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Off-roading with 4WD training expert

4WD training Australia

David Wilson, one of Australia’s most accomplished 4WD trainers, talks the best 4x4s, off-roading tips and… triple Weber carbs?

If you don’t buy Japanese, you’re nuts,” said David Wilson as I quizzed him on which vehicle he’d recommend for serious bush bashing. Never a man to hold back an opinion, Wilson’s a rusted-on legend of the 4×4 scene, and can always be relied on for words of wisdom to go with plain old telling it like it is.

Image: Iain Curry

“I owned a 2002 (Land Rover) TD5 Defender, and I loved that car,” he said. “But it was a love/hate relationship because you know they’re not the best to drive. The driver’s side door pillar’s in your right shoulder; the handbrake’s in your left shin and the steering wheel’s up against your chest. They’re so uncomfortable. But for the 4×4 experience, they can’t be beaten.”

Really? So a Land Rover’s the one to go for? Of course not. Hence the Japanese preference. “They all make them the same, you see,” he preached. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi or Isuzu, there’s something in the engineering.

“They’re logical in their layout and pretty bulletproof.

“They’re essentially uber reliable, and you can depend on them to get you there.”

Image: Iain Curry

Coast to coast

Such merits are key in Wilson’s line of work. For thirty years, David and wife Rose have run Adventure 4WD from their South Australian base. Tens of thousands of 4WD owners have been taught, instructed and educated by its team.

That includes government, mining and infrastructure providers, as well as up-skilling Australia’s ever-growing number of recreational off-roaders.

David fronted the TEN and Foxtel 4WD television program Beyond the Bitumen, has co-hosted Nine’s Motorvision and an ABC radio motoring program, has written for newspapers and glossy magazines on all things 4×4, and helped run the online Loaded 4×4 Magazine. You’ll struggle to find another Aussie so deeply entrenched in this specialist sector.

He’s been surrounded by all things mechanical from a young age. Adelaide born, he was the son of a car salesman who sold Austins and Wolseleys, but also some primo stuff too.” That meant the family driveway featured MGs, Rileys and Austin Healeys, and eventually Rolls-Royces and Bentleys.

Sterner stuff

By the mid-1960s, David said he really discovered an interest in steering things, and in his teens would follow Dad into work on weekends and head out back into the workshop and watch and learn about general servicing and the dark art of tuning carbies.

From the 70s, a feverish passion for all things Italian followed. You mechanics who’ve been around since those days will raise an eyebrow at that. Is this guy a glutton for punishment? Italian vehicles’ deserved reputation for guaranteed electrical gremlins and rusting in light rain couldn’t overcome Wilson going weak for the sound of triple Weber carbs.

Bring up Dellorto, Ducati, Moto Guzzi or Pininfarina over a glass of fine Chianti and he’ll insist reliability must play second fiddle to soulful noise and sumptuous design. Wilson keeps a fine collection of classic Italian motorcycles to this day, these elegant road-goers a stark contrast to his day job transport of rugged off-roaders.

Image: Iain Curry

Tips of the trade

In the mid-70s, family friends were the first park rangers installed on the Coorong in South Australia. On a visit, Wilson was handed keys to their government issue Toyota LandCruiser. “Running around the sand hills in it was when my 4×4 love started,” he said.

This culminated in the formation of Adventure 4WD, and after decades in the game, it’s Wilson’s knowledge – combined with good humour and intelligence – that makes his teaching so effective. He’s been a key lead instructor in Isuzu’s hugely successful I-Venture off-roading initiative, which is benchmark 4×4 training for amateurs and the experienced alike.

His key messages revolve around preparation, responsibility and safety. Nail those and 4×4 owners can reach the Australian off-road locations we all drool over in magazines and Insta posts.

His key advice? Before any big trip, make sure the vehicle’s in tip-top condition, carry plenty of fuel and water, recovery gear and a Satphone. Leave travel plans with a responsible friend. Always wear a seatbelt, always drive with headlights on, use high range 4WD on dirt roads and don’t exceed 80km/h on the loose stuff.

Image: Iain Curry

“Tyre pressures are everything,” he said. “People are gobsmacked at how low you can go, and how you can save a (being stuck) situation before you have to pull out the winch, recovery boards or snatch strap. Being in the right gear’s key too. A lot of folks are reluctant to use low range, or even four-wheel-drive in the first place. It’s free. Why not use it? Same as a rear diff lock if you have one.”

Other nuggets, clearly learned through experience, are minimising bush travel at night to avoid animal strikes; stick to the existing track and trail network rather than damaging vegetation, and leave gates as you find them. On the vehicle front, he’s a big fan of 4WDs with ABS brakes, stability control and traction control.

Oh, and always buy a 4×4 with a diesel engine: the torque, fuel efficiency and longevity are Wilson’s reasoning. And after decades in the wilds, it’s a hard one to argue. “There’ll come a time when EVs provide adequate range for a 4WD, but until then, diesels remain the best power source available.”

Bells and whistles

For fun, if you want to get Wilson fired up, start a chat about the overkill of driver aids found in modern vehicles, 4x4s included.
“I find the vehicles that are junk are usually the ones with the really complex stuff,” he said. “All the driver assistance stuff, it’s saved my bacon on a couple of occasions, but there are so many beeps they drive me insane.
“When things are overly complex, I think that’s a risk.
“I like putting a metal key in an ignition. If you lose a smart key in the wild, that can be dangerous.”

It’s why Wilson prefers the less fancy offerings. “If you’re going to go four-wheel-driving, some creature comforts are good, but I like a vinyl floor to easily sweep out. Carpet’s a pain in the arse to look after.”

Image: Iain Curry

What about advice for those who own a 4×4 SUV or ute and want to get involved in more substantial off-roading than just a cruise up the beach?

“If you’re in the marketplace for a four-wheel-drive and intending to go properly off road, the two things you need to sort in the first week are suspension and tyres, because they’re both junk (from the factory),” he said. “In my world, what comes as standard aren’t adequate.
“You can transform a vehicle with those two things, turning it from laughable to credible.”

Wishlist

Okay, last question. If Wilson could take any vehicle off-road that he knew would take him there and back, what would he choose?

“A Bushmaster,” he said without hesitation. This, of course, the Aussie-built armoured infantry mobility vehicle used in war zones.

Image: Iain Curry

But in the real world? “A 2018 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon with the 2.2-litre diesel from Fiat; what a ripper vehicle,” he said. Once again, his Italian passion bias getting the better of him. What about being nuts if you don’t buy Japanese, I challenged?

“Okay. A Suzuki Jimny. It’s so capable off road. You drive around its limitations, and because it’s got such a small footprint, it’ll go places the bigger stuff won’t.”

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