4WD Action - Law Breaking?

[briteway]

Well said fester!

In terms of bias towards the Jap cars, they only present what really goes on in the real world. When you go wheeling, what fourbies do you mainly see? Well, that goes the same with the mag, you'll see an odd edition with an XJ in it or a Landy but most of them are Toys and Nissans because that's what mainly people drive.

I know the editor of the mag, he didn't think much of my Grand, when we were wheeling, we went on some hectic tracks and he said that I wouldn't make it far with that setup, being so low compared to his 'monster truck'. He was surprised that I actually made it through some of the bits where he couldn't (he had no lockers). While on a break, he told me that if I enjoy this so much, to prepare a write-up with some photos, whether of my Grand or in a group with mates, and send it to him and he'll be glad to publish it.

The only thing preventing me is, I don't know where to start and don't feel confident in writing about trips, dunno, maybe if I started, ideas would pour in. So there you go, if anyone wants to do this, let's meet up at the tracks, plan, take quality photos and follow up with a write-up, then I'll send it off to him for publishing. I wouldn't mind having a WH appear for the first time in 4WD Action.

[Tuffeb]

only gripe i have with the mag is lack of jeeps

but we all know its cause jeeps are better then jap 4x4s

love the mag. love reading it and reguarlly rewatch the dvds

as for the illegal mods part meh toughen up

ya not gonna get far with 2 inch lift and small tyres imho

i havent been pulled over in my cherokee once running between 31 and 35 inch tyres 3 inch lift and 5 inch lift no flares either

[fester]

Originally Posted by Mudder

I really wont delve far into this... but I find it hilarious how many "facts" you guys have horribly wrong! IMHO I think there are plenty bigger issues facing 4WDers today, then whether Australia's leading vehicle entertainment magazine prints acceptable 4WDs and wear their seat belts.

And I find it hilarious when people point out issues like that but don't bother to quantify the wrong "facts". It makes your comments no better than those you are denegrating.....please explain. Very hard to learn my our mistakes it they are not clarified.

[fester]

Originally Posted by timbotrog

But one common thread amongst most of the people who have responded here is that they don't seem to foloow the "tread lightly" principles nor do they promote and foster a responsible attitude towards off roading and 4WD vehicles.

Whilst I agree we need to promote the good practices of tread lightly timbo I would question what is the defination of same. If we look at these guys tackling some very hardcore tracks which nearly always is accompanied by some degree of aggressive driving etc where do we draw the line to unacceptable. If we say no more mega hard tracks and no wheel spin and no mud plugging (which I'm not into) etc what do we say is left to tackle. I make this point after only just the other niught rereading a US thread on an expedition forum which is essentially a forum of tough tourers and their rigs and trips. A relevent take on tread lightly theme in my view was commented by those guys to say that it was not about stopping guys from doing a hard mud plugging bog hole but the proviso was that if you didn't have the rig to tackle it successfully then you don't make a new track to go round it. You go through or go back and that is valid to any track. Can we accept a single track for what it is and avoid the habit of bypassing which widens a track and therefore impacts the surrounds more. Another interesting point they raised was to unbuild any track sections that had to be built up to tackle. The theory was that by track building to make the track easier to navigate successfully you coul dbe making it less challenging for the next guys and maybe leading him to make a new hardcore track somewhere. This thinking to me is about managing what we have without being restricted from doing what we love, in essence a balance.

some of these tracks the DVD boys have done are pretty remote and haardly travelled at all in which case if no does what they did for another year the track could be recovered. If we onyl chew up one line on one ridge is that so bad is it not better than not being able to do this at all. It's a fine line between being allowed some challenging 4WDing or just being stuck with formed dirt road touring. Admittedly these guys may step over the edge from time to time and are balancing on it most of the time but what is the alternative. I don't see them digging the crap out of one spot on a track adamant they will drive it without winching, they tend to have a red hot go get stuck and winch. What is the other method without sanitising our hobby.

Hard call!!!!

[turbomart]

I think Fester raises some very good points.
I too enjoy the mag but only buy it intermitantly nowadays, because its always about jap 4wds.
I would disagree that this bias is reflected offroad, in our club which is open to all makes , jeeps account for almost half.
As for law breaking in dvds, Im far more concerned over there safety during recoveries. They freaquently break the rules for safe recoveries which sends a bad message to anyone watching who doesnt know better. I wonder if they have completed a proper 4wd advanced driving course.

[humdingerslammer]

"some of these tracks the DVD boys have done are pretty remote and haardly travelled at all in which case if no does what they did for another year the track could be recovered."

The idea that a track will recover in a year if not travelled needs challenging. If you travel to Mungo National Park, on the western edge of NSW, you can actually see and walk against tracks that were made by oxen pulled carts more than 120 years ago. They haven't been washed away or "recovered", despite not being travelled on for about 100 years. If you travel on any remote cattle station, you will come across tracks that may have been travelled twice in 20 years and they r still there!! They become transit paths for vermin pests such as camels, cats, wild dogs and (perhaps) feral 4wdrivers. But more importantly they become active paths for flooding rivers and creeks. They become, in other words, a high grade erosion risk. Just imagine what happens in mountain country when an unnecessary track is made... any wonder the greenies have a field day and parks get locked up.

When u blaze a new track, is this responsible 4wdriving if, at the end of the trip, all that is gained is the satisfaction of a few blokes being blokey? You have to ask yourself whether the country we all love is being exploited and abused by a select few who make money from doing so. Show us the country, by all means, and what a 4WD can do, but please don't wreck our country while doing so!!

[rupicon]

I lost interest in the mag many years a go mainly due to the repetition, which I think is the biggest challenge they face.
SJC were disappointed with a lack of interest from them in promoting jambo and only wanting to use jambo for content after the fact.
In my experience the people who work for it have their harts in the rite place and love wheelin but its a business with some one at the top who stands to lose a lot if its not making money.

Oh and it seams to be the bible for ifs hysucks drivers