Off-road vehicle

Encyclopedia : O : OF : OFF : Off-road vehicle

An off-road vehicle is considered to be any type of vehicle which is capable of driving off paved or gravel surface. It is generally characterized by having caterpillar tracks or large tires with deep, open threads and a flexible suspension. Infrequently, a stricter definition that includes all vehicles that do not travel streets or highways is used, which would include things like forklifts, ships and locomotives.

Off-road vehicles have an enthusiastic following because of their many uses and versatility. Several types of motorsports involve racing off-road vehicles. The three largest "4 wheel vehicle" off-road types of competitions are Rally, Desert Racing, and Rockcrawling. The three largest types of All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) / Motorcycle competitions are Motocross, Enduro, and Desert Racing. These sports are often celebrated in competition events due to public interest. The most common use of these vehicles is for sight seeing in areas distant from pavement. The use of higher clearance and higher traction vehicles enables access on trails and forest roads that have rough and low traction surfaces.

The Off Road Vehicle industry did over 4.5 billion dollars of business in 2005 alone.

Common off-road vehicles are:

Hummers
LandCruisers
Jeeps
Land Rovers
Rock Crawlers
Ford Broncos
Chevrolet Blazers
Toyota PickUps
4-Runners
Large 4x4 trucks and some SUV's
Dirt bikes
ATVs, or All Terrain Vehicles
Tractors
Golf carts
Bulldozers

Less common off-road vehicles are:

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