After Adventure Care: Essential Maintenance Tips for Your 4WD

After Adventure Care

Last month we dedicated this motoring column to preparing for adventure as a beginner, and this month, we’ve taken the opportunity to share a focus on the pack down. Upon returning from an adventure, it can be tempting to pull up a chair and recover from the holiday, but now is the time to clean the vehicle and equipment used for maintenance and ensure your gear’s longevity.

The resale value of a 4WD is only as good as the market value and how well the vehicle is taken care of, which is why it’s also essential to take the time after each trip to clean up.

There are many voids in the chassis and between the chassis and the body. These are prime spots where earthly matter can sit and develop rust. Vehicles with fitted bash plates must be removed to ensure access is gained to clean.

When using a hose at home to get to all of these areas and hiding spots, a tip Nathan was given years ago by an experienced 4WD magazine editor was to place a sprinkler under the car first, followed by hosing. Soaking with a sprinkler will loosen the matter and make it easier to hose out. This will depend on what it is you are trying to move of course, as some mud sticks like glue, and the only way to get it out is with a pressure washer and patience.

Sand and red dirt will move reasonably quickly after a soak. Red dirt will more than likely leave a stain but use the permanent evidence as an excuse to talk about the trip you were on.

If you have access to an air compressor, after a day of drying out, wear safety glasses and get in there and give it a decent blowout. You will be amazed at how much more of your trip comes out from all the nooks and crannies. 

There are a few good products on the world wide web and in local stores which make cleaning your vehicles easy. With everything from foaming agents to chassis flushing adaptors. If cleaning your car is not your thing, some very good care detailers will take care of it for you. Remember to organise the outsourcing before your trip because this service is in demand and often has weeks of waiting time, which your vehicle can’t afford to wait for after an adventure.