Introduction
Seminar Content
Scenic Trail Driving and Camping
More Information

Introduction

Many new 4X4 owners assume their new wonder-vehicle will take them anywhere -- a fantasy fostered by sensational manufacturer advertising. The reality is that taking your vehicle off pavement into remote and challenging terrain is far from foolproof, and can be downright dangerous. It certainly requires considerable knowledge about your vehicle, navigation, off-pavement driving techniques, safety strategies and equipment.

While the Rangerovers.net website attempts to provide as much information as possible on these topics, there is no real subsitute for hands-on training and practical experience. For this reason, we are now offering a limited number of private seminars for Land Rover and Range Rover owners, combining classroom training with practical driving experience. The sessions are aimed at preparing yourself and your vehicle for safe, environmentally responsible off pavement expeditions in remote areas. The sessions are held at the new Rangerovers.net facility in the San Francisco Bay Area that was formerly used for such famous events as the 1999 Land Rover Trek, and has since been a venue for Land Rover dealer customer events.

Seminar Content

Rangerovers.net private training sessions can be customized to your needs, but generally include topics such as the following:

• Familiarity with your vehicle and its 4WD system, suspension, braking and traction aiding systems, clearance limitations and vulnerabilities.
• Basic and advanced vehicle equipping
  
• Dealing with mechanical breakdowns
  
• What tools and spare parts to carry
  
• Recovering the vehicle when "stuck"
  
• How to deal with being stranded in the middle of nowhere
  
• Safety precautions to avoid being stranded with nobody knowing where to look for you
  
• Emergency equipment for survival and comfort if you do get stranded
• Practical navigation with and without GPS in remote areas
• Tread Lightly principles to avoid damage to the landscape
• Environmental issues relating to off pavement travel
  
• Preservation of responsible access to primitive roads and trails
• Respect for private property in remote areas
• Practical driving techniques and hands-on practice

Practical driving experience is provided on an extensive network of scenic and secluded ranch trails with varying challenges, located on the same private property that was used for the famous 1999 Land Rover Trek adventure. The level of both classroom and driving instruction is adjusted to the knowledge and experience level of the participants. Sessions are normally one day in duration, but overnight camping in the seminar's superb scenic setting can be accommodated by arrangement. Sessions can be completely customized to suit your needs and preferences.

To inquire about scheduling a private session for yourself or a group of friends, please email me.with details of your background, experience level and preferences.

Scenic Trail Touring and Camping

Some Rover owners simply desire a few hours of scenic trail riding and/or an overnight campout with their friends. Unfortunately, this normally requires driving many hours from the San Francisco area, and sharing camping facilities with the vacationing masses.

Rangerovers.net has made special arrangements to allow small private groups to tour the scenic, private trails that were used for the 1999 Land Rover Trek event and are now used for our private training seminars (see above). The trails encompass a variety of difficulty levels to match your experience and skills. You can then camp out in a gorgeous secluded, sheltered venue that beats the usual public parks and campgrounds hands down, and which you have all to yourselves. You are little more than an hour's drive from the City, but in another world, surrounded by redwoods, wilderness and wildlife.

A cover charge to reserve the entire facility and camping area goes towards the cost of maintaining and preserving the natural environment and trails.

This arrangement is only available on a very limited basis. Self-guided trail tours are restricted to those with sufficient off-pavement driving experience, and Tread Lightly principles are required to be observed.

If you have comments or suggestions, email author John Brabyn