The Mud Life - 22 - January 2021

THE MUD LIFE ISSUE 22 - January 2021

TOYOTA

LAND CR UISER UTILITY

JEEP RENEGADE BMW X5 & X6 TROOPY KEA CONQUEROR JEEP WRANGLER RUBICON

History of Jeep pt. 6 Laning Life Reader's Rides Electric Vehicles Green Laning

Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Pages 88-95

Important information Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the contents of The Mud Life magazine are accurate, we accept no responsibility for errors or omissions, nor the consequence of actions made as a result of these. When responding to any advertisements in The Mud Life magazine, you should make appropriate enquiries before sending money or entering into a contract. The publishers and owners take reasonable care to ensure advertiser’s probity, but will not be liable for any losses incurred as a result of responding to adverts.

Copyright All images and material on these pages are protected by copyright Š Damian Turner. All rights reserved. None of the images or material within this magazine may be reproduced, duplicated, copied, sold, resold or otherwise exploited for any commercial purpose that is not expressly authorised by Damian Turner or Karen Lee Turner.

IN THIS ISSUE TURNER'S TORQUE

4-5

NEWS

6-12

LANING LIFE 13-18 4X4S IN THE MEDIA 19-25 DIRECTORIES 26-29 JEEP RENEGADE 30-39 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER UTILITY 42-49 BMW X5 & X6 51-55 ELECTRIC VEHICLES 56-62 GOODS & GEAR 64-71 TROOPY KEA CONQUEROR 72-77 JEEP - A HISTORY 78-86 MOOCH - OFF TO SLEEP WITH RUBI 88-95 FB PAGE of the MONTH 96-97 LEARNING THE ROPES 99-105 SIMON SAYS 106-107 RETRO SNAPS 108-109 READER'S RIDES 110-115 IN OUR GARAGE

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DAMIAN TURNER Editor-in-Chief, Writer, Photographer, Reviewer

KAREN LEE TURNER (A.K.A. The Muddy Madam)

Creative Director, Layout Designer, Reviewer

F O L LOW U S

THE TEAM

HOW IT ALL BEGAN 117-121

FACEBOOK - TheMudLifeMag INSTAGRAM - themudlifemag TWITTER - themudlifemag WEBSITE - www.themudlife.co.uk

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turner's torque Happy New Year everyone, and let’s hope it’s better than the last one. I’m loathed to say that it couldn’t get much worse, just in case it does!

I have no doubt the start of 2021 will be just as hard on the majority of us as lockdown and tiers continue to be imposed across the country. I for one will never again take my freedom for granted. It’s been very strange being told I can’t leave the house to see family and friends, and even banned from going out green laning as it isn’t ‘essential’.

I’m sure that a lot of you reading this will be aware of a certain green laning facebook page that’s been causing problems within

the 4x4 community of late. Rumour has it that it isn’t moderated, and has become a hive of villainy with a complete disregard for green laning rules of conduct, with off-piste driving almost encouraged amongst many of its members.

I have complete disdain for this behaviour, and I try very hard not to damage lanes. I do get frustrated though with the flack that get aimed at our whole community because of these idiot few.

I have every right to drive our green lanes, I often feel like I'm walking, or should that be driving, on eggshells. Why should I apologise for other people's actions?

The reasons are plenty. There are many organisations who want to ban 4x4s from the country, and sadly there are more than enough 4x4 owners who are willing to give them the ammunition they need.

The problem is that once our lanes are shut, law abiding 4x4 owners will bow out, while the people who caused the problems in the first place will probably continue to cause a mess.

Remember, we’re a minority and minorities don’t have a loud voice and will often get crushed by the many, especially when the many are the loudest and shout in unity.

Check out Lauren’s Radio 4 interview transcript from page 19, how she kept her cool with all those negative questions is beyond me!

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turner's torque 2 Seeing as I will have been a Turner for 20 years this year I thought it was about time that both Turners who make this mag get a chance to write something in Turner's Torque, not just the 'sexy face' of the mag, Damian.

28 years ago my life with a 4x4 enthusiast began, and one of our first dates involved being taken to a Lancashire hillside, for a day of watching Lannies tackling a family vehicle trial organised by Red Rose Land Rover Club. Such romance! I should have known what I was in for then, and run a mile, but the rosy-tinted glasses were in full effect, and I was hooked (to the man, if not the hobby).

Many years of ARC Nationals, cars shows and muddy wellies later, and here we are, the dynamic duo living the mud life to the full Damian doing most of the writing, and me doing all the stuff to put it into the form you are now reading.

I still like car shows, off-roading comps and the challenges that comes with tackling a fun lane, but have to admit I'm not one of you when it comes to wanting to be out in my vehicle 24/7, meandering country lanes in all weather and rocking up to a field for a spot of wild camping.

I have got to the stage that trains and planes, hotels rooms and being served food sounds more appealing (let's just hope that some of that can happen in 2021).

I am also the arty one in the family, and you may have noticed over the past few months, I've now started doing some T-Shirts, art prints and stickers for The Mud Life, and this year I plan on ramping our offerings.

I'm really keen on using quality British businesses where we can, which sometimes means slightly higher prices, but for much better quality products, no customs hassle and planet friendly practices.

Hopefully by mid January we will be able to offer mugs, and few other things with some cool designs, that will hopefully be printed by a small business based in Bacup, up here in sunny Lancashire. There will also be an opportunity to do personalised gifts too.

I'd like to sign off by thanking all the lovely people who have already bought T-shirts (we'd love to see photos) and stickers during the Christmas rush, and to all the wonderful people who bought us lovely hot choccies in 2020 over on our Ko-Fi page (which is where you'll find the stickers).

Toodles

xx THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

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SsangYong applies for Bankruptcy Protection

The South Korean pickup and SUV manufacturer, SsangYong Motor Company, has applied for bankruptcy protection in Korea after the company defaulted on 60 billion won (£40.4 million) in loans and interest to JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America and BNP Paribas that became payable on 14 December.

Due to worsening business conditions, SsangYong delayed repayment and the company has been seeking to extend the maturity date with its lenders, without success, and decided to apply for rehabilitation procedures to avoid interrupting its business operations.

SsangYong will now apply for a Company Property Preservative Measure, a General Prohibition Order and Autonomous Restructuring Support. The decision of whether to commence with the rehabilitation procedures is to be agreed with stakeholders, but the company plans to resolve the current liquidity issue before the rehabilitation procedures are commenced by applying for Autonomous Restructuring Support.

In case you were wondering (I was!), Autonomous Restructuring Support is a private restructuring support programme made with the court which delays the initiation of the rehabilitation procedures by up to three months while the company continues its attempts at private restructuring.

During this period, the company continues its normal business activities, and when the company and its interested parties reach the final agreement for the restructuring, the rehabilitation procedure application is withdrawn, and it returns to its normal company status.

Parent company Mahindra & Mahindra, which owns 75% of SsangYong, refused to invest more 6

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money into SsangYong earlier in the year and instead urged SYMC to find alternate sources of funding. An official source from SYMC said; “We very much regret this situation which is the result of the difficulties being experienced from the worldwide COVID-19 situation, and the concern caused to our partners and stakeholders, especially our employees, sales networks and financial institutions. We are making every effort to transform the situation, and to build a more robust and competitive company for the future.”

In the meantime, SsangYong Motors UK continues to operate as normal. Kevin Griffin, managing director for the brand in the UK, said: “Whilst this situation is not ideal, I strongly believe that the Autonomous Restructuring Programme will result in the birth of a stronger company. I want to reiterate that our UK operations are totally unaffected, and we are very much open for business.”

SsangYong has 65 dealers in the UK, with numbers growing as it acquires dealers who are leaving the Mitsubishi network, though this has understandably been put on hold.

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New Defender set to play vital role in Dakar 2021

Land Rover returns to the Dakar in 2021 taking on the ultimate all-terrain challenge with two Defender 110 support vehicles for the Prodrive-backed team, Bahrain Raid Xtreme (BRX) throughout the 7,646 kilometre (4,751-mile) race.

The pair of New Defender 110s will have to negotiate extreme conditions, traversing desert dunes, mud, camel grass and rocks as they carry vital supplies, crew and equipment for the team and drivers. BRX’s driver lineup includes nine-time World Rally Champion, Sébastien Loeb, from France, and two-time Dakar Rally winner, Nani Roma, from Spain.

The showroom-standard models will also provide essential support for crew members, who will camp, eat and sleep in the P400 models across 12 gruelling stages of desert driving.

The Indus Silver models are powered by Land Rover’s 400PS straight-six Ingenium petrol engine, featuring Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle technology, and are fitted with the Explorer Pack, which includes an Expedition Roof Rack, Raised Air Intake, Wheel Arch Protection and Exterior Side-Mounted Gear Carrier. In addition, a Deployable Roof Ladder provides easy access to a roof box, which will help BRX carry all the necessary kit.

The role of support vehicle will see crew members test the Defender’s expedition credentials to the extremes. With a maximum payload of up to 900kg and maximum dynamic roof load of 168kg, each of the vehicles will be loaded with equipment and supplies, while advanced Terrain Response 2 technology, including world-first Configurable Terrain Response, will allow the drivers to fine-tune the vehicle to suit both their driving preferences and the challenging conditions.

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Volkswagen Beetle turns 75

Okay. this may not be 4x4 news, but as it’s to do with an iconic vehicle, we thought we’d share...

On December 27, 1945 the serial production of the Volkswagen Limousine (Type 1) got started. This was the real beginning of the success story of the Volkswagen. The model had originally been planned as a prestige project of the National Socialists, but from 1939 onwards the Wolfsburg plant had produced armaments instead of vehicles.

Up to the end of World War II, only 630 units of the model, which had been renamed 'KdF-Wagen' in 1938, left the Volkswagen plant.

Series production of the civilian Volkswagen, referred to internally as 'Type 1', which later became world-famous as the 'Beetle', only started following the end of World War II under the trusteeship over Volkswagenwerk GmbH which had been assumed by the British Military Government in June 1945.

The British intended to use the Volkswagen Type 1 to perform urgently needed transport tasks within their occupation zone.

It was this British pragmatism that finally protected the plant against impending demolition.

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Senior Resident Officer Major Ivan Hirst played a key role in this development. It was his farsightedness and talent for improvisation that made it possible to start automobile production in the years of rationing under conditions dominated by shortages. With his enthusiasm for technology and cars, his purposefulness and distinct attitude, he succeeded in transforming a former armaments plant into a civilian industrial company in an impressively short space of time.

The British Military Government had already issued an order for 20,000 vehicles in August 1945. The start of production was a visible sign of a new beginning and hope at the factory which had been largely destroyed by the end of World War II. This solution was in line with later British policy for Germany, which saw financial security and future prospects for the population as key elements in the development of democratic structures.

Nevertheless, there were considerable problems in supplying the workforce with food and living space and production was hampered by raw material and energy supply bottlenecks.

Despite these difficult conditions, the first Volkswagen sedan left the production line shortly after Christmas. Wolfsburg and Volkswagenwerk GmbH received a belated Christmas present

only eight months after the end of the war. By the end of 1945, 55 vehicles had been produced.

From 1946 up to the currency reform, about 1,000 vehicles were produced per month. It was not possible to produce more vehicles in view of material shortages and rationing as well as a lack of personnel.

The trustees responsible laid the foundations for further growth of the company by the fall of 1949. They established a sales and aftersales service system and began to export the Volkswagen sedan in 1947.

The decision to develop a civilian factory and to start series production of the Volkswagen Type 1 was the starting point of a unique success story.

Thanks to the early restart, the Volkswagenwerk GmbH got an excellent initial position for the economic upswing after the introduction of the D-Mark.

Under the unofficial designation of 'VW Beetle', the car became more popular than almost any other automobile model throughout the world. It was also a record breaker in terms of production duration and volume.

Volkswagen only discontinued production of the VW Beetle in Mexico in 2003, after 21,529,464 vehicles had been manufactured, including about 15.8 million in Germany.

The Love Bug Legacy

by Muddy Madam

There are plenty of famous cars - Bandit's Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, the Batmobile (in its many incarnations) and Mad Max's ride of choice, the 1974 Ford Falcon XB GT to name three, but the VW Beetle is the only vehicle in the world that has had the main starring role in 5 films, and its own TV series!

Images courtesy of Disney+ & IMDB

The first film, made way back in 1968, was The Love Bug about a down-on-his-luck race car driver. Fortunately his luck changes when he discovers a secondhand Beetle while looking to buy a cheap car, however he gets more than he bargained for, as his new purchase seems to have a mind of its own.

He nicknames the car Herbie, and with it he starts winning one race after another, driving its previous owner, snooty car salesman and racing driver, crazy, and plenty of slapstick style hilarity ensues.

The Love Bug film proved so popular, taking over $50million at the box office ($389,564,371.26 in today's money), that it spawned 3 more sequels between 1974 and 1980, and in 2005 Disney gave Herbie a reboot, using the new style Beetle in the film Herbie Fully Loaded. As I mentioned earlier it also spawned a TV series in 1982, but unfortunately it only lasted 5 episodes.

Love it or hate it (I personally love it), the VW Beetle is probably the most famous car in the world, mainly thanks to Herbie!

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Polaris PZR essential in the making of The Grand Tour Phil Churchward, Series Director of The Grand Tour, said “With its combination of mud, rocks, sand, steep gradients and continual flooding, the RN5 is the most challenging road I’ve ever driven on. What’s more, as well as being unbelievably bumpy, it’s also very narrow in sections with little room for mistake. So, all in all, not the easiest place to film a TV show.

Quickly realising that a normal 4X4 wouldn’t work -no matter how trick the suspension - we chose the Polaris RZR. Not only did it ride the bumps, climb any gradient, and wade through constant flooded areas, it was incredibly easy to use as a camera platform, and we had over £200,000 of stabilised camera equipment rigged to it. Importantly, we never had to worry whether it would make it to the location each day.”

In the latest episode, ‘The Grand Tour: A Massive Hunt’ on Amazon Prime Video, the team take on expeditions across some of the most remote and exotic parts of the world, and some of the roughest roads imaginable on the island of Madagascar. For this reason, The Grand Tour production team chose the Polaris RZR to assist behind the scenes to overcome the challenging conditions experienced along the way.

The episode follows Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May as they search for real pirate treasure that remains the most sought after in the world. Their journey starts off on the island of Reunion; a French outpost in the Indian Ocean, showcasing its impressive infrastructure, then leading on to the neighbouring African island of Madagascar, known for its unique wildlife, diverse terrain and breathtaking landscapes.

To navigate the demanding and unnerving route, the Grand Tour team needed a vehicle they could trust in case they found themselves in a dangerous situation. It also needed to manage the huge obstacles with ease so they could safely transport the delicate camera equipment from A to B, and the RZR XP 4 1000 did just that with the additional seat space to fit crew members too.

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Customised with a poly roof, windscreen, LED light bars and secure cargo boxes, the RZR offered a unique vehicle that the team could depend upon. The Polaris distributor in Madagascar, CT Motors, prepared the vehicle with all additional parts and modifications to ensure it was ready to take on the difficult route – including the addition of larger 15-inch tyres and a spare, just in case. Fully prepared and tested at CT Motors based in Antananarivo, Madagascar, the unit was then transported for 8 hours across to Toamasina, the start of the RN5 route.

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All electric Subaru coming

Subaru Europe, the subsidiary of Subaru Corporation in Europe, today confirmed the company is preparing for the launch of a full electric vehicle.

Scheduled for introduction in the first half of 2020’s, Subaru’s allelectric vehicle will be a mid-size SUV, similar in size to the Subaru Forester model. Interestingly it will be built on a platform shared with Toyota.

Subaru weren’t offering up much in the way of specifics, though they did say that additional information will be shared sometime next year, so I guess we'll just have to wait.

The news underlines Subaru’s efforts to reduce its environmental footprint in Europe, and satisfy a growing demand for alternative powertrains.

It also signals the brand’s second electrification step in Europe after it recently launched mild-hybrid variants of two core models in the region, where the Subaru XV e-BOXER and Forester e-BOXER models today represents 60% of the sales volume.

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Vauxhall reveals British-built Vivaro Elite Campervan

Vauxhall has revealed first pictures of its British-built and converted Vivaro Elite Campervan, a fully-approved campervan conversion of its best-selling Vivaro van. An all-electric version based on the multi award-winning Vivaro-e is also in the pipeline.

Based on the Elite trim level, and converted by specialists Wellhouse Leisure, the Vivaro Elite Campervan will be on sale in early 2021, with prices starting from £46,000.

The four-seater camper van features an elevated roof system with an upper roof bed (optional), a 25-litre compressor fridge, on-board water tank, 12V and 240V power units and a 2.2kW heating system. Also included as standard is a gas-powered kitchen with two hobs and full interior lighting.

Sleeping space is provided via a folding bed, while a leisure battery and a 100W solar panel help power and recharge appliances. Both the driver and passenger seats have a swivel function and buyers can add an optional fifth seat.

The Vauxhall Vivaro Elite comes standard with 17-inch wheels, front and rear parking sensors and a rear parking camera, a headup display, semi-adaptive cruise control and Vauxhall’s Multimedia Navi Pro system with built-in sat-nav.

The fully approved van conversion by specialists Wellhouse Leisure ensures the Vivaro’s three-year/100,000-mile warranty remains intact.

Based in Barnsley, Wellhouse Leisure has more than 15 years’ experience in building and converting campervans. All Wellhouse campervans meet the rigid second stage European Whole Vehicle Type Approval (EC WVTA) criteria.

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g n i n Life a L

aton E n e r u a

by L

Read about green laning as seen through Lauren ‘Sunshine’ Eaton's windscreen at The Green Lane Association, and find out what’s hot, or not, in the laning world each month. Enjoy!

While the holiday season will have been a very different experience for all of us, we at GLASS hope that you’ve all had a safe and happy Christmas and New Year.

It has been a very busy end to an even busier year for us here! Between the 1st August and 1st December 2020 we welcomed more new members than we had in total in 2015!

During 2020 our membership increased by 57% on the previous year, and in the last two years we’ve more than doubled our supporters overall!

Thank you to every single one of you for making the organisation what it is today, and for ensuring that we can continue to protect our hobby for many years to come.

We really couldn’t do it without you all!

Starting as we mean to go on While much of 2020 has been about as welcome as a cracked sump, we have made a lot more progress than we expected, especially considering the dreaded lurgy, and we have a huge number of new initiatives that will be launched during 2021, whether or not the viral situation continues.

But first a quick recap on what you helped us to achieve last year! We actively listen to feedback we receive and where at all possible incorporate it into our initiatives, systems, working practices, and projects.

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During 2020 we had five major aims and objectives to work towards, these aren’t ‘tick box’ objectives but are things that can be consistently worked upon year on year, and I think you’ll agree the last 12 months saw us making huge progress towards them all despite Covid!

- To provide a legal challenge to prevent the loss of unsurfaced BOATs and UCRs. - To offer practical assistance as conservation volunteers.

- To provide educational opportunities to managers and motorised users of roads with unsealed surfaces.

- To provide a social benefit to all members and their families. Encourage disabled or infirm members to participate in the enjoyment of the countryside.

- Enhance Trailwise 2 (TW2) for the benefit of members, local authority and others.

So here’s what we’ve done, and how we’ve done it!

• • • • •

PC, smartphone and tablet friendly Toggle between BOAT, UCR and Legacy layers Information on restrictions and closures Multiple mapping options including OS Easy to zoom in and out

Trailwise 2 adventure!

Trailwise2 was one of our main objectives for improvement during 2020, and has seen a large number of upgrades, and they are not stopping there!

During the last 12 months we added: - Several new mapping layers including historical maps, aerial views, and both 1:50,000 and 1:25,000 OS maps.

- Full screen view to make planning easier.

- GPS location and tracking.

- The ability to drag and drop GPX files onto the map to check route legality.

- Highway authority boundaries.

- Improved search functions.

- Generally improved performance.

We have plans to add new features that will help users with many of the common requests and questions we get asked. I’m not going to spoil the surprise and tell you what’s coming, but I’m confident you’ll all be very pleased when it happens!

• • • • •

Add comments and photos against routes Extensive coverage of England and Wales Share a lane on Facebook or Twitter Available exclusively to GLASS members TW2... TrailWise, but smarter!

WHERE WILL YOU PLAN YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE?

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Turning threats into opportunities One huge potential threat to green laning that we are fully aware of and working very hard to tackle is the matter of illegal off roading and irresponsible usage of legal lanes. There have been numerous suggestions put to us about managing the situation, many are things that we already do but can’t always make public.

The difficulty for us is that PR can be a doubleedged sword; it may bring us more members and money to help fight for the cause, but it can have a negative effect if those we are trying to combat get wind of plans before they are implemented.

2020 saw us work closer than ever with land owners, councils, the police and many others in a bid to combat illegal and irresponsible driving.

It isn’t a problem that GLASS alone, or even the police alone can address nationally; it takes a team!

That team is growing, learning, and becoming stronger by the day. 2021 is the year we hope to put a lot of the planning we’ve been doing during 2020 into further action.

Our Cheshire, Essex, Leicestershire, Lancashire, and West Yorkshire reps have been working very hard with their local forces. I’ve been working with various crime teams across Wales and in Northumberland, and will be attending an operation with our Cheshire rep this month.

I’ve also taken on a project in Durham, and been invited to a public event in Leicestershire with our local rep in the spring. It will give GLASS the opportunity to educate the public, and the police, from a responsible green laning perspective.

These examples build on numerous close working relationships that we have with the police, such as the MOD on Salisbury Plain (see our new YouTube video for more information), and areas like Devon and Cornwall who have been building relationships for some time.

We have a national project to launch in 2021 that is going to really help improve our work in this area, stay tuned for updates!

Reach for the stars!

As I’m sure most of you are aware we’ve been busily working on the first of many videos about what GLASS and those involved in the organisation do. From assisting the MOD, to providing the ability for members with mobility or health issues, like Marilyn and Lawrence, to access the countryside, signage initiatives, physical conservation projects, PR, education, and working with authorities have all been highlighted so far.

We have many more fabulous examples of team work that we will cover in future videos, and these will be made available by a new team; the GLASS media team!

Many volunteers have come forward to offer their assistance in various activities within the organisation, and over the last month I’ve been speaking to those interested in the PR and public education side of GLASS, and several other areas too. From those conversations I was able to put a team together that represents our membership as a whole.

The team consists of members, reps, regional coordinators, and execs, people aged in their 20s to their 50s, both male and female members, and disabled and able bodied users. The ‘A Team’ will be vital in helping build on our educational and news platforms going forward, we have a lot of new ideas, and we hope that you’ll both enjoy and benefit from them!

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Getting down to the nitty gritty Legal challenges are something GLASS do try and avoid; we’d rather form relationships with authorities and land owners, and address things proactively by working together to come to a solution that benefits all involved, than spend huge sums of money in court, but sometimes we simply have to put our legal hats on and get stuck in to help save our rights to drive unsurfaced roads.

Legal processes don’t always mean court cases, but thankfully the big one in 2020 ended in a favourable result for laners. The infamous Lake District judicial review regarding High Tilberthwaite and High Oxen Fel,l fought by the antis vs the park authority, saw us keep our rights to drive both iconic lanes, and the others in the park.

This case sets a precedent for any future similar action; it wasn’t just a win on the day, but sets a positive tone for the future.

Earlier in the year access to Pindale in the Peak District went to public inquiry, I was able to attend along with other GLASS and TRF representatives, and again we received a positive result after a long fought battle! It was a very interesting experience to witness some of the most well-known and active antis go head to head with the legal representative fighting the corner for laners and trail riders.

One thing was very clear evidence isn’t a top priority when it comes to those who have personal bias against our hobby, and to be totally honest it was uncomfortable to watch this in action.

Thankfully, if the rest of us could see it so could the decision makers, who decided we should keep vehicular access.

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Other legal areas we are constantly working on are DMMOs (Definitive Map Modification Orders), and the opposition of TROs (Traffic Regulation Orders). DMMOs are important because after 2026 we will no longer be able to modify the Definitive Map, and this means that any unrecorded or inaccurately recorded vehicular RoWs will not be added to the map or amended to reflect their true legal status.

Obviously other user groups are hot on the case too, and some would like to see our vehicular rights downgraded, so we have to keep on top of applications to make sure that doesn’t happen; it’s no small task considering the numbers, but we’re on it!

TROs happen for a variety of reasons, but it is our firm belief that permanent closure is not management! We may in some cases support temporary closures over winter for example to protect a sensitive lane during the wettest months, but closing public roads due to lack of maintenance or misuse by an irresponsible few is not on in our book! There are proactive solutions and we work hard to negotiate those before talk of any form of closure even if it’s only temporary.

Legal action is a costly business, which is one reason GLASS does try to use membership fees more proactively to enhance working relationships, physically repair and maintain routes, and educate all interested parties in ways we can work together. Thanks to a huge rise in membership we have funds to drive the legal route if and where necessary, and that is down to you guys!

Without coming together as a community we couldn’t hope to afford to contest some of the big cases that threaten our hobby.

Teamwork makes the dream work!

This is the bit I love about my job! I get contacted about a tricky situation, asked for or offered help, and then get to work with some really hard working and motivated people on projects that benefit all laners. It’s fabulous!

Here are some examples from 2020: Leicestershire - turn that frown upside down Our rep Steve Wild, and his assistant Jason Gulliver, came to me for support over a long running issue in their county. They felt like despite their continued efforts to solve several unfortunate problems some local mud pluggers had caused, that green laners were facing some discrimination and misunderstanding from local residents and the authorities.

It’s not uncommon for us to feel like the outliers at meetings, I’ve been there myself!

They escalated the problem to the exec. committee and I in turn offered to assist in communicating with the action group, comprising of police, council representatives and other user groups, that had been set up to tackle the issue. I also escalated elements of it to other officers who are experts in their field. The results were almost instant!

in touch with me as his rep and regional coordinator through our North Wales Facebook group.

We first met on a clearance project that he offered to help with, along with other recently joined members, and this became the start of several very proactive friendships! It also really impressed the farmer who was very appreciative of our help in managing the woodland and UCR on his land.

Several members of the team who met on that lane clearance have assisted in various projects since our first meeting in August. Several clearance projects have taken place. Simon has also assisted with signage runs, and joined me when speaking to local land owners to forge new working relationships and help with any problems they have experienced.

He’s also now a famous movie star having been part of our new GLASS promo videos, and we are currently in talks about how he can assist the organisation with some behind the scenes work as he is a professional in some particular fields we need some help with.

In five months a new member has been so very helpful to GLASS and we welcome anyone with the same proactive and motivated approach to helping the cause. All you need to do is ask, we’d love to hear from you!

A Zoom meeting went ahead with me and Steve in attendance, and the conversation quickly turned from a negative one to a positive one. Our proposals were listened to, a mutual understanding began to form, and by the end of the meeting those who had been unsure of GLASS were asking us to advise them on some very complex issues. We were also invited to attend an upcoming public meeting to educate and advise the public, members of local authorities and the police on the legalities of green laning.

This project is far from over yet, but we have come leaps and bounds since we began working as a multi-user team, and we are now efficiently working towards a positive solution after a rocky start!

Wales - Ask and you shall receive Do you want to be part of the team?

If so it’s easy! Just ask one of our more recent members Simon Bailey.

He joined us back in August having just bought a truck and immediately got

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All for one and one for all

• Our Health and Safety Officer to provide risk assessments.

Everything we do takes a team effort. A new initiative or project needs:

• Possibly a legal team depending on the initiative.

• Our membership officer to sign people up, activate accounts and send out member packs.

• A rep, officer, or member to highlight that something needs doing, or to come up with an idea.

• The executive committee to agree a budget.

• Our (totally awesome) RoW Officer to provide some sound advice and letters to authorities.

• My good self as Communications Officer to liaise if awkward issues arise, write emails/new policy/letters, attend meetings, and of course to give the initiative some PR as Media Officer.

• Our IT Officer to keep you guys updated via our website, where necessary to create new systems, and to keep TW2 up to date.

• Our editor to publicise the info via bulletins and magazines - he’s also behind the fabulous graphics we use and the signage designs we install on lanes UK wide.

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• The Finance Officer to pay the bills and pay for relevant insurance products.

• Our Chairman and CEO to coordinate.

• Members/reps/execs to volunteer to help with physical work.

There is no ' I ' in GLASS, everything we do is a team effort!

That’s all from me this month folks! Join me next month when I’ll be able to introduce you to my new (to me at least) 4x4, and bring you more news on the launch of some of our 'new-for-2021' initiatives!

Happy New Year!

Lauren x

4x4s in the media It’s not all mud and games!

by Lauren Eaton

A huge part of the work of GLASS is education and we aim these messages at all sorts of people - 4x4 drivers, motorcyclists, other rights of way users, authorities, and the public at large. We’re often contacted by media organisations for comment, a full interview, or to help with a feature, but due to the nature of the media some of this work never makes the public domain, some is edited beyond recognition, and some, like here in The Mud Life, is published in its entirety.

An hour and a half later I was sitting in front of a TV camera with no briefing on what the piece was all about (except that it was about Yorkshire), an ear piece was stuck in my lug hole, the camera started rolling and the questions began.

As Media and Communications Officer the vast majority of this work falls to me, so I thought I’d share a transcript of my most recent interview that will be aired on BBC Radio 4 this week. I’ve no idea which parts, or how much of the following will be used, but here are my padded out (with what I actually said) prep. notes for you all to see.

Other days I’ve had 3 minutes notice of Zoom meetings - once while I was sat in a bath robe answering emails again thinking I had a day off before attending a medical appointment. Superman has nothing on my quick change skills that day!

It’s not often I get time to prep either! While sometimes its great fun and I get to plan laning trips for car magazines, or organisations from clubs to the RAF, there have been days when a call has come through and I’ve been asked to get to London in 90 minutes from North Wales!

While that isn’t possible I’ve made a mad dash to get to a Manchester recording studio instead - after hurriedly paying for and throwing my shopping in the boot before leaving the supermarket I was in because I thought I had a day off!

During Covid I’ve been called out immediately (then ended up waiting for an hour) to be interviewed in car parks whilst a cameraman stands well back due to social distancing measures.

This media officer lark is an interesting and varied one to say the least!

I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Callum Wallis Otter who was interviewed on the spot when he accidentally bumped into the same reporter in the Peak District the day before my planned interview.

Many thanks for speaking for our community Callum!

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This interview took place over the phone on Wednesday 23rd December, it is due to air on BBC Radio 4 sometime at the beginning of January.

How do you respond to accusations that off roaders are damaging the countryside?

Firstly I must differentiate between off roading and green laning. Green laning is the act of driving legal public roads; the same laws apply to them as any other road as it does to the vehicles that drive them, the only difference being that they do not have a tarmac surface, but that does not change their legal status.

All roads began their life this way, what remains are historical reminders of the of the UK’s transport history, or in the case of the Lake District and most other national parks, remnants of the industrial past that shaped the landscape we see today.

Green laners and trail riders, as a minority group using 4x4s and motorcycles to access the few remaining examples, are a drop in the ocean compared to the heavy vehicles they were built for to access quarries and other industrial locations on what was a much larger unsurfaced road network than we know today. As these roads have been used for centuries if green laners were so damaging we would have either seen blanket closures, or have a lot more maintenance problems than we do today!

In regards to “damage�, much of the maintenance work required is just that, maintenance; any user group that frequents a Right of Way will cause maintenance issues, just as any car on a tarmac road will over time.

Weather and water erosion also plays a huge part in the surface standard of all types of RoWs, and local authorities are responsible for maintaining them just as any other road or pavement. The Green Lane Association are very active in assisting with this maintenance work across England and Wales.

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Don’t people have a valid point when they say green lanes and country lanes are unsuitable for off road vehicles?

To give some examples of the maintenance work various users groups will cause, according to the LDNPA's (Lake District National Park Authority) report dated October 2019, the findings of which were upheld by a recent judicial review of the report, £50k was spent on High Tilberthwaite green lane in 2017.

To compare this sum they cited a £3 million project to repair non-vehicular RoWs in 2015, and a £7.9 million project to repair the non-vehicular Keswick Railway Path. They cite, as another comparison, £50k as the cost of repairing individual bridges, and state that Fix the Fells projects have spent millions on repairing erosion scars caused by walkers over the last decade.

Vehicular users currently have access to approximately only 3% of the rights of ways in the countryside UK wide.

In the Lake District this amounts to 120.6kms, compared to 3281.9kms for walkers, and 1073.6kms for cyclists and horse riders. To put it simply - walkers have 100% access to RoWs, and drivers have access to only 3.7% in the Lake District National Park.

This year £90k of public crowd funded money, plus a similar amount from the LDNPA, was spent trying to remove vehicular rights over 3.1km or 0.09% of the LDNP unsurfaced highway network on High Tilberthwaite and High Oxen Fell where the lanes are in a good state of repair and receive minor usage, 40 per week, in comparison to nearby footpaths which receive footfall amounting to thousands.

The park authority fought in favour of maintaining vehicular rights on the park’s green lanes, and a judicial review decision echoed that decision.

Visitors to the LDNP stand at 15million per year, and while we cannot give exact numbers of green lane users, the LDNPA counted 40 vehicular users per week on two of the most iconic lanes in the park. One being High Tilberthwaite, where prior to the recent maintenance work the residents cannot remember any previous remedial work being carried out since they moved in in the 1960s - when many now tarmac roads in the park were still unsurfaced themselves.

Has there been a significant increase in off roading since the pandemic began?

There has been a significant increase in all types of RoW users since the pandemic began. UK residents have not had the same opportunities to travel abroad this year and have therefore chosen to holiday at home.

While there have been some minor and localised issues with irresponsible drivers, and the Green Lane Association support prosecutions in these cases and do offer to help with any repairs, the huge numbers of non-vehicular users choosing to visit national parks, and the problems this has caused, has been of national importance and reported UK wide.

In the Lakes a C class road that runs along the eastern side of Coniston had to be closed due to large volumes of walkers and other users parking disrespectfully, blocking the road to other users including the emergency services, leaving litter, and lighting fires. The same was seen in Snowdonia National Park, thousands of walkers queuing to reach the summit, human faeces reported on footpaths, parking causing problems for other road users, the emergency services, and local residents who could not access their homes or the land they manage.

One important point to add is that during the pandemic driving in your own vehicle is the safest way to travel. The risk of catching covid when you are isolated inside a 4x4 is probably as close to zero as is possible!

GLASS are acutely aware of the impact on people’s mental health during covid, and while we have asked people not to go green laning when restrictions have applied, when we have been allowed to drive lanes it has been a safe way to access open spaces without putting ourselves and others at as much risk as coming into contact with others along the way, which would be inevitable when walking.

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Why do people enjoy driving down these lanes, some of which are not in great condition?

Why does any type of user do what they do? Anything we use will require maintenance - cars, roads, shoes, footpaths - and, as you can see by the above examples, other user groups are costing national parks massive sums of money compared to laners.

Some people have no other option than to drive lanes. The Green Lane Association has numerous members who are restricted by age, health, or disability, many of whom were keen walkers, cyclists or horse riders in the past. Many of our able bodied members use 4x4s or motorcycles some days, but choose to walk, cycle or ride on others - we have experience of all methods of countryside access, unlike non-vehicular users who have never personally experienced what we do.

What should bring us all together, however we choose to travel, is a love of the outdoors and a wish to explore and experience it. The method of transport we use may depend on many factors such as the weather, how much free time we have - driving allows us to cover a much bigger area than walking - and as someone who first got into RoWs as a walker, has been a cyclist and horse rider, and now chooses to drive lanes, due to health problems that began in my 20s, I’m rather saddened to see the huge divide between user groups. As is GLASS, we work for all users!

While the vast majority of our members are 4x4 drivers or motorcyclists, GLASS do have members who have never driven a lane in their lives, but they support the work we do that benefits all users of our historic road network

• Regular digital bulletins • 2 printed magazines per year • Members website and forum • TW2, the essential green lane route planning tool • • Access to area reps for route planning and advice • Member discounts from selected suppliers • Legal challenges • Extensive knowledge base •

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No one is disputing the fact that green laning is a legal hobby, but just because you can doesn’t mean you should, does it?

That’s a very valid point, but one that could be aimed at any user group, again use by a significantly larger number of non-vehicular users has been proven, in the Lake District at least, to cause more damage and cost more in repairs than the minority group that are green laners and trail riders.

Access to the countryside is important and if it was taken away from vehicular users a significant number of people would not be able to access the countryside at all. Not just physically disabled users either, we have members with children who are on the Autistic spectrum who cannot cope in new places and around new people, but feel safe in a familiar vehicle.

Everyone has a right to access our green spaces and for some that absolutely requires access via a 4x4.

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Is there anything you wish to add?

One aspect of this ongoing debate that is rarely discussed is the fact all user groups have something in common - a love of the outdoors and exploring the countryside. None of us wish to see it damaged, and that common goal should be bringing us together to tackle it proactively rather than pushing us apart.

How we choose to travel in order to experience the countryside is not the big issue here, human behaviour is. Driving a car does not mean that we suddenly lose all respect for our surroundings, quite the opposite as many green laners use theirs as 4x4 Response vehicles, some are involved in mountain rescue and other blue or amber light organisations, and help out with numerous maintenance, conservation and signage projects through organisations such as the Green Lane Association.

It is only the minority of people from all walks of life, who choose to walk, cycle, ride, or drive in the countryside who will flout the rules and disrespect their surroundings; it is not indicative of drivers alone.

Closing lanes will not stop those willing to flout the law either, we have 25 years of experience and have seen this in action. Closures only dissuade legal responsible users, and the illegal and irresponsible use continues either on the same lanes or elsewhere. Education and maintenance are the solution!

The vast majority of vehicular users use their daily vehicles, they will use them to take the children to school the next morning, drive to work, pick up shopping, it would make no sense to drive them in a way that could cause damage to the lanes or the vehicles themselves.

Again when it comes to disrespectful usage we are talking about a minority, and a minority of every user group, not just drivers or motorcyclists.

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Fancy an off-road challenge?

Want to get your 4x4 filthy?

Don’t ruin our ancient byways, try out your local P&P site, join a tour or brush up your skills on a driver training day instead.

Over the next few pages we have listed many of the business that you can play, train and holiday with.

If you fancy going along, always find out what you'll need to bring along or which vehicles are allowed: • Does your 4x4 need to be road legal?

• Do you need to show proof of age, vehicle MOT and insurance documents?

• Are your recovery points secure?

• Do you even have any recovery points?

Always check with the individual site before you set off.

Remember, as well as a good quality tow rope, it’s always useful to bring along some rags and a bottle of water to clean your lights and reg plates, so you can stay legal whilst driving home!

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Pay & Play Directory

NORTH

SOUTH

Hill ’n’ Ditch

Essex Rochford & District 4x4 Club

Mouldsworth, Cheshire http://www.hillnditch4x4.com 07974 398201

Explore Off Road

Crewe, Cheshire http://www.exploreoffroad.co.uk 07970 286881

Kirton Off Road

Hibaldstow, Gainsborough https://www.korc.co.uk 01652 245022

Frickley 4x4 Off Road Centre South Elmsall, West Yorkshire https://www.frickley4x4.co.uk 07881 590593

Cowm Leisure

Whitworth, Rochdale https://cowmleisure.com 07970 101 879

WALES Ultra Adventure Driving

Wrexham, Wales http://www.ultraadventuredriving.co.uk 01978 358 444

Canewdon, Rochford http://www.4x4er.co.uk

Devils Pit

Barton Le Clay, Bedfordshire http://www.devilspit.co.uk 07764 159478

Avalanche Adventures

Market Harborough, Leicestershire https://avalancheadventure.co.uk 01858 880613

4x4 Without A Club

Aldermaston, Berkshire http://www.4x4-withoutaclub.co.uk 07887533168

John Morgan 4x4 Driving Slindon, West Sussex http://www.4x4driving.co.uk 01903 812195

Piccadilly Wood

Bolney, West Sussex http://www.piccadillywood4x4.co.uk 07984 543886

If you have a Pay & Play site, offer tours or driver training, and want to be included for FREE in the directories just email your details to us.

We also offer an enhanced eye-catching boxed listing (see next page) for only £25 per issue (better rates for 3, 6 & 12 month listings) email - klt@themudlife.co.uk for more details THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

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4x4 TOURS DIRECTORY

Highland All Terrain

Trails and Tracks 4x4 Adventures

Single & Multiple Day Tours with Wild Camping 100s of miles of Off-Road Tracks Access to Private Estates

Cambrian Way

The Old Filling Station, Kinlochlaggan, Newtonmore, PH20 1BX

tel: 01528 544 358 mob: 07708 819 157 email: info@highlandallterrain.co.uk www.highlandscenicsafari.co.uk

Ardent Off Road

Activities: 4x4 Tours, 4x4 Experiences https://ardentoffroad.com Tel: 01405 947 001

One Life Adventure

Activities: 4x4 Tours & vehicle prep training https://www.onelifeadventure.co.uk Tel: 01347 830188

Activities: 4x4 Tours https://www.cambrianway.com Tel: 01550 750274

Roam Free Adventures

Activities: 4x4 Tours https://www.roamfreeadventures.co.uk Contact via website

Timeless Overland

Activities: 4x4 Tours https://www.facebook.com/tloverland Tel: 07508 833 899

Land Tracks and Trails Green Lane Adventures Activities: 4x4 Tours https://www.lanestracksandtrails.co.uk Tel: 07855 213355

Ardventures

Compass Adventures

4x4 Adventure Tours

Battlefields by 4x4

Activities: 4x4 Tours, 4x4 Experiences https://ardventures.co.uk Tel: 01757 638 479

Activities: 4x4 Tours https://www.4x4adventuretours.co.uk Tel: 07769 336 099

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Activities: 4x4 Tours https://trailsandtracks.co.uk Tel: 07976 393 838

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Activities: 4x4 Tours https://www.compassadventures.co.uk Tel: 07508 708 588

Activities: 4x4 Tours https://www.battlefieldsby4x4.com Tel: 07014 241 418

Off Road Driver Training & Experiences UK WIDE

SOUTH

All Terrain Services

John Morgan 4x4 Driving

Activities: 4x4 Driver Training & Experiences, Self Drive Tours https://www.allterrainservices.co.uk 01792 862669

Activities: Pay & Play

Off Road Driver Training http://www.4x4driving.co.uk 01903 812195

NORTH

Wild Tracks

North Yorkshire Off Road Centre Activities: Off Road Driver Training & Tours http://www.nyoffroad.co.uk 07787 555060

Activities: Off Road Driver Training

4x4 Experiences https://www.wildtracksltd.co.uk 01638 751918

True Grip off Road

Explore Off Road

Activities: Off Road Driver Training

4x4 Experiences http://www.truegripoffroad.co.uk 01233 662251

WALES

Protrax

Activities: Off Road Driver Training, 4x4 Experiences http://www.exploreoffroad.co.uk 07970 286881

Bala 4x4

Activities: 4x4 Driver Training https://www.bala4x4.co.uk 01536 772238

SCOTLAND Scottish Off Road

Activities: Off Road Driver Training http://www.scotoffroad.co.uk 07711 217759

Far X Four

Activities: Off Road Driver Training, 4x4 Experiences http://www.farxfour.com 01450 860275

Activities: 4x4 Driver Training https://www.protrax.co.uk 01536 772238

Avalanche Adventures

Activities: Pay & Play

4x4 Experiences https://avalancheadventure.co.uk 01858 880613

Ash 4x4

Activities: Off Road Driver Training

4x4 Experiences http://www.ash4x4.com 07581 030331

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jeep renegade

Jeep Renegade Limited 1.0 GSE 2WD

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What is it?

As you may have already noticed with previous issues, the Jeep Renegade has recently had a facelift, a subtle one, but a facelift nonetheless, there’s also a hybrid version that we covered a few months back.

Although the new lights aren’t exactly something to get excited about, what I found more interesting is that due to increasingly stringent emissions regulations, it’s now available with a new 1.0-litre, 3 cylinder petrol engine.

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On Road

Zooming off on my errands for the first time was quite a surprise as the 1.0 litre, 120bhp engine is quite sprightly, though its 0-60mph is just over 11 seconds.

That said, aim it at an open country road and you have to work the silky smooth 6 speed manual gearbox to keep up momentum, which to be honest, is half the fun! If you want a Renegade with a bit more umph, there are other engines to choose from.

The 1.0 litre is far better suited to town and city driving where it excels with its smooth stop-start system and great all-round visibility. Although the MultiAir engine can sound a bit gruff on hard acceleration, in normal use it’s actually quite refined, even at motorway speeds.

I always find that Renegades handle the road rather well, from pottering around town, to spending a day exploring Wales. The ride is what you expect from a vehicle with a Jeep badge on it, yes it can roll around corners a bit, but it’s well contained and forgiving. Of course there are going to be better handling SUVs in its class, but you’re driving a Jeep.

Fuel wise, on a long motorway journey with a good half hour of country lanes and small villages, the computer was showing that I’d achieved 38mpg, which I didn’t think was too bad, considering it’s shaped like a box.

Off Road

Sadly, the 1.0 litre GSE is only available in 2-wheel drive, which meant no challenging green lanes.

As you’ll notice with the photos, I still ventured off the beaten track, and on the odd occasion we encountered some mud or slippery wet grass it handled itself well.

When I’ve driven Renegades off road in the past, I’ve always been wary of what appears to be a lack of any decent approach angle, but it’s an illusion, as no matter where I’ve ventured, I’ve never managed rip a bumper off yet. I may have once slid down a hill sideways and caved in a rear door on a tree, but that’s another story...

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Interior

Comfortable and well appointed is how I would describe the interior, I particularly like the little nods Jeep’s heritage with small images of GPs scattered around the place.

Jumping behind the wheel for the first time you’ll be quite surprised by the amount of space that’s between you and the windscreen. I measured it, there was exactly 4 feet from my body to the base of the windscreen, couple that to the generous amount of headroom and you get the feeling you’re in a much bigger car.

The dash layout is scattered with wonderful knobs and switches - which is a good thing. Of course there’s the usual touch screen, but it isn’t huge and certainly not distracting.

In the back, although the rear seats are comfy enough, if you have a driver and front passenger who are both over 6ft tall, rear leg room isn’t great, so short people only.

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The rear load space is a good size, as you’d expect with such a boxy shape, with 351 litres with the seats up, and 1,297 with the seats down.

Conclusion

Personally I don’t think the Renegade is the prettiest car in the car park, but that’s just my opinion, but as we know, we should never judge a book by its cover ‘n’ all that. The only really annoying part for me is the alarm system, it beeps quite loudly when you unlock it using the key fob, then beeps twice again when you open any of the doors. For the life of me I couldn’t figure a way of switching it off.

Overall I enjoyed the little Renegade, despite it being 2wd. There are quieter, more comfortable and more fuel efficient 1.0 litter 3 cylinder SUVs out there, but the Renegade gives you a bit more personality, and it certainly stands out more in the supermarket carpark. more at » https://www.jeep.co.uk Price - £24,905 with options £ 28,055

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Toyota Land Cruiser Utility

Toyota Land Cruiser Utility

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What is it?

On the Road

One of the reasons why a love my old 1996 Toyota Surf is that she’s basic, and therefore simple to repair. I don’t need leather seats that are too cold in winter and too hot in summer, neither do I need a fancy infotainment system when I have a radio, my iPhone and a power cord to connect between the two.

The 245/70/17 tyres help deal with the usual pot holes you find around town, and offer better wheel protection than those rubber bands you’ll find on the higher Invisible models.

As motoring writers we’re quite often spoilt with high end cars that manufacturers like to lavish upon us, and I’m certainly not complaining, but every now again it’s good to get back to basics, especially when we’re looking at 4x4s that are going to spend the majority of their life working hard and getting filthy.

This is the reason why I was attracted to the Toyota Land Cruiser Utility, it has no bells or whistles, just practical stuff that you need, not want.

You can be forgiven for thinking that, because it’s an Utility model, it’ll be a bit on rough side, but far from it, it’s very comfortable and softly sprung, there isn’t one single bit of harshness about it, at all. Imagine driving a Range Rover Classic, without being all roly-poly around corners.

Get it on the motorway and you’ll be convinced you’re driving a higher spec model; it’s quiet, smooth and very much a Land Cruiser. There’s a bit of a whistle from the door mirrors at speed, but I’m only mentioning that because I have to find something to criticise!

As for pace, there are faster 4x4s out there, but being honest, the 2.8 litre 4 cylinder diesel has 174bhp on tap, and was ample.

The smooth 6 speed auto box helps propel the ‘Cruiser to 60mph in 12.7 second, and onto 108mph.

Throughout my week I used it for everything from the weekly shop, driving to school, long jaunts and of course a bitof green laning, and it averaged 27.8mpg, which I thought considering its size, was pretty damn good.

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Off Road

With a permanent 4WD system, centre torsen limited slip differential, high & low gear range and active traction control, do you really need a locking rear diff?

Toyota doesn’t think so, and I certainly didn’t need one as the ‘Cruiser crawled its way everywhere I pointed it, and without hesitation.

With the 2.8 litre producing 332lbf.ft from 1600rpm, it didn’t require much coaxing, and it was such a joy to take along some gnarly lanes as torque was instantly available, no matter what mode I selected.

As well as button for centre diff, the ‘Cruiser also has a ‘2nd Start’ button, that once activated, means the automatic gearbox will start from 2nd gear when pulling away from a standstill. This mode is mainly intended to assist when pulling away on a low traction surface such as ice or snow.

If you want to increase its off-road ability and expedition potential, there’s a decent after market out there in the UK ready to help you create your perfect 4x4. From suspension, winch bars, underbody protection to expedition ready roof racks, you’re spoilt for choice.

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Interior

Opting for a base spec vehicle comes with an instant level of practicality, and in the case of the Land Cruiser it’s a welcomed relief. As a new owner you don’t have to worry about mucky boots, filthy dogs or recovery gear as there’s no leather or fancy additions to worry about.

Up front the driving position is second to none; you're perched high on comfy seats made with hard wearing fabric. Yes the dash is made from plastic, but so what? It’s solid and doesn’t rattle, and besides, how often do you sit caressing your leather covered dash anyway?

In the back there’s plenty of space for rear passengers, and when you need the extra space the seats fold almost completely flat.

Just because it’s the Utility model doesn’t mean poverty spec. either - you get as standard cruise control, smart entry & start, a 4.2” colour TFT multi-information screen, air conditioning and dusk-sensing headlights.

Safety-wise there are two stage driver and passenger airbags along with driver’s knee and front side airbags, electronic brakeforce distribution, Brake Assist, ISOFIX, Trailer Sway Control, tyre pressure warning system and hillstart assist control.

Overall it’s very well put together with plenty of cubby space. Even in the rear door panel you have two large compartments, one that houses tools should the need arise to help other motorists!

Let’s also not forget that the front cubby box is cooled via the air con so you can keep your butties, choccy bars and drinks cooled on hot days.

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Conclusion

Dislikes? Not many. I’d like to see proper dials for the heater controls, and the rear wiper isn’t the best positioned for giving a decent rear view. Oh, and it’s only able to tow 3,000kg, so it will put off farmers and construction sites which is a shame, but other than that, what a 4x4!

It’s pretty close to being the perfect 4x4, it’s great to drive on and off road, there’s plenty of scope for it to be modified, it has huge residual value and of course it’s not just a Toyota, but it’s a Land Cruiser.

I’ve written about this previously, you do get a sense of dependability with the Land Cruiser as everything feels solidly put together, and for a large 4x4 it’s a real joy to drive.

Quite honestly, if I had around £39k to spend on a new 4x4, there is absolutely no doubt that the Toyota Land Cruiser Utility would be at the top my shopping list.

Price of vehicle tested - £38,055 (+ Metallic paint £700)

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DID YOU EAT ALL THE MINCE PIES? DON'T WORRY OUR T-SHIRTS GO UP TO

livethemudlife.co.uk

XXL!

A Brief Encounter A few days before the North West was ordered into Tier 3, I found myself in a plane hanger down at the Bicester Heritage museum with the good folks from BMW.

with

They had quite a few new models for us to play with, erm, drive, from the all-new 4 Series, 5 Series, M5 to the new MINI Countryman, and a few others.

With such a vast amount of loveliness on offer, I decided to head right to the top of the crop and take the new X6 M Competition for a run, and then the X5 M Competition as I’ve always preferred the X6 over the X5, it’s much a funkier design.

As the names suggests, these aren’t your usual Sports Activity Vehicles (SAV), in fact they’re quite unique.

Both the X5 M Competition and X6 M Competition are available in a limited run of just 250 examples each, and both enjoy a high-revving 4.4 litre V8 with two turbochargers, M-specific suspension, M xDrive all-wheel drive and 625bhp on tap.

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Settling into the snug bucket seats that hold you in position, you immediately know that both these cars are meant for greater things than just the school run, then, firing up the V8s and you’re subjected to a cacophony of power that settles down to a deep rumble, very satisfying indeed.

Speaking of satisfying, the interiors are a lovely place to while away the hours. The seats are made with Merino full leather trim in exclusive bi-colour Silverstone/Midnight Blue with black Alcantara inserts in the seat bolsters and contrast stitching in Sakhir Orange emphasise the sporting contours of the M multifunction seats.

There are a lot of buttons to press, new owners will need to spend a good day or so going through the manual figuring out what does what! On the subject of complicated, both Competition models have an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic, whose gearshift characteristics can be adjusted using the Drivelogic button on the M-specific selector lever. I’m sounding like an old man now, “In my day you had two choices, a 4 speed manual or 3 speed auto, and that’s your lot!”

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X6

X6

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X5

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X5 Out on the open country lanes around Banbury, both vehicles possessed character that exudes excitement. Dropping a gear as you approach a corner and powering through it fills you with immense joy, but those 625 horses soon have have you stepping on the equally powerful brakes as both vehicles are far too eager to have you breaking the speed limit.

Further into my short test drive, I may have found their Achilles Heel, as on the narrow and undulating lanes around the village of Aynho I was thrown around a bit, it’s a good job the seat belts clamp you into the seats, otherwise I’d have found myself thrown in the boot.

It’s obvious really, both these SAVs are built for smoother roads, and race tracks.

Despite having a bit of (legal) fun in them both, average fuel consumption for both as around 21-22mpg, which wasn’t too bad, considering.

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E lectr i fyi ng

Of f - R o a d Pe rf o r m a nc e

Written by Simon Hastelow

One day soon(ish) you won’t be fuelling your 4x4 with diesel or petrol you’ll just plug it in at home. There are people still saying hydrogen is the way forward, but the days of oil-based fuel are numbered, best get used to it.

Let me present you with the ideal setup for a serious off-road vehicle - a motor at each corner, powering the wheels separately.

You could vary the power on the fly, or more likely let a computer do it for you, and traverse any terrain with ease. No need for prop-shafts, difflocks or lower gearing (transfer boxes).

Every wheel will be given the exact amount of torque to get it past an obstacle, and if it slips then the motors at the other corners can increase torque instead. I defy you to come up with a more perfect arrangement.

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This is obviously just a dream at the moment, there are no mainstream SUVs which offer this yet - with the exception of the Rivian (I'll tell you more in a minute) - but there are companies experimenting with that very setup, and even deploying it into specialist trucks. So it might not be far off.

What we have to make do with at the moment is a motor with ultimately variable gearing and maximum torque available from the moment you press the ‘ON’ button.

The only contentious issue is the fact that the motors are powered by electricity which is stored in a battery. For some reason just discussing this system triggers anger and rage to many a keyboard warrior.

Electric vehicles are up there with cyclists and vegans for the amount of hate, disinformation, fake news, bullshit science and idiotic ‘facts’ that they attract, so let’s deal with a few of those right from the start.

Fake News…

Statement: The Electric Grid won’t be able to cope if everyone switches to electric vehicles.

Wrong - The National Grid should know what they are talking about

on this subject. They have stated that the current electrical consumption for the whole of the UK is 16% lower than it was in 2002. If every single vehicle was replaced with an EV it would increase by just 10%. So we wouldn’t even be going back to 2002 levels, and the system coped quite happily then.

Statement: Electricity isn’t clean, it comes from burning coal.

Wrong - For a continuous two month period in 2020, UK power generators burnt

no coal at all. Fossil fuels (both coal and gas combined) account for around one-third of all electricity generated, and the level is constantly falling as renewable sources increase. A number of utility companies provide only green energy which is 100% from renewables. So if you switch to Bulb or Ecotricity, to name just two, your EV will not require coal to be burnt at all.

Statement: Electric vehicles don’t have enough range.

Wrong - Everyone seems to get hung up on the range of an EV. How far it can go

between charges, and simply because a few cannot manage the same 400 miles that a tank of petrol gives them they dismiss EVs as useless. But almost no-one needs to drive 400 miles non-stop every day. Government statistics show that the average car journey length for the entire country is 8.5 miles or 22minutes, and the average family car travels 37 miles each day, with second cars only travelling 11 miles.

So why demand a 400 mile range?

Even if an EV has 150 mile range, and you do need to travel 400 miles, all it would take is two or three stops of 30 minutes or more to get you to your destination, about the same time as going to the loo and buying a coffee from a service station. There is no need to fully recharge the batteries to 100% every time.You can charge to 80% very quickly with many fast chargers.

Statement: Electric vehicles are too expensive.

Wrong - The price for EVs is dropping significantly with a starting price of £18,000.

For many manufacturers the like-for-like cost of petrol and EV models is closing, so while it might cost an extra £5,000 for an equivalent EV that cost would be recouped very quickly once the higher costs of petrol and diesel consumption are factored in.

Statement: The batteries need replacing every three years and cannot be recycled Wrong - Most manufacturers are offering battery warranties of around 7

years or 100,000 miles. (How many Range Rover Sports do you know that have died well before that and required a new engine?!) Even when they are no longer suitable for powering an EV the batteries can be recycled, often by being used for different storage systems like domestic solar power systems, or being stripped down to extract the base components. No cars, whether EV, petrol or diesel, end up in landfill anymore.

Is that enough for you to at least think about Electric or Hybrid vehicles with an open mind? Let’s look at what is available now or in the near future.

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LAND ROVER

Defender 110 P400e £64,800

• Power 2.0 litre petrol engine and 105kW electric motor • Electric-only range 27 miles • Top speed 119mph • 0-62mph 5.6 seconds • Charging time 80% in 30 minutes on a fast charger

Land Rover has been busily electrifying its range with hybrids, plug-in hybrids and some mild hybrids to make its large SUVs greener in terms of fuel consumption. Among the latest are plugin hybrid versions of the new Defender There are also plug-in hybrid versions of the Range Rover, Evoque and Sport, as well as the Land Rover Discovery and Discovery Sport. A fully electric Range Rover is also in the pipeline.

TOYOTA

RAV4 plug-in Hybrid £46,000

• Power 2.5 litre petrol engine plus 18kWh battery • Range 47 miles • Top Speed 84mph • 0-62mph 6.0 seconds • Charge Time 2.5 hours to fully charge using fast charger

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One of Toyota’s best selling SUV models is prime candidate for electrification. So far it is only available as a hybrid. The 47 mile range might look limiting but it allows the vehicle to be used purely on electric for the vast majority of short trips where the pollution created is at its worst. Other than the hybrid element it remains a fantastically popular model and is also available as front wheel drive only if you don’t need the 4x4 capabilities.

JEEP

Renegade 4xe £34,500

• Power 1.3 litre turbocharged petrol engine and 11.4kW battery • Electric-only range 27 miles • Top speed 113mph • 0-62mph 7.5 seconds • Charging time 80% in 60 minutes on a fast charger

Wrangler £46,000

• Power 2.0 litre turbocharged petrol engine & 17kW battery • Electric-only range 25 miles • Top speed 124 mph • 0-62mph 7.5 seconds • Charging (Not yet confirmed)

We have featured the Jeep Renegade 4xe a couple of times already so you should be in no doubt that we rate it highly.

Probably the most off-road capable of all the small SUVs straight from the dealership and now with the added benefit of Hybrid Power. The boffins at Fiat have developed and continue to refine the electric systems used in the Renegade and other FCA models. And it is half the price of a new Land Rover Defender!

If the capability of the Renegade impresses you but you still can’t face buying an ‘SUV’ then maybe the Wrangler will tempt you?

It doesn’t have a massive following in the UK but in America they can churn out 250,000 of these vehicles each and every year. Add a bit of electrical wizardry to the legendary off-road performance and you might finally have vehicle which could be used as an economic daily for the commute but which can also then take you wherever you want to go off-road at the weekend.

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RIVIAN

Rivian R1T no price yet

• Power 180kWh battery • Range 420 miles • Top Speed 100mph • 0-62mph 4.5seconds • Charge Time 1 hour to fully charge using fast charger

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Billed as the world’s first electric 'adventure vehicle', the 750bhp zero-emissions pickup promises to mix stunning performance and luxury with the sort of all-terrain ability you’d expect from a Land Rover. Following some delays in production thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, 2022 is most likely for a Rivian debut.

It’ll be a proper off-roader, with a wading depth of one metre, 35cm (14”) ground clearance and a quad-motor system that allows instant power to be sent independently to each wheel to maximise traction whatever the conditions. It’ll come with various battery sizes, with the largest 180kWh pack giving a range of over 420 miles.

BOLLINGER

Bollinger B1 & B2 no price yet (expect it to be ridiculous)

• Power 120kWh battery pack and two electric motors for permanent four-wheel drive • Range 200 miles • Top Speed 100mph • 0-62mph 4.5seconds • Charge Time 1 hour to fully charge using fast charger

Bollinger’s SUVs look like a cross between a Defender and an old Lamborghini LM002. The B1 and B2 will be the first two models from the Detroit-based company and they promise outstanding levels of off-road ability. First deliveries are expected in 2021, but no news on availability of right-hand drive cars yet. Designed to be utilitarian, rugged and minimalist, the B1 is an SUV and the B2 is a pickup. They offer 38cm (15”) ground clearance, a two-speed, low-range gearbox as well as towing capability of 3,400kg and a range of 200 miles.

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TESLA

Tesla Model X £82,980

• Range 350 miles • Charging time 30 minutes with rapid charger • Top speed 155mph • 0-60mph 2.6-4.4 seconds

The Model X Long Range costs from £82,980, has a range of 348 miles and will accelerate from 0-60mph in 4.4 seconds. The even perkier Model X Performance, costing from £97,980, will do 0-60mph in 2.6 seconds, but with a reduced range of 340 miles. You kind of love them or loath them, either way the vast quantity of trashed Teslas are providing the mountain of parts and battery packs being re-deployed by the electric conversion specialists and buried into all manner of classic cars.

VOLVO

Volvo XC40 Recharge P8 £59,985

• Range 280 miles • Charging time 80% in 40 minutes using rapid-charger • Top speed 112mph • 0-62mph 4.9 seconds

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Volvo’s first all-electric car has two electric motors which develop 408hp, and under the bonnet there’s a 30-litre storage area. There are also two plug-in hybrid versions of the XC40.

SPEEDTEX EASY SPRAYLINER SPEEDTEX is a 2K polymer based spray liner designed for the rear load bed of pickup trucks, Land Rovers, panel vans, trailers, small boats and many other small to medium size applications.

The polyurethane/polyurea hybrid product dries quickly and provides tough, durable, anti-corrosion, wear and tear protection combined with excellent UV properties.

SPEEDTEX Easy Sprayliner is packaged and supplied and in pre-coloured Black or Grey plus a ‘Self Colour’ version is also available.

After mixing, the product is ready to apply by spray, brush or roll, and is available in 4 litre and 1 litre kits. price: from £21.79 (1 litre) more at » www.speedtexeuro.com

New Stuff we've discovered this month FROZEN ROPES FR-RINGS Frozen Ropes FR-Rings are a lighter, simpler, and safer alternative to traditional metal snatch blocks or pulleys used when winching. They are designed for synthetic winch lines only and are compact enough to fit perfectly into a pocket, which makes it an ideal accessory to have in your 4x4. They have an outer Diameter of 65mm, an inner Diameter or 28mm, and are rated to 10,000kg.

The benefits of an FR-Rings are plenty. Unlike a traditional snatch block in which the winch line can get compromised if it jumps off of the pulley and gets pinched between the pulley and the pulley frame, FRRing’s tough body consists of a large, smooth groove to effortlessly feed the line.

Also, unlike traditional pulleys or snatch blocks, there are no moving parts and the FR-Ring requires little more than a quick wipe with a rag or a spray of a hose to clean. price £45 more at » Frozen Ropes Facebook Shop 64

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New Stuff we've discovered this month LIGHTFORCE DUAL VOLTMETER WITH 3.0 AMP USB FAST CHARGER Designed to take the stress out of monitoring your main battery and your auxiliary battery, this Voltmeter from Lightforce takes the hassle out of wondering whether your batteries will go the distance.

You can keep an eye on voltage levels and monitor your alternator charge rate while on the road, and catch any dual battery isolator faults before they cause an issue.

READER OFFER

The voltmeter has a 3.0 Amp USB Fast Charge port that is connected to your auxiliary battery for charging digital devices such as martphones, tablets and GPS devices while driving or when the vehicle isn’t in use. price: £95 more at » www.4x4obsession.co.uk

(use code - MUDLIFE5 to get 5% OFF anything on the website)

BAXTER PATCH JACKET The Baxter is Peregrine’s heavyweight cotton field coat which features a unique patterned, brushed cotton liner on the inside.

Made from 8oz antique Millerain waxed cotton, this British made jacket is 100% showerproof and is the ultimate blend of style meets functionality.

The jacket features leather patches on the elbows, 4 press-stud pockets including a moleskin lined, leather glasses pocket.

Available in sizes: S - XXL. price - £245 more at » www.peregrineclothing.co.uk

New Stuff we've discovered this month KEELA VIRALOFF RANGE Keela are offering two products with their ‘ViralOff’ treatment, that along with an anti-bacterial component to reduce sweat smells keeping you fresher for longer, it also reduces viruses present on the treated fabric by 99% after 2 hours.

First is their Recon Wrap which is perfect in both hot and cold conditions with dust, heat and dirt. It combines a soft brushed cotton feel close to the skin without the restrictions or claustrophobia of something covering the nose and mouth.

The Neck Tube is an essential addition to your kit bag. Highly versatile, it can be worn in an array of different ways to give additional protection where you need it; and the microfibre material manages moisture and protects from the outside elements.

Keela’s ViralOff is for the protection of the treated product and not intended to prevent disease, both the Neck Tube and Recon Wrap are still ideal for use while travelling, or just while you’re out and about.

Recon Wrap - £14.95 ViralOff Neck Tube - £9.95 more at » keelaoutdoors.com

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New Stuff we've discovered this month UNION JACK BADGES

Yes, yes, we know it's technically incorrrect to call it a Union Jack as we aren't on a ship, but that's what Britpart, and most of the country (bar Damian), call them.

Black and Chrome Union Jack oval and rectangular badges with self adhesive foam backing which are a great edition to the exterior of any Land Rover or Range Rover.The oval is the exact fit for the side window panel of the new Defender.

Oval - 70mm x 37mm.

Rectangle - 51mm x 29mm more at Âť www.britpart.com

Britpart are delighted to now be an approved stockist for the entire ARB range of products in the UK. For nearly 40 years Britpart has been synonymous with parts for Land Rovers and now we are expanding our range of quality aftermarket parts with the introduction of the ARB catalogue for a multitude of 4x4 vehicles.

ARB’s range of products for the off-road and pickup market includes Air Lockers & > Compressors

Recovery Points & > Equipment

> Canopies

> Roof Racks

> Drawers

> StealthBar Bumper

> Lights

Steps & Side > Protection

Upgraded > Suspension > Rear Protection

arb4x4uk.co.uk

> Tyre Accessories > Underbody Protection

ARB accessories & suspension products for a wide range of manufacturers & models Ford Ranger / Isuzu D-Max / Jeep Cherokee & Grand Cherokee & Jeep Wrangler Land Rover Defender & Land Rover Discovery / Mitsubishi L200 / Nissan Navara & Pathfinder / Toyota Hilux / VW Amarok

sales@britpart.com

Great T-Shirts & Art Prints o.uk .livethemudlife.c

www

GOODS & GEAR F RO N T RU N N ER CA M P K I TCHE N Are you looking for a cutlery / kitchen set for you, your friends and family when out camping? Well, the Front Runner Camp Kitchen might just be what you’re looking for.

The Front Runner Camp Kitchen includes pretty much everything that you need for cooking and eating all wrapped up in a heavy duty custom tool-style roll for rattle-free transport.

The roll has adjustable straps and buckles, along with sturdy carrying handles, and once opened features 2 loops with carabiners so the opened roll and utensils can be hung for quick and easy access.

Using composite polyethylene handles, the utensils themselves have a nice weighty feel to them, and adding to the robustness, the knife handles are triple riveted with double riveted fork and spoon handles.

Be careful, the steak knives feature high quality, micro-serrated edges and are bloomin’ sharp, as are the other knives. In fact, it’s worth stocking up on plasters in your First Aid kit, just in case!

It could do with a pair of tongs, but other than that you get a whole bunch of decent, long lasting cutlery for not a lot of money.

Contents

- 4 x serrated knifes - 4 x steak forks - 4 x dessert spoons - 4 x tea spoons - 1 x chopping board - 1 x paring knife - 1 x bread knife - 1 x carving knife - 1 x serving spoon - 1 x spatula - 1 x BBQ/Campfire fork - 1 x Bottle opener and corkscrew Front Runner have various retailers in the UK, but this bundle of joy was kindly supplied by Rich at RCM4x4.

Though the Front Runner range isn’t on his website yet - https://www.rcm4x4.co.uk, once you’ve decided what you need, just give him a call and I'm sure he'll sort you out.

Dimensions: L 450mm x W 210mm x H 50mm Weight: 1.91kg more at » www.frontrunneroutfitters.com THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

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GOODS & GEAR F RO Z E N ROPES 3 PO INT S OFT S HA CK LE B RI D LE There’s something comforting knowing that you have the right kit with you when venturing out, whether that’s a decent pair of wellies, warm coat or a tyre inflator.

In this case, having a 3 point, 12 tonne bridle for recoveries makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

The obvious benefit to a bridle is that it’s designed to connect to two recovery points, either on the front or rear of your 4x4, therefore spreading to load between them.

Made from high-quality Dyneema d12, the 3 Point Soft Shackle Bridle is lightweight, strong, and far safer to use.

Having soft shackle ends eliminates all worries of having stray D-shackles coming at you at a zillion mph during recoveries.

Andrew from Frozen Ropes is a 4x4 and off road rope designer and manufacture, and all his products are hand made using the best British ropes. Along with winch ropes, kinetic recovery ropes and FR-Rings.

Typically, every time I’ve been out recently no one has required recovering, but at least I know that when they, or I do, my 3 point bridle will save the day!

If you’re serious about green laning and messing around at Pay and Play sites, then recovery should also be your top priority, so take a look at Andrew’s Facebook shop. price: £150 more at » www.facebook.com/commerce/ products/3429968380390648

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GOODS & GEAR A C T IO NTRAX In the back of Deux Smurf I have a pair of old waffle boards, and over the years they’ve been very good as bridging ladders, but not great for when I’ve needed to find grip as they can be quite slippery when wet. With this in mind, Roy from 4x4 Obsession recently gave me a pair of ActionTrax self recovery tracks that he now carries in stock to test.

ActionTrax are made from DuPont nylon, and with aggressive teeth are said to be the perfect self recovery track system for snow, sand, mud and silt. They’re also strong enough in some cases to use as bridging ladders, though they do flex a fair bit. In fact, if you check out some of the videos on their website it shows them being bent and driven over at 90º within being damaged.

Measuring 112cm long x 32.4 wide x 9.5cm high (a stacked pair), they feature sawtooth ends for better clearing capabilities and larger hand holds for when you’re wearing gloves, or just have huge hands!

The trick to using ActionTrax is once they’re in position, is to gently accelerate, the ActionTrax is then pulled under the tyre and you should then be on the move. Whatever you do, don’t floor the throttle as you’ll spin the tyres and subsequently burn off the teeth and lose grip.

That said, the great thing about ActionTrax is that if you do burn off the teeth, you simply find a 1/4” drill bit, and from the underside drill out the burnt teeth and replace them with 1/4” bolt that’s 3/4” long.

Don’t forget washers and Nylock nuts. If you do this, be careful, because if you still end up spinning your wheels, the replacement metal teeth will end up damaging your tyres and you’ll find yourself in a worse predicament!

Due to tier 3 restrictions, and having Deux Smurf that I haven’t managed to get stuck yet, I haven’t yet had the opportunity to really test them out. Instead, on the wet field behind my house I left Deux Smurf in rear wheel drive and drove until we lost traction. Then, inserting the ActionTrax as far as could under both rear tyres, I eased on the accelerator and hey presto, forward motion resumed.

Granted, it isn’t the most dramatic of tests, but it gives you an idea of how well they work.

If like me, you tend to venture out quite a lot on your my own, having a pair or two of ActionTrax in the boot not only will give you peace of mind, but could save you a load of hassle and embarrassment if you ever come a cropper! If that ever happens, that £265 you spent on them will suddenly become your best investment, ever! price: £265 - sold in pairs (use code - MUDLIFE5 to get 5% OFF) more at » www.4x4obsession.co.uk

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Troopy

KEA Conqueror You know how it is, you’re flicking through Facebook, Instagram and the likes when you come across a photo of a 4x4 that transports you off to daydream land. It doesn’t have to be expensive Italian exotica, but something basic that simply captures your imagination.

This happened to me the week before Christmas, and the vehicle responsible for this hankering was the Toyota Land Cruiser Troopy camper that you see below. This rare beast happened to be for sale at West Coast Off Road Centre, which only an hour away from Muddy Towers, so I decided to take a closer look.

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Arriving at West Coast Off Road Centre on a cold and very dull December morning, I was greeted by Victoria and Paul who run West Coast these days, and after a quick natter,Victoria showed around the ‘Cruiser.

This particular conversion was created by an Australian company called KEA Camper and was christened the Conqueror. KEA Campers no longer exist, but parts, as well as an updated version, named the Cruisinator, can still be bought from Bonetti Campers. I’ll leave a link to them at the end.

It took Victoria less than a minute to set the camper up. AwWfter unclipping 4 latches on each corner and a few more inside, it was with an encouraging push from inside that popped up the roof.

After showing me how to fit the rear awning, Victoria chatted about some of the trips she’s taken the Troopy on over summer, and it’s fair to say she’s really smitten by it, and if it was up to her she’d keep it!

Once I’d climbed inside I was amazed to find well over 6 foot of head space, and enough elbow room to swing a cat.

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Like any good camper, under the seats, that incidentally taper outwards towards the front, offer plenty cubbyholes for clothes, spares and so on. On the opposite side you have a cabinet that houses a twin burner stove, four deep drawers and a side opening cupboard beneath a small sink for more stowage. Between the sink and the drivers front seat sits a removable electric fridge.

When it comes to bedtime you can rearrangement the seating area that makes a small double bed, that’s approx 7’ x 3’, or reach for the stars.

Okay, you’re not exactly reaching for the stars, but in addition to the lower bed, a second 7’ x 4’ bed can be made up by sliding an extension tray from above the driver’s cab.

This would be my option as it’s much easier to make up, and with 5 meshed opening windows all-round you’re guaranteed plenty of fresh air circulation on hot summer nights.

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The base vehicle is a 2003 HZJ78 Troopy and as Paul explained, it originally left the factory with twin fuel tanks, air-con, a factory snorkel and not much else.

When exactly it was converted, we’re not sure, but Stefano owner of Bonetti Campers tells me it is first generation that had the laminated interior until he redesigned it in 2008. We do know that a company in Scotland imported 2 of them with the intention of hiring them out for camper tours. At some point the company sold them both on, and after another owner, a customer of Paul bought it 7 years ago and he’s looked after it ever since.

original Troopy had split rims up until 2018.

Being a HZJ 4.2ltr naturally aspirated diesel, Paul said that it’ll happily take you around world several times, but slowly! So he added a low boost Billet turbo conversion that has upped the Troopy’s power output to around 160bhp.

Along with the conversion, at some time in its life, the Troopy has had ARB front and rear lockers, an ARB front bumper and a Warn winch fitted, as well as additional steel rims, as the Another practical modification was to replace the standard, and fairly uncomfortable front bench seat with two Recaros that offer superior comfort.

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As I mentioned at the beginning, it’s for sale, and though Paul will happily take your hard earned cash, if Victoria, Paul’s wife, has the keys, you’ll have a fight on your hands!

Despite being an older 4x4 with what some might consider to be a ‘dated’ camper conversion, everything about the Conqueror oozes quality and robustness, and if I had the spare cash I’d buy it myself.

For more details about the Troopy, chat to Victoria or Paul at West Coast Off Road Centre westcoastoffroad.co.uk For more details about the updated version see Bonetti Campers www.bonetticampers.com.au

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History of Jeep Part 6 -

The 21st Century Written by Simon Hastelow

We’ve previously covered the history of Jeep from the 1940s right up to the end of the 20th century. To bring it up to date we’re now looking at the most recent 20 years of Jeep. Like many other vehicle manufacturers it is arguably not a very interesting period to the enthusiast, but Jeep still managed to pull some surprises out of the bag.

First let’s talk about the elephant in the room: Jeep sees in the turn of the Millenium as American as apple pie and privatised healthcare, but 14 years later ends up in the hands of Italian company Fiat.

In 2000 the Fiat group formed a loose alliance with General Motors (owners of Vauxhall and Opel in Europe as well as Buick, Cadillac and Chevrolet in the US), shares were exchanged and money flowed both ways across the Atlantic but it soon became clear that it wasn’t going to work for either company. The agreement was terminated in 2005, coincidentally soon after the death of Umberto Agnelli, CEO of Fiat.

The Italian group flirted with a few other companies before announcing its engagement to Chrysler. Chrysler was on its knees at this point and would gladly have taken anyone’s money to stay afloat after the US and Canadian governments indicated that it wouldn’t bail it out any further. Fiat took an initial 20% stake in the US firm in 2009, and its CEO also occupied the CEO

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seat at Chrysler. From then it was a very short five years until Fiat consumed Chrysler and all of its subsidiaries into the Fiat family, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles was born.

That five-year period was quite busy for both companies, Fiat got back into the US and Chrysler, buoyed with new cash and a more certain future, couldn’t hide their enthusiasm for developing new products. Fiat acquired more and more shares in Chrysler, and the US company in return repaid bailout loans to the US and Canadian governments, six years ahead of schedule.

2014 was a momentous year, not just the merger of two huge automotive brands, but also the launch of the Jeep Renegade.

This was a true transatlantic project with the design and engineering lead by the US teams, but production based in Italy.

The group expanded into several other countries including China, India, Poland and Brazil, where it built the largest manufacturing plant of the entire group with a capacity to build 250,000 per year. So you could safely assume that the group is now in a good place, and on the cusp of creating some very, very nice vehicles.

Well, that’s only partly true, the company does offset the success of the Renegade with the lacklustre Compass, and distinctly ‘meh’ Liberty, so lets look at some of the vehicles which have sported the Jeep badge over the past 20 years…

Wrangler Obviously the Wrangler is still here. The TJ was introduced and remained in the brochure for ten years. It is strange to think that this was only ‘Series 2’ of the Wrangler, but Jeep have preferred all along to keep a good thing going rather than constantly replace models. The TJ departed from the previous YJ with the use of coil suspension rather than leaf-springs, the suspension system borrowed heavily from the Grand Cherokee parts bin.

It also featured the same 4.0 litre straight six from the Cherokee although a 2.4 from the PT cruiser was also an option.

In 2004 the LWB was reintroduced, only 10” (25cm) longer wheelbase but 15” longer overall which allowed for a much larger cargo area and also a higher towing weight.

2007 saw the launch of the JK, arguably its best-selling Wrangler ever, with a 3.8 litre V6 engine. While being completely redesigned it retained the separate body/chassis arrangement with live axles. The body was 3.5” (86mm) wider than the TJ and wheelbase 2.5” longer although the overall length of the short wheelbase was cut by 2.5” to give better approach and departure angles.

2007 was also the year of the first 4-door Wrangler: The Unlimited, a model which would account for more than threequarters of all Wrangler sales within 10 years. This year also saw the introduction of the VM 2.8 litre diesel engine for markets outside of the US (it did not meet strict USA emissions standards at the time).

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Wrangler JL The JL was launched in 2017 closely following the previous TJ (in fact several non-Jeep offroaders will probably swear that they can’t tell the difference) but again, extra inches are added to body and wheelbase. Engine choice is the 3.6 V6 petrol or 2.0 four-cylinder.

The US had to wait until 2020 to get a diesel option in the form of the 3.0litre V6 VM turbo while the rest of the world could continue to option the 2.2litre 16V multijet sourced from Fiat.

The JL is available with three different suspension/drivetrain setups: Command-Trac, Selec-Trac and Rock-Trac as found on the Rubicon model which also comes with locking diffs front and rear in Dana 44 axles. The most recent addition to the Wrangler lineup is the Gladiator pickup which references the original Gladiator from 1962. While still based on the JL it has a wheelbase of 137�

(3,487mm).

Only very recently has Jeep confirmed that the Wrangler petrol/ electric hybrid will be added to the lineup, closely based on the technology in the newly launched Jeep Renegade 4xe hybrid.

Renegade The Jeep Renegade lives up to its name in more ways than one. It is the first small SUV ever to be offered by Jeep. Based in a large part on Italian technology, it is the only model NOT to be manufactured in the US, and its most popular model is only two wheel drive!

With Land Rover finding success with the Freelander, and Toyota shoving as many RAV4s off the end of the production line as it can manage, Jeep had to find its own small off-roader. The Wrangler remains hugely popular in the US with sales of around 250,000 per year, but in other markets it struggles, particularly Europe, so an alternative was desperately required.

Jeep planned for the Renegade to not only plug the smallvehicle gap, but also replace the Compass and Patriot models, but while the Patriot was killed off in 2017 the Compass remains with a recent refresh.

Engines are similarly tiny, compared to other Jeep offerings, with the smallest lump being just 1.0 litre and 118bhp, up to the 2.0 litre offering 168bhp. The Sport and Latitude models are aimed squarely at urban family buyers, while the Trailhawk is the model with all the off-road capability.

It was dismissed early on as being a revised Fiat 500L, and while it does share engines and other components it cannot be dismissed as a soft-roader. The 4x4 capabilities are exceptional for a vehicle of this size, especially when optioned or modified with some of the neater Mopar accessories.

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Grand Cherokee At the top of the Jeep Family tree is the Grand Cherokee. Introduced in 1993 we are currently awaiting the imminent launch of the fifth generation (due 2021).

Series 2 of the Grand Cherokee (known as the WJ in America and WG in Europe) was released with the accompanying boast from Jeep that it shared just 127 parts with the outgoing ZJ, and most of those parts were fasteners of some description.

This came with a 4.0 litre straight six or 4.7 litre V8. In Europe we got a 3.1 litre VM diesel up until 2002 when the company switched to offering a Mercedes 2.7 oil burner. As usual, neither diesel engine was available in the US. Mercedes and Porsche both had an involvement in the WG variant in the development of the ‘UniFrame’ platform.

The result of this was a stronger chassis with significantly reduced vibration. These vehicles were all built in Graz, Austria, which, coincidentally, is also home of the Steyr-Puch Pinzgauer.

The 2004 New York Auto Show was the event chosen to launch the WK Grand Cherokee with a handful of significant improvements.

Out went the live axle up front, in favour of leading arms and double wishbone. For the first time the Grand Cherokee was described as a truck-based SUV or ‘Crossover’ vehicle with more refinement found in previous versions.

The straight-6 was replaced with a V6, and for the first time Jeep offered the whiplash inducing 357bhp, 5.7 litre Hemi V8, which was followed later by the even more powerful 420bhp 6.1 litre Hemi. In Europe we were able to specify the much smoother 3.0 litre Mercedes common rail diesel.

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The current WK2 model (until the fifth generation debuts in 2021) has been with us for ten years. It has a much sleeker look to it and is definitely aimed at SUV buyers rather than serious off-roaders.

It retains the Unibody construction but now has independent suspension all-round. The platform is shared with the Dodge Durango and the Mercedes M Class and the Merc GLE. The four-wheel-drive systems include Quadra-Trac I, Quadra-Trac II, and Quadra-Drive II. Using Selec-Terrain, the driver can select modes for Auto, Sport, Snow, Sand/Mud, and Rock. The 3.6 litre Penstar V6 was a much smoother engine than previous lumps and the 5.7 litre Hemi featured Multiple Displacement System (MDS) that shuts down four cylinders in low-power driving situations.

Again the 3.0 litre Diesel was only available in ‘export’ regions but this time the Mercedes unit was dropped in favour of a Fiat/VM engine.

For those looking for a powerful SUV (and who wasn’t back in 2011?) the screamingly quick Grand Cherokee SRT8 was available with a 470bhp 6.4 litre V8. Jeep did stress that the fuel efficiency of this model was much better than the other Hemipowered cars, but no one seriously bought it for its ability to drive almost 500 miles on a single tank of petrol.

The 2021 model will be an interesting vehicle when it is released as it is due to be built on the same FCA developed platform that underpins both the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Alfa Romeo Stelvio.

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The others‌ The 21st century has been rocky for Jeep, it started with a lot of uncertainty, then the 2008 financial crisis almost killed its parent company before it found a solid footing again in the hands of Fiat, of all places. Even though it now has three of the best off-road and SUV vehicles available - Renegade, Wrangler and Grand Cherokee, it has also produced a selection of distinctly average trucks, namely the Compass, Patriot and Liberty. These may have been designed to fit a perceived gap in the lineup, or maybe just to offer a Jeep alternative to SUVs being built by other marques, either way they have not been a raging success.

Liberty

The Liberty was designed as a replacement for the very popular Cherokee, in fact it was still sold as the Cherokee outside of the USA. The first generation from 2002 to 2007 looked promising, it offered a distinct style that resembled a Wrangler/Cherokee crossbreed, but the 2nd generation, introduced in 2008, completely fell flat on its face. US sales of up to 170,000 units fell to just over 40,000, and it was eventually put out of its misery in 2012.

The Compass hit the forecourts in 2007 to a very tepid response from the buying public. It couldn’t decide whether it wanted to be an estate car or an SUV, subsequently it was neither.

Annual sales struggled with 2009 seeing only a measly11,000 units sold in the US (compare this to 250,000 Wranglers sold). Jeep scrapped it and started again with the 2nd Generation version in 2016. This time the styling was much more appealing, looking very much like a mini-Grand Cherokee. The public showed their appreciation by buying 170,000 of them in 2018.

Significantly the new Compass benefits from input from the guys at FIAT as it's based on a stretched Renegade platform, and offers the same trim variants and the same two or four wheel drive systems. The 2.4 litre 4cyl petrol engine is very refined, and in Europe we get the joys of the fabulous Fiat multijet diesel engines.

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Patriot

Compass

Special Concepts An eagerly awaited event each year has been the release of the Jeep Concepts. These are not just artist impressions so loved by car magazines, Jeep actually builds them. Updates of the Wagoneer, Forward Controls, extended Wranglers, stripped down Renegades, roadsters, a Willys Jeep for the 21st century and ideas about where the brand might go in the future.

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It is a shame that very few of these will ever be put into actual production for us to buy, but they show a brand that is not afraid to experiment and explore the possibilities of what it means to be a utilitarian, go anywhere vehicle.

What new vehicles we see by the time Jeep celebrates their 100th birthday is anyone’s guess.

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h c o Mo

off to Sleep with Rubi

This ‘ere yellow Jeep Rubicon has to be the best PR vehicle for the UK’s 4x4 community, because whilst driving the narrow lanes in the Lake District, to the dozen or so green lanes I drove during our week together, everyone appeared to loved it.

Seriously, every walker I met was friendly, they chatted and even offered to open and close gates for me. Children waved, and parents smiled as I trundled past - it was ridiculous!

Anyway, what am I doing with a Wrangler Rubicon with a roof top tent? Well, during the Renegade 4xe launch late last year, I learnt that Jeep’s PR dept were sending out their vehicles fitted with TentBox roof top tents, so I asked to borrow one.

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The Rubicon arrived during the second week of last October’s half term, the wet week. No, it wasn’t just wet, it was constantly hammering it down, excellent weather for camping - not, but I was determined to spend at least one night in it.

This particular roof top tent was TentBox’s Classic, a hard top that opens up vertically.

Opening it up is easy; simply undo the 4 cam buckles, 2 at each corner, and after a slight nudge, up it pops using four internal struts.

The Classic held up really well in the ridiculous wind on Walney Island, and because all four sides are quite taught, there wasn’t any flapping canvas to annoy me or keep me awake.

Once erected, you’ll find there’s loads of space inside (L210cm x W125cm x H95cm), ample for big blokes who aren’t as flexible as they once were. There are a couple of large storage bags attached to the sides as well as netting on the ceiling, so you aren’t short of places to store torches and clothes.

The 6cm-thick high-density memory foam mattress makes it quite comfortable, too.

To close it, the Classic is fitted with 2 long canvas straps that are attached to both corners of the roof, front are rear. Stepping onto the rear bumper I pulled down on the strap to lower the roof, which wasn’t as easy as it sounds. At this point I’m going to assume that the reason it was stiff and awkward to close was because it was brand new.

After numerous attempts I managed to get to roof into the position to feed the short canvas strap through the cam buckle, which was a bit fiddly, especially in the wind and its position on the sleek Front Runner roof rack.

Getting the front down was a tad more difficult. If you’re on your own you have to centralise yourself to get both front struts to lower themselves together, this entailed me not very gracefully clambering up onto the bonnet and standing on the two roof rack supports attached to the Wrangler’s scuttle. Once lowered I spent another few minutes or so trying to feed the short front straps into the cam buckles, not an easy task, especially as you’re fighting to keep the roof from popping up again!

It’s good practise not to tighten all 4 buckles up once you’ve managed to get them in, as invariably you’ll need to walk around tucking in the sides, and once that’s done, tighten them up and have a brew, ‘cos you’ve deserved it!

Obviously, this would be much easier with two people, and probably more practise as I’m sure that after a number of uses things will loosen up a bit.

After the aforementioned brew using the brilliant Tyre Table that’s available in the UK from Ox Overland (https://www.oxoverland. co.uk/copy-of-dakota-210-1), I made my way from Walney island towards Bouth and then Grizedale as I wanted to explore a few green lanes.

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Lane 1 The lane leading out of Bouth is relatively easy, and with autumn upon us it was picturesque with freshly fallen leafs covering the lane. Once through the gate I climbed above the tree line and the ground went from solid and grippy to slippery muddy ruts in no time.

I met two walkers here, one gent was out with his dog and we chatted briefly about responsible laning, the other was an, erm, older lady who was kind enough to hold the last gate open for me, and again we chatted about the state of the lanes.

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Lane 2 Starting from the Grizedale visitors' centre, which is always good for a loo stop, my next lane began with a narrow rocky climb.

I’ve driven it numerous times and it always looks worse than it is.

That said, you still need decent clearance and proper tyres.

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The Rubicon took the rocks and steps in its stride, there was the occasional scrape from underneath though, just to remind me that I had to watch my line.

As I’ve mentioned previously, once past the Fox sculpture, the next section of the lane has been graded, and by that I mean that all the holes and drops that made it interesting and challenging to drive have been filled in with stone.

That said, the rocky step near the end hasn't been touched, which always makes for a good photo opportunity and from there on there are still some interesting drops.

At this point I wanted to tell you how the Rubi handled itself off the beaten track, but quite honestly, there isn’t much to say. With coil springs, disconnect sway bars, front and rear diff locks and BFG KM3s, it crawled and flexed everywhere I pointed it.

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Lane 3 The real test came a few days later on a lane that isn’t far from Muddy Towers that if I’m being honest, I wouldn’t want to drive Deux Smurf up, well at least not until I’ve fitted a rear locker.

I last drove it was last year whilst in the amazing Isuzu AT35, check out Issue 13 (https://issuu.com/themudlife/ docs/tml-issue-13).

Upon reaching the first technical bit I jumped out and assessed the climb. Water erosion and scrambling tyres had caused the step to be a bit taller than last time, but I had a plan. Placing a few rocks in front of what looked like the easiest step, I jumped back in and engaged both the front and rear lockers on the Rubicon and I edged towards it.

Slowly, the big yellow bonnet began to point upwards and I lost all visibility on the track ahead, then as the rear wheels began to climb they lost grip and slid sideways towards the bank.

My first attempt failed, the off side rear tyre was against the 2 foot vertical rock, and at this point I had an audience, a Dad and his young son stood and offered encouragement.

Dad said I needed a bit more momentum, I agreed, but momentum increases the risk of damaging a press car, so I reversed down completely, put a few more stones in front of the step and tried again, this time driving further the left.

The rear again began to slide to the right, but now with another couple watching me, the back tyres found grip and up I crawled.

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The next section is quite easy, just a few more rocks and the odd smaller step. Once you drive around the ’s’ bend and another incline which isn’t too bad, it’s just strewn with loose rocks.

It isn’t until you reach nearer the top when things begin to get a little gnarly again. This time there are a series of steps for you to climb, they even caused the AT35 a bit of trouble. The problem is that once there was a visible path that lead to the top with obvious places to place your front wheels, but not anymore, huge amounts of rain fall over the years have washed all the smaller rocks and stones away leaving just a series of steep ledges to climb.

At this point I had another audience, and because the vertical rock steps caused the AT35 to struggle, I decided to disconnect the sway bars for better articulation and again engaged both the front and rear lockers.

With complete ease, the Rubi simply crawled and flexed its way upwards in total control, the difference lockers make, eh?

It could be argued that the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon is the only proper, out of the box off-roader available in the UK market at the moment. Sure, there’s a myriad of competent pick ups available, and I’ve only ever driven the new Defender on a dry-ish off-road course, but if you want mud terrains, front and rear lockers, coils, removable roof and doors, then a Wrangler it is!

Further details on the Tentbox can be found at; www.tent-box.com THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

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acebook Page of the Month Once, not so long ago, if you wanted to catch up with like minded enthusiasts, you’d join a forum. It appears these days however that Facebook has taken over the mantle for the place to go for information. So, in the aptly titled ‘Facebook Page of the Month’ every month I will invest hours of time, effort and energy searching Facebook for interesting and relevant groups so you don’t have to. It’s serious work, or so I tell Muddy Madam!

Old Trials Motor Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/351510821887217

WHO STARTED IT IT? It was mine (Karl Walton) and Dave Flacks idea.

WHEN? Back in 2017 WHY / PURPOSE? The story of the Old Trials Motor Group page came about because I was posting photos on Facebook of an old Series 1 trials car I’d found as a project, and I was trying to find some old photos of it from its trials days, or any history of who might have owned it.

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but I got talking to a few old trial fans, one being Dave Flack.

We chatted about how many people will have old photos from back in the day, and still have the odd old trialler parked up waiting for either someone to come along and buy it, or waiting to be restored.

Dave and I decided we should start the Facebook page to see how many old trial cars and fans are still out there, he invited a few old trials people that he knew, and by that evening we had about 22 members.

What followed was something that just grew overnight to where it is now, but despite it becoming a popular group, I never did find any information on the old trials car I bought!

HOW MANY MEMBERS SO FAR? So far we have over 2,200 members.

AREA? Nationwide.

ARE THERE PUB MEETINGS? Pub meets are something that might happen, but think it would most likely just be events.

CAN MEMBERS ORGANISE THEIR OWN TRIPS? Not that sort of group.

ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD? There is a movement to get some of these early Series 1 Land Rovers out at their own trials events in greater numbers to relive the fun in a similar style to back in the 1960s-1990s. The events planned are for early Land Rovers in a few different classes, from basic early 1600-2ltr leaf sprung with minimum modifications, up to series cars that are now coil sprung with V8s or TDi’s & power steering. https://www.facebook.com/groups/351510821887217

If you, or your group, would like to be featured as FB Page of the Month send us a quick email to:

POTM@themudlife.co.uk THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

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Learning The Ropes with ARDTRAINING ARDTRAINING

As a youngster, I was always advised never to take driving lessons from my Dad. Don’t get me wrong, my Dad is a good driver as he used to drive trucks for a living, but you inevitably end up picking up their bad habits that shine like a Belisha beacon when you take your test, so always go with a professional instructor.

It’s the same with ‘off roading’, watching your mates crunching their 4x4 into low box and charging at an obstacle isn’t always the best option.

So when Russ from Ardventures invited me to tag along on one of his 4x4 Driving and Self Recovery training days at Askham Byran College near York, I jumped at the opportunity to see what new tips I could glean.

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On arrival, Russ was already taking 2 customers, Christopher and Christina, around the course in his seriously kitted out Discovery 2. The first part of the day entailed experimenting on how not to do it, and generally making a hash of it all. With Russ driving he’s normalising and explaining the vehicles responses. Then it was both Christopher and Christina‘s turn, this time doing it properly, again with Russ sat beside them.

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The course at Askham Byran College is a little gem, and Russ has designed it not only to be safe for novices, but it also has enough tricky sections to keep you on your toes, the kind of obstacles that you’ll need to learn how tackle in your 4x4 when out in the wild, like a slide slope and a steep hill to learn failed hill climbs.

After driving around in Russ’s Disco, Christopher and Christina decided to have a go in their own 4x4, a Land Cruiser, and as they approached each obstacle, Russ was always at hand walking next to driver explaining how best tackle it.

The training that Russ provides isn’t just about how to handle your 4x4 in off road conditions, he also looks at how to read the conditions of the track ahead and how to best approach them.

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After lunch, Russ gathered us in a socially distanced circle and talked to about recovery and the importance of having the correct equipment, and knowledge to use it properly.

Russ has being doing this sort of thing for decades, in fact he’s a RoSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) and BORDA (British Off Road Driving Association) qualified instructor, so he knows his stuff. He’s also the training provider for Mountain Rescue England and Wales and works with Manufacturers like Jeep and Nissan.

Being a qualified instructor, Russ works with a diverse client base, from experienced drivers who want to brush up on their knowledge, complete novices who can be quite nervous to those who simply want to know how their new 4x4 works off the beaten track.

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Whilst I was there, and Russ was showing Christopher and Christina how their Land Cruiser works, it would have rude not to have had a drive around the course in Deux Smurf. There were plenty of interesting obstacles and challenges, nothing to ‘catch you out' as such, but enough that’ll get you thinking about how you will tackle them. As a bonus, Tiana Walton (www.tianawalton.com) was also there recording the day for Russ, and she kindly offered to take some photos of me driving around.

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Did I learn anything? I did.

Did you know that Hill Descent Control works when you’re in neutral? I didn’t.

To prove it, Russ got Christina to drive over the edge of the steep slope, stop, put the Land Cruiser in neutral and release the brakes. I fully expected the Toyota to barrel down the hill, but it didn’t, the electrics took over and the descent was like it would be if you engaged 1st gear low box. It’s obviously very important to point out that it isn’t recommended that chucking off the top in neutral, and probably used as a last resort.

AlsoHDC works in reverse and should be used in conjunction with a failed hill climb.

In case you’re wondering, Russ has two parts to his company, there's this side, ARD Training and Events, that offers 4x4 training, self recovery, ATV, winch training and team building. For more details and to book on a course, Click the ad below which will take you to the training website - ardtrainingandevents.co.uk.

The other part is Ardventures, his travel business that offers 4x4 treks in the UK, Europe and North Africa take a look here - ardventures.co.uk.

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wri t es Simon says

by Simon Hastelow

Learning to drive Artist - Scott Burdick (1967) Photo courtesy of The American Gallery

I recently saw a clip of a young girl driving a tractor, I’m guessing on her family’s farm - the caption stated that she was 12 years old. All pretty normal, you’d think, for a farm-girl, but the comments online would suggest otherwise.

I know it’s always advisable to stay well clear of the comments on social media, this is where the keyboard warriors hang out spewing their bile on to anything and everything, but I was going to comment myself until I saw some of the ridiculous complaints about: - how irresponsible her parents were - how she’d be a danger on the roads - how she’d be uninsured, etc., etc...

None of which were relevant at all for someone driving on private land, but the mouth-breathers can’t help themselves.

I also learned to drive on a tractor.

Back in the early 80s my parents bought a bit of very rough land next to their house, it was useless for anything, and only weeds grew on it, but my dad had a plan to flatten and cultivate it.

Obviously he bought a tractor, which also became the first vehicle I drove, a couple of years before I got into anything road-going.

It was perfectly safe, probably the slowest thing I could have driven at the time, but it gave me a good introduction to driving, although I do remember getting a telling off a time or two for only focussing on the wheels and where they were sitting in the ruts.

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Shortly after that he also bought a small dump truck to help move the rubble and other detritus around. That was an experience in itself as it was rear-wheel-steer, and you definitely cannot see the where the front wheels are as there’s a small skip in the way.

Anyway over a couple of years my parents turned this ⅓ acre plot into an orchard and vegetable patch, and that tractor was indispensable. Not that it helped my driving, I failed my first test due to ‘over confidence’!

I have completed several driving courses over the years, both onand off-road, and I’m not sure if my driving has improved, stayed the same or got worse?

We all think we’re the best driver in the world, but I’m sure I’m quite a way off claiming that.

Most recently I had to complete an annual driving assessment as part of an employer’s requirements for having a company car. I failed the first one, much to my absolute horror, the ‘examiner’ pointed out my bad habits, and also a few ‘differences’ in the way I was taught, to how drivers are taught now.

Until that point I wasn’t aware that there was a newer way to teach people how to drive, but I listened, just long enough to get my pass certificate.

A couple of years ago I also had a race-track driving session in the newly launched Porsche Cayenne. My lap time was about 4½ minutes. My instructor did it in the same car in 1min 50sec! It was an interesting experience, but my main takeaway from it was that tracksessions are not my thing.

Then there’s the myriad off-road driving and recovery sessions I’ve had over the years.

I should be an expert off road!

I’m probably not, even though I have a City & Guilds certificate to say that I can point a 4x4 around a track, but every session I’ve had with an instructor has been different.

When I first bought a Defender 110 I booked in to a 2 day driving and recovery course with David Bowyer down in Devon.

This course was very interesting and comprehensive, and for years I advised anyone who would listen that they should do the same thing, but when I take a new SUV around a track I can honestly say that almost nothing I was taught still applies to modern 4x4s.

Matching engine revs to the correct gear for a steep ascent is largely redundant, almost every 4x4 now has a simple button or dial to select the mode, all you do is point the car in the right direction. I’d hate to see how someone would cope with an old Series III or tractor around a farm if all they’ve ever driven is a new Discovery or Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Transferrable skills seem to have been made redundant in both directions - old-to-new and new-to-old, but I am glad that I’ve been taught the correct way to drive both kinds, whether I listened to any of it properly is up for debate.

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4x4 w o h S p Pick-U 2018 RETRO SNAPS

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es d i R s ' r e Read

Who are you, where are you from and what do you do?

Jim Hatton. I'm a drainage contractor from The Wirral History of cars leading up your present 4x4 My first car was in 2002, a Suzuki SJ which ended up with a 1.7l diesel lump amongst other mods. It remains the most hard-core 4x4 I've ever owned.

I've owned numerous other cars, special mentions should go to my Mk1 VW Caddy 5 speed diesel, my '71 T2 Dormobile and my Rev3 MR2 GT T-Bar in Goodwood green which I adored.

With regards to 4x4s I've also owned a Vitara Sport (in purple, no less), a Toyota Emina 4wd, a Delica, an XJ Cherokee 4.0l ltd and a mk3 Shogun 3.2 diesel.

Present 4x4(s) On returning from travelling Australia and South East Asia (07/08) I was left hankering for a 70 series Land Cruiser to make into my ultimate road tripping machine.

In April 2009 I finally bought Rex, a 1992 LJ78 Land Cruiser, unseen via eBay auction for £1910. The following week I took three trains to get down to Norfolk to collect him, then after fuelling up I drove him cross country, non stop to Abersoch, where (my then girlfriend) Laura lived. This is only the beginning of a very long story so I'll leave it there!

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Modifications done In no particular order (and probably incomplete): • +45mm Dobinsons suspension • manual free wheeling hubs • leisure battery • custom made winch tray in original bumper with 10,000lb Superwinch LP10 • snorkel • custom 2.5" stainless steel free flow exhaust • CB radio • 2 din Bluetooth Alpine head unit • 32" Cooper STT Pro tyres on 16x8 steel rims • rear drawer units • roof rack.

Favourite Modifications I've always run Cooper STT tyres on my off roaders, unless convenience dictated something else. I've never had one puncture while off the beaten track, although for some reason I still took two spares to the Sahara back in 2012.

Performance on road, for a mud terrain tyre is unmatched. Off road, they're as good as any other mud terrain.

I've only recently swapped to the STT Pro, after the STT was discontinued. Time will tell what I make of these.

Modifications to do I have a growing family now, and future modifications will probably be centered around making life more comfortable for them. I do need to fit some body protection though, after the original rear bumper disintegrated through too much punishment.

Favourite green-laning trip Mid Wales is my favourite haunt, I'll usually try for a 2 day trip with a night or two camping. Obviously 2020 has had different ideas.

Lottery win 4x4 I like my classics and I like them built my way, so a lottery win would no doubt result in a few projects. I think a 45 series Land Cruiser with an H series engine would be high up on the list.

Favourite car related film Gone in 60 seconds.

Favourite biscuits Choccy Hobnobs.

Where can we find more details?

I'm on facebook - jimbo4x4 More on Rex can be found in this clearly ancient thread on Land Cruiser Club which I should probably add something to: landcruiserclub.net/community/threads/jimbos-lj78-cruiser.127795/

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es d i R s ' r e Read

Who are you, where are you from and what do you do?

I’m Bex Fitch from Ilfracombe, north Devon, and I’m a farm dogsbody, waitress, cleaner, and a very harassed and tired single mum.

History of cars leading up to your present 4x4?

Oh my days, too many to remember...

My first car was a 1.0 litre Nissan Micra called Gwenny. I ran her as a farm vehicle for about 6 months before the head gasket blew. She was the only small car that ever came close to doing the field work my Land Rovers do now. She went off to become a monster truck show crush car. I was very proud, she deserved a spectacular end.

Ive had a Megan, a Kia, a Berlingo van, I think there was a Fiesta in there too, all unremarkable in memory. I acquired my first Freelander 1 in July 2016 when it was established that I was a car-wrecker and needed something more sturdy.

After that I bought a Series 3 project, then came the second Freelander 1, and as none of mine are currently running, I’ve borrowed my friend Daves heavily modded tank of a 90. Thank you Dave!

Present 4x4s I currently own: Rowland the swb 1982 series 3. I bought him in 2018 for £400, he took me 7 months of saving my tips at work to pay for, and is.currently in pieces in a barn on my friends farm awaiting rebuild.

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There's also Hippo the little red Mudlander, 1998 l series Freelander 1. She’s my baby, the ultimate in running Shitbox Sheds, I’ve had her for 4 years, and probably replaced most of her bits in that time. She’s currently in another barn on my friend's farm awaiting some work for the mot.

Jeff the blue Knackeredlander, also 1998 Freelander 1. I ran him for about 8 months, then his clutch blew. Fun and games...

He’s now Hippos donor and is residing in an old shed on the same farm as the others (I have awesome friends!).

Lastly there's Wyble (he wobbles, but he doesn’t fall down), the very handsome 1984 LR90 I have on loan (again thank you Dave!). He’s pulled all 3 of my Landys out of trouble at some point in our lives, and was integral in the saving of Rowland from his bush a couple of years back.

Modifications done I’ve only ever had the Freelanders as runners, and haven't really done much to them other than chunky tyres, a set of bull bars, and extra lights. They've not needed it. Both very capable in the fields, and on the various farms I frequent throughout my day.

Favourite modifications Well I don’t know if it counts as a mod, but I do have part of a Henry vacuum cleaner in Hippo's coolant system. It modifies her from being a non-drivable funky fountain, to a working, moving veeeeehickle. I find that helpful and handy.

Modifications to do I would like a lift kit for Hippo. Its really the only thing I feel she would truly benefit from. Maybe a better speaker set up, only one works at the moment...

Favourite greenlaning trip To be honest, I don’t get out laning as much as I would like. I’ve never been away on a trip as I’ve always got kids and work. My plan when the kids grow up a fledge the nest is to drive around Iceland. I’ve always wanted to see the volcanoes and northern lights.

Lottery win 4x4 I’d love, love, love a full nut and bolt restored series 1. I’m not a fan of newness, technology and screens, sensors, bluteeth, heated this, computer controlled that. I like to drive myself without all the distractions and robotic rummage, the vehicle in itself is enough to lift my soul. Its about the feeling you get, always will be.

Favourite car related film Back to the Future trilogy! Hands down, haha..

Favourite biscuits Tough one! I like my biscuits simple, Rich Tea with tea, plain Digestives with coffee, although the odd Bourbon isn’t unheard of.

Where can we find more details?

I have a Facebook page for Rowland's restoration/rebuild - Project Rowland; Land Rover Series 3 Restoration (although not a lot is happening right now). I also run Freelanders Southwest, and admin MUD HOOLIGANS Devon & Cornwall, so be sure to check them out!

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es d i R s ' r e Read

Who are you, where are you from and what do you do?

Hi I'm Danny from County Durham, I'm currently an emergency gas engineer.

History of cars leading up your present 4x4 First car was a Vauxhall Chevette that I learnt to drive in. After that, a Mk3 Fiesta, a Sierra Cosworth replica, an Audi A6, a Saxo VTR, and a MK5 Fiesta Zetec-S. Followed by a Mk3 Ibiza Cupra R, a BMW 320d, an Audi S3, a Freelander td4, 200Tdi Discovery and a Saab 93.

Present 4x4 Freelander Td4 Modifications done From Muddymods; a 40mm lift kit, bonnet checker plate, sports catalyst and a stainless exhaust system, Then there’s a snorkel, G4 rear ladder, stainless induction pipework, rock sliders, side repeater guards and a CB mount.

Other mods include modular wheels with 225-75 -6 Toyo Open Country M/T, JE tuning remap, steel sump guard, custom stainless steel side exit from Spanner Monkeys, front and rear spotlights, a light bar, rally style bonnet pod lights, CB equipment and some OEM stuff, such as soft tops, etc.

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Favourite modifications Anything to do with helping improve the ground clearance, so I'll go with the lift kit, larger tyres and the side exit.

Modifications to do next A winch and hidden winch bumper, as well as upgrading the springs.

Favourite green-laning trip Northumberland Fords run.

Lottery win 4x4 Would have to be the new Ford Bronco Wildtrak.

Favourite car related film Ronin, with the Peogeot 406 is chasing the BMW E34 5 series.

Favourite Biscuits Custard cream.

Where can we find more details?

MuddyFreelander on Facebook and td4dan on Instagram

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IN OUR GARAGE At the beginning of December I decided to lay off the press cars for a few weeks, not only would this give me the opportunity to clear the backlog of 4x4 reviews I had, but mainly because I wanted to drive Deux Smurf regularly again.

It didn’t take long for me to realise that she needed a bit of care and attention, and one important aspect was that her windscreen wipers only smeared rain from one side of the screen to another, as opposed to clearing it.

Going back to January 2016 when I first bought Deux Smurf, the first things I bought was a pair of Bosch Aerotwin windscreen wipers and an original rear wiper from Roughtrax.

I’ve used Aerotwin’s for many years, on my previous Smurf, Discovery and Muddy Madam’s Skoda Fabia. Okay they’re expensive, but I’ve always found them to work incredibly well, especially off-road when the windscreen gets covered in mud and grit.

In 5 years Deux Smurf is on her 3rd pair of Aerotwins, but I’ve only replaced the genuine rear wiper once.

As far as I’m aware, the genuine rear wiper can only be bought from Roughtrax, and after clicking on their website I decided to order their genuine Toyota front wipers, too.

Figured I’d give them a try, ‘cos why not?

The front wipers are easy to fit, but the rear involves digging out a screwdriver. You see, the wiper is attached to the arm with 2 very small screws and is quite a fiddly job to replace. You need to be careful not to lose the 2 screws or thread them as they don’t come with the wiper, so you better not drop them either, like I did!

As I’m writing this before Christmas, my next job is to give her a full winter service and to sort out a wobble from her steering as I have a 450 mile trip planned with Roam Free Adventures between Christmas and New Year, more about that in the next issue, hopefully. more at » www.roughtrax4x4.com

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How it all began...

A while back a friend asked me how I got into 4x4s, and curiously, despite my age, it wasn’t all that difficult to remember.

It all started when I watched Lee Majors in the Fall Guy driving, mostly flying, his modified GMC pick up. Did you know that they moved the engine and gearbox back three feet, and did away with the front prop shaft to eliminate damage whilst performing the jumps? Ha, the useless information you pick up over the years.

Anyway, as far as I can remember, that’s when my (un)healthy interest in 4x4s first began.

After leaving school in ’83, my first job entailed catching a couple buses, and next to one of the bus stops was a wonderful newsagent that sold a lot of weird and wonderful magazines, and that’s when I bought my first American 4x4 magazine ‘Four Wheeler’.

The following year, in 1984, whilst wandering around W. H. Smiths during my lunch break, I came across the first issue of ‘Off Road & 4 Wheel Driver’ magazine edited by David Bowyer, Brian Hartley and Mike Hallett. Recognise those names? It had previously been known as ‘Over-Lander’ but had become so popular that Link House took it over, and from a bimonthly magazine it became a monthly.

As a lanky 17 year old, it was in ‘Off Road & 4 Wheel Driver’ magazine that I noticed Land Rovers, in particular the military Lightweight. I was smitten, and despite being well out of my budget, they became my object of desire - along with Linda Lusardi!

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Then, one Saturday morning in 1987-ish, whilst visiting C&A Land Rovers in Colne, I came across a 1976 Marine Blue Series III 109 Hardtop for sale at a bargain price of just £1,500. At the time, Lightweights were still too expensive for me, so I decided to bite the bullet and trade in my Mk2 Escort for my first Land Rover.

It was inevitably going to happen at some point, and who knew back then how it would change my life.

A lot has happened since then, but I can still recall some fun memories of that 109. For instance, getting a puncture on the way home after buying her, not only couldn’t I find the bloomin’ jack, but there was no wheel brace either. Yeah, that wasn’t a fun one, I had to walk a couple of miles to find a phone box so I could phone my Dad to come and rescue me.

On the subject of being rescued by my Dad, I really shouldn't mention that balmy evening when I was parked up with a girlfriend by the side of a reservoir. Honestly, nothing happened, we’d simply parked up, eating a Chinese takeaway whilst listening to Richard Serling’s Soul Source on Red Rose Radio… and flattening the battery in the process! Oh, the embarrassment of trying to find another phone box in the countryside. Young ‘uns these days will never know the fun we had before having a phone in your pocket.

Funnily enough, I was parked up in the same spot a few weeks later, this time during the day with a fully charged battery, when a bloke approached me and asked, with confidence, if he could borrow an adjustable spanner to fix his son’s bike.

“What makes you think I have an adjustable spanner?” I asked.

“You drive a Land Rover, therefore you’ll have a collection of tools to hand!” was his reply.

We both laughed, and I lent him one of a collection of adjustable spanner’s that I had tucked away.

Not longer after that a colleague introduced me to her brother-in-law, Chris, whom she said shared the same symptoms: no life, etc....

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Chris showed me the life of a proper Land Rover owner, the club scene.

It was then I joined Red Rose Land Rover club, and as a young and easily influenced 19 year old, I was hooked, it was Land Rover only from then on, other 4x4s were simply irrelevant.

Lancashire Concrete Quarry, just outside Chorley, was where I learnt the basics of off-road driving during their play days, and whilst watching their trials is where I learnt about the lines you’d take whilst driving challenging routes.

Being a long wheel base, we were often called into action when friends and family were moving house - my mate Barrie twice, and countless times for my girlfriend at the time.

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Still in the late 1980s, I had begun working at British Home Stores, and after learning that I drove a ‘truck’ they had me nipping to the other stores collecting tills and bits.

On one occasion I was asked to collect a bunch load of Christmas brochures from a printers. That was the first time I had seen her rear springs sag under any weight.

Adding to the fun, not only was it snowing, but I was parked on a steep hill that had cars spinning in all directions trying to climb, but without any joy.

I engaged low box, selected second gear and simply drove up the hill as though it was a summer day!

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Of course, being an older Land Rover it wasn’t immune to parts failing and falling off. After a weekend in the Lakes with the previously mentioned girlfriend, we called into the services on the M6 for a splash ‘n’ dash, and on reentering the motorway I heard a cluck from underneath. I checked my near side mirror and spotted something rolling onto the hard shoulder, remember those? As there was no adverse affect to her handling, I figuring it was just a clump of mud and thought nothing of it.

I actually enjoyed fixing her, but it always seemed like a battle with my Dad as he’d literally shove me out of the way when something went wrong. Like the replacing the u-bolt, I had everything to hand and was just about to begin when he’d pinch the spanner out of my hand take over!

The following morning on the way to work I suddenly became aware of a weird sensation, a bit like have two flat tyres at the rear. Pulling over I checked the tyres and they were both fully inflated, but the wheels looked a little odd.

On closer inspection I noticed that the rear, near side u-bolt was missing, I dare say now residing on the hard shoulder of the M6!

Eventually, living a champagne lifestyle on a beer salary caught up with me and I ended up having to trade her in for a Nissan Cherry, which incidentally turned out to be a cracking car. Amusingly, an hour after trading her in I drove the Nissan to Wales, and after 100 miles or so I tapped the fuel gauge thinking it was broken as it had hardly moved, as I wasn’t used to that sort of economy!

Getting insurance was fun and always resulted in same questions like, “Are you a farmer?” “No.” “Then why do you want to drive a Land Rover?”

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