When you have a truck or an RV that you are looking to upgrade and reinforce to make it safe for going off-road, you may wonder what, if any, steps you can take to do so. There are definitely ways that you can reinforce and upgrade your vehicle for these situations, whether you want to go off-road for recreational purposes or you are preparing for a catastrophic event that could happen one day in the future. One of the ways that you can get inspiration and ideas for your reinforcing project is by looking to heavy construction equipment. Get to know some of the ways that you can custom reinforce your vehicle for whatever purposes you may need it for.
Install A Bull Bar Or Push Bumper
Most heavy duty construction equipment, whether it be dump trucks or specialized tractor equipment, has a protective bumper guard or grill guard to protect the front of the vehicle, and the air intake. These protective devices are known as bull bars or push bumpers.
A bull bar is usually made through steel fabrication, by companies like Jackson-Cook Cranes, and is a heavy duty guard bar that is fitted to the front of your vehicle. It prevents dirt and debris from damaging the front of your off-road vehicle and from getting into the grill.
Install Heavy Duty Shocks
Again, when you are planning to spend your time in your vehicle off-road rather than driving around smooth and well-maintained city streets, you will want to do everything you can to protect your vehicle from damage due to the extra impact and the extreme conditions that it will need to endure. As such, you will want to consider installing aftermarket heavy duty shocks to protect your vehicle's suspension.
Factory shocks are designed to absorb the impact of the road when the roads are standard paved city and highway roads. They can handle gravel roads to an extent but are not specifically designed for unpaved surfaces. This can lead to problems in rough and rocky terrain that includes many dips, a great deal of loose dirt, and rock or gravel. Aftermarket shocks, on the other hand, or those designed for use in heavy duty construction equipment (and modified for off-road vehicles), are made with rough and rocky terrain in mind.
Shocks are complicated car parts to understand. However, the basic idea is that because your vehicle will be subjected to greater impacts (shock) when it meets with uneven terrain as opposed to streets, is that it needs larger and stronger shocks to absorb the impact. This protects your vehicle as well as makes the ride more comfortable and smooth for you and your passengers. Off-road shocks are longer and often have larger diameters than the factory shocks on your vehicle.
Now that you know a few of the ways that you can better reinforce your RV or truck for off-roading for fun or in the case of a catastrophe, you can get the process started and be ready for whatever situation comes up before you know it.