Off-road capabilities of two wheel drive vehicles

[wicklamulla]

I was told last week that Ford are doing a 4wd Transit again but I have not looked into it so it could be tosh.

 

yes they are indeed, i have seen Western Power Distribution using 4x4 transit box vans. I believe ford offer a transit 4x4 tipper but in single cab configuration only. afaik there is no Lo range, just a button to activate the front axle to make it 4x4.

[fergusonforestry]

go to the dealers now you can order a 4wd transit

[Goaty]

Done some work with another member on here who runs kangoo type vans and seems to be able to get them into some places you just wouldn't think possible.

 

Does seem momentum is the key, however that does seem to mean things wear out/fall off quicker if his last one was anything to go by

 

I was going to put my comment up when I had read the whole thread. But basicly the same as above.

 

It the Foot and mouth winter, whenever that was I drove a citreon berlingo every day on pipeline work from Saltend nr Hull as far as Newton Bewley nr Hartlepool, for about 8 weeks. In all weathers except laid snow. Down farm tracks and across fields. We never had to call for help. We worked as a leap frog pair and never saw each other all day. My worse scenario was to jump out whilst it was in 1st gear and give the door jamb a shove for about 3 metres.

However it is down to the driver and techniques used. Another coleague in the dry heat of summer aimed the same van through the only lush verdant grass in a slight hollow at 3.30pm on a Friday afternoon:mad1: and a 4x4 was required after it returned from another job.

In 2007 the floods I also went through a fast flowing flood above my headlamps in my trusty ford escort van and never ailed a thing. My Dad and I were determined to sleep in our own beds that night.

So my opinion is many 4x4s are never really needed. Perhaps swop your work around to suit the conditions. Having said that. Im getting to the point of needing a 4x4 more for the towing capacity.

[treefrog]

Some nice looking options on this website.

 

Nissan Cabstar 4x4 Chassis - Pere Maimi - Off Road Engineering - Kits 4x4

[Daniël Bos]

Me and 'er once left a small festival in our peugeot 306, towing a vintage caravan packed with a 24ft yurt in and on it. It had rained a fair bit and the access tracks had become quagmired. I placed my dearest on the bonnet for more weight and thus traction and on our way out we drove past a landrover and trailer that was being towed by another landrover that was being towed by a tractor (all were spinning wheels at different rates...)

We drove straight out without any issues whatsoever.

[doobin]

I was going to put my comment up when I had read the whole thread. But basicly the same as above.

 

It the Foot and mouth winter, whenever that was I drove a citreon berlingo every day on pipeline work from Saltend nr Hull as far as Newton Bewley nr Hartlepool, for about 8 weeks. In all weathers except laid snow. Down farm tracks and across fields. We never had to call for help. We worked as a leap frog pair and never saw each other all day. My worse scenario was to jump out whilst it was in 1st gear and give the door jamb a shove for about 3 metres.

However it is down to the driver and techniques used. Another coleague in the dry heat of summer aimed the same van through the only lush verdant grass in a slight hollow at 3.30pm on a Friday afternoon:mad1: and a 4x4 was required after it returned from another job.

In 2007 the floods I also went through a fast flowing flood above my headlamps in my trusty ford escort van and never ailed a thing. My Dad and I were determined to sleep in our own beds that night.

So my opinion is many 4x4s are never really needed. Perhaps swop your work around to suit the conditions. Having said that. Im getting to the point of needing a 4x4 more for the towing capacity.

 

A huge amount is is down to the driver, but grippy offroad tyres on a 2WD really make the difference. And snow chains will get you out of almost any situation bar being bellied out.

 

Re the flood above the headlights in the Escort- that was certainly more luck than judgement that you didn't hydrolock it or get swept downstream in a light van with a huge sail area.... Two inches deeper and that'd have been goodbye engine.

[Daniël Bos]

My dad used to have a saab 99. If you take the (massive!) front bumper off it's decidedly boat-shaped. So he put a ply board from the bumper back under the engine and had a good go at crossing the ford at as high a speed as possible.

At 100km/h he could cross the ford (about 2ft deep about 8m across) without getting the sills wet. It did affect the high speed handling a little due to the lift generated and the mot man didn't like the absence of a bumper for some reason?

[Goaty]

A huge amount is is down to the driver, but grippy offroad tyres on a 2WD really make the difference. And snow chains will get you out of almost any situation bar being bellied out.

 

 

 

Re the flood above the headlights in the Escort- that was certainly more luck than judgement that you didn't hydrolock it or get swept downstream in a light van with a huge sail area.... Two inches deeper and that'd have been goodbye engine.

 

 

Nah! Pure skill. Hit the flood held back and followed the crest of the wave. A chap in a Mercedes vito van had tried before us, because when we got round the corner he had boated 5 mtrs in to the field.

I also did a muppet a couple of months back and belied out in a grass field. I arrived upon a spring!! Pics to follow.

 

 

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