Most Important Mod - NOT What You Think - How to Drive Off-Road & Overlanding

[@OutdoorAuto]

Go Find a Cool New Trail - Used Code: OUTDOORAUTO for 20% off my favorite Trail Map Software - OnX Off-Road geni.us/d7TA8Tm

[@fscottgray9784]

All great tips for even the experienced off roaders. I remember one tip my drivers ed teacher told us 50 years ago. If you are speeding along and suddenly come up on a bump or obstacle in the road brake as much as possible to slow down but let off the brakes just before you come to the obstacle so that your suspension gets freed up so it can do its job and not be compressed. I watch a lot of videos with spotters and one thing I see all the time is multiple spotters jumping in giving instructions at the same time. Find one spotter you can trust and tell all the others to shut up.

[@evanjones6704]

This^ I learned the hard way by locking up a caliper and just over all hard hits on my Jeep that you never want to be hard to the brakes over very rough bumps! Pro tip for sure!

[@seanu4963]

I remember watching the top gear Africa special years ago and seeing them drive cars accross africa. It opened my eyes to the capability of basic vehicles offroad. It really does come down to knowing your vehicle dimensions and how to drive. The potential of a stock rig is impressive with the right person behind the wheel. Go out and have fun! But be smart.

[@OutdoorAuto]

Exactly 👍

[@svnfall11]

Love the hands on approach with this video, this is definitely what people need!

[@OutdoorAuto]

I appreciate that!

[@michaelanderson2166]

@@OutdoorAuto and I appreciate you. Oh, and Merry Christmas!

[@Idaho_Edition_PXL]

I appreciate seeing full-size content. As a noob with a HD RAM, I’ve wondered how to best tackle the narrow trails. Thanks for the great tips. I’m a new subscriber.

[@jimbeaumont1353]

I grew up and spent 99% of my life near where you are in this video. I was driving on those exact roads in Owyhee County and across the border into Oregon before I was old enough to even have a driver's license, which is way before it was designated an OHV area. I know every inch of those hills. It is not necessary to air your tires down for 95% of what many call off-road trails. It wasn't even something many would do unless they are using tires much bigger than stock, and doing rock crawling stunts like up that canyon. Carrying around an air compressor just wasn't common until recently and it was a pain to crawl on the highway to the nearest gas station that might be many miles of driving.

[@daveharris39]

So true. Before traction control, I watched a guy take a 2wd truck places (in sand and mud in Florida) where people in 4wd trucks were getting stuck.

[@OutdoorAuto]

Nobody likes to get told to practice more… but it really is the biggest advantage

[@clintbiesinger1243]

Such good information! This should be mandatory watching for anyone. Great for all ability groups! I loved that you are demonstrating too, thank you!!! Keep em coming!

[@Sungie264]

I've been watching your videos every night before I sleep so that I can dream about off roading. This video pointed out all my rookie mistakes I made in my deep subconcience.

[@natejmueller]

If you were raised off-roading it really is hard to figure out where a person is supposed to learn all this.

[@1365invictus]

I was surprised it took so long to get to left foot braking. I was also surprised there wasn't anything about throttle control with the right foot, like how to jam your foot into the transmission tunnel and then roll your foot onto the throttle, that way your foot isn't resting on the pedal when the rig starts to bounce traversing an obstacle and making erroneous or larger than intended inputs, it rest on the tunnel and feathers the throttle and gives more control in the bumps.

[@user-ys1ki8sp8s]

As slow as possible, as fast as necessary

[@OutdoorAuto]

Good advice

[@krisholt8390]

Sound advice from the old Camel Trophy series, and Bill Burke always shares the mantra as well.

[@IdahoOutdoorDad]

just found your channel, great to see a local channel ! and great info for someone like me who has only done minimal off-roading in the past!

[@johncosta5172]

I have been waiting for a video like this. I hope you do more. Thank you.

[@jalilburdeen8698]

Great video! Ngl I was bracing for a CV to snap on the hundy for a sec.

[@OutdoorAuto]

The 100’s actually have really thick CVs… but still I get it… I was glad it held together too.

[@CrippleCreekStudios]

This was a fantastic video! Definitely worth it to me as I want to learn how to do all this both fun and safely (and not roll my 4Runner 😂). You’re an excellent teacher, now I just need to get out there for myself. Thanks, looking forward to more of these.

[@kf7bqz]

PLEASE make more of these videos

[@OutdoorAuto]

Thanks for the feedback… hearing from people like you really helps us know what to focus on…

[@kf7bqz]

@@OutdoorAuto you're such a great teacher of these things. A series on off road driving 101 would be fantastic

[@thelouiebrand]

I’ve been an off road enthusiast for decades. On x is a GAME CHANGER and a must have for anyone who ventures off road.

[@OutdoorAuto]

I’m a big… I think people think I just talk about it because I’m sponsored, but anyone that wheels with me knows I really use it.

[@wesleybrehm9386]

One thing I’ve heard from a lot of experience off roaders is to not put thumbs or fingers inside the steering wheel because if you hit a rock or obstacle it can yank the wheel and break your fingers. I’ve never had a thing like that happen, but I’m also a n00b mostly over landing to cool campsites and hiking trails. What are your thoughts?

[@Tommy-rr7ez]

Together wasn't joking your tire hits something the right way your steering wheel will spin a whole lot faster than you can spin it as fast as you can and if your fingers are in the inner part of your steering wheel it will definitely hurt your hand or fingers and i know buddies that have broke fingers. I've had it happen to me several times in my life but I'm very thankful it never broke nothing but it sure felt like it did. I grew up on a farm and me and my buddies we put a knob on our steering wheel to hold but it will spin around to but you let go of it and your hand is out of the way and if your doing a lot of turning off road they can be very handy. I hope this has been some help buddy! Be safe and have fun but always remember show offs always ends up having bad consequences! Happy Trails my friend!

[@Libertatem_Vel_Mortem]

I'm digging your channel. I'm one of those that are new to offloading. Your channel is very educational and I'm always learning something new everytime I watch one of your vids! Thank you so much for your generosity and willing to teach. God bless you sir! 🫡👍

[@OutdoorAuto]

Teaching gives me joy… so it’s a two way street. Thanks for watching.

[@stephenmiller5023]

Waaaay back when I was in my Teenage years a buddy & I bought an old Toyota Land Cruiser & after we got it running & got the bugs & kinks worked out to the point we thought it would be reliable enough we took it out & up what we considered to be a pretty Gnarly old rutted rocky fire road out East of the city . We locked its hubs , put it into low range & for the next 30-45 minutes slogged & crawled our way up & over the road almost to its summit at the peak . We were high -five ing one another and commenting on our driving skills and how capable the rig was & whatnot until we rounded the last blind corner & saw a mid -60’s VW bus parked ahead , doors open & music & pot smoke coming out of it . We asked the old Hippy dude & his female friend if they had come up from a mystery back road somewhere & he answered “ Nope , drove up the only road here , same way you guys just probably did”. At THAT MOMENT we realized if you have the will and are oblivious to what you perceive as possible, you can pretty much take almost ANYTHING ANYWHERE. Patience, traction & pure luck will get you to places most can only dream about . Thanks as always for posting what you do man😎👍

[@OutdoorAuto]

Love this… I have been on many a Baja backroad and found Toyota Camrys so far out it’s hard to believe.

[@stephenmiller5023]

@ 😆😜

[@TheHangman1995]

Watched lite brite take a stock bronco on an 8 rated trail without issue, where other overbuilt rigs failed. It really helped put into perspective how much of offroading is skill and not suspension + tires + extra gear.

[@OutdoorAuto]

I saw that. Video… it was a Bronco Raptor, which are pretty extreme versions of “stock” vehicles but the point still stands…

[@1365invictus]

​@OutdoorAuto before the Raptor they had a stock badlands and they took it thru a few 8 rated trails in sand hollow. In one of those earlier videos you see litebrite take her badlands thru a trail and immediately after Broncbuster takes his wife's modded bronco thru it and destroys a mirror, a sidestep and a door.

[@AdventureBraten01]

I genuinely think this is the best intro to offloading video I’ve ever seen

[@waynemodesitt3445]

I was surprised to hear your technique for going up that steep/loose hill. It looked similar to a hill that's on my Baja route. The first time I came across it, I tried going up in more of a crawl mode (low range and in 1st gear), which didn't get me to the top. After a couple more unsuccessful attempts (high range, low gear, etc) I then tried low range but left the transmission in drive mode. I got a little more initial speed that way, and made it to the top. Seems like momentum was the key, just like when I'm doing similar type hills on my dirt bike. Maybe I'll try your method on my next trip, let the engine rev out a bit more, and allow traction control do its thing.

[@HAHA.GoodMeme]

I did the Rubicon with a 2/1 spacer lift tacoma with 31s It is one of my favorite memories. Also terrifying. But I raw skilled it with my wife spotting. Would not recommend

[@OutdoorAuto]

That sounds like a rad adventure.

[@wolfgang_h3t]

With a family member spotting at that? Fucking brutal, geez

[@skangobango]

Haha your friend was recklessly driving. So then he learned the consequences of driving over his limits

[@OutdoorAuto]

He did… I’m glad he shared the experience so other people could learn from it as well.

[@albetherechillin]

Thank you ❤

[@OutdoorAuto]

Thanks for watching 🙏

[@MrAschott]

love this content!!

[@OutdoorAuto]

Thanks for the feedback, we will keep working on more and making it better.

[@waynemodesitt3445]

Great info! Would love to see more of this for various offroad situations. I was recently in Baja and at one point had to deal with a washed out and pretty steep, rocky section. The part that worried me most was going down, with a pretty extreme side angle at one point, the truck feeling like it could roll at any moment. I'd love to know the best method to avoid rolling...turn the wheel in the direction of the downward angle, or?? That's what I did but not confident in whether it was the best thing to do or not.

[@OutdoorAuto]

You did the right thing… I am getting a lot of ideas for more videos like this.

[@sayedhassan1870]

Very useful tips.... Thanks a lot.

[@christopherl1080]

I'm a fan of calling these "problems" gonna be my go to now.

[@OutdoorAuto]

Ha… don’t do it… you’ll get made fun of.

[@Trd2020]

Great video

[@OutdoorAuto]

Thanks for watching 🙏

[@perrymahnke886]

Really great video & thank you for sharing. I have been off-roading for 45 years & I'm always willing to learn, especially when it comes to modern vehicles & the new & really cool features. For a rear chase light, do you have a recommendation?

[@Dantoni36]

My trucks, admittedly all 1 make, with 4wd, have instructions on the visor with the procedures and do's and don'ts for 4H and 4L

[@toyotatrailtrash]

Great video and info👍🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

[@mike_dodane]

Great video. Surprised you didn’t do the dinger delete mod on the seatbelt

[@ThebiggestBigAL]

I think that’s the same trail I took my Taco up a few weeks ago. I got about half through and turned back when an uphill portion was incredibly rutted out. I don’t have sliders plus I was also traveling solo and didn’t want any problems if I got crossed up.

[@larrygriffiths5039]

Great video!! Thanks so much.

[@HAHA.GoodMeme]

Great video.

[@OutdoorAuto]

Thanks! I

[@h001139]

thank you for posting

[@brianwilliams3146]

GREAT VIDEO.

[@JH-ev3qy]

I'm glad to see content like this encouraging and education people getting into off-road driving/Overlanding instead of all this Anti Overland content coming out!

[@Anglesandacid]

Thank you so much for sharing the why, the technique, and video footage inside and outside of the vehicle as you do it. I've been looking everywhere for this kind of content since I don't have anyone to teach me and I'm keen to learn as much as I can before I break something important. Could I request a bit more content on picking lines? I find most people do this by having the camera pointed from the side (like what you've got at 14:00) rather than pointing the camera in the same direction of travel that your car will go, so I don't get a 1st-person understanding of what it will look like when I'm driving through the obstacles (problems :D). Maybe even a fly through with the camera and roll it (rock it) as you'd expect the car to behave as the driver's side tyres climb up and over things? Alternatively, perhaps a GoPro shot of the whole drive from the nose of your truck? Not too low to the ground and off-centred like you've got at 2:00, where the obstacles can get distorted, but something similar to what you're looking at as a driver. I don't know if you can turn off horizon lock on the GoPro so the footage will allow it to roll back and forth as the car waddles over the rocks. Thanks again!

[@robertrodgers1423]

What seat covers do you have? They look nice, would you recommend them?

[@OutdoorAuto]

They are actually pretty inexpensive ones from Amazon… but so far we are super impressed with them…amzn.to/3UuUhEA

[@mykalbee]

Cool series. I have 2 thoughts/questions. I thought we were supposed to turn off traction control while off-roading, so on or off? On my 4runner, when I go into low range, it automatically turns off traction control, and I've never tried to turn it back on cuz again, I thought it was supposed to be off. I already use the gears when going downhill, saves the brakes for sure.

[@mykalbee]

@@ZboeC5 thanks

[@richardmoore7381]

you get rocks, in England we get mud 😀

[@OutdoorAuto]

In the south in the US they have the MUD… it gets crazy down there.

[@MidwestAtvGroup]

Love your videos man, very educational, I have a question I have a 2019 tundra and before I did a research I bought set of Toyo open country 285/60r20 and I think I did mistake and just wondering if switching them to 35" R18 make a difference I do family trips twice a year Colorado Utah areas and just double-checking if make sense to switch them to 35"? Thanks in advance.

[@gulu-cat]

Nice check engine light

[@OutdoorAuto]

If it wasn’t on… I wouldn’t know it works 🤷‍♂️

[@thelouiebrand]

It’s kind of bizarre how I didn’t think of a camera human until you pointed it out. I must watch too many self recorded videos. lol

[@OutdoorAuto]

That is a new thing for me… all my videos to this point have basically been solo… I have a video going out today introducing the new member of the Outdoor Auto crew…

[@krisholt8390]

Driver Mod is where one’s time and energy should be focused. A skilled driver with a stock vehicle will make it further down the trail more safely than someone that drove off the dealer lot with an overly capable rig.

[@PhiLIdahoTaco]

Was that the Taco Vinyl's 2024 Tacoma ruin their wheels? LOL

[@starryno]

I'm pretty sure most vehicles turn off the traction control system off when you engage 4lo. My 2014 Super Duty does I know for sure.

[@OutdoorAuto]

There is a difference between traction control and stability control… for most vehicles what you are talking about is stability control that gets shut off…

[@jamesmcgarry8660]

I say all the time, my vehicle is much more capable of doing things than I am. Know your limitations.

[@csfryer]

Hey man, I have a Jeep Cherokee XJ that I drive about 40-50 miles a day on street, 75-85mph. I take it out on weekends and such to some trails, and I live in Utah near Moab and sand hollow with sand and rocks all over as well as some heavy snow. I was wondering what tire you’d suggest? The xj is only about 3,000lbs and the smoother the ride the better, esp with all my road driving, and mpg / speed is important because it’s super underpowered, but I want a tire to do well off road on trails rated 5-6 at the max, as mentioned before on the rocks and snow and such too. It’s on 31s and a 3” lift building for max hybrid capability between road and off road, comfortable yet capable. Got a good recommendation?

[@Redsr5]

Toyo at3

[@PurpleJeepleEater]

If you dont have beadlocks... (Unless extreme last ditch effort). Your PSI should be above 15 (just over 1 ATM / 1 bar / 14.5 psi) so the pressure in the tire is higher than pressure outside it.

[@Gowaduv]

Several studies of crashes involving emergency vehicles have put some of the blame on the flashing lights. They get our attention but they can also contribute to target fixation. Maybe not a flashing chase light. The people I ride with have told me they appreciate my rear-facing (non-blinking) amber floods

[@HAHA.GoodMeme]

Rear facing constant on ambers are the best.

[@OutdoorAuto]

Good tip

[@Tommy-rr7ez]

Some of the extreme bright lights are nice when you need them but very dangerous if your blinding someone. And some have them on the rear and blinds driver behind them or some want to try to be cool with all these flashing lights out in the middle of no where and its very distracting to those behind them and could very easy cause someone to realy mess up. I ask them Once if you don't mind while we're moving will you please turn your flashing lights or bright lights off and most will but if you get that one that won't you find out the character of that person and it probly be time to separate from that one. Be safe and have a great day!

[@obrianmcc]

I refuse to drive in peoples dust ... makes no sense to me.

[@HAHA.GoodMeme]

@obrianmcc thats why I lead the convoy LOL. No dust in my face!

[@obrianmcc]

Unlike moto ...When in doubt, don't throttle out ... skinny pedal breaks parts.

[@mascatrails661]

I don't understand these automatic settings... Love my real shifters

[@jonathanpalmer228]

Honestly even on a halfway well maintined dirt highway you shouldnt be going faster then 30 mph regardless. Maybe 35 max. You dont have any where to be and where you go and if an accident happens it may be hours or days before you see someone if you arent prepared...

[@canoeshoe]

Can you turn off the traction? that would be ideal?

[@OutdoorAuto]

Traction and stability control are different… I need to do a follow up video on that

[@codyfox2038]

Why does it look like my 21 tacoma got its stuff from your 25 year old land cruiser?? Same Dash screen and same 4x4 nob, etc...

[@Shawn-d5n]

Or you can use your hill decent control which is on most modern 4x4’s now a days

[@OutdoorAuto]

Yup... I still like controlling the vehicle myself... but you are right, hill decent is basically using your low gears for people that don't know how to use their gears.

[@dubious6718]

The only off-roading I'm legally allowed to do is to drive on grass.

[@OutdoorAuto]

I should probably stick to grass 😂

[@TigerRagFishingTeam]

I see China on that broken KMC wheel....

[@monette44]

[@EPYCMX]

"let the traction control work" my zj doesnt have any of that...

[@OutdoorAuto]

Yeah, it’s very dependent on how old and feature set your car has … the 100 series Land Cruisers were one of the first and they are 27 years old… some companies took longer than others.

[@EPYCMX]

@@OutdoorAuto someone should make an upgraded abs controller for those that can lock wheels on command...

[@Shawn-d5n]

Landcruiser’s will go anywhere. Always have and always will 😂😂😂 That’s why they are so coveted and ridiculously expensive. 😂😂😂😊😊

[@OutdoorAuto]

I have seen them get crippled by really bad drivers though...

[@Shawn-d5n]

@ anyone can tare up a vehicle if they don’t know what they are doing. I just meant Landcruiser’ s can pretty much go anywhere just like the old school Land Cruiser’s

[@mrvang8077]

I just don't understand some people who drive like a bat out of hell demon and expect the vehicle to just not flip at a sharp turn when off roading . It's NOT A Baja Race track D*ass. The whole point of going off raoding is to experience the jog of challenging gravel roads and testing your driving skill, reflex, and your intuition capability.

[@OutdoorAuto]

I have seen some crazy driving 😳

[@thorpe31]

A little bit of common sense and spatial awareness will take most offroaders farther than any rig or gear ever could.

[@kjimbo5569]

I cannot disagree with OnX off-road enough. Their service is not made for off-roaders, especially NEW off-roaders. OnX is a hunting app. They do not have trail reviews, rating and details that other services provide. Do not buy into their massive marketing budget.

[@kjimbo5569]

Additionally, it’s pretty frustrating that Nate would delete comments that raise valid criticism about a product he supports. Disappointing to see KZbinrs value their bottom line over their viewers.

[@OutdoorAuto]

I didn’t delete any comments… so you’re the one spreading misinformation here.

[@MystickPhoenix]

There are 2 different versions of the app... OnX Offroad and OnX Hunting. Seems appropriate you would purchase the app for the activity you'll be undertaking.