Bash D Bishop
30-12-2013, 11:44 PM
Coming out of a Disco 3 that never once got stuck in snow, mud or very wet grassy slopes I had lower expectations of my Allroad as it lacks the electronic trickery that the D3 possessed. The Terrain Control would lock diffs and adjust traction control based on the chosen selection and none of this is available on the Allroad. I also had a set of General Grabber ATs tyres and those are reckoned to deliver the best mix of on and off road performance.
A couple of days ago I was at my in-laws farm cutting up a beech tree that came down in the recent storms. It was at the end of a VERY wet and muddy field and my initial plan had been to leave the car and trailer at the entrance and cut enough to fill my trailer and then have my father in law come along with the Manitou to collect what I had cut.
Unfortunately the Manitou was otherwise engaged so I decided to risk taking the car and trailer in to the field. The entrance was very soft as it was right next to a feeding trough so was a deep mixture of cow5hit, **** and mud! With the car fully raised I managed to make it in with the traction lights flickering on and off but no real sense that I was about to get stuck. The field was very wet but I got to the far end no problem.
After a couple of hours of cutting my trailer was well loaded and probably near its maximum 750kg limit. I specified the "flotation" type tyres when I ordered it for just these types of situation so it wasn't sinking in to the soft ground.
With the trailer around 500kg heavier than when I went in I was worried that the slippery ground may prove too much for a car on completely road-biased tyres. However, it moved off with no issue whatsoever towards the next challenge; the deep, soft mud at the entrance.
I decided the best option was to carry a bit of speed (relatively speaking) but almost as soon as it hit the deep mud it moved very quickly to the left and I was heading for a costly collision with a very solid metal gate. I braked lightly and swung the wheel right and the car went exactly where I wanted it to and out through the mud and on to the track.
Anyone of a detailing disposition would be weeping in to their two buckets at the state of my car. However, I tend to use my cars for what they are designed for (and sometimes a bit beyond) so I don't get too worried about it. ;)
A couple of days ago I was at my in-laws farm cutting up a beech tree that came down in the recent storms. It was at the end of a VERY wet and muddy field and my initial plan had been to leave the car and trailer at the entrance and cut enough to fill my trailer and then have my father in law come along with the Manitou to collect what I had cut.
Unfortunately the Manitou was otherwise engaged so I decided to risk taking the car and trailer in to the field. The entrance was very soft as it was right next to a feeding trough so was a deep mixture of cow5hit, **** and mud! With the car fully raised I managed to make it in with the traction lights flickering on and off but no real sense that I was about to get stuck. The field was very wet but I got to the far end no problem.
After a couple of hours of cutting my trailer was well loaded and probably near its maximum 750kg limit. I specified the "flotation" type tyres when I ordered it for just these types of situation so it wasn't sinking in to the soft ground.
With the trailer around 500kg heavier than when I went in I was worried that the slippery ground may prove too much for a car on completely road-biased tyres. However, it moved off with no issue whatsoever towards the next challenge; the deep, soft mud at the entrance.
I decided the best option was to carry a bit of speed (relatively speaking) but almost as soon as it hit the deep mud it moved very quickly to the left and I was heading for a costly collision with a very solid metal gate. I braked lightly and swung the wheel right and the car went exactly where I wanted it to and out through the mud and on to the track.
Anyone of a detailing disposition would be weeping in to their two buckets at the state of my car. However, I tend to use my cars for what they are designed for (and sometimes a bit beyond) so I don't get too worried about it. ;)