A few dumb questions about off-roading

[terryeaton]

HI I was thinking and have a few newbie questions about going off road/overlanding:

1) If you get a flat tire, how do you change the tire if the vehicle is on dirt/grass??
2) Let's say someone is off roading and they have an issue they can't get out of, such as it breaks down, or whatever; how would you get your Jeep out of this situation? I mean, it's not like you can call a tow truck lol. Are there people you can call to come get you out of such a scenario?
3) When parks say they have trails for "OHV's" does that include vehicles like Jeeps?

Thanks!

[stickerhead]

1) A high lift jack (tractor jack) with a base for soft ground.
2) Winch or recovery strap to hook to another vehicle.
3) Yes, Jeeps, Side x sides and motorcycles although they may limit what vehicles can be on certain trails. Some Texas parks require an OHV sticker.

[NVRDUN]

ALL of your questions are addressed by the first and most important rule in going off road. NEVER wheel alone.

You can get into trouble anywhere and this includes easy trails.

LSJC from time to time will have a class on preparing before you go off road.

You can also talk to your follow LSJC members about what they carry with them off road to be better prepared for an off road issue.

[terryeaton]

Thanks for the info guys.

And it's not always feasible to have a bunch of other trucks with you , if my wife and I go camping somewhere we aren't going to have friends with us each time.

[Nathan W]

1. Depending on the terrain (flat, off camber, cracks/rocks) you can use a variety of different jacks including hi-lift, bottle, or scissor. Ideally, if you're on an obstacle you'd get over the obstacle and change the tire on semi-flat terrain because that will be the easiest. That's not always feasible and sometimes you have to change it where you sit and you have to rely on things like a hi-lift. These are tricky to use and can cause damage to vehicle or injury if you don't know what you're doing, don't let the first time you mess with it be on a trail in a hairy situation. No matter what type of jack, having a piece of wood or something that you can put the jack on will prevent it slipping and will spread the load so it doesn't sink into the ground.
2. Depending on how bad the break is towing or limping the vehicle to the trail head is the easiest but again not always feasible. Some of the more seasoned wheelers will carry tools and spare parts for trail repairs....just make sure you carry rags to clean any mess you might make.
3. In Texas "OHV" spans the gamut from Jeeps to side-by-sides to dirt bikes. Basically anything you take off road. Some other states have different rules for what OHV means, but generally you're ok....the big thing to check is what the park/wherever you're wheeling think OHV means. There's some places labeled as an OHV park but the trails are way too narrow to fit a Jeep on.

[[email protected]]

Good topic, not dumb at all! Two cents from a newbie like yourself:
1. For an off-road trail trip in off-road parks (OHV for example), must always go with friends (all kinds of built-up Jeeps also get stuck).
2. For other (camping, overlanding, etc.) types of trips, must carry tools/equipment. Once, I paid $250 for rescue and had to wait for 5 hours before the tow-truck could find me all because I didn't have a winch. A good jack is important. Must practice how to use it.
3. Carry something which can give you an accurate GPS reading so that you can be found. Better still, carry a satellite messaging device like zoleo...if traveling outside mobile coverage.

[terryeaton]

Thanka for the info guys! Do yawl know if there are any trails I could ride on at Eisenhower state park in Dennison?