TIPS FOR GETTING AROUND

Over the mountains from Bujumbura to Bukavu in 1994.

Disclaimer:-

The information on these pages is offered to assist those of the Humanitarian Aid community working in arduous conditions in the field where due to certain constraints posed by severe climate or rebel activity these tips could prove invaluable. I have worked in the field for many years and as a result have compiled the following list of tips after using them myself. I take no responsibility for any damage caused to either machinery or personnel by the following of these tips, which are laid down in good faith. All Safety guidelines plus the various Aid Agency Guidelines should be followed at all times.

Desert conditions

If you are unfortunate enough to get stuck

If you are unfortunate enough to get a radiator or hose leak

If you are traversing flooded conditions

Mechanical Tips

Miscellaneous Information

• Before traversing the desert sands first ensure the vehicle is in good running order and you have a plentiful supply of water, fuel, a substantial tool kit including a spare fan belt, spare wheels (at least 2 inflated), tyre levers, puncture repair outfit with pump and a medical kit. Extra fuel filters and air filters should also be carried. Also the vehicle should be fitted with a larger capacity radiator and heavy duty fan, from the manufacturer, when attempting very high temperature travel. You need to take with you sand ladders or sand mats and a shovel in case of problems. If the vehicle is not fitted with a winch then consider taken a hand operated (ratchet winch).

• If you are not in radio contact the ensure everybody knows where you are going and your estimated time of arrival (ETA). Then if you are late arriving a search for you can be put into effect.

• Try to choose wheel rims with a removable ring to make puncture repair easier in the field. If you are in areas (such as north east Kenya and parts or Somalia) that have an abundance of acacias with thorns, then try and get 14 ply steel belted tyres fitted or you will spend most of your time dealing with puncture repair. Ensure your jack is working and take along a heavy duty metal plate to rest the jack on in sandy or muddy conditions. Alternatively, an air bag inflated from the exhaust is far superior to a jack in sandy or muddy conditions.

• For semi roadless conditions it is essential to have a reliable guide, map and compass. Such as for the journey in Northern Sudan from Khartoum going north to Dongola.

• Before entering soft conditions select 4 wheel drive and ensure that the differential locks are in the "on" position. On some vehicles this is manually selected on the centres of the front wheels. 4 wheel drive uses more fuel through the increased frictional loads, it also, as a result, makes the engine run hotter so be careful with too wide throttle openings and watch the temperature gauge.

If you have to stop in the desert for some reason:-
• Locate firm ground before coming to a halt, preferably in the shade if there is any.
• Park facing the wind and lift the bonnet to aid air flow and thus engine cooling whilst you are stationary.

If you come across very soft conditions and you feel you may be stuck :-
• Slightly lower the pressure in the tyres (this lowers the ground clearance so way up the benefits of the extra grip)

• Steer rapidly from side to side to aid the tyres in finding new ground. You will notice that in soft sand the tyres just move the sand from the front of the wheel to the back of the wheel. This is what causes your tyres to dig themselves in. That is why steering from side to side rapidly makes them climb out of their own ruts.

• Keep your fingers and thumbs out of the steering wheel inner in case the front wheels snatch in a rut and ends up spinning the steering wheel rapidly. Otherwise this could be a short cut to a dislocation of thumbs or fingers.

• Try not to change gear as this breaks your momentum. It is far better to select the gear you think you will require before entering soft conditions and stick to it. It is far better to be going slower and free then faster and stuck.

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• Dig out the underside of the vehicle and pack out the wheel ruts with sand ladders or sticks, jacking up the vehicle if necessary for the back-filling.

• Rock the vehicle back and forth by selecting first gear then reverse gear in rapid succession.

• If you are really stuck fast and have already dug as much as you can then winching is the key. But if you find there is no protrusion to fasten the winch cable to then dig your spare wheel into the sand a few metres ahead of you.
  • Have a sturdy tyre lever across the wheel to attach the winch cable to before you dig in the spare wheel.
  • Once you have buried the spare wheel, winch cable etc about a metre below the surface you can then pull slowly on the winch whilst in the lowest 4 wheel drive gear. I had to carry out this operation in the desert of northern Sudan and it is surprising what the weight of a few metres of sand will accomplish.

If you are unfortunate enough to get a puncture :-
• If you are unfortunate enough to get a puncture and you have used all of your spares then the easiest way to break the tyre bead from the wheel rim is to drive over the punctured wheel's tyre close to the wheel rim, rotating the wheel after each pass.

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• If you have not got any of the proprietary brand radiator sealers with you then try pouring ground pepper or the white of a raw egg into the radiator. This will seal the smaller leaks as caused by acacia thorns etc. Let the engine cool off before removing the radiator cap or you will be scalded with the boiling water from within the radiator.

• If the leak is larger and situated in the core of the radiator then you can close off (pinch together with pliers) the tubes to stop the leak. This will however impair the cooling abilities of the radiator.

• If the leak is from a hose then strong insulation tape wound many times is useful. But in both cases you have to watch that the cooling water pressure does not build-up. If pressure is found to open up the repair then run the engine with the radiator cap loose but go slower and monitor the temperature. This is far better then wasting any "precious" water you may have on unreliable repairs.

• If the engine does start to get hot then turn the heater on full (and open the windows) so the heater can act as a second radiator. Do not open the radiator cap until the engine has cooled sufficiently or you could be scolded.

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• For heavy mud or rivers try and walk the area first to check on the best route that has firm ground. Select 4 wheel drive with the differentials locked and a low enough gear so you have not got to change gear in the river or mud, and thereby lose your momentum.

• With a diesel in deep water conditions the problem is the air intake and the exhaust pipe. To keep the exhaust pipe clear just maintain high revs, but in a low gear so as not to create too much of a wake. As for the air intake, if you have not got a raised intake (above the bonnet) then keep your speed slow enough so as not to cover the intake with the waves created under the bonnet.

• When driving on flooded dirt roads the common mistake often made is that of going off-road to the drier patches. The flooded road itself will be hard packed and good going providing there are not too many deep ruts. Whereas the surrounding terrain will be less densely packed causing it to drain easier but a good deal softer underfoot. You will have to gauge each individual situation as it arises.

• If you have to wade with a petrol vehicle into deep water then it is of paramount importance to keep the high tension electrics (from the coil to distributor to spark plugs) dry. So be careful with the wake you create under the bonnet. Before attempting deep water wading with a petrol engine it is also advisable to spray all of the electrics with WD40 (releasing agent). WD40 repels moisture and also drives it away if you have already gone too far and flooded the cables.

• After emerging from the water you will find your brakes will not work. Once you are on stable enough ground you should apply the brakes whilst still driving so as to dry the pads (or linings).

  The main point to remember for soft conditions found with desert sand and soft mud is that of driving smoothness. No harsh use of the throttle or brakes, just keep everything fluent and moving.

• If after completion of off road 4 wheel drive use you find the vehicle is "stuck in" low 4 wheel drive and you cannot move the gear lever then, first, select reverse gear and then try again. This usually frees the syncro meshed gears.

• After wading it is advisable to give the underside of the vehicle's grease points a new greasing to drive out any remaining water. You should also strip and clean drum brakes as any remaining sand particles are highly abrasive and will dramatically shorten the life of the linings.

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• If the vehicle has non working electrics (indicator warning lamps for the alternator etc) a trick used by the Sudanese Suq truck drivers crossing the desert is worth remembering. They fit a bean tin or similar can close by the radiator fan for noise generation as the air passes from the blades. This will enable you to hear if the fan belt has failed and thus no water is being pumped around the engine. This may sound strange but it is very important that in hot arid conditions you know the condition of the fan belt.

• The Toyota Hilux model has a very weak battery carrier and inner wing, so keep your eye on this in rough conditions and strengthen the battery carrier to the chassis if necessary. Otherwise you may find the battery being "eaten" by the cooling fan at some stage when it vibrates it's way into freedom.

• When you have to tow a vehicle have the rope as short as possible and also, more importantly, keep the rope taut. This is accomplished by letting the rear vehicle do all of the braking and the front vehicle doing all of the accelerating. Remember, if the towed vehicle's engine is not operating then the brakes require more pressure from the driver because the servo-assist is off to the brakes. If at all possible try and keep the engine of the towed vehicle running.

• If the clutch fails by "slipping" (the engine speed increases but the vehicles speed does not) see if you can reclaim any "free play" in the clutch linkage (the linkage from the clutch pedal to the gearbox). This is the most common fault aside from wear or oil ingress onto the clutch plate surface.

• If the starter motor becomes stuck in upon turning the ignition key, then rock the vehicle back and forth whilst it is in gear.

• If you haven't got a volt-meter then a good electrical tracer can be made by using some surplus wire, a 12 volt bulb, and a sharp nail.
  • For tracing the positive feeds, connect the cable to the negative battery terminal (-).
  • Place the bulb in series and then probe the wires you are checking with the nail.

• In rough conditions, check the engine mounts, radiator mounts, shock absorbers and other bolt on components for signs of slackening or wear (springs, bushes and sump guards etc.).

• When driving on dusty or muddy roads it is still advisable to select 4 wheel drive as it improves the steering grip and helps to stop a lot of sliding whilst cornering. You then also have far greater slowing down control by selecting lower gears because all four wheels are working together.

• If you do find yourself drifting into a skid then do not apply the brakes, but steer into the skid to regain control.

• If you come upon a large bump or rut in the road and you are braking hard, then, just prior to the impact, release the brakes. This will allow the shock-absorbers and suspension to extend to their full height and thus give you the damping required when you hit the object. If you leave the brakes on then the suspension is collapsed and very little lee-way is left for suspension to deal with the obstacle.

• If you are emergency braking and you find yourself in a 4 wheel slid then release and re-apply the brakes in rapid succession. This will slow you down quicker then purely sliding. Some vehicles are fitted with ABS, if so then this "pumping" of the brake pedal is unnecessary as it is done by the system.

• If you are tow starting or push starting a vehicle then select second gear or higher and let the clutch out rapidly. Too low a gear will just cause the driving wheels to lock up.

• If you have a severe brake fluid leak within one of the drums or at a disc caliper then close off the feeding pipe and rely on the rest of the brakes to slow you down. Otherwise you will lose all of the fluid and have to rely, only, on the hand brake and gear changes to slow you down.

• "Riding" the clutch pedal is one of the shortest ways to kill your clutch, so make sure that your driver does not use the clutch pedal as a footrest.

• Likewise, do not use the gear lever as an armrest. Doing so can cause severe wear within the "shifting" mechanism.

• If the oil warning or charging lights come on, then stop immediately. Do not assume that you can just get back to base. Stop and check out the problem.

• Check the warning lights upon starting the engine (ignition on but starter motor not engaged). Especially the oil, battery charging and engine temperature. Remember, that a defective light bulb cannot warn you when it's needed.

• If the brakes do not operate well, you can easily check the brake booster (on Servo assisted brakes). Just depress the brake pedal before starting the engine, and upon starting, the brake pedal should sink slightly.

If the clutch cannot be disengaged for any reason, so you cannot select any gears and you cannot be towed, then, the way to drive the vehicle is as follows :-

1. Stop the engine.
2. Engage first gear.
3. Re-start the engine in gear.
4. Once you are rolling you can change up by backing off on the throttle and holding a slight pressure on the gear lever.
5. Once the revs are synchronised the next higher gear will slide in quietly.
6. To come to a halt. Ease back on the throttle with a slight pressure on the gear lever and it will drop into neutral.
7. To change down to a lower gear. Ease off on the throttle as above and drop it into neutral. Slowly increase the engine speed until the revs are synchronised and you will find the lower gear will select quietly also.

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• Yellow lights used at night deter insects and are also useful for not attracting unwanted attention, that is because from a distance they resemble a normal camp fire as opposed to battery or generator light.

• In a scorpion infested area be careful when sitting around a camp fire as they are attracted by the light and heat of the fire and make their way towards it.

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Copyright © 2003, Richard Seremak, Last Updated 24/08/2011 14:57:58