CONTACT US
CLASSES OFFERED
Beginner 1
Cost: $150.00
Our most popular Off-Road driving class. This class focuses on understanding your full size 4 wheel drive vehicle and how to properly navigate terrain off-road. The class is 4 hours long with both PowerPoint and hands on instruction. Classes are limited to 5 vehicles per class allowing us to provide individualized attention to each driver. Our goal is to teach you how to use your vehicle, understand it's capabilities and limitations, all while driving in a slow and controlled manner. Topics covered: what 4 wheel drive is, how it works, traction, how to navigate different types of terrain, do's and don'ts, basic recovery and an overall understanding of how to drive off-road in a stress free manner. Passengers are welcome and encouraged.
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Beginner 2
Cost: $150.00
We invite clients who have been through our Beginner Off-Road Driving class to come back to experience more challenges and more difficult terrain. This class focuses on growing your skill and confidence when driving Off-Road. This 4 hour class does not include a PowerPoint, but rather jumps in right where you left off in the first class.
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Intermediate
Cost: $150.00
This class focuses on growing your skill and confidence when driving Off-Road. This class is not recommended for stock vehicles. Your own recovery gear, and tow points front & rear are mandatory. Oversize tires, skid plates, and lockers are highly recommended. A winch is not a must, but helpful. The class is 4 hours long with both PowerPoint and hands on instruction. Classes are limited to 5 vehicles per class allowing us to provide individualized attention to each driver.
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Advanced &/or Rock Crawling
Cost: $150.00
These classes are for the experienced off-roader with modified vehicles who want to push themselves to the next level. Your own recovery gear, tow points front & rear, oversize tires, skid plates, lockers, and a winch are mandatory. Vehicle damage may occur. The class is 4 hours long with both PowerPoint and hands on instruction. Classes are limited to 5 vehicles per class allowing us to provide individualized attention to each driver.
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Spotting and Recovery
Cost: $150.00
This 6 hour + 1 hour lunch break, hands on class will focus on working as a team to help each other navigate through intermediate to advanced terrain. Each of the 10 clients will have instruction on how to read the terrain, spot a team mate and drive through a variety of difficult terrain. You will be picking the lines, with our guidance. The terrain will be challenging enough that recovery is likely. When this occurs, we will discuss the proper recovery technique for each situation and then implement the plan as a team. A recovery requires a minimum of 3 team mates. The person being recovered, the person doing the recovery and the spotter. Each client will get experience with the complete process.
This class is not recommended for stock vehicles. Your own recovery gear, and tow points front & rear are mandatory. Oversize tires, skid plates, and lockers are highly recommended. A winch is not a must, but helpful.
This class is only available to returning customers who have taken at least one prior class with us.
INFORMATION
AND PRICING
We believe off-roading is a great family activity and encourage clients to bring along their family, a significant other, or a friend, so everyone riding together hear the same information. Given that, we ask that you please leave young children and pets at home while taking a class to eliminate distractions. Most classes are 4 hours long, are limited to 5 clients, and cost $150 per vehicle based on one driver with passengers. Specialty classes also cost $150 per vehicle based on one driver with passengers, but may run longer than 4 hours, and may accommodate up to 10 clients. Please feel free to contact us for more information.
ABOUT US
Adventure Off-Road Driving School LLC was founded in 2014 by Jim and Dianne Kitson. We are a husband/wife team who have been off-roading together since 1977, providing us with over 45 years of hands-on experience. We are lifetime members of Great Lakes Four Wheel Drive Association and United Four Wheel Drive Associations and are both UFWDA Chief Awareness Instructors. We have been involved in large organized runs, state trail maintenance, multiple ORV park developments and currently are part of an advisory group to Holly Oaks ORV Park. Our classes are kept small, providing hands on, individualized attention to each of our clients, focusing on each client's skill and comfort level. We start with the basics and as each client progresses in skill and confidence, we advance to more challenging terrain and obstacles. Classes are offered from beginner to advanced and a phone interview is required prior to registration in order to assure that the client and the desired class are the right fit. We conduct our classes at Holly Oaks ORV Park (Holly MI) and Rocks and Valleys ORV Park. (Harrison MI) In addition to classes for the recreation enthusiast, we provide specialty classes for young teen drivers, corporations, guided events and customer appreciation days with additional instructors as needed. Happy trails, Jim and Dianne.
TESTIMONIALS & REVIEWS
Hi Jim,
Your staff are clearly experts in this field, and more importantly, know how to educate people in a meaningful way. We appreciated your flexibility that allowed you to come up with training programs specific to our needs. After training with Adventure Off-Road, our team of novices took off to compete in the grueling 8-day off-road Rebelle Rally in the California desert. Not only did they complete the rally, but they beat several other more experienced teams! We will certainly be working with you all again in the near future. Thanks again for the support,
Patrick Lee
Sr. Manager, Marketing
Magna Powertrain
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John recommends Adventure Off-Road Driving School LLC.
My daughter completed the beginner class yesterday along with a few of her friends. All of the girls in the class were high school aged. My daughter has driven off-road a bit, but has always been intimidated as both a driver and passenger by larger obstacles. The presentation prepared her for what she was going to experience, and she felt she learned a lot of good information from it. In the hours of instruction, I saw her gain confidence in the stability of her vehicle, and becoming more efficient with her manual transmission. She conquered obstacles that without the training I do not believe she would attempt. She and her friends are now planning to use their new found skills and confidence. It was a great day and great training. I would highly recommend this training.
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Good Morning Buddy!
You & your team were the backbone for our promotion! We all appreciate how your staff handled our “off-road newbies” throughout the day. Our guests left excited with their new off-road knowledge and memories. Thank you!!!!!!
Dave Smith
Senior Account Manager, GSE
For Land Rover
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Chris recommends Adventure Off-Road Driving School LLC.
Amazing class. Got me confident to try going off-road and taught me how to handle my vehicle. I recommend the beginner class for anyone looking into off-road.
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“Having Jim and his family helping people develop confidence in their off road abilities ultimately enhances use and enjoyment of Holly Oaks, and many of the students from Adventure Off-Road Driving School have gone on to be park volunteers and virtual ambassadors for off-road recreation in Southeast Michigan.”
Jon Noyes
Principal Planner, Oakland County Parks
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Amy recommends Adventure Off-Road Driving School LLC.
Amazing advice and highly recommend to anyone, being beginner or more. Jim and Dianne are fantastic for newbie drivers like myself!! Thank you, it was an awesome experience!
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Mary recommends Adventure Off-Road Driving School LLC.
Spent 4 hours with Jim and Dianne- taught me so much in that short time. Highly recommend.
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“Adventure Off-Road Driving School did a great job helping our team learn the recovery techniques they needed to make them safer at their job and gave them the confidence to identify unsafe situations. They are a stronger and safer team now.”
John Sherwin at ADVICS North America
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Rebecca recommends Adventure Off-Road Driving School LLC.
Thank you for todays beginners class, it was amazing and gave me confidence in taking my Jeep off road. I am excited and ready for beginner 2 class! Definitely!
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“We have used Adventure Off-Road Driving School at multiple Magna events as well as for off-road driver training, and could not be happier with the results!”
Patrick Lee
Sr. Manager, Marketing
Magna Powertrain
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Jessica recommends Adventure Off-Road Driving School LLC.
I had a lovely time with Dianne and Jim today!! Well worth the money to learn to do the basics and not be an idiot on the trail. I highly recommend them!
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Brett recommends Adventure Off-Road Driving School LLC.
Awesome class with Jim and Dianne with great weather as well. Highly recommend for those who want to understand what their vehicle is capable of doing. Jim and Dianne will work with you and your comfort level. I came with a Bronco Sport Badlands edition.
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“It is rare to find an individual willing to dedicate so much of his time and passion to the development of a public recreation facility, it is even harder to find someone with the skills (and mileage) that Jim brings to our project.”
Jon Noyes
Principal Planner, Oakland County Parks
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Angela recommends Adventure Off-Road Driving School LLC.
I enjoyed learning what my Jeep can do and how to do it. I took away so much from the beginners class. I can't wait to go out and practice what I learned. Jim and Dianne have great knowledge and experience and I appreciate them sharing it. They are also wonderfully encouraging. I probably would have never attempted half of what we did in class if it wasn't for their positivity and encouragement.
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Lori recommends Adventure Off-Road Driving School LLC.
We took the class on Sunday July 18th, we had such a great time!
Jim and Dianne are extremely knowledgeable, I highly recommend this class for anyone that is interested in Off-Roading. I can’t wait to get back to Holly Oaks ORV Park, I now feel confident that I know where and what to expect, and know how to take on the obstacles I will face. Thanks again Jim and Dianne!!
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Todd recommends Adventure Off-Road Driving School LLC.
Can't say enough good things about the classes taught by Jim and Dianne. Whether you are new to off-roading or experienced, this is worth your time. I have some off-roading experience, but went in keeping things humble and have now taken both Basic and Basic 2. Very worth my time! Jim and Dianne are very knowledgeable, helping me to better understand safety and recovery, my vehicle (taught me things about my Jeep I didn't know it could do) and how to handle different conditions and obstacles. They will quickly build your confidence, helping you to off-road smarter as well as better understand dangerous conditions that you're better off avoiding. They come with a world of experience and it's very obvious. I plan to take additional course with them, even if it's just going back to take Basic 2 again. The course is constantly changing and there are always different lines to take. Don't let the words Basic mislead you. We went on a good share of complicated trails and obstacles, including Jim guiding a few of us successfully up Rocker Knocker. Highly recommend also taking a co-pilot with you so that both of you get a chance to learn from them. A good co-pilot is critical when you are out on the trails as often you are needing them to see on the other side of the Jeep or be spotting for you. Having someone you can trust out there with you is invaluable.
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Randy recommends Adventure Off-Road Driving School LLC.
Jim has traveled all over the United States wheeling some of the most extreme and challenging trails. Very knowledgeable and a great instructor. I would highly recommend for the novice to the experienced.
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Kate recommends Adventure Off-Road Driving School LLC.
I took the beginner class the other day and had a blast! I had very minimal experience and wanted to grow my confidence and skill set. I felt very comfortable with the obstacles that we went on and felt that the progression between them helped to boost my confidence throughout the day. I felt that both Jim and Dianne were very patient and were great at explaining everything to me and my friends. We came in with little knowledge and we talked after and felt that we had learned a lot that can help both on and off road. Thank you for a great day of fun and learning!
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Renea recommends Adventure Off-Road Driving School LLC.
Great class today! Learned so much through the driving portion. Thank you!
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Kali recommends Adventure Off-Road Driving School LLC.
I had my first off-road course April 10th and I am in love! I feel so confident and educated now and I learned things to do and not to do. Jim and Dianne were amazing and thorough, even though we felt unprepared and nervous to start a climb at first, Jim coaxed us through each phase like a baby and then before we knew it we wanted to do more and try more. I definitely recommend taking a course with them! I plan to take another course such as a beginner 2 class just to further educate myself so I can have the most fun while being smart with my jeep! 10 out of 10 would recommend!
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Jim & Dianne have put together a very informative and concise classroom presentation followed with an interactive hands-on instructional driving session. We had "newbies", moderately experienced and experienced drivers & passengers during our recent course. All participants were able to learn, practice and develop confidence in their skills and the performance of their vehicles, in our case, all Jeep Wranglers from stock, mild modifications and major modifications. All can learn or be refreshed on driving tips & safety concerns that can be overlooked in the excitement of an off-road experience, even a guy with 30+ years of full size wheeling adventures. They get my full support for their program and my recommendations for anyone who wants to learn or refresh their knowledge regarding our Sport.
Doug Saul member UFWDA, GLFWDA & IFWDA
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Erica recommends Adventure Off-Road Driving School LLC.
Jim and Dianne offer a great beginners course for off-roading. Their experience is priceless and offers something for everyone. They work with each driver individually throughout the entire class, customizing the lesson to your knowledge and your vehicle. I would recommend this class to everyone as their starting point. You can't go wrong. I'll be taking their intermediate class come spring!
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Josey recommends Adventure Off-Road Driving School LLC.
I took my 1st class 4/17/21. I went into this a bit scared and nervous. When I got there, I pointed to this one hill, and said "No way am I going on that." Well, the last hill I went down, was that hill. After taking this class, I feel more confident and proud that I Can. Thank you Adventure Off-Road Driving school, you Rock.
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This is a little overdue, but hopefully helpful to anyone considering attending. We enrolled for the July 19, 2020 class with a nice group ranging from beginners to well-seasoned off-roaders. Jim & Dianne have put together an excellent course that caters to the skill level of the participants. We have 15 years of off-roading experience, but only about 1.5 years with our JKU. This class provides a wealth of information for those new to the sport while also reminding those with experience of the basics that sometimes get overlooked. The format of the class gives each person an opportunity to learn, ask questions, then go put to use what they have learned. We enjoyed our day there and thank Jim and Dianne for offering this unique opportunity.
Brad & Michelle Price
GLFWDA, IFWDA & UFWDA Members
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Robin recommends Adventure Off-Road Driving School LLC.
I am fairly new to Jeeping and having bought my Jeep already built, had no idea what it, or I, were capable of. In addition I recently became actively involved in Jeep Babes Michigan Chapter and noticed how many ladies suffer a tremendous lack of confidence in their abilities, as well as endure insults and adversity from some males who perceive Jeeping and big rigs as only a male hobby. Wanting to learn more about my Jeep, and also not make a fool of myself nor face ridicule when at Jeeping events, I decided to take the Intermediate Off-roading class. Jim and Dianne were amazing! Never once did I feel like they were frustrated or impatient with anyone in the class, even when we didn’t do things correctly or understand the directions. They are so patient in explaining each step, and answering each question and their vast knowledge is amazing. I am by far not a traditional Jeeper and always off-road in a mini skirt, and bare feet. Never once did I feel like Jim and Dianne assumed that because I dress differently, I couldn’t drive. I definitely showed up to class lacking confidence, but determined to try everything Jim threw at me. I wanted to be pushed past my comfort zone, and Jim did so in a way that I never felt I had to do anything, but with his guidance, could try every challenge. There were times that my hands were literally shaking on my wheel, but I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. I highly recommend taking a class, any class, from Jim and Dianne. I learned so much about myself, and my Jeep’s capabilities at the class. I truly had no idea we could do what we accomplished, it far surpassed my expectations. I found Jim’s teaching style empowering and refreshing. He and Dianne are exactly what this sport needs to help keep it growing and safe.