Mick O

Living in Melbourne and when I manage to escape it's in a 79 Series Landcruiser ute that I've spent a fair bit of time, effort and hard earned dollars preparing for the type of remote travelling that I prefer to do. I'm very happy with the results and the unit was shaken down on our 2010 expedition into the Gibson, Great Sandy and Kimberley areas.

I have always had a passion for exploring the outback probably fostered by my parents who dragged us off camping and travelling around Australia at every opportunity (picture three kids in the back of a 72 Belmont Panel van towing a 15' Viscount van around and thru Australia at a time when the bitumen ended at Port Augusta!).

I started my travels as a teenager on a pushbike with a waterbag strung from the cross frame, food in army surplass gas-mask bags and a rabbit trap strung to the handlebars. Many a great weekend was spent catching the late Friday train out to Hattah in the Mallee and riding 2 days home through the sunset and raak country. I bought my first ute at 18 and my first 4x4 ute at 20 and spent 5 years travelling the iconic outback tracks in the early 1980's. A hiatus of nearly 20 years and then back on the road again in 2005 rekindling the love affair with the remote outback. Age and an income mean a certain level of sophistication in camping equipment these days (An Engel over the esky, GPS over mudmap & compass, twine shower over a dip in the dam, sat phone and HF over 27 meg CB & an occassional phone booth, etc etc) compared to my earliest trips and what was once "remote" is now considered pedestrian but there's still so much to see.

A vehicle description.........

2010 Toyota VDJ79R Cab chassis Ute (with a few modifications)

Vehicle stretched 500mm
110 Hybrid battery as vehicle auxiliary (under bonnet)
Redarc BCDC1220 DCDC charger
2 x Powersonic 140 A/H AGM Batteries (Main pod)
Redarc BMS battery management System
Custom Tray, Undertray boxes and pods by Allform Industries Morwell.
Protective Barbork and Bullbar by ARB (Modified and extended by the can-do people at Brown Davis)
2 onboard compressors and 23 cubic foot pressure tank
80 litre under tray water tank and pump
40 litre under tray stainless water tank
Full suspension upgrade (certified GVM increase of 420kg)
4" lift and custom rear springset
Rear bellows type airbags to suit
Tough Dog Big Bore adjustable shocks all round
165 litre auxiliary fuel tank (Brown Davis)
SensaTyre 8 tyre monitor
Toyo Open Country MT tyres (315/75-R16)
Custom in cab computer mount (brown davis)
Recaro Seats
ARB steel winch bar and side rails
GME UHF radios
GME EPIRB
Satphone (Motorolla on Iridium network)
Platinum drop slide
Engel 75 litre Combo Fridge/freezer
3" taipan exhaust system
EGT and Egine Water Temp alarm
3 x 100W solar Panels


For Remote Exploration

Arctic Cat 700cc Diesel ATV (Quad) – Accept no substitutes!
Custom built (and rebuilt!)off-road trailer

Previously had a Nissan Navara STR Twin Cab ute and a fantastic Tambo Cooper camper with customised front storage unit which was hauled 40,000 km around Australia in 2006 (see the blog page). Migrated to a 2002 3L T/D Nissan Patrol ST for 4 years which I spent an absolute fortune on fitting out...and replacing the engine....and the gearbox....and the turbo! I loved that car. No I'm serious, I did. It is truly one of the most capable 4x4 rigs ever built. Where I pushed that car can be easily seen by reading my blogs! You'll get no criticism from me regarding the mighty GU Patrol, 3 litre or not! I love my new 79 series though!