barbecue afterwards.

wheeling by yourself sucks (you'll be too afraid to try anything that might get you stuck because of the recovery, and if/when you DO get stuck there's no one there to help)

Otherwise I say "just go" (just like your first autocross). After the experience you'll have a better idea of what to bring next time.

Also just like your first autocross: Watch the lines people are taking, try to understand why and choose a similar line based on your vehicle's capabilities vs drawbacks (ie: Open diffs, clearance, etc)

Have fun man!

maybe start with an organized trail ride with similar vehicles. Tires and air pressure make huge differences in how well things go. Pay attention to trail markings and stay away from the ones indicating body damage likely (they aren't kidding). Also for a leased vehicle, consider the likelihood of paint/body scratches from branches, shrubs, etc. For equipment, mud boots, tow straps, very sturdy tow hooks/shackles. The parks I've been to have recovery vehicles patrolling and provide free recovery service unless you've really made a mess of it (one park had an excavator to pluck out the really extreme stuff. Beware of mud pits and even big puddles. Some look deceptively shallow, but can be a bear to get out of - also trails can be pretty narrow. We had a jeep TJ with a 4" lift and 33" mud tires (open diffs) and a winch. It collected a few scratches even on light trails.

If/when you get stuck and have tobe extracted, insist that you connect the strap (please, no chains) to your vehicle, that attach to theirs.
Be familiar with your vehicles recovery points.

Go by yourself. Bring a Hi-Lift jack and a tow strap (you can use the jack like a come-a-long).

Bring food water if you think you'll need it.

Don't be afraid of getting stuck, it'll happen and you'll learn more by getting yourself out of a situation rather than having 20 other vehicles and 40 other people to bail you out.

ebonyandivory wrote: Go by yourself. Bring a Hi-Lift jack and a tow strap (you can use the jack like a come-a-long). Bring food water even if you don't think you'll need it. Don't be afraid of getting stuck, it'll happen and you'll learn more by getting yourself out of a situation rather than having 20 other vehicles and 40 other people to bail you out.

FTFY

Never underestimate the depth of water or mud.

Given this your first adventure a high lift jack may be more of an expense than you are willing to endure. Be sure to bring an air compressor, long tow straps and a come along. I always had a come along, tow strap, and a bottle jack. Never had a problem with the CJ5 or the 4runner, neither did my wife and she brought home a tree (another story)

Also bring a first aid kit. Nothing worse than getting hurt, by yourself, with no way to fix it.

Take time to read the terrain. 90% of off roading is knowing how the trail will pitch you. You will get this wrong and that is half the fun.

Patience is key. It's not a race. Enjoy!

Try to find some one with a similarly capable vehicle to go with. I dont recommend wheeling alone. Another vehicle makes life much easier if you get stuck, plus you have some one there if you get hurt.

As stated above, a good tow strap and come along should be in there. Also the tools necessary to put on your spare tire in the dirt. The factory jack wont be good enough. I personally dont care for the hi lift jacks and think they are mostly unnecessary. Beside that i wouldnt worry to much about tools and gear.

Bring a cooler with plenty of non-alcoholic beverages and some food. Offroading takes a lot more out of you than you might expect. Also sunsreen and bug spray is important. One of those nice plastic floor mats would be a good idea since you have a nice vehicle. Dont take it too seriously, start with easy stuff and work your way up. You will have fun.

I doubt that a leased SUV will have anyplace on the exterior that isn't plastic covered so the high lift jack will likely be useless. However. Something other than the factory one will be required if you have to change a tire. Maybe an aluminun floor jack?

For extraction gear bring a tree save strap, a come along, and clevice connectors that are strong enough to pull out your vehicle plus a multiplier to cover the weight of the mud and your particular stuckness. I'd say this is double the vehicle weight. Check to be sure you can get to a solid point on the dreams before you go. Wallowing in mud and feeling around with your hands while buried in a puddle of mud is not the time to figure that out.

Bring lots of water. Both for you and the truck. You will likely gut mud in the radiator area and that can make the vehicle run hot. A couple gallons of water on hand to wash that off helps.

And get some good seat covers and heavy duty floor mats! Thus is a lease vehicle!

I just noticed that this is a lease (how did I miss that) I hope you have a liberal damage waiver on turn in. Scratches, little dents and dings happen...alot

I wouldn't recommend going alone - even if you have a winch, self-recovery is time-consuming and no fun compared to being quickly pulled out by another truck. And going with someone else means that if something really awful happens, you're not alone in the middle of nowhere.

You want to bring basically all the same stuff you'd bring to an autocross, plus:

• Recovery gear
• More food & drinks
• First aid kit
• Even more tools and repair stuff due to the consequences of a breakdown. Duct tape, zip ties, hose clamps, all that stuff.

My first and only off road excursion (about 30 years ago) involved getting stuck in a mud hole about 10 miles from the entry point. It was in a Blazer if I recall. We killed the starter with the truck stuck to the frame-rails in the middle of the mud-hole. Had to walk out to the road, hitch a ride to a phone to call a friend for help. After buying a new starter, we finally found a tow truck who would pull us out for $300. Problem is he wanted another $100 to pull us to the road. Did not have $100 so we had to fix truck at the edge of the mud hole. I still think of that tow truck operator as one of the all time douche-bags I have met.

This all took a couple of days and a lot of time. Decided that there were better ways to spend time and money.

Yes we were young stupid and unprepared.

In reply to itsarebuild:

That's why I mentioned they can be used as a come-a-long.

I once went on a charity fundraiser trail ride that put you with a lot of strangers. Most of us had pretty well built, well equipped trail rigs. One guy in our group had an xj that he had bought for $400 and slapped a set of used mud terrains on. He had as much fun as anyone there. It may be something to consider if youre worried about banging up your lease vehicle.

Gearheadmb probably has the right answer here. Chances are you will spend more getting protection for interior stuff, clean up, and scratch repair than you would buying a used Cherokee. You can go trail riding in a car and keep it clean, but you won't have as much fun as the other people at the park.

I know I wouldn't take anything expensive offroad. Stuff breaks, paint gets ruined, interiors get extremely dirty, dents are formed...no environment for a shiny new truck if you want it to stay that way.

While I enjoy off-roading at specialized off-road parks, I wouldn't take a leased vehicle. You will break something, whether it be paint, suspension, tires, etc.

If the "beginners trail" is a true beginners trail, then it should be wide open and free from debris like overcrowding trees, rocks, etc.

I have no doubt taking a Cherokee Trailhawk out on the trails would be fun, but just expect some form of damage.

If you decide you still want to do this, don't go alone. Definitely try to get in with a club that does trail Days. Most of those folks are pretty helpful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6VrLTrC_Is

Watch this about 3-4 times. It's meant for cars that have gone off into the woods, but works for stuck vehicles as well.

We have lots old closed roads or seasonal roads around here. Nothing extreme to do damage but rough enough to have fun.

When I had my KJ, I spent many hours exploring them.

SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote: While I enjoy off-roading at specialized off-road parks, I wouldn't take a leased vehicle. You will break something, whether it be paint, suspension, tires, etc.

Yea, this has bad idea written all over it

In any case, DON'T GO THROUGH BIG SPLASHES/MUD PUDDLES. This always seems to surprise people, seals can and do allow water and mud and grime into the driveline. If you submerge axles/diffs, be prepared to change the fluids out of them.

HiTempguy wrote: In any case, DON'T GO THROUGH BIG SPLASHES/MUD PUDDLES. This always seems to surprise people, seals can and do allow water and mud and grime into the driveline. If you submerge axles/diffs, be prepared to change the fluids out of them.

Depends. If your gearbox/TC and diffs have the little springloaded caps that close when they hit water (they're sucked closed by the pressure drop), you can splash through just about anything and even get away with very brief wading (like under 10 seconds of submersion before crud gets sucked past the seals). Anything more than that and you should hook up diff breathers, then you can practically wade as long as you want.

Even if you have diff breathers, trucks that wade should get their driveline oils checked frequently - just drain a little off the bottom and if it looks watery or muddy at all, change it. I've only had it happen once (on a gearbox with a springloaded cap) and I've done plenty of wading and splashing.

I want to try my hand at some off road driving in my delica as well. I have very limited experience in off road driving. As in I have never done it. I have been off road, but never behind the wheel. I don't want to abuse my delica, but I do want to use it as intended. One of the problems is there are no tow hooks on the van. I added a trailer hitch to it that has three receivers. I was thinking the outer two could be used as attachment points for d rings but then I remembered the hitch is held to the unibody van with 4 M10 bolts and 2 maybe M14 bolts. Maybe not the strongest mounts. They are 8.8 grade bolts, but still.

watch out for 4 wheelers and dirt bikes as they usually pay no attention and just expect you to stop for them. Depending on what park your going too they offer recovery services but its very exspensive. i recomend going with atleast one other vehicle with similiar or slightly better capabilitys, a good tow strap, a come a long and a full size spare. a small jug of water and a squeegee are also very helpful if its muddy. I occasionally miss 4 wheeling until i remember what it really costs!