Repairs, tools, off-roading training

[Bostongal62]

I’m new to off roading and I’m in the process of getting my truck fixed and setting it up for some camping trips. I’ve watched a lot of videos about what tools abs recovery gear to bring but I can’t find much training on these topics unless you’re willing to spend on $300 on a weekend training session. Are there every any local meetups to help with teaching basic repairs and recovery? How does one go about getting trained with zero mechanical experience? All of trainings I have seen cost over $300. I’m not opposed to paying but I didn’t know if any local groups ever meet up to do some if this. I’m located in NH. Thanks!

 

[El-Dracho]

Hi Lisa,

I am sure there are members here who will be happy to help you gain practical experience on this topic. Maybe something like a meetup/ training is already planned in your region. You can have a look at the Rally Points and check for events in your region.
Based in Europe, I don't have an overview of what could be planned in your region or what ideas are there. I think @Kent R could help you further.

Greetings from across the pond
Bjoern

 

[Red_Leaf_Overland]

I have always found that the easiest way to learn is get hands on experience. depending on what you are looking to learn it may be as easy as pulling something apart to find out how it works and then putting it back together. Knowing how things work, the parts involved and what they do is key to knowing how to fix an issue if it comes up. This also helps if you need to Macgyver something up to get you off a trail or get you home.
I have been working on vehicles for years and this is how I started. It started with an interest in how things work and took stuff apart all the time to find out how, and sometimes I got in over my head and couldn't get something back together but it was all a learning experience.
keep an eye on social media and look for vehicle clubs that are doing meet ups and get to know some people and I am sure someone may take you under their wing and show you the ropes.

 

[rgallant]

@Bostongal62 a few thing start with a vehicle specific forum for the truck you have, this will take a bit of work because there are some bad ones out there. Next if you literally have zero experience see if you can take a basic automotive repair course at a Community college or similar.

Tools start basic, a decent socket set, screw driver set (depends on your truck what you need here). A break bar 3 foot is fine and get a socket for your wheel nuts. A ODB code reader is handy but not a requirement

Recovery gear is difficult it depends on what kind of route solo or group, but a few thoughts :

1. Skip the winch for now get some miles 1st - learning to say no I can not do that is far more valuable than a winch
2. Get some soft shackles rate for your vehicle, and 1 good metal shackle
3. Get a good recovery strap or rope, not dynamic to start. Dynamic is trickier to use right.
4. A good shovel
5. good bottle jack a 12in x 12in piece of 3/4 plywood to put it on.
6. read about recovery techniques, then always check the rigging yourself before any one starts
7. This is a big one you control the recovery of your truck not anyone else if you do not like what they are doing stop. They are not paying if they do damage or makes things worse
8. Slow is better with recoveries both is setting up and performing the recovery

 

[Bostongal62]

Hi Lisa,

I am sure there are members here who will be happy to help you gain practical experience on this topic. Maybe something like a meetup/ training is already planned in your region. You can have a look at the Rally Points and check for events in your region.
Based in Europe, I don't have an overview of what could be planned in your region or what ideas are there. I think @Kent R could help you further.

Greetings from across the pond
Bjoern

Thanks for your reply. Greetings to you!

 

[Bostongal62]

@Bostongal62 a few thing start with a vehicle specific forum for the truck you have, this will take a bit of work because there are some bad ones out there. Next if you literally have zero experience see if you can take a basic automotive repair course at a Community college or similar.

Tools start basic, a decent socket set, screw driver set (depends on your truck what you need here). A break bar 3 foot is fine and get a socket for your wheel nuts. A ODB code reader is handy but not a requirement

Recovery gear is difficult it depends on what kind of route solo or group, but a few thoughts :

1. Skip the winch for now get some miles 1st - learning to say no I can not do that is far more valuable than a winch
2. Get some soft shackles rate for your vehicle, and 1 good metal shackle
3. Get a good recovery strap or rope, not dynamic to start. Dynamic is trickier to use right.
4. A good shovel
5. good bottle jack a 12in x 12in piece of 3/4 plywood to put it on.
6. read about recovery techniques, then always check the rigging yourself before any one starts
7. This is a big one you control the recovery of your truck not anyone else if you do not like what they are doing stop. They are not paying if they do damage or makes things worse
8. Slow is better with recoveries both is setting up and performing the recovery

Thanks for your reply. I did look but there really isn’t any class available near me. They only have professional mechanic classes. I live in rural NH and even closer yo the major cities like Manchester, Concord and Nashua I didn’t find anything. Manchester is over an hour from me. I appreciate your advice though.

 

[North American Sojourner]

I’m new to off roading and I’m in the process of getting my truck fixed and setting it up for some camping trips. I’ve watched a lot of videos about what tools abs recovery gear to bring but I can’t find much training on these topics unless you’re willing to spend on $300 on a weekend training session. Are there every any local meetups to help with teaching basic repairs and recovery? How does one go about getting trained with zero mechanical experience? All of trainings I have seen cost over $300. I’m not opposed to paying but I didn’t know if any local groups ever meet up to do some if this. I’m located in NH. Thanks!

I'd like to see more of these weekend or even Saturday training sessions. I'm sure some folks could come up with a day of basic things you need to know, or at least a short list of things to research, or sign up for. (first aid classes at the red cross for example) These would be basic things to lead you along the road to a confidence level you could have and feel comfortable with.
If you have any questions, send me a note and I'll make a video and post it here.
Zim

 

[rgallant]

@Bostongal62 well if a course is out then experience will work, it is a little harder but modern internet helps. Start very basic and work up to more complex, a few things a novice can do with a bit of reading:

• Oil changes they are easy
• Grease anything that needs greasing
• Check the battery and charging system
• Change bulbs and check for current at a light
• change a tire - just do it in the driveway a few times
• check your brakes for wear or damage - leave the work to professionals until you have a lot of experience
• lots of other basic maintenance

Recovery is harder but not terribly so you can learn to rig in your driveway, how the shackles work where to connect to etc. Just driving on a gravel road, stop and think if I slide off here how would I set this up.

The biggest issue is most of the sites assume a winch is or needs to be involved. That is often not the case you can recover out of a lot of situations with a some of shovel work and thought. But sometimes you need to rig a line for stabilization so learning to rig a line is helpful.

 

[Bostongal62]

I’m new to off roading and I’m in the process of getting my truck fixed and setting it up for some camping trips. I’ve watched a lot of videos about what tools abs recovery gear to bring but I can’t find much training on these topics unless you’re willing to spend on $300 on a weekend training session. Are there every any local meetups to help with teaching basic repairs and recovery? How does one go about getting trained with zero mechanical experience? All of trainings I have seen cost over $300. I’m not opposed to paying but I didn’t know if any local groups ever meet up to do some if this. I’m located in NH. Thanks!

I'd like to see more of these weekend or even Saturday training sessions. I'm sure some folks could come up with a day of basic things you need to know, or at least a short list of things to research, or sign up for. (first aid classes at the red cross for example) These would be basic things to lead you along the road to a confidence level you could have and feel comfortable with.
If you have any questions, send me a note and I'll make a video and post it here.
Zim

Ok will do. Thanks!

 

[9Mike2]

Try to go out with "Back-up", as in not alone. You will find each vehicle has different requirements as in parts that fail. Find someone that has a like vehicle and learn from them. A little preventive maintenance helps, I swap out your hoses, and carry the old ones with you, it has gotten me out of a jam many a time. I also carry a hook like tool{ looks like a over size dental tool ) and sealing tape that you can slap on a lot of things to stop leaks.

 

[Bostongal62]

Yeah I really don’t know anyone to go with. It will be a while before I can go anywhere with all the snow here. Also my truck is in the shop. It needs $1500 worth of work to pass inspection and be safe to drive. It’s an older vehicle a 1999 Tacoma and it will be a budget build. I looked up members in my area but most don’t seem to be active but when I’m ready to go out I’ll look more. I don’t see too many women either on the overlanding community especially single middle age like me but I’m pretty adventurous. I do backpacking and kayak camping so I’m comfortable going out into the woods and I’ll always have my backpacking stuff with me so if worse comes to worse I can hike out. I’ll also have a Garmin in reach mini. I also know my limits. I’m very open to meeting up with others and learning.

 

[leeloo]

Repairs in the field.. not very practical and not many people can do them. Most people carry maybe some spare belts and a very specific part they know it is a weak point on the vehicle, and even that only on very long trips. That you can research on specific forums for your particular vehicle. For example, X model of Ford has a weak alternator, so you carry one as a spare and learn how change it - only that one. On Land cruisers bearings fail - so many people carry one as a spare. For another vehicle might be an intercooler hose that is prone to failure and so on.. But not more than that. Also.. tools - good to have some but to get too many takes a lot of space and they are heavy.

Second thing - unless you drive like an ape most mechanical failures don't happen overnight, you usually get some kind of warning , weird noises mostly, a light in the dash . Off road, most of the time I crack the window at least just to hear better. The moment you notice them - you try to determine what kind of issue is and head back immediately if you are not sure what it is and if you can make it. Get some duct tape and leak stop solutions.


What will stop you dead in the tracks are electrical failures - so get familiar with fuses, relays, where are the fuse boxes on your vehicle and how to test them, get some wires, a crimp tool , they are light and take almost no space what so ever. How to check fuses and relays you can find plenty of youtube videos.
I drive a Land rover, not the most reliable thing ever built and I just have an OBII diagnostic tool and electrical stuff, duct tape, some spare fluids, leak stop and that is about it... If I would go very remote and for very long time ( like months in a row, I would get maybe the suspension air compressor as a spare, and that is it.. )

 

[smritte]

This is not meant to scare or try to intimidate. You asked a question on training. When it comes to extraction and what gear to have, understand there is no "one size fits all". Not every situation calls for the same technique or the same tools. The training videos and training courses teach you safety and a few "how to's". Like everyone said, start with tow rope or strap. Personally I would start with a Kinetic strap. Make sure everyone in your group has secure tow points.

Grab a friend, put it in 2wd and get stuck. Practice is how you learn. You will find, diffrent "stuck's" require, diffrent angles, gentle verses aggressive. When you have to use tire spin and when you don't.

My knowledge came from growing up near an off road area (Azusa Canyon, mid 70's). We had mud, sand and rocks. Almost no one had straps or winch's and no one had knowledge. I have seen more stupidity there than anywhere else. I have seen people rip off poorly secured bumpers, get a running start with a 50 foot chain just to have it break and crush the tailgate of the truck pulling. All the time I learned from this.
Later I found other areas. We got stuck mostly because we didn't know how to drive properly. More experience. Then I joined a 4wd club and went to events. Not as bad as the mud pit from my youth but still...

What I'm trying to say is, online you can get basics of how-to. Everyone will have an opinion based on what they have experienced. You can avoid every situation that will get you stuck then the one time you come across someone else who needs help, you don't know how to use your gear. Experience in controlled situations and critical thinking is the next step.

 

[Bostongal62]

Repairs in the field.. not very practical and not many people can do them. Most people carry maybe some spare belts and a very specific part they know it is a weak point on the vehicle, and even that only on very long trips. That you can research on specific forums for your particular vehicle. For example, X model of Ford has a weak alternator, so you carry one as a spare and learn how change it - only that one. On Land cruisers bearings fail - so many people carry one as a spare. For another vehicle might be an intercooler hose that is prone to failure and so on.. But not more than that. Also.. tools - good to have some but to get too many takes a lot of space and they are heavy.

Second thing - unless you drive like an ape most mechanical failures don't happen overnight, you usually get some kind of warning , weird noises mostly, a light in the dash . Off road, most of the time I crack the window at least just to hear better. The moment you notice them - you try to determine what kind of issue is and head back immediately if you are not sure what it is and if you can make it. Get some duct tape and leak stop solutions.


What will stop you dead in the tracks are electrical failures - so get familiar with fuses, relays, where are the fuse boxes on your vehicle and how to test them, get some wires, a crimp tool , they are light and take almost no space what so ever. How to check fuses and relays you can find plenty of youtube videos.
I drive a Land rover, not the most reliable thing ever built and I just have an OBII diagnostic tool and electrical stuff, duct tape, some spare fluids, leak stop and that is about it... If I would go very remote and for very long time ( like months in a row, I would get maybe the suspension air compressor as a spare, and that is it.. )

Thank you this was very helpful. I was on a trip last summer with my other vehicle a 2006 Highlander, not off road, and I heard this awful noise. Turned out the plastic shield that covers the bottom of the vehicle had cracked and was hanging off hitting the wheel. I fixed it with duct tape. That happened last July and the duct tape is still holding now even in the snow so duct tape is my go to for sure. I think zip ties and bailing wire would be good too. I will learn about fuses and get a scan tool. That seems very doable to me. I will also carry slime for a flat repair along with a regular tire kit. I’ve never changed a spare. It’s not the knowledge, it’s the strength to get the bolts loose. I’m going to learn how to do it with my cordless drill and carry that. Thanks for all of the responses. I’ve taken a lot of long road trips alone but going off road is what I was more concerned about. I do live on a private dirt road that’s maintained by my neighbor so I have a lot of experience of driving on sheer ice since our road doesn’t get salted. That’s when I’ve used 4WD in the past just to get up my street and up my driveway.

 

[Bostongal62]

This is not meant to scare or try to intimidate. You asked a question on training. When it comes to extraction and what gear to have, understand there is no "one size fits all". Not every situation calls for the same technique or the same tools. The training videos and training courses teach you safety and a few "how to's". Like everyone said, start with tow rope or strap. Personally I would start with a Kinetic strap. Make sure everyone in your group has secure tow points.

Grab a friend, put it in 2wd and get stuck. Practice is how you learn. You will find, diffrent "stuck's" require, diffrent angles, gentle verses aggressive. When you have to use tire spin and when you don't.

My knowledge came from growing up near an off road area (Azusa Canyon, mid 70's). We had mud, sand and rocks. Almost no one had straps or winch's and no one had knowledge. I have seen more stupidity there than anywhere else. I have seen people rip off poorly secured bumpers, get a running start with a 50 foot chain just to have it break and crush the tailgate of the truck pulling. All the time I learned from this.
Later I found other areas. We got stuck mostly because we didn't know how to drive properly. More experience. Then I joined a 4wd club and went to events. Not as bad as the mud pit from my youth but still...

What I'm trying to say is, online you can get basics of how-to. Everyone will have an opinion based on what they have experienced. You can avoid every situation that will get you stuck then the one time you come across someone else who needs help, you don't know how to use your gear. Experience in controlled situations and critical thinking is the next step.

Thanks,

Yes the best way is not to get stuck on the first place. If in doubt and if you don’t feel comfortable turn around. I feel like a shovel and traction boards can rescue you from most situations.

 

[Sparksalot]

Thank you this was very helpful. I was on a trip last summer with my other vehicle a 2006 Highlander, not off road, and I heard this awful noise. Turned out the plastic shield that covers the bottom of the vehicle had cracked and was hanging off hitting the wheel. I fixed it with duct tape. That happened last July and the duct tape is still holding now even in the snow so duct tape is my go to for sure. I think zip ties and bailing wire would be good too. I will learn about fuses and get a scan tool. That seems very doable to me. I will also carry slime for a flat repair along with a regular tire kit. I’ve never changed a spare. It’s not the knowledge, it’s the strength to get the bolts loose. I’m going to learn how to do it with my cordless drill and carry that. Thanks for all of the responses. I’ve taken a lot of long road trips alone but going off road is what I was more concerned about. I do live on a private dirt road that’s maintained by my neighbor so I have a lot of experience of driving on sheer ice since our road doesn’t get salted. That’s when I’ve used 4WD in the past just to get up my street and up my driveway.

I patched a burst radiator in the middle of nowhere in big bend with some JB weld recently. I’d have never thought about taking any, but luckily another friend did. Small and easy to stow, there’s now some in my kit.
We all learn little tidbits over time, so it never hurts to ask questions regardless of experience level.

 

[Billiebob]

That happened last July and the duct tape is still holding now even in the snow so duct tape is my go to for sure

First lesson.

Duct tape will get you home. Fix it before you leave home. 500 pieces of duct tape a year later will leave you broken and stranded.
FIRST RULE of overlanding, always start with a vehicle in perfect shape. Maintenance is the number one concern.

Number One Tool to guarantee yer survivl.
File a trip plan with someone and stck to it. Even the best have incidents beyond our control. Be sure someone knows where to look.

 

[leeloo]

Thank you this was very helpful. I was on a trip last summer with my other vehicle a 2006 Highlander, not off road, and I heard this awful noise. Turned out the plastic shield that covers the bottom of the vehicle had cracked and was hanging off hitting the wheel. I fixed it with duct tape. That happened last July and the duct tape is still holding now even in the snow so duct tape is my go to for sure. I think zip ties and bailing wire would be good too. I will learn about fuses and get a scan tool. That seems very doable to me. I will also carry slime for a flat repair along with a regular tire kit. I’ve never changed a spare. It’s not the knowledge, it’s the strength to get the bolts loose. I’m going to learn how to do it with my cordless drill and carry that. Thanks for all of the responses. I’ve taken a lot of long road trips alone but going off road is what I was more concerned about. I do live on a private dirt road that’s maintained by my neighbor so I have a lot of experience of driving on sheer ice since our road doesn’t get salted. That’s when I’ve used 4WD in the past just to get up my street and up my driveway.

For recovery, you can get a shovel and some recovery boards. I traveled with those years now and they were enough, I used them about 3 or 4 times. With this 2 tools, you can get our of pretty much anything except river crossing. Of course a winch, or even better traveling with a group of people who know what they are doing and have everything is ideal. But that is not always possible, mostly due to conflicting schedules of people in general...
The thing to remember about winches, specialized top of the line recovery equipment and training is kind of like owning a boat. It is expensive, difficult to maintain . The much better thing is to become friend with someone who owns a boat than to own a boat yourself. :)

As far as I can't tell this are your first steps in remote vehicle traveling. Get out, see what you like, what you are comfortable with, see if you enjoy it and than decide if this is something that will keep you busy for years to come and start building up experience and equipment..
So instead of spending 1000 -2 000 dollars or euro or what ever, get some basic stuff, get some days off work and start traveling, and it will come to you.
Good luck on your travels..

 

[Dean2]

I'll suggest a copy of the Readers' Digest Complete Car Care Manual. It's old - at least my edition is - and just barely goes into that newfangled electronic ignition, but it is a well written overview of cars' various systems. It's not meant to help fix a car, but to help a non-mechanic understand how it works, system by system. It's a great base for later learning how (and why) to do specific jobs on your specific vehicle.

 

[Dakota Houligans]

I would buy a repair manual for your specific vehicle. And as others have said begin with learning about your vehicle. Where are the fluid checks and fill points. Where are all the fuse boxes and relays located. Even without considering overlanding maintenance is key to a long and less troubled life of a vehicle. Learn basic electrical diagnostics. Get a test light or power probe and a volt meter and learn how to use them. Your Toyota should be mostly metric bolts so a metric socket and wrench set is a good start. I was a ASE certified master tech for 18 years. Moved to the parts side of automotive about 8 years ago. There is plenty of people to help on here and other forums. Just ask. As a side note check multiple sources for online info. There is plenty of good info but also some people proclaiming to be experts that couldn't swap a wiper blade with out help.