T
here’s not a lot to be said for the humble
jockey wheel. They let you un-hitch your
camper. And possibly allow you to steer
it around the driveway, if they’re not
so rickety they bind up with even the
suggestion of movement. Luckily for Ark their
XO Jockey Wheel is anything but humble. On
a recent jaunt to the far northern reaches of
the Cape York Peninsula we were able to bring
one along for the journey to find out just how
Extreme Offroad Ark’s Extreme Offroad
wheel is.
The first thing of note is
how stout this thing is
built. Sure, there’s
a discernible
difference
between bargain
basement
wheels and a
name-brand
component,
but the XO is on
another level. It just
feels sturdy, from the
positive engagement
of the winding and tilting
mechanisms to the solid clunk as the
wheel kicks into place you’re not for a
second wondering if it’s strong enough.
And with a rating of 750kg Ark is more
than backing their product. Ark claims
the twin wheel design allows you
to disconnect the camper and self-
recover the trailer as a stand alone
unit if need be. We tested it on the soft
sands of Loyalty Beach, and despite
w.tSOLID
GROUND
7,000kms of
corrugations says the
Ark XO Jockey Wheel
is up to the task
WordsDan Everett PicsJack Murphy
digging down further than we had expected the
increased footprint eventually found purchase
and allowed us to nose the trailer out on the end
of a snatch strap.
Corrugations and ruts proved little concern
to the Ark offering either. With the Peninsula
Development Road claiming everything from
UHF antennas to bullbar mounts the XO stayed
put throughout the length of the trip. The
removable handle and wheel position lockalso meant that with the XO tilted up there was
no risk of low-hanging components snagging
anything offroad.
Sure, the XO is no feather-weight in the price
department, but it’s packed with features and
design cues that should entice everyone from
the serious offroad dweller through to someone
looking for a fully adjustable wheel to make
shifting their pride and joy around that little bit
easier.RRP $350
Where
Most major automotive outletsMore info
http://www.arkcorp.com.au