I recently took the 2025 Toyota 4Runner Limited 4X4 on some trails near my old house. That got me thinking about some of the things I’ve learned over the years driving various trucks and SUVs off-road. If you’ve never experienced the pleasure of doing that, I’ve put together some tips that might come in handy your first time. There are a lot of technical guides out there that are very useful, but I thought I would suggest things to keep in mind that you might not see in those.
If You Feel Like You’re Out of Control, You Probably Are
It doesn’t matter if you’re blasting over sand in a Ford F-150 Raptor or crawling over rocks in a Jeep Wrangler – if you feel as if you’re over-driving your headlights/wipers/shocks/senses/talent, heed your gut’s warning and slow down. Your vehicle (and you) will last much longer that way.
The same logic applies if you think something is wrong with your vehicle. I was at an event several years ago and heard that someone there snagged the side of an expensive SUV on some fencing. Instead of parking and getting out to see how best to handle the situation, they just gassed it and dug a long scratch onto the side of the body.
Get a High When You’re Solo
Sharing anything automotive-related with friends or family is always great, but there’s nothing wrong with going off-road by yourself. Just use common sense and prepare accordingly. If all this is new to you, your first voyage is probably not going to be deep into remote, treacherous territory. If it is, go with people that are experienced, resourceful, and well-equipped for the terrain, weather, and potential emergencies. But if there’s a beginner’s trail near you, make sure someone knows where you’re going (sharing your location through your phone is a good way to do that), and get some dirt under your tires. Over time, you may find going wheeling by yourself is a great way to unwind and clear your head.
Google It!
Maybe you’re past your first off-roading excursion and want to go over a different type of terrain than you’ve previously been on. Don’t just wing it. There are plenty of resources out there that tell you what to do to prepare yourself and your vehicle for certain conditions. Do you want to drive over sand? Then you’ll probably want to air down your tires so that you don’t get stuck, which means you’ll need a portable air compressor to air them back up to the right psi once you’re ready to get back on the road.
Breathe Easier
Out here in Arizona, it’s so dry that when you go down a trail, a big cloud of dirt billows up behind you and fills your rearview mirror. If you’re traveling in a group, you’ll drive through the same kind of cloud puffed up by the vehicle in front of you. Why breathe all that in when you don’t have to? Just push your HVAC system’s recirculate button and keep moving.
Keep Them Close
When you’re on a narrow trail, you run the risk of scraping your mirror caps on brush or tree limbs. Whether your mirrors fold in manually or electronically, make sure they’re close to the body of your vehicle – and that you fold them out once you get back on pavement and head home.
Don’t Believe Everything You Hear
Off-roading can be noisy, even when you’re not doing anything challenging or wild. Sometimes you’ll hear a thunk and think, That’s it. I just damaged a really expensive part! In my experience, from inside the cabin of the vehicle, things usually sound much worse than they actually are. Usually. The point is to try to minimize the situations/types of driving that lead to those loud sounds because you don’t want to get in a habit of ignoring potential warnings that something has gone wrong.
It’s Not All About the Destination
Whether you’re headed to a campsite near the edge of a canyon or to a random stopping point before you turn around and go back to civilization, stop (even if it’s for 30 seconds), look around, and enjoy where you are, the colors of the sunset, the mountains on the horizon, the wonderful near-silence of the outdoors. Don’t just roll past all that – even if your rig has beadlocks and 37s on it. Trust me, you’ll enjoy your time outdoors much more.
