ACT 4wd Club Training for Members

The informal training will be on the dates below and as communicated to members through the newsletter, email, this website and the ACT4WD Private and Public Facebook sites.

   

All training has a number one focus on safety at all times. We will also run training at other times such as during trips or as advertised to members. Any training that is offered that has a cost associated with it will be at the participants own cost.

With the generous support of Sutton Road Training Centre, we are also pleased to announce that we will be continuing to offer Ladies/Support Driver 4wd Training Days this year for members at the Sutton Road Training Centre.

These are the informal training dates for members through the ACT 4wd Club at Sutton Road Training Centre and elsewhere in 2025:

(The information below has been updated 13.1.25)

ACT4WD Club – 4wd Training Calendar 2025

Day	Date	Time	Location	Topic
Sunday	23.2.25		SRTC	How your 4×4 works, basic maintenance and intro into the risk assessment cheat sheet. A drive on the SRTC track.
Friday to Monday	7-10.3.25		Hawks Nest	Sand Driving: Canberra Day Long Weekend at Hawks Nest. Bennets and Stockton Beach. See trip plan for details.
Sunday	6.4.25		SRTC	Intermediate and advanced recovery – Theory and practical on SRTC track
Sat/Sunday	28-29.6.25			Bush mechanics and advanced recovery, Theory and practical
Sunday	17.8.25			Trip planning and deep water crossing, Theory and practical.
Sunday	19.10.25			Reserved day, TBA – what do members want to cover!
Sunday	7.12.25			Intermediate and advanced recovery.

Click here to book training (available to ACT 4wd Club members only)  Membership application form

ACT 4WD Club full training details – Year summary        2024 Framework for ACT 4WD Club Training

Details of the training being offered:

• The training will start off with the new or limited experience 4wding novice and build up from that.
• The training is not only aimed at people new to 4WDing but is also a refresher for experienced drivers and also to teach ‘the correct/safe way to do things such as recoveries with winches and snatch straps, etc.
• The training will be on-site, using the STRC 4WD track, and is a mixture of theory and practical activities including snatch-strap and winching vehicle recovery, negotiating rough sections, hills and mud etc.

The aim of this training is to develop the skills and knowledge required to use appropriate range, gear, and techniques to drive a 4WD vehicle through and over a variety of terrain types in the safest manner possible via a risk assessment. The training will include the ACT 4WD Club Handbook with all the content including convoy procedure, trip grading, trip preparation etc and the application of basic vehicle recovery techniques and maintenance. Trainees will then apply their basic knowledge over a period of time before heading into the next level of 4wding over more complex situations with introduction to winching, risk assessment, safety, track grading, ground and terrain appreciation physics of vehicle weights and recovery weights in recovery situations. This will include MIRE calculations – Surface resistance, slope angles, surface resistance values, (mud, sand, gravel, black soil, etc) for single line, double line and off-set pulls.

Numbers wise, up to 8 vehicles. This is because we don’t want a convoy of 10 or more cars and 20 people doing scenarios on congested tracks. We would lose the communication and intimacy.
1 trainer per 2 student vehicles. Training will be completed with Club personnel with radio coms and lesson plans so we are all on the right track. Larger scenarios can be run as a group, but the smaller topics would be run separately.

Formal training is always available at Sutton Road Training Centre and at the moment there is a 20% off special for members on their SISODRV001 – Drive AWD/4WD vehicle on unsealed roads course with a generous discount for members. If you have this certificate, you should get a discount on your insurance. For example, a quote on Club4x4 was $300 less per year on a $30k 4wd so the course pays for itself in 2 years plus you spend a day of building useful 4wd skills and knowledge.