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Well, what
can I tell you? We went to Rougham to marshal the 4WD side of the Kite
Festival & All Wheel Drive Show. Full of trepidation over what we
would find with their track record, what a surprise to find so many Kite
visitors wanting rides in our Land Rovers! What busy little people we
all were over the two days, as you will read elsewhere. More
importantly, how generous the visitors and more importantly our drivers
were; some clocking up 50 miles over the weekend! More on that
elsewhere.
I had an
email recently from a contributor whos article I hadn’t used, despite it
being sent some time ago. I apologise for that, and maybe I should
explain. I know I scream, shout and stamp my feet when nothing is coming
in, but it’s just typical that, like London buses three or more articles
will turn up at the same time. That is without a doubt, Manna from
heaven but then the trial scores and write up appear, followed by an
article allied to a topical story such as Matt’s volcano visit last
month. Suddenly two or three months have gone by and the other article
which arrived earlier hasn’t had an airing! Well worry not dear
contributors, I greatly appreciate all the material forwarded to me and
will endeavour to get it into print a.s.a.p. I fully appreciate the
lengths you may have gone to and the time taken, and fame if not fortune
will be wending its way inexorably toward you, I promise.
In other
words, thanks for everything you send, it’s all gratefully received, I
will print it, but it’s just down to timing.
This month
Phil Griffith gives one of his amusing views of his day at Rougham.
AndyC gives the low-down on the recent winch event and we have some
excellent Rougham feedback. Events this month include Wings, Wheels &
Steam, Ladies Charity Driving Challenge and the Extreme Winch Event.
Now read
on… DEANO
Top
At the
recent committee meeting the subject of Dogs in the Clubhouse was
raised. I have to say being a dog owner myself I fully understand and
agree with the decision taken. I know there are lots of dog owners in
the club but we must be aware that food is both prepared and eaten
within the clubhouse. Also the fact that children sit on the floor when
the clubhouse is full are good enough reasons for me to support the
decision taken by the committee. I hope you will all agree that this was
the correct action to take.
I recently
took part in the Novice winch challenge and what an excellent event it
was too. On behalf of the club I must say a massive thank you to Ralph
and the team for setting up this challenge. It was definitely the best
event I have taken part in with the club for a long time. Amazingly both
Andy Cutting and I came second. The event was supposed to be a team
friendly non-competitive event. However with a majority of the
competitors being club marshals this was never going to happen, so a few
dirty tricks and lots of heckling ensued and the odd bit of cheating
when the marshals were not looking. I must own up most of the cheating
was mostly done by me. All in all an excellent event, Next one
please!!!!!!!
This
year’s show season began on the May bank holiday weekend at the Rougham
large model air show. Despite the poor weather we had a good turnout of
club members doing their bit for both this year’s charity and the club.
As usual the company was excellent and a good time was had by all. The
new course has been dug and what a nice course it is too. As usual my
impatience got the better of me so the planned 7pm gathering to try out
the new course went out of the window, I crept over at 6-30 and started
playing, I had a great time before everyone else arrived. I feel sure
everyone who attends Rougham Airfield’s ‘All Wheel Drive Show’ will
enjoy driving both the new courses.
Well as
you may have seen on the Forum I have been in discussion with the
Suffolk Show organisers on behalf of the club to have a presence at this
year’s show. Unfortunately due to planning reasons and being so close to
the show date they could not fit the large Land Rovers in this year. So
this event for us has been cancelled, however Little Rovers will be
there raising money for our supported charities. But it’s not all doom
and gloom, I had an excellent meeting with the event director and his
staff who are very keen for our club to be at next year’s show. They are
going to give us a permanent course for future use, so we can defiantly
pencil in next year’s date 1st and 2nd June 2011.
Happy Land
Rovering
Tony
Williamson – Chairman
^Top
Well,
after broken promises getting to Rougham Airfield last year we finally
made the All Wheel Drive show on the Saturday. A fairly full Disco with
Derinda, Tina my eldest, Mark her partner, plus two grandsons, and of
course our long suffering German Shepherd Tess doing her bouncing dog
impression in the back. Arriving just in the nick of time for the
briefing, we once again performed our usual trick of turning up in the
wrong colour T shirts (Heartbreak Ridge is one of my fav’ films -
DEANO), standing out like a pair of Zimbabweans at a BNP rally.
After the ever efficient run through the plan for the day, and having to
sign in, simultaneously remembering both registration and membership
number, all before my second cup of tea, I drew the Green Lane road
crossing position in the marshalling lottery.
I do like
keeping the vehicle to hand, but outvoted six to one; I was
unceremoniously deposited at the road crossing, and waved a worried
farewell as the Disco disappeared in the distance towards the kites.
However, I settled down with Dave, my co-marshal, chatting about life
and Land Rovers, and life was good. But as soon as we set up, our hi-viz
jackets seemed to act as a magnet for every passing motorist, mostly
intent on using our gate as the entrance. Then the first of the
owners/drivers started coming through, together with the public ride
vehicles, and our world became a busy place.
My Disco
rumbled back a bit later, in response to my earlier request for my much
needed cup of tea and breakfast burger, and although the tea was
actually coffee, by this time I was past complaining. But the Disco had
a queue behind, so had to cross the road to the Green Lane entrance to
let the other vehicles past. What happened next is still a bit of a
mystery to me; but Tina said something about ‘Mark might as well drive
the Green Lane course now’, and ‘you don’t mind Dad, do you’. Somehow my
‘What!’ and ‘No!’ was interpreted as agreement, next thing I knew I was
giving a 30 second crash (apt choice of words!) course in off-road
driving. My overwhelming desire to get back to my working breakfast had
somehow over-ruled common sense.
I am
reliably informed what happened next, and I must admit I can picture the
scene. Wayne walked up for the chat to establish the driver’s abilities,
obviously anticipating some degree of expertise from the vehicle
stickers, asking if it was in diff-lock low. ‘What’s that’ was the
reply. Don’t you know your vehicle, was the next question. ‘I’ve never
driven it before, and it’s not my vehicle’ was the answer. Have you ever
driven off-road, just produced a ‘No’. Various descriptions of Wayne’s
reaction at this point include ‘speechless’, ‘dumbfounded’, and ‘walked
off looking at the sky, breathing deeply’.
Meanwhile
I was enjoying breakfast, whilst considering a replacement vehicle, and
working out who in the Club would be passing Beccles later in the day
and had six spare seats and room for a dog. It was a while later whilst
Dave and I were sat in the middle of the entrance giving traffic
directions to the local population, that I thought I heard the word
‘Tina’ bellow from Dave’s CB. I pretended not to hear, but there it was
again ‘Has anybody seen Tina’. I got up and walked over and listened to
the CB chatter and sure enough, marshals had formed search parties
looking for Tina, last seen wandering away from a bomb hole. It later
materialised that, whilst Tina trusts Mark explicitly at 150mph on a
Fireblade, on sight of the first bomb hole she had jumped out the
Disco.
It was
around a half hour later that Tina appeared like some sort of epic trek
survivor walking out of the forest towards our road crossing, I could
almost see the swirling mist clearing and hear the Top Gun theme in the
background. She recited tales of vertical drops of frightening
proportions. It appears she had been rescued by a knight in a dirty
Land Rover, only to be dropped by the roadside again as she wouldn’t
stop talking. Meanwhile the Disco returneth, with Mark having a
permanent Cheshire cat grin on his face, muttering about buying a Land
Rover. Dave and I resumed our human sat-nav role, the Disco was safe,
and the world returned to normality.
It was
during lunch that I hatched the Disco preservation plan – I would drive
it myself, and keep it out of harms way. As Derinda was reporting for
her ‘meet & greet’ stint in the marquee, I enquired if drivers were
required on the off-road course, which was met with much enthusiasm. So
after a quick reconnoitre lap to acquaint myself with the course, I was
kept busy with a constant stream of punters.
I have
noticed in the past that the guys with the 2” lift attract the skinny
pair of young lads and I always seem to get the triple generation
bunch that have trouble getting the seatbelts around them. The effect is
that my standard suspension adopts a 2” drop onto the bump stops, which
is a great disadvantage.
Nevertheless, all the public I carried appreciated the experience, with
frequent shouts of fear mixed with delight.
One guy
quizzed me about if he ought to drive his Disco 3 around it, and we had
some meaningful discussions on AWD. All were entertained by the owner
drivers getting stuck cross-axle and we watched the many failed hill
ascents, whilst the 6 wheel Thorneycroft style recovery truck
demolishing the obstacles was a sight to see.
It was
only after it had all quietened down that I noticed my nearside rear
quarter bumper was missing, lost in action, not to be found (You’d
think - Ed). The day finished with a trip around the Green Lane run,
but with the child locks on the back doors. All passengers counted in
and out.
Parked up
in Tesco’s in Bury on the way home, I was stood by the Disco in my new
orange T shirt, pondering the age old mystery of why women spend so long
in supermarkets. A Disco 3 screeched to a halt, reversed back, and a guy
with a big grin on his face leant out the driver’s window and shouted ‘I
did it!’. A fitting end to a good day, just need to find a quarter
bumper on eBay now… (Fair enough Phil, I’ll put it up there for you
to have a bid on then! - Ed)
Phil
Griffith
Grand
total for this event:
£1274.31
Thanks to
everyone who helped make this event such a success
^Top
26th / 27th June - Bentwaters
Due to
popular demand, we have again been asked to provide the 4x4 element of
this year’s Ladies’ Charity Driving Challenge by Frank Turmel of MEGA,
the organisers. So if you have never participated in this very popular
event, now is your chance.
We are
asking you, as members, to provide your Land Rover for a succession
of ladies to drive around a mild off-road course whilst you act as
co-pilot and driving instructor, giving instructions and advice as
required.
The event
this year will take place on the weekend of 26 and 27 June 2010 at
Bentwaters Park, Rendlesham (the old RAF Bentwaters site) and the
weekend is divided into four sessions (two morning and two afternoon)
and we are looking for a minimum of 18 vehicles for each session. This
will enable us to handle the largest sizes of group plus allow cover for
breaks and give the ladies a choice over which vehicle they drive.
Volunteers should be on-site for 8am and the day will finish around 6pm.
(If you can only help out for half a day - that would be fine too)
We are not
just looking for 4-seat mud-pluggers, either. Instead we are looking for
a range of Land Rovers from Freelanders to Series, Discos and Rangies,
modern Defenders and those that have been customised. Breakfast and
lunch is provided and the organisers will reimburse reasonable fuel
costs against a forecourt receipt. Both the organisers and SLROC are
fully covered by the appropriate insurance.
Sorry,
no passengers or spectators allowed and we are looking for
experienced off-roaders as you will be required to give a level of
instruction.
If you are
willing to come along and help us out at this very popular event, please
pass your details to Robin Beadle who is assisting by compiling the
names this year.
^Top
This annual event is intended to give novice drivers, who have a winch,
an introduction to and also a taste of the Challenge Events.
‘Non Extreme’ may well be a matter of opinion, but the sections are
specifically designed to be achievable for those with a standard vehicle
and winch. So how did everybody get on this year? Before I tell you, I
will quickly explain the scoring system. Each section is laid out with
plastic tape tied to canes and posts. Vehicles are permitted to touch or
run under the tape, but the tape must not be broken. In each section
there are two orienteering punches tied to a cane on a cord. Teams must
punch their scorecard, which is cable tied to the off-side door mirror
of each vehicle. For each punch the team receives 50 points, so for the
9 sections the maximum possible score would be 900 points. Penalty
points are deducted from the score on each section by the marshals for
infringements such as breaking the tape or safety infringements. There
are no time penalties so this is not a speed event.
So back to the day, and this is the part where you wish you had picked a
sensible team name!
Dave
illegible 150 points, sadly only one and a half sections completed
before a blown solenoid on their Milemarker winch forced an early
retirement. A great shame as a Milemarker should have done very well,
but on the positive side no penalty points. H.W.W.W 170 points, sadly
another retirement after just two sections completed. Team Stu-pid 170
points, three sections completed by the Blue Ninety which had
overheating problems and a flat battery ended their day. Lillie
Challengers 530 points, the big Bonetti Grey One Ten, which I have a
soft spot for as it’s similar to the vehicle I owned some years ago.
This really is a big truck for this type of event and the team did very
well bearing in mind that apparently this was the first time they had
worked together with a winch. Dream Team 550 points, Tim and Dave
working well with the Milemarker and a good consistent score with no
penalties. Fast Show 580 points, a good day for Jed and Dan despite
alternator problems, nicely equipped vehicle with gear stowed on the
bonnet for good accessibility. Donkey 620 points, credit to Adam and
Lewis for finishing the last three sections on the starter motor after
their clutch stuck. The B*tch is Back!! 680 points, Alan and Pat had
problems with the immobiliser sticking on, but still a very good score.
Suffolk and What!! 700 points, Tony and myself, we had to retire with 3
sections still to go due to failed winch motor. Power Rangers 890
points, congratulations to Chris and Si driving HAG with 8 sections
completed with just 10 penalties.
As a
participant I didn’t get much chance to see the other teams, but I’d
just like to make a few comments and observations based on my experience
of the day.
This
really is a team event and it is essential that the driver and his
‘Winch Wench’ work well together. This is of course much easier said
than done and good communications are vital. It doesn’t matter what hand
signals or shouts you use, but they must be understood and acted on
immediately by your team member - I liked the rolled up soft top on
Tony’s Ninety as I could stand anywhere around the vehicle and we could
still see and speak to each other. I also found the remote control
superb as I could control the winching standing any distance or angle
from the vehicle. It’s a good idea to make sure you both know where all
the gear is stowed and how it all works before you start - Jed keeps all
the kit stowed on his bonnet so everything is to hand. The driver is not
just the driver – sometimes you both need to be rigging or stowing
equipment rather than one standing or sitting around waiting (The
Challenge boys might disagree, you don’t call them a Winch B*tch for
nothing!). This is a winching competition, there is always a clue in the
question, so even if a section looks drivable you should think about
getting the gear ready before you start a section.
I would
like to thank all the marshals and those that set up, as for me at least
this is probably the most enjoyable event of the year. I would encourage
anybody who has a winch to come and have a go next year.
Words -
Andy Cutting. Pictures from David Rolfe
^Top
I thought
I’d post up some of the emails and comments I have received or found
online in the last few days, relating to this event:
Dear SLROC,
I would like to just say a big thank you for making me and my wife very
happy people today at Rougham Airfield. We turned up in our Lightweight
Land Rover having never experienced an off road course before and were a
little wary of what to do or even if to chance breaking our beloved
lightweight. I can only describe the kindness and patience of your
marshals as outstanding, our marshal walked beside our lightweight and
talked us through each section, giving us the confidence to try more, it
truly opened our eyes to what our lightweight is capable of, the marshal
was excellent. We went round two more times on our own, using all the
skills we learnt on that first guided tour and thoroughly enjoyed the
experience. We moved onto the greenlane section after that and breezed
the challenges there again thanks to the excellent tuition recieved. So
to sum it up, thank you very much for an excellent event and for a
service that we have very rarely experienced before.
Paul and
Corinna Clarke
Dear SLROC,
I would like to thank all the kind members who made Saturday 15th May a
most enjoyable day for myself, wife and son.
It was probably the best £10 I have ever spent. Well worth it.
In particular I would like to thank the gentleman (I am sorry but his
name escapes me) in his Blue P38 Range Rover who took the time to show
me around the green lane course and tow me out when I got stuck!
All the members (without exception) were very polite and helpful - such
a rarity this day and age. Everybody seemed to enjoy themselves.
Perhaps I will save up and purchase a Land Rover after all.
David,
Suzanne and Niles Schilder
Hi Dean,
I thought it was a good little show that shows a lot of promise, if you
could get some traders for next year and a decent sized auto jumble I
think you'd have it made, the only other things that would have made it
better would be some mud and water!
I would just like to say how helpful and friendly I found all the club
members I spoke to, and they all looked like they was having a good
time, I'd like to find a club that friendly a little nearer to home.
Howard
MudClub
Forum
“It was brilliant, !!”
“What club organised the off road areas ? as i would like to personally
thank them for such a well organised event.
I took my Jeep out for its maiden off road voyage, i had some excellent
advice and instruction from an organiser and a Marshal at the bomb hole
on the green lane trip.
I got out and had a look at the drop and said ‘wooh no way, never been
down anything that steep before’.
After talking with the Marshal and listening to his advice about the
line up, i decided to go for it.
I’m glad I did, and I know I would not have tried it if it wasn’t for
such good advice to make me feel safe.”
“It was a good weekend
Suffolk Land Rover Owners Club set up the off road and green lane
experience and they done a good job too!”
Norwich
4x4 Owners Club Forum
“it was a good weekend and slroc done a good job, i took full advantage
of the off road course and greenlane
hope it goes ahead next year, i think it could be advertised better next
time from roughams side”
“was a brill weekend, bit dodgy organising fri evening when ppl arrived
as nobody had a clue where to go!, after that the organising was brill
fri and satday, we were updated a lot which was good, very friendly
staff and a lot more traders stands were needed as i wanted to go
shopping ha!! its ok though mansfields have my shopping list now for the
110! the off road course was brill and also the greenlaning too you all
did a brill job. beer tent was top too btw
cant wait for next year, and ill try to advertise it as much as poss”
So not a bad cross-section of views, well done people!
DEANO
^Top
Wings, Wheels & Steam Show
Rougham Air Field 26th & 27th June
Hot on the
heels of the All Wheel Drive Show - our most successful Rougham event to
date - we will again be using the excellent course on the North side of
the runway, which is right in the thick of the action. We need the usual
drivers. loaders, unloaders and people to sign on please: The more the
merrier!
Camping
available from Friday night and we will have a static display if you
don’t want to drive around. So please help us raise loads of money for
our charities:
EACH TREEHOUSE APPEAL
and
CANCER CAMPAIGN IN SUFFOLK
We realise
this event clashes with the Ladies Charity Driving Challenge, but as not
everyone likes other people driving their Land Rover we hope this will
not cause a problem.
Perhaps
you might fancy a day out at each of them. We’d love to see you there,
helping us raise loads of money once again. For info and passes please
contact DEANO (details pg 3) Thanks go as always, to all who have helped
in previous years at all of our shows.
MSA Regulations Changes 2010
In light
of recent changes to MSA regulations, we have had to make some changes
to our MSA events and these are listed below. The Road Taxed Vehicle (RTV)
trials will now be called Cross Country Vehicle Trials (CCVT) this
allows the same 3 classes of vehicle as exists, within our event
Supplementary Regulations. The TYRO will become Cross Country Tyro. Both
of the above events will require any participant to be in possession of
a current SLROC club membership card and full driving licence, except
where Supplementary Regulations specify otherwise.
Any club
MSA event involving use of a winch in a competitive nature, whether for
self or team recovery, will require any person participating in
the event to be at least 18 years old and the holder of a current SLROC
club membership card.
Any person
wishing to drive at winch events will also need a full RTA
driving licence and be the holder of a MSA non-race clubman licence.
Any
person wishing to apply for a licence to participate in the winch events
should contact the MSA for a licence application pack from: Online at
www.msauk.org Or by post from: The
Motor Sport Association, Motor Sport House, Riverside Park, Colnbrook,
SL3 0HG
Or the MSA
can be contacted by telephone on 01753 765000. And ask for the
competitors licence section. Any queries on the reclassification of
these events should be addressed in the first instance to the club’s
Competition Secretary Terry Gant
A Note About Ages
Due to the
reclassification of events noted above and the fact that we cannot run
‘TYRO/Junior trials’ anymore, here’s a little clarification. The
Supplementary Regulations for TYRO trials allow the participation of 13
years and upwards, provided they are accompanied by a Full RTA licence
holder with previous cross country trial experience, unless driving a
‘Class 1’ type vehicle or soft-top where the minimum age is 15.
Similarly in CCVT, 17y.o’s may compete provided they are accompanied by
a Full RTA licence holder with previous cross country trial experience.
It is up to the competitor to ensure they are familiar with the SR’s.
The vehicle may only be driven between observed sections by a crew
member who holds a valid full RTA licence.
Trial Classes
Class 1 -
Modified
Class 2 -
Coil Sprung
-
90/110/130/Range
Rover/Discovery
-
All
vehicles 100/110” wheelbase allowed 1 shunt per section.
-
Vehicles
over 110” wheelbase - 2 shunts
Class 3 -
Leaf Sprung
Passengers At Trials ?
It is only
natural that our intrepid trial drivers both new and ‘seasoned’, like to
show their prowess to their family. It therefore seems worth mentioning
just whether passengers are allowed or not!
Cross
Country Tyro Trial
-
More
than one passenger can be carried only if the driver has a
Full RTA licence.
-
Under
16’s should provide a consent form signed by parent/guardian
-
All
passengers must wear an approved seat belt, and face forward in a
properly fixed, upright seat.
-
The
passenger sitting alongside the Driver during sections must be at
least 12 years old.
-
Passengers
who occupy the rear seats of the vehicle must not be less than 2
years of age, any child under 12 years of age or 135cm in height
must be seated using an approved ‘child restraint’.
Cross
Country Vehicle Trial
-
Only
one Passenger aged 16 or over may be carried on a vehicle.
-
Exceptionally,
the SR’s may reduce the minimum age to 14, providing the vehicle
is fitted with seat belts and either a manufacturer’s hard top, a
truck cab, or a rollbar.
^Top
I make no apologies for repeating this article once again. While
most members now have an idea what is required for their vehicles, new
members may not, and this is therefore aimed at helping them.
Wayne Peck, stalwart marshal and Scrutineer was speaking to me at
one of our driving days. He was unhappy at having to turn away three
vehicles that had absolutely no recovery points, or were too dangerous
to be driven around the site (and yet they were driven there!). I'm not
going into details of who these members were (they weren’t happy), but
Wayne thought that a short summary of basic preparation might avoid this
happening again. It’s a difficult subject to broach without sounding
patronising so we hope you will all take this the right way.
Wayne's First Law
First off is something that should be on your daily checklist:
Wayne spotted a battery lying on its side with no clamp in sight! Now
come on people you shouldn't be waiting for the MOT to come around for
the inspector to do your checks for you, you know it makes sense. In
Wayne's own words, "If you do roll it, the bonnet acts as a huge frying
pan with fuel and oil laying in it, a loose battery may hit the bonnet,
spark and Woosh! You're in deep trouble". So while Land Rover provide a
nice sturdy clamp, this doesn’t always hold the battery sufficiently but
a simple metal strap with a couple of holes drilled each end to take
bolts will solve that problem.
While
you are under the bonnet, look around the engine bay. Any leaks,
especially from fuel or brake lines need sorting immediately, sometimes
it's as simple as tightening a hose clip or pipe union. I bet you take
the time to spray some waterproofing around the wires on your petrol
motor so you don't look a Charlie in the first puddle you come to, so
take the time to look properly for the other stuff while the bonnet is
up
Staying beneath the bonnet, check security of the steering box on
Series motors along with the drag link if you can see it, and on coilers
have a wiggle of the steering shaft looking for excessive room in the
u.j’s because the Scrutineer will do.
Likewise have a look underneath the vehicle at the steering
joints/track rod ends. We’ve seen vehicles driven to the site, with the
TRE’s so badly worn they were refused entry to the courses and you have
to wonder how they made it to the site! Likewise the drop arm balljoint.
Add another check to your list while you’re at it: The handbrake.
This must be able to hold the vehicle on our scrutineering slope, that’s
why it’s there (the handbrake and the slope)! It’s a major fail point
and is quite easily adjusted.
Wayne’s Second Law
The dangers within:
That spare wheel you never bothered to bolt down in the boot, the
wheel brace that has been sliding around for weeks, even the box
containing your recovery kit must be bolted/strapped down securely.
Failing that, take it all out in the car park after you have
scrutineered and before you go out onto the courses.
Literally anything that is loose within the vehicle whilst you are
off road can inflict a serious injury. You may laugh, but I even use one
of the seatbelts to strap my flask of coffee down - it's not just in
case it falls on the floor and breaks - although that is a life
threatening scenario in itself as far as I am concerned. We’ve even had
vehicles turn up with shovels, spades and even an uncovered machete
lying on the floor between the seats. It’s very easy to overlook things
that are always there.
Stow it
all away securely or take it out.
Which finally brings us to:
Wayne’s Third Law
Recovery Points.
Now while it might be quite ok to drive the White Course at
anytime of year - unless your Paul and it's your first time off road
with the overhang and tow-hitch/plough on a Rangey (sorry mate it's just
an example)! – it’s been proved time and time again that while the Black
Course has it's usual impassable obstructions for some, so can the
normally mild Yellow Course! The dip beyond the tabletop proving too
much even for grizzly claws at times and as for the bomb-hole...
The point I am making here is that if you go onto the course and
get stuck, with no recovery points just how do you expect anyone to get
you out? Proper recovery points, I'm sure you realise, are imperative.
Don't be fooled into thinking those little egg-shaped plates with a big
hole in are any good for recovery because they're not. They were
designed to lash the vehicle to a transporter and that's all. Much the
same applies to the later front 'towing eye' fitted to Discovery and
Range Rover: towed by an AA patrol, or winched onto a truck maybe ok,
but stick a kinetic recovery rope onto that same towing eye, and it'll
probably be ripped from the chassis at Mach 2. What you should be
investing in is, a pair of 'Jate rings' which attach to the chassis with
high tensile bolts while Series/Defenders can use 'D-rings' (which
attach above the bumper using the bumper bolts) or ball/pin hitches
bolted straight through the bumper in line with the chassis rails.
However, do not forget to put a spreader plate behind each hitch
or you stand the risk of pulling the bolts through the bumper (don’t
forget the condition of the dumb-irons as that’s what the bumper is
bolted to). A standard tow-hitch will suffice for the rear but don't
underestimate the forces applied to recovery points, I've seen a rear
tow-hitch come off the back of a Series during a kinetic recovery, and
the rear crossmember was still attached to it! Likewise I watched a
towrope with shackle and part of a bulbar still attached, go sailing
over the top of the motor doing the pulling! Welded recovery points are
a no-no too; they should be bolted. Most bull bars have unsuitable
points, as they are not in line with the chassis. If you aren’t sure
what you need, pop along to the pub on a Wednesday night and ask any of
the guys who drive the course. They’ll love to tell you how to spend
your hard earned. One other deserved mention is the use for recovery of
these webbing straps. Most are not designed for pulling motors
out of mud, but for holding loads onto vehicles or lifting. Use only the
proper gear!
Finally
have fun and stay safe. DEANO
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