It’s an accident nobody looks forward to.
It’s an accident many have witnessed.
It’s an accident thankfully few have experienced.
It’s a rollover!
And it happens to the best of us!
October last year saw Graham Cahill’s D-Max take a rest when he “zigged when (he) should have zagged” in an on-road accident. Luckily it wasn’t his precious Nissan ‘Shorty’ … although he rolled that a couple a years ago too!
Good ol’ Roothy, formerly of 4WD Action, then Roothy’s Lowrange and now a radio presenter. Bless his cotton socks, he seems to bugger every 4X4 he’s built, but that’s what you get off-road driving for a living.
These are stories that time tries to forget (and owners too!). Stories that make for learning experiences. Tales to be told late at night around the campfire.
Pat’s first 4X4 was a Series 2A Land Rover. While not a rollover as such, it didn’t last long in his hands, taking a pounding by the Pacific Ocean at Ngkala Rocks on Fraser Island. Live, learn and follow your dreams!
The more you drive off-road, the more likely you are to have an accident. It’s simple probability. Those who drive off-road for a living are going to have more chance of coming a cropper. Who would have the best coverage of such accidents? TV show hosts, naturally. Makes great footage even if none of it is planned!
The Offroad Adventure Show rolled a TJM HiLux on their fourth season; all the gory details are in the video below.
No strangers to misadventure, All 4 Adventure have had their share of tense moments. Heck, their show thrives on it. It’s the “Hey man, hold my beer!” of Aussie 4X4ing shows. There’s been a few less smart moments like trying to ferry a quad bike around on a dinghy. But the biggest accidents, no matter who is driving and on or off TV, are usually caused by momentary lapses in concentration or fatigue-induced from the long hours that filming TV shows requires.
Now All 4 Adventure, through their Unleashed TV, have had a real spanker. Brand new ‘Boss 79’, giving it a test drive in Queensland’s Glasshouse Mountains, on an easy section by many accounts.
It’s a sickening feeling when a 4X4 takes a tumble. Not all end in laughable stories recalled around the campfire.
Allan Skinner’s Facebook comment sums it up:
“Every one that owns a four wheel drive, it doesn’t matter if it’s a late model or an early model, it doesn’t matter if it’s modified or unmodified the one thing we all have in common is that no one wants to put the vehicle on the side. This may have been driver error, or simply taken on too much, you must be (honest) any serious four wheel driver has had a moment or two but luckily pulled through on all four wheels or (without) damaging the vehicle, Four wheel driving is a challenge and that’s why we enjoy doing it. For what ever the reason this happened, you have to feel for these guys as there is a lot of repair work to be done.”
And as Pat says:
“Always keep the shiny side up”
12 comments
And yet still dickheads don’t wear seat belts!!
your picture of the d max on its side is a good example of bad driving ,its a public road if you look ahead of the vehicle you will see the road has a serious off camber that will tell a good driver to go steady, with a 4×4 that is usually carrying to much gear including the kitchen sink and a high center of gravity. the road he fell over on would be no problem in most cars on the road but heavily laden 4x4s beware . How about some good on road driving tips in future articles .
All 4 Adventure is the least “hold my beer” 4wd show still on tv! Your insinuation is a poor indictment on your magazine. I’m not denying they drink beer at their campsites but unlike 4wd Action that mention “beer” every stop they make, A4A is the complete opposite.
There for the grace of God go we… No excitement is without risk..
That’s why I’ll never put a lift kit on my Patrol, it’s also why I refuse to put a roof rack on as well. I believe raising the center of gravity of any 4 W.D. places it at higher risk rate.
i agree with you Dale a bit of jealousy maybe with the opposition
While I don’t disagree with what you are saying about too much gear etc, in this particular instance the roll has been caused by the car going up the embankment on the right after presumably loosing control. Maybe the off camber road was a contributing factor to the car going up the bank.
It’s not a rollover if it doesn’t go on it’s roof.
what r u going to drive on the next trip graham
does any1 agree that dpfs suck
who agrees that dpfs suck
dmax’s r epic