Blog Archives

4X4

Tyre Extinguishers – who and what are they?

10 March 2022 Robert Pepper

Here in Australia we don’t really have a strong anti-4×4 sentiment, aside from a bit of a sneer at Toorak Tractors and the like. Personally, I’ve been told my ownership of a 4×4 “is okay” because I use it for camping and towing. Well, that’s a relief! But over in Europe, and particuarly the UK, […]

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Why Australia should have a national towing licence

7 March 2022 Robert Pepper

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Crash after crash. “People can’t tow.” Well you know what? We’re not born with the ability to drive, let alone tow. Now you may have been lucky to have learned about cars and towing by osmosis since you were a nipper, but that’s hardly the case for everyone, and my experience of such people is […]

4X4

Why “turn into the skid” is wrong

25 February 2022 Robert Pepper

If you do any car control course, and you should if you’re into any form of motorsport of offroading, then you’ll need to learn the art and science of skid recovery. You may be told “turn into the skid” or “countersteer” or “turn out of the skid”. This isn’t wrong, but it’s not that helpful. […]

4X4

The best 3 things you need for sand recovery

23 February 2022 Robert Pepper

I’ve done a lot of sand recovery of all sorts of vehicles on beaches, inland deserts and even in different countries. There are just three bits of kit I need for any sand recovery situation, at least so far in my experience. Tyre pressure gauge Tyre pressures are the key to sand driving. You simply […]

4X4

How expensive must petrol be to make owning an electric vehicle cost-effective for the average Aussie?

22 February 2022 Robert Pepper

The ABC recently published an article claiming that petrol prices would need to jump to around $3.85/L for EVs to be cost-effective. I think that’s understating it, and also missing the point. The real point is this. EVs cost significantly less to run than ICE cars, but are presently significantly more expensive. Right now, the […]

4X4

Brake traction control vs electronic stability control vs engine traction control – know your electronic traction systems

19 February 2022 Robert Pepper

Electronic traction systems have been around for 25 or so years now, so it’s about time everyone learned how they work and what they are. The term traction control is an umbrella term used for several different, but related traction technologies. It is important to understand the differences: There is Brake Traction Control (BTC) which […]

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Do EVs wear their tyres more than ICE vehicles?

18 February 2022 Robert Pepper

How do you tell if someone is irrationally against electric vehicles and doesn’t understand cars? They argue electric vehicles are environmentally unfriendly because they wear their tyres and brakes more than ICE cars. There is actually a tiny amount of truth to this argument for tyres. The following three facts are true: 1. The greater […]

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Caravan aerodynamics with Kyle Forster of jfkaero.com

16 February 2022 Robert Pepper

Caravan aerodyanmics isn’t something that’s talked about very often, if ever. So I was lucky that Kyle Forster of Kyle.Engineers joined me to discuss aero and vans, along with live questions. You can see the recording of the discussion below, but if there’s one thing to take away from this webinar: Caravan aerodynamics is complex, […]

2021 Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series Sahara.

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Does a suspension lift increase front axle load on your caravan?

13 February 2022 Robert Pepper

Reader question: Hi Robert, I have had a number of conversations with people regarding rear suspension upgrades to reduce sag and improve stability when towing a caravan. I use a weight distribution hitch to restore front axle loading when towing. Many people think that a suspension lift with a 300kg constant load will improve stability. […]

4X4

Do you believe these 4X4 transmission windup (transmission bind) myths?

12 February 2022 Robert Pepper

Transmission windup, otherwise known as transmission bind, is definitely something you want to avoid, but it’s not well understood. And it’s becoming less of a problem as 4X4s move to computer-controlled centre clutches, but it’s still something every offroad should understand. Here’s some myths, none of which are true: You can cancel out windup caused […]

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