Dave Darmody, owner and lead trainer of The Australian Offroad Academy shares some great beginner tips for off-road towing.
We all want to get away from the crowds, the further the better. Just the bare minimums required for survival – a 1980s Hilux, a couple of blankets and a few bags of Jerky. It’s the perfect escape plan!
Although, a warm sleeping bag and a mattress would be good, and I’d really like a comfy chair. Next thing you know your other half wants to join and bring the kids. The jerky is just not going to cut it for maintaining family harmony.
So now you’ve got a trailer. Loaded to the gunwales with nothing but the essentials (and some spare essentials), hitched up to the family wagon and it’s time to get away.
Let’s explore a few off road towing tips to maximise family fun and minimise drama.
There’s some pretty slick marketing in this offroad escapism world and sadly, there is no shortage of “Offroad”, “Extreme” and “Tactical” adjectives-as-nouns around every corner at every camping show.
Truth be told, the further off road you really want to venture, the more compact and nimble the towing trailer needs to be. If your trailer’s drawbar is nearly as long as your car, then you’re limiting your manoeuvrability in the tight and twisty stuff.
Unless you are custom building your off road towing trailer, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to exactly match your vehicle and trailer track width. The advantages of having your trailer follow in your vehicle’s path are many. This doesn’t need to be a deal breaker, but it’s certainly a consideration worthy of well…considering. Whilst we are matching our tyre width, let’s consider the advantages of literally matching your tyres and rims. This gives you spares aplenty, and also a place to put your ‘still pretty good’ tyres when you rotate them off your 4WD.
Towing mirrors – not just a thing that other people heading off road should have. The legislation on the fitting of towing mirrors is pretty clear. But outside of what the law requires there are just good, practical reasons for being able to see clearly – behind you.
Well-built, non-rattly and non-shaky extendable mirrors are an asset in handling your 4WD and trailer when towing off road. Although, be aware of narrow gaps between trees. You may need to fold them in now and then! Being able to see more of what’s happening down the side of your 4WD and trailer, and even what’s in front and behind your trailer’s tyres when turning and twisting does great things for your ability to accurately put the trailer where you want it – and keep it away from the sharp sticky and rocky things.
It’s harder, but not hard. It’s more complex, but not complicated. Whether you are brand new to off road towing or reckon you could drag your camper through three stages of the Dakar next year, there’s really nothing lost by slowing down. Noone’s saying “do 60 on dirt” (though maybe for the bit of dirt you’re on 60 may be too fast). We’ve all heard the very simple and meaningful term, ‘drive to the conditions’. It’s excellent advice. Sadly the condition least discussed is the skill and experience of the driver (these are not necessarily interchangeable terms). Corrugated roads need some judicial tyre pressure adjustments, smooth inputs and an acknowledgement that the family of five without the trailer, who just flew past you, are literally driving the same road as you, but under different conditions.
Feel free to go ahead with your airbags and GVM upgrades – all excellent things to consider at some stage. But there really is no argument that keeping the weight down across your fourby and trailer has tangible benefits, particularly when it comes to off road towing. There’s certainly a tendency amongst many to pretty much pack up all the best bits of their house and cram them all into the camper. By all means pack some comfy chairs, warm sleeping bags or blankies. Pack those things which will enhance your valuable time away with the people you love – but avoid the perception that you simply must have everything, all at once.
It’s a big big place this country of ours and there is definitely something for everyone. And then there’s another place for everyone on your next trip, and the next, when you are a little wiser and a whole lot more confident.
Maybe we’ll see you out on the tracks somewhere, or relaxing in that comfy chair in a really quiet spot with almost no other humans around.
Dave is the owner and lead trainer of The Australian Offroad Academy based on the Fraser Coast and operating all over Australia.
