OffRoad

[Hudsonhawk]

Hi

Just wondering if anyone has taken their Kluger Offroad? How rugged was the tracks you went on and how did the Kluger preform?

Thanks

[SamF]

Yes I did some off-roading please see "Round Australia Tour" thread.

[myfishingtruck]

i did a bit of mild offroading and the road tyres and limited clearance were a limitation. felt like i was going to break bits of my car off even in shallow ruts.

[Kesawi]

Also there are no rated recovery points on the Kluger if you get stuck. I investigated fitting some, and basically would've had to get them engineered, fabricated and fitted specifically for the kluger.

[SamF]

Also there are no rated recovery points on the Kluger if you get stuck. I investigated fitting some, and basically would've had to get them engineered, fabricated and fitted specifically for the kluger.

What is wrong with the tow bar and the "I" bolt supplied by Toyota for the front point ??

[mdv]

My observations having done some mild off-roading on fire trails are:

1. OEM road tyres are a big drawback - on very rocky tracks, I was concerned about puncturing, and no traction on steep loose-rock inclines. And good luck trying to find an A/T tyre for the KX-S/Grande 19" rims. (BTW, yesterday I saw a Gen1 Kluger CVX with Wrangler 225/70R16 A/TRs on the rear - neat!)

2. Underbody clearance is adequate (if you take care) but the underside protection is very flimsy - plastic and aluminium (tin foil) - I had one stone impact on right side that caused left side aluminium protection sheet to come away (which required jury rig fix using coathanger wire).

3. Lack of low range is the biggest downside - and gimmicks like Downhill Assist Control (DAC) are not a proper substitute - DAC will work (albeit with lots of mechanial spring noises) for about 2 minutes and then, to prevent the brakes from overheating, DAC will automatically switch itself off. Pretty off-putting if you are only halfway down the steep slope.

In summary, I think the Kluger is a capable soft-roader, but a proper off-roader it ain't. Very competent on most gravel roads, and fairly dust-proof although a lot of dust gathers on the inside of the doors and tailgate (between rubber seal and outer edge).

[Kesawi]

What is wrong with the tow bar and the "I" bolt supplied by Toyota for the front point ??

It's an emergency towing point, not a recovery point. The manual makes it quite clear that it is for towing only. Forces involved in towing are much less than in recovery. I did some calculations on the strength of the pin a while ago, and it didn't stack up as a recovery point.

I also had a look at one of the recovery points that fits into the rear tow hitch. However, they require the tow hitch to be certified for recovey, which I'm pretty sure the genuine toyota version on the Kluger are not. Looking at the connections between the tow hitch and the chassis, the bolts and steel plate are quite light.

I've been to a number of 4x4 stores and they all told me the same thing, I would need to get them specifically engineered and fabricated for the Kluger.