The short answer
Going too fast, wrong tire pressure, wrong gear, spinning wheels, not walking the obstacle, ignoring the underbody, stopping mid-obstacle, no recovery gear, driving alone and skipping the checks before and after are the ten that cause most trouble. Go slower than you think, look first and carry the basics.
Fix by
- Going slow
- Walking obstacles
- Using the right gear and mode
- Carrying recovery gear
- Going with others
Avoid
- Speed on rough ground
- Wheel spin
- Mid-obstacle stops
- Driving alone
- Skipping checks
The ten
- Too fast. Speed breaks parts and hides obstacles. Go at a walking pace on rough ground
- Wrong tire pressure. See tire pressures
- Wrong mode. See low-range use and 2WD and the 2L kit
- Wheel spin. It digs you in. Ease off
- Not walking it. You cannot see holes and rocks from the seat
- Hitting the underbody. See line choice and ruts and ditches
- Stopping mid-obstacle. You lose momentum. Choose the line first
- No recovery gear. See recovery gear
- Driving alone. A second car makes everything safer
- Skipping the checks. See pre-trip checklist and after-trip cleaning
Where to learn more
Many of these are easier to fix with a few hours of practice with an instructor. See driving course vs self-learning.
Pick what went wrong
Tap what happened to see the fix.
Tap what happened (6 to try)
If you Got stuck
- Likely cause
- -
- Fix
- -
Common mistakes
- Going too fast. It is the top cause.
- Skipping the walk. You miss holes.
- Driving alone. Help is far away.
- Skipping the checks. Small faults grow.
- Ignoring the underbody. It is the weak spot.
A final word. General technique, not a substitute for training or your owner's manual. Practise on easy ground first, with a spotter, and stop if you are unsure.