[jozg44]

If I spelt it right (is it one word, two or two hyphonated?)

From browing the web and comments on this forum would I be right in saying that rock-crawling is THE form of off-roading in the USA?

LROI magazine has plenty of mud action in Virginia, the Carolinas and the other Eastern States, but all the USA magazines I've seen and an awful lot of the websites feature lots of CJ Jeeps, Broncos, Blazers and the odd Defender with cut-out bodywork, rock sliders, crazy suspension and axle travel measured in feet.

Following a discussion elsewhere on this forum I went to DiscoWeb.org, and an awful lot of the LR3-bashing was because its Independent suspension and general design did not lend itself well to rock-crawling and suspension modification.

In the UK, off-roading means mud. When people talk about modifying their Land Rovers for off-roading, 9 time out of 10 they mean fitting mud tyres, winches, raised air intakes, waterproofing and other mud-beating features. This is why the Disco 3 gets good write-ups here- traction control, torquey diesel engines and diff locks is what impresses people here. Would a prospective buyer in the USA be more interested in axle articulation and how well the underside stood up to rocks.

What I'm trying to say here is this: In the UK, a 4x4 is generally rated on how well it gets through mud (that being the main form of off-roading here). In the USA, is the issue of most concern to 4x4 buyers how well the thing will rock-crawl?

I always thought rock-crawling was a pretty minor sport for those who could afford to build crazy vehicles- it seems to be very, very popular.

I hope someone understands what I'm trying to get at :confused

Jack

 

[01001010]

I think you are right. You can grab any mag here for 4wheelers and there are trucks crawling. And the mudd bath is a whole other event. What I like to consider off-roading is just getting around in places that have no road ( although thats very difficult here in south FLA and i have to stay on trails) and just being out in the wilderness with ONE hek of a capable vehicle to get there with. I LOVE being outdoors and i LOVE driving and the Land Rover is the PERFECT vehicle for that combination! :drive:

 

[SCSL]

Dry

I agree in that rock-crawling has certainly taken over as the most visible & competitive form of off-roading in the U.S. Probably a function of population migration from East to West. I'm from the northeast (U.S.) but lived in Colorado past 10 years. There's just not too much mud out here. It's rocks. You gotta wheel on what ya got. Hence the term: ROCKY Mountains. But same goes for AZ, CA, NV, etc.

It's getting VERY dry out here,,,CO is getting more like NM every year. We're 6 years into what I understand is the worst drought in 500 yrs. Lake Powell down over 50% from normal. But I digress.... I think the explanation is just that there isn't much mud here. You should see it after a (rare) rain in Colo,,,like these past few days. EVERYONE is out wheeling so they can get some mud on their trucks before it's all gone I saw two high school kids just standing by their mud-covered 4-Runner just yesterday in a parking lot beaming at each other,,,

 

[Greg S]

The US is a big country. There is ALL kinds of off-roading. The Rock Crawler type vehicle is just that, a type. It's trendy; :drive: like all the school moms driving their kids to school a half mile down the road in the big SUV instead of a mini-van. :dunno:

 

[Funrover]

Off roading is just getting off the beaten path.. I do rock crawling and enjoy it..But I also enjoy going out for hours on back roads and exploreing... Rocks make for great cover pics though!

 

[toyota_jon]

Well i do agree that offroading is just getting out on any trail. i have been known to just pick a direction find a dirt road, drive and see what i find. personally i HATE wheeling in mud. it's messy, it leads me to more body damage, and engine problems. but also i've lived in colorado all my life. Also i think that here in the US with the environmentalists breathing down our neck a rocky trail is much easier to maintain, and looks better with less consequences of erosion. so to say it's just trendy, i think is a bit of a misnomer. there are many contributing factors to why rock crawling has taken off in the US. I also think that the explosion of moab has had something to do with that.

 

[Capt. Ron]

The US is a big country. There is ALL kinds of off-roading. The Rock Crawler type vehicle is just that, a type. It's trendy; :drive: like all the school moms driving their kids to school a half mile down the road in the big SUV instead of a mini-van. :dunno:

Why don't they just put the damn things on a bus?

 

[stevenr]

Wow, 2 year old thread.

 

[pickuprover]

Funrover... you must have been real bored to dig up a 2 year old thread... )

 

[Funrover]

Funrover... you must have been real bored to dig up a 2 year old thread... )

LOL I did a search I swear!!!!!