Articles by Marcus Craft

Marcus Craft

Contributing Journalist

Raised by dingoes and, later, nuns, Marcus (aka ‘Crafty’) had his first taste of adventure as a cheeky toddler on family 4WD trips to secret fishing spots near Bundaberg, Queensland. He has since worked as a journalist for more than 20 years in Australia, London and Cape Town and has been an automotive journalist for 18 years.

This bloke has driven and camped throughout much of Australia – for work and play – and has written yarns for pretty much every mag you can think of.

The former editor of 4X4 Australia magazine, Marcus is one of the country’s most respected vehicle reviewers and off-road adventure travel writers.

Essentials you should take on your first off-road trip

By Marcus Craft · 25 May 2018

In a world as imagined by an outdoor outfitters marketing team, you need three truckloads of gear before you can even contemplate heading into the wild for an off-roading adventure.

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How to deflate your tyres for off-roading

By Marcus Craft · 25 May 2018

Knowing how to deflate and inflate your tyres is a fundamental skill for all off-road drivers. If you get your tyre pressures right to suit the vehicle, everything else will flow on from there.

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How to drive through water with your SUV

By Marcus Craft · 24 May 2018

Water crossings are like your mother-in-law (stay with me here): they can be fun, lots of fun, but, like your mother-in-law, they must be taken seriously or you're in for a world of pain.

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Best 4x4 utes

By Marcus Craft · 24 May 2018

It's fortunate that utes are tough because they have it pretty damn tough when it comes to buyer expectations.

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How to drive on sand with your SUV

By Marcus Craft · 24 May 2018

Because we Aussies spend a lot – A LOT – of time on the beach (swimming, surfing, playing nude frisbee) It’s a given that those in off-roaders often head straight for the nearest beach.

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How to drive on gravel with your SUV

By Marcus Craft · 24 May 2018

A vehicle's ride and handling change on different surfaces. Logical, right?

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How to conquer Australia's biggest sand dune

By Marcus Craft · 24 May 2018

When you’re parked at the base of 'Big Red', Australia’s tallest desert sand dune, the sandy obstacle looks bloody gigantic.

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How to climb rocks with your 4x4

By Marcus Craft · 24 May 2018

Rocks and rocky hills come in all shapes and sizes and varying degrees of difficulty – from large stony gravel tracks to slow-going boulder-sized obstacle courses.

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When to use low range in your 4x4

By Marcus Craft · 24 May 2018

Your 4x4 is an open ticket to a never-before-experienced world of off-road adventures. It has the bush-ready set-up (purpose-built engine and drivetrain with dual-range – high- and low-range – transfer case, suspension and more) aimed at getting you to places those with a two-wheel drive (2WD) or all-wheel drive

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How to prepare your SUV for an off-road trip

By Marcus Craft · 24 May 2018

Whether you're going away for a weekend or a month, the principles of prepping your vehicle for an off-road trip remain the same: check it, fix it and carry spares.

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