What Is Off-Road Driving
Off-road driving is driving your vehicle on unsurfaced roads or trails, made from dirt, rocks, sand and mud.
Your vehicle has been designed and equipped to explore those places where the road cannot take you, whether you choose a forest trail or the open desert.
Off-Road Driving Precautions
 WARNING: If you continue to drive your vehicle when the engine is overheating, the engine could stop without warning. Failure to follow this instruction could result in the loss of control of your vehicle. |
Before going off-road, consult with your local governmental agencies to determine designated off-road trails and recreation areas. Also, be sure to understand any off-road vehicle registration requirements for the area in which you plan on driving.
Tread Lightly is an educational program designed to increase public awareness of land-use regulations and responsibilities in our nation’s wilderness areas. The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management is encouraging you to help preserve our national forest and other public and private lands by treading lightly.
Before taking your vehicle off-road, perform a basic vehicle inspection to make sure the vehicle is in top working condition.
Before you venture off road, have a clear mental picture of the underside of your vehicle. Learn the location of any low hanging items and any skid plates that may be on the vehicle. You can avoid snagging them on rocks and other obstacles if you know where they are.
Memorizing some basic dimensions helps you confidently deal with off-road obstacles. Get to know your vehicle’s height and width, its lowest point, its wading depth and angles. Familiarize yourself with your vehicle’s on-board technology features.
We recommend driving at least two vehicles when driving off-road. The buddy system helps make sure that help is close at hand should a vehicle become stuck or damaged.
We recommend taking supplies such as a first aid kit, supply of water, tow strap and cell or satellite phone with you any time you plan an off-road excursion.
Note: Remove the front license plate before off-road driving to achieve optimal performance.
Your Everglades Bronco has an engine air induction snorkel. The forward-facing snorkel inlet provides the best experience for normal driving. For more severe off-road use, we recommend the use of the rearward-facing snorkel inlet to minimize the risk of ingesting unwanted debris, such as sand and dust in an off-road environment.
Remove and install the snorkel inlet screen and cover plate by hand only using the screwdriver provided in the tool kit. Maximum fastener torque is 6.2 Nm (4.6 lb.ft). Do not use power tools or a wrench when installing or removing these fasteners.
Please note that using the rearward-facing inlet could result in increased presence of engine or turbo noise in the cabin. Install both the inlet grille and the close-out plate. Do not operate the vehicle with both the front and rear inlets open.
Basic Off-Road Driving Techniques
Grip the steering wheel with your thumbs on the outside of the rim. This reduces the risk of injury due to abrupt steering wheel motions that occur when negotiating rough terrain.
Control your throttle, brake and steering inputs in a smooth manner. Sudden inputs to the controls can cause a loss of traction for the vehicle, especially when on sloped terrain or crossing obstacles such as rocks or logs.
Look ahead on your route noting upcoming obstacles, surface texture or color changes or any other factors which may indicate a change in available traction. Adjust the vehicle speed and route to avoid a loss in traction. Conditions can change causing the course to vary day to day. Mark obstacles with GPS markers to avoid potential vehicle damage. Where necessary, get out of your vehicle and check the terrain.
When driving off-road, if the front or rear suspension is bottoming-out or excessive contact with the skid-plates is happening, reduce the vehicle's speed to avoid potential damage to your vehicle.
If you are driving in a dusty area, be sure to leave ample distance between your vehicle and any other vehicles to allow for adequate vision.
When driving off-road verify that your wipers and washers are working properly and reduce your speed for better visibility.
When driving in desert conditions, we recommend driving with your headlamps on to help other drivers easily see you.
When convoying with other vehicles, we recommend that communication is used, and the lead vehicle notify other vehicles of upcoming obstacles.
Keep available ground clearance in mind and pick a route that minimizes the risk of catching the underside of the vehicle on an obstacle.
When negotiating low speed obstacles, applying light brake pressure in conjunction with the throttle allows you to negotiate the obstacle in a more controlled manner.
Driving off-road requires a high amount of concentration. Even if your local law does not prohibit drinking alcohol when driving off-road we do not recommend it.
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