How to Prepare Your Car for Off-Road Trips
How to prepare your car for off-road driving
From towering mountains to open deserts, rocky wadis to rolling sand dunes, nature is a car enthusiast's playground. Off-roading in the UAE is very popular among adventurers. As a sport, hundreds of people go to the dunes on weekends and derail their vehicles.
But if you want to explore the great outdoors, how do you make sure you're up to the challenge? Here are five tips from Al Futtaim Auto Mall to ensure your vehicle is ready for an off-road trip.
Have your car serviced
Off-road driving can be very tiring for a vehicle. So when you take your car into unfamiliar territory, make sure it's up to the task. Heading into the weekend, a “health check” at your local service center should be more than enough to verify your vehicle is ready for the rigors of off-road driving. But a full service is recommended if your plans include a longer foray into the wilderness.
Check your tires
If you don't have the right tires for the terrain, you'll get stuck in the first dune or in the muddy path. If you normally drive your vehicle on tarmac, it may be worth upgrading to a set of off-road tires so you can scramble around without skidding or losing traction. You need to achieve your off-road goal, so your tires also need to be properly inflated to cope with on-road driving.
Once you get off the tarmac, it might be time to ease off the pressure. But when you're done exploring the wilderness, you'll need to reinflate those tires (and if you get a flat tire, you'll need to reinflate your tire after the repair). That leads us nicely...
Wear the right gear
From a spare tire and off-road tire to an air pump, a small shovel for digging out a sand trap, a first aid kit, food and water, spare parts (including gas), salvage trails and most importantly a sleeping bag, pack as much gear as you can think of that you will need them for your journey. Think about the type of terrain you will be tackling and pack accordingly.
If you think you're wading some deep rivers, it may be worth attaching a snorkel so the water doesn't flood your airbox and get you stuck midstream!
Tell people where you're going
When you go off-road, there's always a chance you'll get into trouble. Make sure you tell people where you're going, how long you plan to travel, and which route you're taking so emergency services can find you if necessary. Make sure your onboard navigation system is fully operational and take a paper map with you in case you lose your GPS signal.
Check if you have the right car
All of this advice is great, but the bottom line is: do you have the right car to drive off-road? Putting a set of off-road tires on a Nissan Sentra isn't going to get you through that wadi or over that dune. For off-road trips you need the right vehicle. SUVs are the obvious choice. They have higher ground clearance, so you're less likely to fall to the ground. The suspension has more travel to deal with rough terrain while ensuring the ride is as smooth as possible. And they have four-wheel drive and even "crawler gears" to tackle steep hills with ease. Look for examples like the Mitsubishi Pajero Midline or the rugged Jeep Wrangler that has an attitude of being anywhere and doing anything.
If you've always dreamed of driving into the desert but still drive a sloppy sedan, why not upgrade to something more off-road capable with Al-Futtaim Automall. Check out our range of SUVs and book a test drive online today.