Any one planning any trips here in the near future??

Within the next few months, I'll be venturing somewhere in SoCal. Would love to do some light off-roading too. Feel free to email me.

cs_in_az@yahoo.com

-SB

sounds good man, i kno alot of great places, but where are u located???

Hi everyone,

I'm in SoCal. (Playa Del Rey) and I'm planning on a day trip to Pismo Beach to ride the dunes and have my dog run around as much as she wants. Let me know if anyone is interested.

dude were plannin a trip check out the events and meets section

Sorry, I'll be coming from Phoenix. Got a friend to visit in LA, but I'm willing to drive where ever. Are there any special permits needed for off-roading in CA?

no way dude just come and hang out!!! Just go to the page, and check the list of wut to bring!!
http://www.elementownersclub.com/fo...pic.php?t=10911

Dave

allready signed up!!

cool man cant wait to see u there!

cool so we got two commin, any one else???

I'LL BE TEACHING RALLY DRIVING COURSE AT THE END OF FEB. ALL THOSE INTERESTED SHOULD LOOK AT WWW.CALIFORNIARALLYSERIES.COM UNDER SCHOOLS FOR MORE INFO!! IT'S A WAY TO PLAY IN THE DIRT UNDER CONTROLLED SITUATION AND A SAFE ENVIRONMENT WITHOUT SOMEONE YELLING AT YOU TO GET OUT!!

do you give scca rally licences?

I personally cannot issue you one but the school is qualified to give licenses for both SCCA and NASA rallysport licenses. It's a two day course, the first being the clalssroom covering the basics of vehicle dynamics and techniques along with navigation skills, and in the afternoon they split up into two groups(one for dirvers and the other for navingators). Then the fun begins as instructors get in with you on the short course and instruct you in application of the skills learned in the morning!! The second day is the rallycross, where people take their street cars out on a different short course one at a time and compete for times.
I consider it to be about as much fun you can have with your clothes-on (other than being on my mountain bike). I personnaly am one of the course instructors that get in the car with you to teach the application of the classroom knowledge to the students on the short course. There is no better feeling when I beat all of those guys in the wrx's and evo's in the E on Sunday!! :lol:

this past weekend i went out to Apple Valley/Hesperia with a buddy of mine. i drove my 2004 AWD E and he had his Chevy S-10 4x4. we took the 15 to Main St in Hesperia and headed southeast toward this place called Juniper Flats. let me tell ya... the E cannot handle washed-out, rutted, slippery Forest Service roads. :) i high-centered (the E's too low) many times. i got on 3 wheels a few times. i even got on 2 wheels! :) good thing that bar's down there protecting the tank! and the E engine doesn't put out enough torque. and the tires are not made for that kind of use.... i kinda knew i wasn't gonna be hitting the hard stuff, but i wanted to find out just what the heck the E can do, you know? now i know. after almost tipping the E over while going down hill going over a bad rut, full-on butterflies and that feeling you get when you took on just a bit too much and you think you wanna ralph, i said no more to that kind of off-road adventuring. we ended up going back into town, where i parked my E in this Stater Bros parking lot, hopped into the S-10 and went shooting out back near Lucerne in some BLM land. all in all, a great trip, but dam if i'd ever do that again.

a little more description of the roads?

i've had mine on rutted out slipper FS roads, and it did just fine. but i drove really *slowly* through rutted areas deeper than six inches or so, and tried to take ditches a little offset.

how deep were the ruts when you high centered? i've found that the e is so narrow compared to the big 4X4 trucks that i can drive 1/3 of the way over, on the sides of the ruts, and get through the deeper stuff that way. did you try this?

a little more description of the roads?

i've had mine on rutted out slipper FS roads, and it did just fine. but i drove really *slowly* through rutted areas deeper than six inches or so, and tried to take ditches a little offset.

how deep were the ruts when you high centered? i've found that the e is so narrow compared to the big 4X4 trucks that i can drive 1/3 of the way over, on the sides of the ruts, and get through the deeper stuff that way. did you try this?
I was gonna say the same thing. Taking them a little offset can do the trick usually. Havent taken the E out yet, but can't wait!

a little more description of the roads?

how deep were the ruts when you high centered? i've found that the e is so narrow compared to the big 4X4 trucks that i can drive 1/3 of the way over, on the sides of the ruts, and get through the deeper stuff that way. did you try this?

hi biocube. :) i don't remember exactly how deep some of the ruts are. some are probably around 10" or so at the deepest, and about 2' spans. i also tried to approach on angles and such. and i was driving VERY slowly. :D there was a Grand Am that blasted through and it bounced and bumped and scratched all over the place, but it got over this one rut that i couldn't get across. so i realigned myself and ran it a bit faster to use the momentum to carry me through, and it worked out pretty well. next time i'm out there i'll take some pictures (assuming the roads are not repaired, although it's used by the fire crew, so it will probably get patched as soon as the rains drop off).

gonna go fishing this saturday. probably at SARL. if you guys are out near that area, look out for my orange E :) see y'all around

will

Hey guys, new to the board. I've 'wheeled my wife's Element (much to her dismay) on a few California desert road trips.

If you want a nice day-outing in the E that's not overly rough, check out Rainbow Basin near Barstow. Google it and you'll find directions or look on your GPS and look for Fossil Rd. in Barstow.

I went to Rainbow Basin but didn't have time to check out the fossil park, which is in the same general area. Rainbow is a relatively easy dirt road (I was hitting 75-85 mph on it in a 12 passenger van). The fossil park road is rougher but still passable - either way, BRING A SHOVEL and a tow strap.

The two main ways I have "stuck" the E were crossing up the suspension travel where one of the FWD drive wheels leaves the ground, and high-centering it. A little folding shovel will generally help with the high-center. If you cross it up, jack up the rear until one of the fronts touches down.