Well it got the better of me today.... having been hold up at home as it was raining all weekend I ventured out and headed to the beach... a really remote beach (1st mistake).

Having driven up and down the sand and looked at the rain I decided to head back the hour drive to Houston, but on the way saw a very inviting "road" to try out the mud program (2nd mistake) so off I went about 50ft and it felt like ice and the old RRS started sliding slowly into the ditch (shallow ditch ) and despite my best efforts it wasnt going anywhere..... at this point I was well and truly in deep S&it and it starting raining AGAIN. As i didnt fancy staying overnight out in the middle of nowhere in Redneck country, I called LR assistance to help, 2hrs later a local tow truck appeared in the distance.... help was at hand with a huge winch to pull the sorry looking RRS out what the recovery guy described as Texas black Gumbo mud.... which has a consistency of setting cement an anything it touches, RRSs, my boots, jeans etc.... bloody awful stuff..... But worst mistake was wearing std contis on the car as even Mud tread tires wouldn't made a difference.

Well made for an exciting sunday afternoon and a RRS that looked the part for a while.....

But now I need to clean the wheels as the mud feels as if its made them out of balance

So remember when in TX avoid the Gumbo. Brit across the Pond
07 TATA (LR) RRS SuperVindaloocharged, Buckingham Blue, Stormers, TPMS, Sunroof, Rear Difflock,PDC front & rear, Privacy, Rear twin DVD, premium ice, mudflaps, premium Ivory leather, lined oak, PTI, Sat Radio.

Last edited by ayates on Mon Mar 16 2009 4:07pm. Edited 1 time in total

Oh dear Adrian...sounds like you've got a story to tell here next week at the Houston Dealer event. PJPR
Cairns Blue HSE
180k Miles of Adventure

Yep, story alright .... think I will come to the event. need to call LRHN as I lost the joining instructions. Brit across the Pond
07 TATA (LR) RRS SuperVindaloocharged, Buckingham Blue, Stormers, TPMS, Sunroof, Rear Difflock,PDC front & rear, Privacy, Rear twin DVD, premium ice, mudflaps, premium Ivory leather, lined oak, PTI, Sat Radio.

Some Holiday snaps from mud city TX












 Brit across the Pond
07 TATA (LR) RRS SuperVindaloocharged, Buckingham Blue, Stormers, TPMS, Sunroof, Rear Difflock,PDC front & rear, Privacy, Rear twin DVD, premium ice, mudflaps, premium Ivory leather, lined oak, PTI, Sat Radio.

Looking at the piccies might well be that you still have some dried clumps of mud somewhere in the inners which will make them feel out of balance, have you taken the wheels off to check. Mud terrains would of probably given you more traction control which would of stopped you sliding into ditch.

Sorry to see this Adrian, bet your lovely Stormers are all scuffed now too. 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

Yeah I went to the car wash place this morning and had them spend an hour powerwashing the wheels .... and got tonnes of mud cakes off.... feels much better now. Luckly the mud was really soft and no stones to scuff the stormers i think....they look ok to me

Not sure if the Mud Terrains would of made much difference as this mud had a mind of its own and "sucked" you in.... at least the poor RRS survived and hey got to have it winched out which was cool  Brit across the Pond
07 TATA (LR) RRS SuperVindaloocharged, Buckingham Blue, Stormers, TPMS, Sunroof, Rear Difflock,PDC front & rear, Privacy, Rear twin DVD, premium ice, mudflaps, premium Ivory leather, lined oak, PTI, Sat Radio.

It must be a bit gutting to get lots of rain in Texas tho.......................... how many drowned in the flash floods? 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

Take the wheels off and make sure you get all the mud out from behind the spokes. After a bit of mud plugging I thought I had lost wheel weights, but it was just hard dried on mud that the power washer at the garage couldn't get out while the wheels were on the car, when I got home I took the wheels off and used the turbo lance for the karcher for the first time, it is still the only time I've had to use it! Sons of dogs come hither and get flesh
Clan Cameron

On closer inspection of the poor old stormers, they have become badges of honor and now carry "Texas Pin-striping" of the wheels.... Oh well at least I got all the mud off and no more shimmy at 55mph

Paul (PjPR01), I emailed the HLRC about the dealer event coming up only to be told that it was for HLRC members only... seems a bit off then to call it a "Dealer Event".... can you clarify. Not that I would get my precious around the course in Columbus a SHMBO already gave me hell about Sunday (even though it was over the phone) but I did like the round in your RRS that was real fun

Cheers... A Brit across the Pond
07 TATA (LR) RRS SuperVindaloocharged, Buckingham Blue, Stormers, TPMS, Sunroof, Rear Difflock,PDC front & rear, Privacy, Rear twin DVD, premium ice, mudflaps, premium Ivory leather, lined oak, PTI, Sat Radio.

Hi Adrian,

Not sure who gave you that information, but you do NOT have to be a member of the HLRC to participate, it's open to all customers, many of whom are not members of HLRC, all you need to do is call Steve McDonald at 832-249-2000 (in parts department) and ask to sign up. If for some reason you are unable to reach him, I'll call him tomorrow and sign you up.

I along with another member of the HLRC will escort the customers from the Old katy store (probably the one closest to you) on Sunday morning.

Bring the buckblue - you can make it around easily enough, we've trimmed all the trails, there will be no texas pinstriping to worry about.

Hope to see you there on Sunday morning at the dealership.

Paul PJPR
Cairns Blue HSE
180k Miles of Adventure

Adrian,

I just checked the signup list, and it looks like you are on it + 2 additional participants, so all is good to go.

See you Sunday. PJPR
Cairns Blue HSE
180k Miles of Adventure

Thanks Paul,

I had sent an email to LRHN so perhaps they added me.... could name and shame the person at the club who gave me the info but im too nice  Brit across the Pond
07 TATA (LR) RRS SuperVindaloocharged, Buckingham Blue, Stormers, TPMS, Sunroof, Rear Difflock,PDC front & rear, Privacy, Rear twin DVD, premium ice, mudflaps, premium Ivory leather, lined oak, PTI, Sat Radio.

Hi Adrian,

I see what has happened here, not a question of naming and shaming. Since the HLRC website allows anyone to sign up, it's not blocked to the public, but is used only by members to sign up for club sponsored events, then AW who responded to you naturally asked if you were a member. As you are not presently, he referred you to SM at the dealership.

If you are a member of the HLRC you can of course participate (that only costs you $35 per year). As a member, you are entitled to come out and enjoy the festivities (of course also entitled to come and help prepare as well - as many members also did the weekend before).

If you are not a member of HLRC, you have to sign up with the dealership as a customer - however, they try to bring "new" customers out to the event to help broaden the experience and limited by the # of slots available.

However, i'm pretty sure we can make room this year, I'll talk to Steve tomorrow, you can also guarantee a spot by joining the HLRC before hand, although I think that you'll only use it for a few more months.

Either way, give me a call to my cell and we can coordinate to have you and the young'uns out, but I hope you are brave enough to drive the buck blue on the course this year!

P.D. It turns out that the 3rd dealership in town chose not to participate this year, so it's just the 2 (Houston and Houston North).

See you Sunday.

Cheers, PJPR
Cairns Blue HSE
180k Miles of Adventure