How long is the driving session?

Sessions run approximately 15–20 minutes from briefing to finish; allow extra time for check-in at Gatwick Aviation Museum.

Do I need previous off-road experience?

No — instructors provide a briefing and step-by-step guidance, though manual transmission familiarity helps.

Bring your valid driving licence, voucher (print or phone), and a change of clothes — boots are recommended.

Are there height or health restrictions?

Participants must be between 4ft 6in and 6ft 4in and in reasonable health; the activity is not suitable for pregnant people or those with epilepsy or certain heart conditions.

Check-in is at Gatwick Aviation Museum on Lowfield Heath Rd, Charlwood (address provided on your booking confirmation).

Drive a DAF Army Truck at Gatwick: Leyland Daf 45/150 Off-Road Experience | ATV/UTV | Guided Tour

Q: What is the minimum age?

Participants must be 18 or older.

Adventure Brief

Take the wheel of a genuine Leyland Daf 45/150 troop carrier at Gatwick Aviation Museum. This brief, expert-led off-road session delivers raw diesel power, muddy ruts, and hands-on vehicle-control training—perfect for thrill-seekers and vehicle enthusiasts.

15–20 minutes

moderate

From £124.95

At the edge of Gatwick Airport, along Lowfield Heath Rd in Charlwood, the DAF Army Truck Driving Experience Gatwick puts you in the driver’s seat of a genuine military troop carrier. Meeting at the Gatwick Aviation Museum, this short but intense off-road session hands over control of a Leyland Daf 45/150 — a six-tonne, six-litre turbocharged diesel truck — so you can learn clutch work, power steering, and how to read a large vehicle across uneven ground. The course is built on the former Lowfield Heath airfield perimeter, where compacted dirt, rutted tracks, and occasional clay patches create an honest off-road classroom. Instructors start with a focused safety briefing and practical demonstration, then guide you through tricky manoeuvres: tight turns in confined lanes, crawling up short, steep approaches, and managing weight and momentum over mud and cambers. The experience balances thrills with instruction; it’s as much about mastering mechanical sympathy as it is about the rush of commanding raw diesel power. What makes this offering distinct is its authenticity. You’re not in a replica or a heavily modified buggy — you’re driving a true Leyland Daf troop carrier on a purpose-built course, under the supervision of staff trained to teach big-vehicle control. The site’s proximity to Gatwick Airport gives the session a kinetic backdrop: aircraft movements and the memory of Lowfield Heath’s vanished village add local texture without disrupting the driving. It’s a compact, accessible way to test yourself in a vehicle most drivers never touch. Practicalities are straightforward: sessions last about 15–20 minutes, participants must be 18 or older and fit enough to climb into the cab, and you’ll need to bring a valid driving licence and your voucher. Expect to get muddy — a change of clothes is recommended. The activity suits enthusiasts and anyone craving a high-adrenaline skill session rather than a full-day off-road expedition. For photographers and spectators, the museum meeting point offers a small, interpretive collection and clear sightlines of the course. For local visitors, pairing the drive with a visit to Gatwick Aviation Museum or a walk around nearby Charlwood’s lanes makes for a full half-day. If you want the unusual — the heft of a six-tonne military truck, the discipline it teaches, and the satisfaction of handling its momentum through rough ground — this experience at Lowfield Heath Rd delivers an efficient, unforgettable taste of military-style off-roading. Book a slot as a standalone thrill or gift it to a friend; the short format makes it easy to include in a weekend near Gatwick. Instructors tailor feedback to first-timers and experienced drivers, so you leave with sharper vehicle-handling skills and a story worth telling at the pub—mud included. Bookings fill fast during summer weekends.

About SWB Motorsport

SWB Motorsport is a specialist experience provider based in Dunchurch, England, offering hands‑on military and heavy‑vehicle driving experiences. The operator stages a range of supervised activities that let participants drive tanks, Leyland and DAF army trucks, MAN off‑road trucks, Scorpion vehicles, Snatch Land Rovers and a Dennis Sabre fire engine. Experiences include tank driving and passenger rides in the Alvis CVR(T) Spartan 'sports tank', Scorpion firing and driving sessions, Leyland DAF 45/150 and T244 truck drives, MAN SV off‑road runs, and the junior military buggy Desert Storm activity for ages 12 and up.

Several experiences are 20‑minute sessions, and vehicle specifications feature notable details such as the Spartan’s Jaguar E‑Type engine, a MAN SV with 325bhp, and the Scorpion’s 76mm gun for supervised firing. Drivers tackle off‑road courses, obstacles like the Dennis fire engine brick wall test, and high‑speed sections with reported speeds over 40–50mph on selected experiences.

SWB Motorsport operates at a dedicated Dunchurch venue and presents experiences with instructor supervision and safety procedures built into each activity. The business appears on The Adventure Collective, where its experiences are listed for booking and discovery. SWB Motorsport’s offering focuses on realistic military and heavy‑vehicle handling, combining adrenaline, technical driving and supervised firing opportunities for participants seeking authentic, high‑intensity driving experiences. The junior Military Driving Experience welcomes drivers aged 12 and above and the Gatwick tank driving option highlights the Spartan’s capability to reach speeds over 50mph. Each booking outlines age limits, session length and safety briefings before activity start. details.

Drive a DAF Army Truck at Gatwick: Leyland Daf 45/150 Off-Road Experience

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