The LR4 — Crossing America Offroad with Tom Collins at the helm!

[madmax718]

you'd think the electronic control would stop limit the one wheel from spinning that much to break the CV.

I think its great what their doing. Present company aside, most people don't get SUV for offroad use. the one time they use 4x4 is when it snows.

Their taking basically a great luxury vehicle- and using it like you would a wrangler. I give them props for that.

 

[bobDog]

This is the first I have seen of a CV failure. I am sure there is far more to the story.

I heard the driver was avoiding an attack by farmed bison at the time.

 

[Ray_G]

Meh. In reality if you are staying sub-35" tire it doesn't matter. You aren't pushing the truck THAT much. Also if you are looking to run 35" tire, you aren't looking at a LR3 or LR4 (unless you are like, I am going to do something completely different, lemme get my welder).

For your average trails, its fine. Then it brings epic win on the road, especially when you have to do 400 highway miles to do 20 off road.

Or like 500 hwy miles, one way, to do ~300 offroad and then 500 back-i.e. what my teammate just did in his LR3 for VOT. Without a doubt he had a much more comfortable driving experience than we did for the transit. In the midst of the event the LR3 performed exceptionally well, only issues came under the more extreme end of what we had to do. My D1 did slightly better in a couple of situations where he pulled cable (but that's what the winch is for, right?).

I was very impressed by his and a fellow team's LR3's...and certainly am looking for one to add to the herd.
r-
Ray

 

[nwoods]

Man, literally hundreds of LR3's have been over Black Bear since 2005. This is the only time I've ever heard of a problem. I have heard of broken CV's before, 3 of them in the past 8 years, all in the same circumstance. Front wheel off the ground, steering hard over to the limit stops, deep into the throttle, front end back down onto a rock with traction, crack! Throttle and high angle is the culprit every time.

 

[umbertob]

More cool photos posted on Instagram.

Aerial shot above Caveman Ranch in Utah. August 12.

Chased by storms while driving through Utah. August 13.

Crossing the border into Nevada. August 15.

 

[umbertob]

LAND ROVER EXPEDITION AMERICA: UPDATE 4
August 15, 2013

Land Rover continues through Colorado and Utah and on their month long cross country off-road drive from North Carolina to Oregon.

The Expedition spent a few days crossing the Rocky Mountains, the largest physical barrier on the expedition. The Colorado leg began in Trinidad, on the New Mexico border, and ran northwest through Lake City and Telluride, using some of the passes that carried the pioneer and stagecoach traffic of the past.

“The pioneers covered around 10 miles a day on similar roads you guys are using,” said Dave Shaw, who drives a horse-drawn stagecoach in the old gold mining town of Silverton, CO. LREA is averaging around 200 miles a day.

Atop Black Bear Pass, a 12,000ft mountain above Telluride, Colorado, the trail descends into a town along a steep face. The slippery rock and shale surface is dangerous and requires extreme caution. Slowly but surely, Expedition Leader and Colorado resident Tom Collins led the team safely into Telluride.

“Hurry this section and you could regret it,” Tom said after the successful crossing of the Rockies. “We are doing this event in August because any other month and the passes could be blocked by snow. Even on Black Bear we had some snow flurries.”

The expedition then pressed onto Utah. The trail runs a few hundred yards from sections of Interstate 70. The Interstate is so close you can hear the rumble of trucks and cars.

Threading its way among massive boulders is a sand track that is part of a challenging section of the 5000-mile Trans-America Trail. The challenging trail goes through Black Dragon Canyon, where razor-sharp rocks, rattlesnakes and the risk of flash flooding are the antithesis to the Interstate.

Each Land Rover LR4 progressed steadily at a walking pace, while being watched over by 1,000 year-old cave paintings under the lip of a canyon wall. With the air suspension set in lifted mode and the Terrain Response dialed to Rock Craw, the crews edged through in the Utah landscape for 14 hours.

The heat of the Nevada Desert awaits the crews as they continue onto the next segment of their westward journey from North Carolina to Oregon.

 

[evilfij]

This one didn't make it over Black Bear yesterday at the Land Rover National Rally. Blown CV from axle wind-up.

This should be on Jaguar Land Rover north america's website's front page.

 

[1leglance]

Funny how the hype is toned down just when they get to the more serious off road stuff.
But I will say I enjoy Part 4 more because it is a bit more realistic and let's folks see themselves doing the same trip in their Rover.

 

[bobDog]

Funny how the hype is toned down just when they get to the more serious off road stuff.
But I will say I enjoy Part 4 more because it is a bit more realistic and let's folks see themselves doing the same trip in their Rover.

Yep out here in the West they might have to rotate drivers to do the laundry......hehehe. No more problems w/ the 'farmed bison'. Maybe further West we'll get to see a bear rip the door off one of those things for a 'twinky' ;>)

 

[grimbo]

Well they are out there having fun while we're all bitching and arguing over whether its hardcore enough.

I'd rather be on their trip

 

[LR Max]

Or like 500 hwy miles, one way, to do ~300 offroad and then 500 back-i.e. what my teammate just did in his LR3 for VOT. Without a doubt he had a much more comfortable driving experience than we did for the transit. In the midst of the event the LR3 performed exceptionally well, only issues came under the more extreme end of what we had to do. My D1 did slightly better in a couple of situations where he pulled cable (but that's what the winch is for, right?).

I was very impressed by his and a fellow team's LR3's...and certainly am looking for one to add to the herd.
r-
Ray

Exactly. Typically here in the SE, you'd only manage about 20 miles off road ( AKA, in low range ) in a day. When you have a top speed of 5 mph, and a couple hours of standing around watching others, your driving time gets eaten up. However you cover a lot more miles at 70 mph hauling on the interstate.

That said, I haven't been on their facebook or instagram in a while. Need to check out what all they are up to.

 

[nick325i]

Well they are out there having fun while we're all bitching and arguing over whether its hardcore enough.

I'd rather be on their trip

Agreed.

 

[Ryanmb21]

Great photos in update 4

 

[overlander]

Well they are out there having fun while we're all bitching and arguing over whether its hardcore enough.

I'd rather be on their trip

Ha! Spot on!

 

[bobDog]

Well they are out there having fun while we're all bitching and arguing over whether its hardcore enough.

I'd rather be on their trip

True, True. But how are we supposed to have fun stuck at home w/o a LR budget and huge factory support? The only 'farmed bison' I ever see are in Sisters, Oregon an hour away. Just jealous I guess.