Are vans better offroad than cars ?

[Mr Moofo]

I had a Subaru Impreza WRX for a while. What a stunning car - however the 19 MPG was a little hard to take

[Kneerly Down]

Subaru Forester with Cross climates or similar, I had one when I was doing work on a local estate, some of the tracks had been very badly mullered by forestry vehicles with massive ruts in thick mud - it didn't get stuck once!

I bought a Subaru Forester around 2010.
Someone said the centre of gravity is very low so they're almost impossible to roll.
Obviously I took up the challenge!

ScoobyRoll_2010_1.jpg (48.15 KiB) Viewed 640 times

ScoobyRoll_2010_2.jpg (21.74 KiB) Viewed 640 times

[Felix]

Not since bought a BMW by any chance? This was on the A82 just south of Fort William the other week.

[weeksy]

Not me sir

[Felix]

Not me sir

Not you, Kneerly Down. That cant be far up the road from his gaff.

[Count Steer]

Not since bought a BMW by any chance? This was on the A82 just south of Fort William the other week.

Not far from our last house there was a stretch of dual carriageway with some 'interesting' bends. There were regularly cars in the undergrowth...almost ALL were 3 series BMWs. It got to be a bit of a joke. They'd try to go thrapping past someone downhill into the left hander then panic as the first bend tightened up and the right-hander appeared and off they went like Bambi on ice.

(They completely neutered the bends in the end. Made it one lane and cut the speed limit )

[KungFooBob]

This house...

https://goo.gl/maps/pgoToTj4JgcBPsmE8

I pass everyday.

At least twice a year that wall and railing are rebuilt. I've even seen the window cracked.

It's a 30 mph limit, but that corner catches so many out, especially if it's icy.

[Horse]

It's a 30 mph limit, but that corner catches so many out, especially if it's icy.

That's an interesting one.

Going back up the approach to it, there's an 'open' feel, the row of houses on the right ends, with a low hedge.

On the left there's the wide throat on the side turn, with the opposing short house block ending with a space - in the Google view the front of the next ('target ) houses are not visible.

20211117_212415.jpg (210.57 KiB) Viewed 605 times

Then, much closer, the houses defining the road become visible - much closer, tighter.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

It's like something from Open All Hours

[KungFooBob]

It's like something from Open All Hours

That was Doncaster, this is Barnsley, there's 10 miles difference.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

It's like something from Open All Hours

That was Doncaster, this is Barnsley, there's 10 miles difference.

Still looks grim

[KungFooBob]

It's grim up North.

That's less than half a mile from my house... and that's why I live in a detached house with a garage and a big garden that'll be paid off twenty years before I retire

[Felix]

It's like something from Open All Hours

I was thinking more Royston Vasey.

[KungFooBob]

It's like something from Open All Hours

I was thinking more Royston Vasey.

Royston is a village in Barnsley.

I'm digging a hole here aren't I?

[Felix]

Royston is a village in Barnsley.

I'm digging a hole here aren't I?

Its also a shit hole scheme in Edinburgh. Close to Muirhouse standards.

[Wossname]

Subaru Forester with Cross climates or similar, I had one when I was doing work on a local estate, some of the tracks had been very badly mullered by forestry vehicles with massive ruts in thick mud - it didn't get stuck once!

I bought a Subaru Forester around 2010.
Someone said the centre of gravity is very low so they're almost impossible to roll.
Obviously I took up the challenge!

ScoobyRoll_2010_1.jpg
ScoobyRoll_2010_2.jpg

2 comments on that :

1. Interesting that the huge sunroof and the frameless window, both obv weak points, survived intact.

2: How on earth did you do that?

[demographic]

Van ground clearance is usually slightly better than a car but I've not noticed my rear wheel drive Toyota Hiace (old but still very reliable) being any good offroad.
As with anything, momentum is key but it'll still slip on wet grass and if yer parking anywhere slippery, make sure you're not parked where you have to set off uphill.
If you can have a downhill start and not have to torn around then its better.

Not at all bothered by 4WD but would like a difflock on the odd occasion.

Having a van is however pretty good for being able to sleep inside fully laid out, and carrying loads of expensive stuff without it being on show to thieves which pickups are fairly bollocks for though.

[Kneerly Down]

2 comments on that :

1. Interesting that the huge sunroof and the frameless window, both obv weak points, survived intact.

2: How on earth did you do that?

1) I thought the same at the time. I was very, very impressed that the big sunroof and the window remained intact.
especially given:
2) It rolled with the front passenger side wheel digging into the gravel run-off while sliding sideways (any forward motion had been neutralised by the front making contact with a sheer rockface) missing the entire left hand side of the car (got a bit of air according to the Peter's Pies van that was coming towards me) and then hitting the deck just about where my head was. I did wonder if the extra headroom of the Forester vs the Impreza made the difference.

I think the windscreen pillar is made pretty strong.

It was initiated by a tyre blowout according to the police report.
I was going round a corner at 50-55mph (60 limit), had the tyre let go and then prepared for a crunch.
It was quite a surprise when the car flipped but I was more preoccupied with the imminent smack of the Pie lorry into the car.
Thankfully he managed to stop before hitting me. The car ended up on its wheels and I got out by myself....and then the pain kicked in!

[Kneerly Down]

Not since bought a BMW by any chance? This was on the A82 just south of Fort William the other week.

No, that one isn't me.
I did drive past that exact spot last night, and the Subaru accident was about 20 miles north of that, still on the A82.
Plenty of cars have come a cropper on that stretch of road. Most impressive one I saw was a Morgan that was ripped in half by the tree it hit, while going through the air. The driver survived IIRC

I got stuck in the queue when this one happened less than a mile from my crash site.
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/s ... emergency/

[weeksy]

idly browsing this morning and i thought "i wonder what the ground clearance is on a Mondeo"

128mm

The Kia sportage is 172mm

The volvo XC90 is 238mm

The Honda CR-v is 175mm

Skoda Yeti 178mm

Dacia Duster 210mm

Ford Ranger 230mm

Mitsu L200 205mm

All of this is ignoring the lowslung towbar on the Mondeo which is more of an issue, but still, in it's own right it's pretty low.

The downside though is that for example the XC90 being the best clearance does have a road tax of £380-550 a year and an MPG combined of 31mpg.

The monedo of lowness is £0 in road tax and currently even carrying bikes on the rack that's 55mpg+.

With some of the trips, that will really stack up, even if just adding in the £550 a year in tax would be an arse.