I know that rav4 is not a real 4x4 n terms of what real 4x4's (ie offroad land rovers) are, but we all have to start some place, right?

You were putting stress on things. But the wheels should have started slipping.

You won't find much about your vehicle on this newsgroup, and you need to get clear what the controls do. But the basic driving techniques don't change. Have fun, and drive safely.

This is the nicest NG on the net. You won't get flamed, although some won't be able to resist taking the p*ss! The Rav4 is a "soft-roader", probably more capable on tarmac than the rough stuff, whereas Land Rovers are regarded by most here as THE off-roaders to beat 'em all. For the uses you describe, the car will be fine, and who knows, once you get the bug... Just don't try to run before you can walk.

Are there any? ;-)

The guy who showed

I assume you mean a centre-locking diff (the Rav4 doesn't come with axle lockers, does it?). What you heard was not the diff grinding but the tyres scrubbing as they released the wind-up caused by the axles turning together when they needed to turn at different speeds. If this was on tarmac, then it's not recommended, although a brief demonstration won't have done much harm. If on grass or loose stuff, no harm done.

If the surface is loose or slippery enough to allow the wheels to slip slightly, then you won't do any harm. Grass is a good example. Just remember to disengage the difflock when you get back to tarmac. As far as ice goes, just remember that you have twice the traction as a

No-one is born knowing this stuff. We all had to start somewhere! You asked in a polite and friendly manner, which is always a good start (see another recent thread to see how NOT to approach a newsgroup).

Could someone just

Someone will be along in a moment or so with an address for the group's faq and a shedload of URLs, but I'm at work at the moment and the boss is looking.

No problem. Enjoy your 4x4ing.

Prediction: in 12 months' time, this guy will post asking for advice on getting a good used Defender.

Rich

RR 4.6 HSE Tiggrr 3.5 trialler

in article snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com, Richard Brookman at snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.co.uk wrote on 12/1/04 12:29 pm:

Or decided that he'll go for a real 4x4 and buy a Land Rover

Try posting the same thing on uk.rec.cars.4x4 as you will probably find some RAV 4 owners in there.

HTH

Steve. Suffolk. remove 'knujon' to e-mail

In news: snipped-for-privacy@mb-m06.aol.com, AN6530 wrote: || Subject: I know that rav4 is not a real 4x4 n terms of what real || 4x4's (ie offroad land rovers) are, but we all have || From: snipped-for-privacy@aol.com (LovingPerson) || Date: 12/01/2004 04:52 GMT | || **disclaimer: I know that the rav4 is not a real 4x4. I have very || little knowledge of 4x4's. This is why I came here. I would like to || find some patient person who will be kind enough to not flame, but || dispense out some basic knowledge** | | Try posting the same thing on uk.rec.cars.4x4 as you will probably | find some RAV 4 owners in there. |

The OP has tried this, and got absolutely no response! (at least nowt shown yet on Blueyonder's text-only server)

We must be too nice in here!

Mark

|| ||

Nikki, I knew I could rely on you ;-)

That more or less sums it up. On road it's quite nippy, good handling and has a good view etc, off road is a different story. I wouldn't take mine on anything that I would consider "off road". Getting across a wet grass playing field isn't the same as climbing through deep ruts.

I don't want to do anything stupid with mine as the suspension linkage looks vulnerable. No low range gearbox so that rules out most off roading of a technical nature. 1st gear seems to be lower than normal cars but this does nothing to help your confidence when faced with a steep descent. With a low range gearbox it can crawl down but the RAV just accelerates :) Going uphill isn't too bad but if you have to stop for whatever reason then it's going to take a lot of clutch to get going again.

Well one of them is not to park too close to the other cars in the supermarket carpark. You are pretty limited if you bought it for off roading, wide body kits and bolt on chrome is different though.

Don't do it, stop home and polish it instead :) Buy an old Series or Range Rover and get that muddy instead, much more fun.

All the best

in article btur62$b90p3$ snipped-for-privacy@ID-108243.news.uni-berlin.de, Richard Brookman at snipped-for-privacy@btinternet.com wrote on 12/1/04 7:05 pm:

Did you? That's nice. Had a shitty day today.

"Nikki Cluley" wrote

Did you? Never mind, there's always the

to cheer you up. G'wan, have another bottle of the red stuff, put your feet up and dream of what enhancements the Landies would get if you won the lottery.

You remind me of a snowy carpark, a Skoda Rapid, and me wondering in an abstact fashion whether the snow piling up against the sides of the wheels would stop me before I hit any of the parked cars ...

... it did, by the way.

If we're talking FAQs, there's the Rav4 FAQ at:

|| On road it's quite nippy, good handling || and has a good view etc, off road is a different story. I wouldn't || take mine on anything that I would consider "off road". Getting || across a wet grass playing field isn't the same as climbing through || deep ruts. || I don't want to do anything stupid with mine as the suspension || linkage looks vulnerable. No low range gearbox so that rules out || most off roading of a technical nature. 1st gear seems to be lower || than normal cars but this does nothing to help your confidence when || faced with a steep descent. With a low range gearbox it can crawl || down but the RAV just accelerates :) Going uphill isn't too bad but || if you have to stop for whatever reason then it's going to take a || lot of clutch to get going again.

The OP didn't mention anything remotely hardcore - I think he was pretty sensible talking about grass and ice as a first step to learning about off-roading. If we get all "off-roadier-than-thou" we may put people off more than encourage them. Not that you did, but your comments may have been interpreted that way ;-)

|| |||| Both he and I have never owned a 4X4 before. We were just |||| wondering about the finer points of driving one. ||| ||| Are there any? ;-) || Well one of them is not to park too close to the other cars in the || supermarket carpark.

Ouch.

||You are pretty limited if you bought it for off || roading, wide body kits and bolt on chrome is different though.| || Don't do it, stop home and polish it instead :)

Now that's all a bit below the belt, I reckon. Give the guy a break.

||Buy an old Series or || Range Rover and get that muddy instead, much more fun.

I'd agree with that.

I was talking about my RAV4 though :)

I was talking about my RAV4 again :)

Did I tell you one of the front suspension springs broke just before Christmas, then the other came out in sympathy a couple of hours later.

There was I trying some reverse psychology by telling Our Lass that it's been a grand little car and we don't need to buy Dave Whites rather nice Disco ES 3.9 auto with lpg, 7 seats and electric this and that and RP piggin' I goodies in the engine. "Oh look, Dave's pulled up outside dear, come and have a look at this..." Kids liked the idea, now wasn't that a dirty trick by Daddy, getting them onside before showing Mummy...

Oh no, the RAV4 got wind of my connivances and bust both springs and took out the inner walls of the tyres at the same time on the very night I was going for the jugular over a meal at Pinnochio's in Harrogate. So now we spent on springs and two new tyres we might as well get another year out of the ungrateful little s**te.

I still had the 101 at the time though, kept muscling it up to the RAV4, in an intimidating kind of way and blipping the throttle.

Actually, I do like the car, that's what it is, a car with 4WD. Bugger all luggage space for a family of 4 though, not like a 7 seater Disco....

in article btuugk$blv9f$ snipped-for-privacy@ID-108243.news.uni-berlin.de, Richard Brookman at snipped-for-privacy@btinternet.com wrote on 12/1/04 8:02 pm:

Enhancements? We'd be out ordering a brand new Range Rover and Discovery - both V8's and we'd have a Defender, but diesel this time as we haven't had one of those before.

As for the rest of the fleet, they'd all have to go apart from the Lightweight and Bruce could get a 101 - just because he wants one!

The shity part of the day started yesterday morning thanks to my Mum trying to give me a guilt trip for not visiting over Christmas, and ended up with me putting the phone down and taking the plug out of the wall.

On or around 12 Jan 2004 04:29:49 -0800, snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.co.uk (Richard Brookman) enlightened us thusly:

interestingly, when I was playing in the mud the other day, there was a chap with a very shiny not-old Land Cruiser Prado. He didn't do anything very strenuous with it, but then again, neither did I.

remarkably capabale on some 80% on-road tyres, it was. Mind, fog lights under the front bumper didn't last long, but he didn't seem bothered by that.

I try to ration my exposure to 'the family' like this. WTF can't parents ever understand that the world doesn't just revolve around them... It's sooo unfair...

Smashing strategy ;-)

Martyn

in article snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com, Mother at "@ {mother} @"@101fc.net wrote on 13/1/04 1:49 pm:

My Mum doesn't know the meaning of the word. She is an emotional vampire at times, and it is about time she pulled herself together and stopped feeling sorry for herself.

At one time my Mum and sister Becky would visit every 5-6 weeks, or we'd go to see them, and they made a special point of being around for the kids birthdays. Two years ago Becky met her currant boyfriend and her spare time became otherwise engaged and because Becky wasn't able to visit so often, my Mum sort of gave up and refused to drive to Leicester because it scared her. By the time my brother Tom got married in Dec 2002 she hadn't been to visit for 8 months and we had seen her once when the girs went and had their bridesmaid dresses fitted. Over the weekend that I was there with the kids, I heard my sister talking about arrangements for the Hen night and when I asked when it was and what they had planned, I was met with an uncomfortable silence.

Apparently my future sister-in-law's sister had organised a weekend away to which my sister was asked, Mum and my other brother's ex-girlfriend Michelle. So to say that I was upset that they had decided to keep it a secret was nothing compared to the fact that not one of them had mentioned turned round and said "have you asked Nikki" to Lauras sister. They had assumed that I wouldnt want to go. Not the point - being asked would have been nice, even if I had said no I couldn't make it. The only reason I let the girls be bridesmaid was because of Tom and he'd asked me to be his witness. He thought I had been asked.

Anyway, since the wedding, four broken promises to visit, we have seen Mum once and that was only because Becky drove to Leicester from Kent to bring her and I took her home again. She refuses to get on the train as she would have to use the tube in London to get to the right station for Leicester. My sister works at Bluewater and could have driven her to work with her and put her on the bus to Leicester, but she refused that even. She claims to be having panic attacks about driving, which are worse when she thinks she might have to go somewhere she doesn't know, and her excuse for not taking the train or coach was that she doesn't like them.

The above combined with the fact that my Dad died on Dec 28th 1995 is why I haven't been back to Sittingbourne for Christmas, and until she tries to sort herself out and goes to see someone about these panic attacks she says she has, then I refuse to visit. If she wants to see me then she'll have to come here.

Sorry for going on everyone, but I feel much better now. Ready to face round two with Mum, which I am expecting this evening.

This is always a rather odd time of year - post Christmas / New Year, thoughts of family and the strangeness that anything to do with 'family' entails. I do sometimes feel that 'who said what', or 'who failed to do the other' is a way for us to rationalise those slightly uncomfortable feelings. At the end of the day we're all wormfood in one way or another. A family, dysfunctional things though they can be, are the 'curates egg' of our lives and we have don't have the choice to accept them, or not. It's worth remembering though, that members of our true family are very seldom related to us :-)

Chin up, head down and lip bitten.

Martyn

|| Two years ago Becky met her currant boyfriend

Was he raisin' her expectations?

Sorry, couldn't resist.