How much equipment do you really need?

Do you have to have all the latest gadgets?

The answer to the first is "it depends" and to the second is "definitely not".

So, as to essential equipment, it depends on what you do with your 4WD.

Most newer 4WD are very capable as they come out of the showroom. You will be able to drive to many destinations without any problems whatsoever. 

But, with a bit of driving experience (on dirt, gravel or forest roads), you will be tempted to venture further away from easy help and possibly out of mobile phone range. When this happens, you should then consider either doing these adventures in a group, or buying some additional equipment that will make you more self sufficient. 

So, the question becomes one of what do I need, what would I like, what can I afford and possibly how can I justify it to your partner?

Starting at the front of the vehicle there is the bull bar which can look pretty plain if it isn't supporting an array of driving lights and winch and radio aerial.

Now it is extremely unlikely that you will hit a bull - the worst I've come across is a completely black cow standing in the middle of a wet sealed part of the Alpine Way near Tom Groggin - yes just around a bend, on a downhill stretch and on a moonless night. Managed to pull up in time as I had reduced the driving speed to suit conditions.

So far, have avoided all kangaroos and wombats in head ons although one roo has hit me on the side behind the back wheel - fortunately a glancing blow.

In the above picture, there are some relatively cheap driving lights. One is more of a narrow beam pointing up the road, the other is a wider beam to show up the left side of the road in the distance. Right on the bar, there are 4 other lights - two fog lights on the outside and two small rectangular driving lights towards the number plate. These ones are angled outwards to pick up roos and wombats off to the side - as well as helping in winding forest roads at night.

The winch so far has not had to be used to get me out of a situation.

Note that there is a fair bit of extra weight well forward of the front wheels which means that the amount of travel for the front springs is considerably reduced. So the standard springs will most likely need to be replaced.

Not showing up in the above picture are two rated recovery points (hooks) on top of the bar. I have used these quite often in conjunction with a drag chain to clear fallen trees from forest roads.

Now you may like to have the best lights - and the general consensus is that you get what you pay for, but consider a few factors first:

• Some headlights can be upgraded with bighter bulbs which can be very adequate in place of driving lights.
• Make sure that you have the extra lights wired up to the high beam switch
• Use relays etc so that the extra current does not overload the fuse for your normal headlights
• Probably best to install all planned lights in one go
• Don't forget the rear of the vehicle for a brighter set of reversing lights (you will need these more often than you might think)

Now a word of caution about driving with all those lights. It would be very much appreciated by the oncoming traffic that you dim them well ahead of passing the oncoming vehicle. First of all you won't blind the other driver - which could endanger yourself as much as them.

Secondly, your powerful driving lights will turn night into day when they are turned on and you will probably increase your speed a tad. At this higher speed, when you have to dim the lights, your artificial daylight SUDDENLY turns very dark until your eyes can adjust. Coupled with any oncoming lights (dimmed or not), this is a critical few seconds.

So, even though I have a number of driving lights, I chose to use only the regular high beams most of the time.

I drive with headlights turned on during the day. Particularly along forest roads where one might encounter oncoming, fast moving trail bikes - it might provide an additional second or so of warning.

Back to the bull bars. Not every bull bar is suited for mounting a winch. The following picture is the Land Rover Discovery. Forget about the number plate but the bar looks like a fair dinkum affair.

Does your 4WD have airbags for example? These are designed to operate in conjunction with a controlled rate of crumpling of the front end of your expensive toy. If you add a bull bar, the energy absorbsion characteristics of the vehicle will be altered for the worse. To maintain the crumpling characteristics (or at least approximately), many bars will have their own built in cumple zone as shown below.

The folded parts make sure that crumpling is initiated. But the bar will lose this ability if these sections are straightened out because of a winch.

Note in the above picture, the U hook bolted onto the chasis - this can be termed a "recovery point" - a safe place for hooking up a snatch strap to get pulled out.

There are some pretty important parts of your vehicle underneath at the front that might need some protection as well.

One can see rods and dampers that could easily be bent with careless driving. Some bull bars are designed to incorporate some "bash plates" to help protect these parts. Such plates can assist in reducing the amount of water getting up into the engine compartment in a river crossing.

This picture shows a smallish plate bolted to a protecting bar at the front of the Defender. Other bigger plates might extend from the bull bar itself.

Whilst we are looking up like this, it is important that you know where your diffs are so that you can select a suitable path up or down a rough rocky step. For the Defender, both front and rear diffs are off centre and roughly in line with the drivers left foot.

..... more to be added.