4x4 Earth - The 4WD, Camping, Fishing and Outdoors podcast.

What kinds of changes are going to happen to 4 wheel drives over the next 5 years?

Robert Pepper is one of Australia's leading automotive journalists and is very technical. We discuss what changes are going to effect the 4 wheel drives that come onto the market over the next 5 years.

Autonomous Emergency Braking, self driving cars, bullbar modifications and how these will all change the way we go offroad.

We look at what factors make a 4 wheel drive fun to drive and what that means for the future designs that we will see offroad.

What will happen with low range?

The Simpson is one of the iconic places to go 4 wheel driving in Australia. We chat about the some of the interesting history of the Desert, along with the best ways to tackle Desert driving. Ian has been through the Desert 3 times and has a wealth of experience in Desert driving as well as the high country.

We discuss how to prepare for travelling across the Simpson Desert, what time of year is best and some of the great sites to see along the way.

We also discuss Ian's unique connection with the history of the Desert.

Thinking of buying a used 4 wheel drive? Some 4 wheel drives have a much harder life than others, so you need to know the clues to find out the vehicles you may want to steer away from.

What are some of the things to think about in selecting the make and model of vehicle? What is the best way to research the different models?

Is it better to buy a 4 wheel drive with lots of mods or should you look for one with no modifications?

Where are the places to buy a used 4WD?

You'll find lots of great tips to help you make a better choice next time you upgrade your 4x4!

Listen to Lowlux as he shares his wisdom about driving on Sand. Based in South Australia, he's done plenty of both desert and beach driving and has some stories to tell. We will talk about:

• What tyre pressure should you be running
• What can possible go wrong
• What equipment to take
• How to avoid rolling your vehicle which happens commonly on the beach
• Beach Driving
• Desert Driving - How to plan for a desert trip

Resident expert Jason Lock joins us to talk all things Lift Kit and Suspension for your 4x4. We give you the information you need to choose the right kind of lift for your 4WD, what they different types of lift and suspension are, what can go wrong with lift kits that are illegal or badly designed and what impacts a lift kit can have on your insurance.

Winches are a really important bit of kit on any 4WD. Whether you put one on as a bit of insurance, hoping to never use it or if you go offroad expecting to winch out - you need your winch to work. One of the things that I have been amazed with is the number of times winching has been needed and the winches have failed. Some winches have a notorious "Water Clause" in them, which means that the warranty is invalidated if they go under water, which means you can't do creek crossings! Find out which winches are good and which ones have issues in our interview with Swaggie, 4x4earth moderator and winch expert.

4x4earth runs Australia's largest 4WD weekends away. Davidman goes through what makes these events so much fun, what everyone does at a 4x4 earth gathering. More importantly Dave talks about how to organise a 4x4earth gathering. These gatherings are a really important way for people new to 4 wheel driving to join in and learn the skills of camping, 4 wheel driving and getting out and enjoying our magnificent country. Our gatherings have grown over time to be Australia's largest free 4WD weekends away.

It this episode of the 4WD podcast, we discuss with 4x4 expert Jason Lock everything Diff Lock. What are they, how do they work, when should you use them and what can go wrong.

Diff Locks are on of those mods that many people think about or get but don't really know how to use them. Have a listen and hopefully you will learn a little to be a better driver.

Every weekend hundreds of people all over Australia set out as leaders of a 4WD Trip. Whether it is just you and a couple of mates or an organised trip with 10 newbies, we discuss with NickJ the things that you should think about before, during and after your big trip out.

Being a great trip leader is really important because it helps people get out and explore the great outdoors that we have and also introduces new people to 4 wheel driving. NickJ was the trip leader for the first 4x4earth trip in Victoria all those years ago, so sit back and listen to all of Nicks awesome experiences as a trip leader so we can all go out this weekend and have a great 4WD trip.

Talbotville Campground was the site for the 6th Annual 4x4earth Victorian Gathering. Home of some of Australia's iconic tracks, including Blue Rag and Billy Goat's Bluff, there is plenty of amazing 4 wheel driving to be had in this beautiful part of the world. Find out what went tragically wrong on this trip and the mistakes that James made that resulted in him destroying his Jeep Wrangler.

This is a tragic story, and a fate that has occurred to many other 4 wheel drivers. Please have a listen and learn from James' mistakes and share the story so we can make sure that more people have a great time out in the bush and go 4 wheel driving without any damage to their vehicles.

We discuss the driving technique that was wrong (a lot of people do this - James wasn't the only one that day with this nasty habit)

We discuss the one accessory that could of saved him.

We discuss some what to do when caught in this situation.

Big shout out to Davids and Mandy for helping us get home!

Have a listen and please share with a mate so we can see less vehicles getting busted like this.