Are you a born 4x4'er?

[Mike Nel]

I wasn't

My love for 4x4'ing only developed in my 20's, but I am sure some of you must have been born or raised on a farm where 4x4'ing came naturally

[Apocalypse]

I think there are a lot of people who get a 4x4 so they can get stuck in the mud, but never actually go off-road.

[Mad Manny]

I think you can be born gay - but I don't believe you are born with 4x4 ability.

I only bought my first 4x4, Fearless, 8 years ago when I was 48 - very late in life.

I notice guys who have been Offroading & doing the outdoor thing longer approach situyations better asthey have a natural insight born from years of exposure to the craft.
I have to often think & work it out.

However, there are some knobs who have had 4x4's & been using them for many years longer than I & are even less clued up than I am.

This Thread could be interesting to learn how long some guys have been involved - off the top of my head I'd say Flipside & Grips probably have the most years of active involvement.

But let's see...

[Mad Manny]

How Long Have you been 4x4'ing/Offroading/Overlanding/Camoing/Enjoying the Outdoors?

1. Mike Nel - 13 years
2. Mad Manny - 8 years
3. XJJunkie - 9 years
4. SAXJ - 25 years
5. Chris Stoffel - 4year
6. Grips - 36 years
7. Wave - 25years
8. Estee - 21 years
9. Rabbiddog - 26 years
10. Bushwacker - 70 years
11. KurtG - 8 years

[Umpalumpa]

I bought my first 4x4 (Nissan Sani Twin Cab 3.0) back in 2001
Got stuck once in a quarry, thought it was shit and sold it. So that does not count.

Got my current 4x4 in 2013, first 4x4 trip was with Porra at 3 Provinces only 2 years ago, and ever since then I have been enjoying it quite a lot.
Especially after understanding it is not just about mud an rock, but actually seeing places a normal car would never get me to.
And you don't have to "break" your vehicle every time you get to or through an obstacle.

Still a juvenile though

[Mike Nel]

Absolutely correct Manny

I am actively busy for about 13 years, 4x4'ing, over landing and camping.

I camp a lot, over land frequently and 4x4 maybe not enough. But whenever I do, I take in as much info as possible because I do not know it all. I also therefor not make out as if I am a know it all, only comment on topics that I know something about.

I have seen and read about instances where you have a lot of keyboard knowledge, but the videos on Youtube tells a different story

[XJ Junkie]

Recreational 4x4ing - only 9 years, but in that time I reckon I’ve done a fair share of it.

I wasn’t born on a farm, like an animal, but did live in one until the age of 3, but that means squat.

Generally, I find that most farmers suck at 4x4’ing. Dunno why. They just do.

There’s those that claim to have gained 4x4 experience on a farm, but it becomes evident that it has no value when they are on a trail. Especially those who have only ever done maybe a handful of actual trails.

[Saxj]

I got my first 4x4 in '93 (so 25 years). I certainly wasn't born into 4x4ing. I played hard, made lots of mistakes, read everything I could, listened (sometimes) to those with more experience than me. I'm still learning, I still make mistakes, and some times I bite off a little too much - I'm a sucker for challenges.

[Umpalumpa]

I have seen and read about instances where you have a lot of keyboard knowledge, but the videos on Youtube tells a different story

hear hear!!

[Mike Nel]

I got my first 4x4 in '93 (so 25 years). I certainly wasn't born into 4x4ing. I played hard, made lots of mistakes, read everything I could, listened (sometimes) to those with more experience than me. I'm still learning, I still make mistakes, and some times I bite off a little too much - I'm a sucker for challenges.

The day you stop learning is the day you die. As simple as that

[Chris Stoffel]

I bought the SJ December 2014. Less than 4 years ago. I think I was about 56. And have done 13 trails.
Because of my advanced age and maturity when I bought the SJ, I absorbed all there is to know about 4x4'ing very fast. So much so that no one can teach me nothing.

[grips]

Ok I start driving my Granddad`s series one Landy at the age of six on the farm. Needed to flip down the backrest of the drivers seat and sit on top of that to see the road ahead. My dad owned Series Landy`s since 1968. He teached my sand driving at a very young age lets say around 10 years.Being on the farm there were many opportunities.

I bought my first 4x4 in 1986 and will therefore claim that I started 4x4ing then as I were free to do what I want with my own 4x4.
When I met my wife in 1992 I bought my first DC SFA Hilux. We even had a 4x4 honeymoon doing a trip from Knysna to Port Nolloth al allong the Coast.
For the sake of interest. Sold the Little patrol in 1992 when I bought the Hilux. Bought it back some years ago. So the 4x4 that I started with in 1986 is still in the family although Ignus is the rightful owner now.

[Wave]

I've always had 4x4ing in my blood, when I was about 15 years old I had pictures of a Suzuki Vitara soft top and Toyota Hiluxes (SFAs) on my cupboard door, the Raider spec with the wheel arch trims, others dreamt of GTIs, I wanted a Samuri or something small like that. My father bought a Nissan Sani 5dr V6, we took it off road a couple of times and once up to Bots and back down via Zim (when I was about 18), my 2nd car, when I was 19, was a 1987 Toyota Hilux S/C SFA with a gutless 4Y under the bonnet and a crappy brown interior, I had big dreams for that car, dropping the Cressida 3.0 straight 6 in and getting power steering and air con, but at that age I had no spare cash and that tank sucked more juice than Andreas' bowser. So after a year a dissesed that idea and bought a Conquest RSi - much better for get female attention. We went 4x4ing once in a quarry and I managed to park the Hilux on the passenger door, lesson learnt, a 4x4 cannot go everywhere a scrambler can go...

Many years passed and I always dreamt of owning a 4x4 vehicle again.

Wait let's go back a few years again, I was a scout and always enjoyed camping and that has stayed with me, I have always camped as a holiday and still do to this day, the Mrs does like to book civilised accommodation occasionally, but we camp as much as we can. My father was also a camper and we spent many holidays at Salt Rock caravan park in out Sprite Sport, still with glass windows.

After camping out of Toyota Corollas and Ford Fiestas with a Venter trailer, I convinced my wife to get a Nissan X-Trail 2.5 4x4. This was a much better family car, could attack some sand roads and I did some light 4x4ing in it, at this stage we bought a Gypsey Regal caravan, the X-Trail was actually too small a tow vehicle for the big caravan so we upgraded to our current Fortuner and haven't looked back. Other people dream of sports cars and holiday houses, I dream of 4x4s and camping destinations.

So years camping & 4x4ing??? About 25 years...

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

[Estee]

How Long Have you been 4x4'ing/Offroading/Overlanding/Camoing/Enjoying the Outdoors?

1. Mike Nel - 18 years
2. Mad Manny - 8 years1

21 years and bucket loads of cash later

[XJ Junkie]

Needed to flip down the backrest of the drivers seat and sit on top of that to see the road ahead.

That’s actually damn clever. Simple, but clever [emoji41]