Membership of 4WD clubs

[dmm_au]

The thread on whether the Touareg is a real 4WD got me thinking about the perception of the Touareg.

Anyone here a member of an Australian 4WD club?
If so did you have to overcome much predjudice from owners of 'the usual suspects'?

David

[99gti]

I smell a Landcruiser or Patrol. Or even worse - a stinking Rav 4 with side steps and fluffy dice!!!

[dmm_au]

Huh? If you are refering to me, I don't yet own a 4wd, but I'm planning on placing an order for a new TDv6 on Monday. Young enough to cope without the side steps, and I don't think I'll take the dice option either.

[dmm_au]

To follow up my own post, I went along to the 4x4 expo in Melbourne today.
A number of Melbourne 4WD clubs were represented. Some seemed vehcile agnostic, but the majority were the Nissan/Pajero/Landrover/RangeRover Club.

I did have a chat the the AWD Club, which seem to have a focus on soft roaders, but I'm thinking that might be a good starting point.

http://www.awdvic.org.au/

Don't get me wrong (or be offended). I think the Touareg would probably be amoungst the most capable vehicles in this group, but it might be good to start easy, and I suspect that's the focus of this organisation.

[Flipper Dog]

Hi Dmm Au,
I have found the same here in Sydney. There’s the specific vehicle makes/models clubs eg: Land Rovers, Toyota and those other Jap ones, the over the top modified types, the prestige “I’ll only drive on lawn” types and then the AWD soft roaders.
When you approach them with a Touareg they are inclined to fog you off.

I have a tag along tour coming up soon and the wife wants to do a 4WD course so let’s hope I can make some heads way with the Touareg’s repartition as an off road capable vehicle.

I have spent over 20 years braking Rovers and Toyotas (and some American ones as well) in parts all over the world to know I have the best Range Rover equivalent on todays market, and it is from the right side of the English Channel

Flipper Dog
V6 TDI

[Transporter]

Hi Dmm Au,
I have found the same here in Sydney. There’s the specific vehicle makes/models clubs eg: Land Rovers, Toyota and those other Jap ones, the over the top modified types, the prestige “I’ll only drive on lawn” types and then the AWD soft roaders.
When you approach them with a Touareg they are inclined to fog you off.

I have a tag along tour coming up soon and the wife wants to do a 4WD course so let’s hope I can make some heads way with the Touareg’s repartition as an off road capable vehicle.

I have spent over 20 years braking Rovers and Toyotas (and some American ones as well) in parts all over the world to know I have the best Range Rover equivalent on todays market, and it is from the right side of the English Channel

Flipper Dog
V6 TDI

So, if there is not Touareg 4WD club than if on this forum is enough Treg owners we could established one here.

[dmm_au]

I think it's clear that the Touareg has suffient support in this forum for a group, but there is more to forming a club than that. I'll hold off until I actually have a vehicle, but I look forward to attending a Touareg meet in Victoria (or perhaps the boarder).

I think it make sense to have a vehicle specific club if people need/want help with vehicle specific issues, but I think these forums do a great job of that. I'd want a local club of people to lead trips and pull me out if I get stuck

Although, Flipperdog, I did consider asking the Range Rover club is I could join

[bobzed57]

Hi dmm_au

I'm a member of the Land Rover Club of the ACT, joining a couple of months after getting my Treg. A few years ago the club opened up to all comers, not just LRs, and now there are RR, LR (of all varieties), Cruisers, Patrols, Hyundais, probably a few I've missed, and I'm the sole Treg.

I've never experienced any prejudice with these guys in fact, they were impressed that I was prepared to take my vehicle off road and go places with them. There was only one occasion that I got a bit of flack. I was on a two-day accredited training program and there was one guy in a s**t-box hilux ute who kept banging on about how the Treg wasn't go here, and it wasn't going to go there, and it wasn't going to be able to cross that creek, and on and on. The other members of the club cracked before I did and told him to wind his neck in.

All said and done, they have been impressed by the Treg including advantages over some of the other makes like; a better turning circle, foldable mirrors for the squeezy bits, engine power, the low-range ratios, some of the features like hill descent and climb assist and importantly the comfort.

All that said, there a number of 4WD clubs in Canberra and I'm not sure I'd be as welcome in some of them, you know the ones, if you're not on 33inch muddies with a six inch lift etc, you're a pussy. The LR club was recommended to me as the most egalitarian and I can attest to that. This club is into touring and having a good time and if you have to occasionally get the car dirty etc, well that's OK too.

If you have been following some of the threads in another Touareg forum, you'll note that there's already been a few get togethers, so we already have the genesis of a Touareg club. We should probably start to take advantage of the memberships in various forums and get together for trips and stuff.

Cheers

Bob

[dmm_au]

It's been very quiet here of late, so I thought I'd add to this thread.
My partner and I are off to interview the Range Rover Club of Victoria tonight.
They seem to be fairly open to vehicles other than Range rovers and their website says 'it's all about the people', so better go take a look at them

[bobzed57]

Hi dmm_au

How did your interview go?

BZ