NAVIGATION

Home

Nooze
2010 Calendar
Membership Info

Forum
Rover Rescue
Club Shop
Members Mail

GALLERIES

2010 Event Photos 2009 Event Photos 2008 Event Photos 2007 Event Photos 2006 Event Photos
Site Pictures

INFO

Green Lane Info
TRO Info
Chassis Info
Tyre Info
Anti FAQ
Updates
Links

CONTACT

Website Contact

Committee Contact
Forum Contact

SLROC WEBMAIL

Webmail

 

       Nooze

 

June 2010

 

 

  • NoozeTeam Rumbling

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

  • Chat from the Chair

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

  • Rougham Trials

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

  • Ladies Driving Challenge

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

  • Non Extreme Winch Challenge 24/4

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

  • All Wheel Drive Show - Feedback

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

  • Notices

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

  •  Untaxed Vehicles

  •  Trailered Vehicles.

  •  Space-frame Chassis

  •  Chassis shortened/modified.

  •  Bobtailed vehicles.

  •  All vehicles with axle diff-locks.

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

  •  Series 1/2/3/FC

  •  All vehicles 100” wheelbase and over allowed 1 shunt per section.

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

  • Waynes Guide To Offroad Preparation

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

^Top


Please note that all material on this site is copyright SLROC.com and cannot be used without my express permission. If you have any queries regarding image usage, then please do not hesitate to contact me.
Website design (c)2006 Ian Cattermole.