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

[dmm_au]

Nice bunch of people. Slightly older crowd, but they seem to be of the opinion that they want to 4wd to get places and not bang up their vehicles.
Interestingly not many range rovers in the car park. Quite a few discoveries, but also landcruisers.

We think we might also check out the landcruiser and pajero clubs, although I'm pretty tempted to go with the rangers. After all didn't we all consider the range rover sport??

[Flipper Dog]

After all didn't we all consider the range rover sport??

Wash your mouth out, Range Rover Sport that tarted up Disco, One only considers the real Range Rover thank you

Good the hear that they are welcoming and are looking at not smashing their vehicles around too much.

I use to be a member of the Land Rovers Owners Club in Sydney about 10 years ago in my Discovery days and they were very much the same....enjoyable off road driving within the limits of the owners ability and if you were up for it the heavy stuff the old series 3 and early Rangies eat up with smiles.

I think Range Rover owners would appreciate the Touareg‘s European heritage a bit more than the others and being an older crowd more responsible with their off road tours.

Please keep us posted on how you go.

Flipper Dog

[rodrocco]

Wash your mouth out, Range Rover Sport that tarted up Disco, One only considers the real Range Rover thank you

If I had the choice it wouild be a real RR for me too Flipper, but don't write off the Sport. It is a very capable off-roader.

With VW having recently done to round Australia roadshow, why not approach them as a group and get them to organise an "off road track day" in each state. ....even if it is only once a year. I recon it would be a fantastic public relations exercise.

I wonder if Jutta reads this site during her lunch break?

[dmm_au]

They do this in the UK, but my car broker tells me he knows of only two VW 4wd corporate days in Victoria.

I think it would be very possible, to approach VW's marketing/pr department, but what we are lacking is a register of members, in each state, like a club.
As it currently stands, I think forums like this one are doing about as much as they can to promote the vehicle without any incentives from VW.

This is a bit like the group buys thread. We've got something going on here, but how to leverage it. I would have thought if we were all prepared to get our vehicles services by the same dealer, and report to the group on the service we received, then we could demand better service, and switch our business to the dealership that offered the best service.

[armdlo]

Join the LROCV

Hi dmm_au
As Bobz says the Landrover Owners Club is a great organisation, I have been a member here in Victoria for 20 years and they allow all types of vehicles, I cant wait to show them what my V6 tdi will do.Give them a call speak to Andy Kovach on 0418 563 663 the President, tell him I suggested it. ( getting my new toy in Jan 08, them Ill show them what a Treg will do.)
Greg Wilson