4x4 Driver Training — Abandonism

I wanted to do some 4x4 driver training for two reasons: firstly to learn some of the recovery basics and be able to clarify questions I had with experienced people and secondly to be eligible for the 20% discount on insurance offered by Club 4x4 for those who have completed certified training.

Getabout Driver Training has partnered with Club 4x4 to provide discounted training for the nationally recognised certification: SISODRV302: Drive and recover a 4WD vehicle. Before you do the drive day Getabout send out a very good booklet covering a lot of different offroad conditions and how to drive for them. The book is actually really beneficial as it provides rule-of-thumb guides for things like what tire pressures to run on different surfaces - which, unlike internet forums, at least give you somewhere to start.

Even a few degrees starts to feel a bit scary…

The training I attended was as HART Rider, Driver & ATV Training in St. Ives but they run courses at quite a few locations near Sydney. Because of the official certification expect to see a mix of personal 4x4 owners and people who are there to meet their employment obligations. Ultimately you are a lot better off if you are driving your own 4x4 as a few members of my class were in rentals and so some of the value is lost due to not fully knowing how to operate the vehicle. Secondly, expect that there will be a very wide range of 4x4s from 'dinosaur' Landcruisers (like Fran) to modern electronically assisted versions so they will account for each truck differently (practising hill-descent control is not relevant for Fran).

During the day we practiced safely reversing down a hill after an ‘unsuccessful’ climb, how to pick lines on uneven surfaces, hill descent and everyone’s favourite: water crossings. Overall the day was a good mix of practical and theory (particularly theory of differentials) and having a go in a very safe environment. My favourite was obviously the driving components but I think it is worth it for both the knowledge and the insurance premium discount.