Which Vehicle and set-up to use

Hi Tony, welcome to the forum. Fantastic idea to hit the road.

As to your questions, my 2 cents worth follows, others will probably disagree with some of it, but it'd be boring world otherwise.....

"Vehicle fuel type : diesel or petrol/gas conversion, - Thinking obviously gas would be hard to find in places."

diesel or petrol ? - much of a muchness, however diesel is safer to carry and probably a 'bit' cheaper in the $ per distance equation .... gas is rarer in remote places, so would avoid it

"Type of vehicle recommended, Loved the 80 series or even 100-105 but thinking a Patrol or Navara 3l diesel turbo"

subjective this one - your options would be capable for what you want to do .... my personal opinion .... you can't kill an 80 series diesel, probably the simplest and most bullet-proof of the lot, but getting long in the tooth - well maintained diesels are still a great vehicle

"Option recommended. winch. How many spares, air compressor .spare fuel, water, 240v converter etc etc"

personally? - I wouldn't bother with the winch unless money is no object - I know a lot of people who have fitted one and never used it in anger and unless you're doing mountain goat driving .... as to the rest of what to take - could go on for pages, however your best bet is to read this guide on this site and ask specific questions:

http://www.exploroz.com/OntheRoad/Camping/WhattoTake.aspx

"Now i was alos thinking of a roof top camper enstead of a camper trailer, obvious thoughts in regards to towing , tracks that may be used etc, Having no experience with these was hoping if anyone could share for;s and against for these. "

I've had 2 roof-top campers (an Open Sky fold out and the current Maggiolina) and I love the things ... easy to put up and down, all your bedding is up and out of the way, don't have to tow, no putting up tents on crappy ground and hammering pegs, up above any water/crocodiles etc. - get more of a breeze up high...

but in the interest of balance - a few of the negatives:

1. you have to reasonably level your vehicle - in 95% of cases this isn't an issue, and to some degree you have the same problem with a tent
2. you have to pack them up if you plan to drive anywhere - choosing one (like a Maggi or a James Baroud) and packing up is less than 5 mins work so I personally don't see this as an issue
3. the ladder - if you don't like climbing or you need to get up every 20 mins for a leak, it obviously will be a pain

I've had some people come up to me and say they don't like them because of the weight up high, and then will quite happily strap a spare tyre, and 4 x 20 ltr jerry-cans to the roof !!! - check the specs yourself - they don't weigh that much.

Otherwise - happy travels !!

Hi Toney,

Your Question :- Which vehicle and set up to use.
My Opinion:-
In short - not towing a trailer is my preferred style gives you lots of freedom - depends on how adventurous you are.
Plenty of good info in the EO Articles eg "what to take"

Vehicle choice does come down to Patrol or Cruiser as "go anywhere" vehicles - some may argue this but in reality they do have a number of distinct edges.

80 series is the last of the really low maintenance high durability Cruisers. Personally I have a 2 seater GQ Patrol LWB (petrol) set up with a bed/kitchen/workshop in the back instead of the extra 5 seats. It is handy when you just want to stop and sleep. My choice/hanging onto of the older patrol stems from its reliability "field serviceability" and overall 4WD capability. (Plus the fact that I have maintained it extremely well) I have kept it because it seems unbreakable and I know it so well nothing catches me out, but primarily I dont enjoy the thought of re-fitting out another vehicle.

My point being.. any vehicle you buy an set up needs to be a passion and can become expensive to fit out the way you want it. If you choose a vehicle that you need to sell on in a few years much of your hard work and "passion" is lost, especially if you set it up properly for 1 trip - you will find you will want it to continue to do many trips into the future. It seems that the older cruisers and Patrols (Relatively low initial purchase cost) you can keep running (spend the $$s getting them the way you want) for many more years than some of the lighter duty 4X4s. My own experience is testament to that - also I live in outback WA and it is almost impossible to find a good 80 series or GQ or GU Patrol for sale as the owners keep them and just do them up. (Avoid the older 3 lit Diesel GU's at all costs though)
Petrol or Diesel? Many pros and cons with either but do consider replacement cost of engines and reliability of electrics.
Also it is worth noting...
Michelle and David (EO Owners and very adventurous!) still maintain the ExplorOz Landcruiser - a 1997 80 series GXL turbo Diesel as it is near impossible to find anything as reliable and capable for their purposes.

Just thought I would add these perspectives for you to consider.

This post has been read by the moderation team and has been moderated due to a breach of The For Sale/Wanted to Buy Rule .

Forum Moderation Team

Lot of Solutions and a lot different senarios Tony.

There are a few things you left out of your post which would better define your position.

How many people - if only 1 or 2 you have more flexibility.

What sort of budget restrictions ?

Do you like to go seriously exploring - where there are no roads , no people and you need to be self reliant ?

Things like crossing Simpson are big touring trips these days - not actually exploring.

To handle the whole range of conditions we choose Nissan Patrol 4800 petrol in 2002 and have now owned several simply because we have found no vehicle to handle the whole range of senarios without peer.

Maximm flexibility means long range, lots of power , quiet for long distance touring , Petrol are generally easier to live with.
(Note pre hi-tech diesels like 4.2 patrol/80 series are just as good).

No fussy fuel technology and wide availability of accessories and availability of spares and relatively easy to service.


We sleep inside the car and don't tow anything so we can camp anywhere and take little space, and be on the move quickly.

Low cost of ownership - (this goes beyond fuel cost).

Many Cars and setups can do some of these things well - the trick is to do everything well and as with any engineering issue - better definition of your objective up front will lead to a better outcome.

Hi Tony,

Have you considered getting a Troopcarrier? They have heaps of room and can go just about anywhere. Anyway, regardless of the type of vehicle you choose you might get a few ideas on set-up in this blog here that describes how we have set up our Troopie. Re fuel - we have never been seriously inconvenienced by having a petrol vehicle (and a fairly thirsty one at that) though in remote areas we have often carried extra fuel in jerrycans.

Cheers,

Val.

To All that have replied so far, thank you. Certainly some worthy points to consider

I should how ever break things down, probably got over excited with my posting and the thought of the adventure and tried to cram too many questions in , breaking it down and starting for point 1 i think would be best , hopefully then a few things will fall into place

Firstly at this point there will be three people , me - myself and I ooopps 1 person (may be 2 so consideration has to be given)

Basically i will go for a roof top camper, i think this was a no brainer question being only 1-2 people but mainly asked to see what "negatives" are with these, Then just see which is the better of many that are out there or even "features"that may suit me better than others??

I guess the biggest peice of real estate is the Vehicle,
As mentioned I have owned an 80's ( 4" lift, snorkel,locker,12000 winch etc) and used it in some tough places ) sort of know the good and bad with this model, I regretted selling it, and the reason was fuel consumption, I guess i cant totaling blame the vehicle as i was born with a heavier right foot to my left, diet has solved this or was it age?? As mentioned in a previous post probably the last of the best models, How ever there is still a few about in my state, with 200-250k's and at quiet reasonable prices mainly petrol but quiet a few are duel fuel ( gas ) Why i also asked about the availability pf gas. The issue i can see also with this is, the aux tanks in the 80 os replaced with the LPG so extra fuel to me would be a must to have on board , then i can see another issue of where would u strap these tanks, especially if an additional spare wheel and roof top camper is fitted????

Seeing i had owned an 80 and liking the Patrols (GU) i was swaying towards them ( again some are well priced here) but then Kerry mentioned about "dont" i did a quick search and found some BIG issues realting the GU 1 and 2 models ??? Lookigng like a fix had been done on the 3 series and later?? ( obviosly there is more to the detail than i have typed, ie towing etc)

Also along my line of thought is, I dont want a Torak Tractor for highway touring, wanting a vehicle to be able to handle detours where and when ever i choice, and being my expectations exceeding my capabilities rather than the vehicle not being able to handle this, Again many factors i am sure come into consideration , ie tyres being one off the top of my head,



So a quick summary - vehicle choice

80 series - may be 100?? - Petrol - diesel - duel fuel

Patrol - GQ or GU ( this being the series 2/3 later)

On a note,
Seeing this is ( what i call) my first major Tour, even though it would be awesome to fully fit out a vehicle with every know option to man or woman. On a practical side of things, i would be looking at basic must have items to start with and add options as i go or on a need to have with some sort of trip planning, ( I will read thru the links that have been kindly provided )

Thank you all

Hi Toney,
I'd pretty much agree with everything Scott said. On the winch option, particularly agree with the philosophy of avoiding the sticky situations if alone, lockers widen your practical options and maxtrax or similar are easier and safer to use than a winch. I carry a hand winch in the event I may get into a situation common sense & the above haven't worked. I really hope I never have to use it but if I do it will be more flexible than a bar mounted winch (although I may spend all day getting out of trouble !).

On the vehicle choice, I'd second Val's recommendation of a troopie or a newer 70 series.

Good luck & have fun!

We have a 1991 80 series 4L petrol. The old girl is a beast and has never let us down in any of our travels. Having said that, she is maintained to the highest the degree and that dosnt come cheap but its peace of mind when in remote places.

Our perfect dream,
Patrol 4.2 common rail TD tray top with a full length box on the tray with doors on sides, 2 spares on the rear and a roof top tent on top is the best way to go when I go with the boys.

80 series factory TD with tail gate, dual tyre carrier, with camper trailer when the missus comes

A thorough check over of the vehicle by a mechanic prior to trip and get things fixed!!!!!!

Long range tanks in both, 100L water bladder, fridge slides, CB, as much recovery gear as you can afford!!!!!!!! Front and rear ARB air lockers are absolutely fantastic, they will may you look like a old 4wd pro. A 4wd training course wouldn't hurt either around $700 for 2. Check out 4wding gone wrong on youtube!
This can go on and on and on. We purchased our first 4x4 (80 series) for $8K thinking we'll just see how it goes, $28K later and still have many things on the wish list!!!!

Hi Toney

I did my first trip in 2005, bought a 1999 HZJ105 diesel with barn doors (150K) - ex govt. I am its 3rd owner. It has now done 463K, was turboed at 290k and has spent the last 5 years towing a big caravan.

When I started, I travelled on my own, and for many years used a 2 man dome tent - quick and easy to set up, dry, and took no space. I bought a 7' roof rack to sleep on if I was in croc country (I knew nothing about them in those days) and I also had a swag to sleep in up there. Self inflating mattress.

I bought a good Compressor, a set of Staun deflaters, fitted a snorkel, UHF, changed all the belts and hoses, and kept the old ones as spares. I carried an extra spare wheel, and carried a couple of jerry cans of spare fuel.

I have travelled from Kalgoorlie to Coober Pedy via the railway line to Rawlinna, Connie Sue and Anne Beadell highways, with a fuel stop at Ilkurlka …… I used one of the Jerry cans so that I didn't run the tank dry, and found that I needn't have bothered. I've done Cape York, Dampier Peninsula, Gibb River Road and it's many side tracks ….. and never had a problem with obtaining fuel. Just fill your tank every time you get to a fuel outlet, and you will find it won't cost you a lot more, you aren't carrying all that extra weight. Take one Jerry Can at the most.

I've done part of the Simpson Desert (but not in real dry conditions I admit - wasn't my fault it was the wettest year at Birdsville in years in 2010 LOL). I have never in my 300k of driving this old girl had to resort to a winch, or been towed out of anything. If in doubt, don't go there, and believe me, I am an explorer. Tyre pressures will solve most problems, a shovel - I've never had to use mine -

Snatch straps, tow rope, a good hydraulic jack - that and the compressor have been my saviours. And a decent basic tool kit and Gaffa Tape, and WD40 ……..

Much of the stuff I bought, has never been unpacked. In fact, I unwrapped the snatch strap to tow someone else out of trouble 8 years after I bought it.

The fridge lives strapped to the back seat. Much less bounce and cushioned against shock.

Just a few thoughts …. basically keep it simple. And something else it took me years to find out - the passenger seat wound back was a damn sight more comfortable to sleep in when in lousy conditions, than trying to sleep across the hand brake and gear lever.

Just do it

cheers
Laurie

Hi Toney

I did my first trip in 2005, bought a 1999 HZJ105 diesel with barn doors (150K) - ex govt - and NO electronics ….. I am its 3rd owner. It has now done 463K, was turboed at 290k and has spent the last 5 years towing a big caravan.

When I started, I travelled on my own, and for many years used a 2 man dome tent - quick and easy to set up, dry, and took no space. I bought a 7' roof rack to sleep on if I was in croc country (I knew nothing about them in those days) and I also had a swag to sleep in up there. Self inflating mattress.

I bought a good Compressor, a set of Staun deflaters, fitted a snorkel, UHF, changed all the belts and hoses, and kept the old ones as spares. I carried an extra spare wheel, and carried a couple of jerry cans of spare fuel.

I have travelled from Kalgoorlie to Coober Pedy via the railway line to Rawlinna, Connie Sue and Anne Beadell highways, with a fuel stop at Ilkurlka …… I used one of the Jerry cans so that I didn't run the tank dry, and found that I needn't have bothered. I've done Cape York, Dampier Peninsula, Gibb River Road and it's many side tracks ….. and never had a problem with obtaining fuel. Just fill your tank every time you get to a fuel outlet, and you will find it won't cost you a lot more, you aren't carrying all that extra weight. Take one Jerry Can at the most.

I've done part of the Simpson Desert (but not in real dry conditions I admit - wasn't my fault it was the wettest year at Birdsville in years in 2010 LOL). I have never in my 300k of driving this old girl had to resort to a winch, or been towed out of anything. If in doubt, don't go there, and believe me, I am an explorer. Tyre pressures will solve most problems, a shovel - I've never had to use mine -

Snatch straps, tow rope, a good hydraulic jack - that and the compressor have been my saviours. And a decent basic tool kit and Gaffa Tape, and WD40 ……..

Much of the stuff I bought, has never been unpacked. In fact, I unwrapped the snatch strap to tow someone else out of trouble 8 years after I bought it.

The fridge lives strapped to the back seat. Much less bounce and cushioned against shock.

Just a few thoughts …. basically keep it simple. And something else it took me years to find out - the passenger seat wound back was a damn sight more comfortable to sleep in when in lousy conditions, than trying to sleep across the hand brake and gear lever.

Just do it

cheers
Laurie

Morning.
Laurie K pretty well summed it up, best to keep it simple, in any of the Moons guide books you will find a very good list of what to take.
I often found when doing the tags, clients would carry far to much of the unnecessary, they would carry the basic recovery gear, that wass not an option. Laurie mentioned a bottle jack, this should be included as standard, apart from it's lifting ability, they can also be used to push out panels in the unfortunate occurrence of pushing a body panel against a tyre.
Winches v Lockers, (a big can of worms and are two different applications), so I am not giving the following example to open up that can, but from personal expirience.
Creek crossing, entry bank was a reasonable decline and at the bottom looked firm, for the 15m to the creek, first vehicle broke the crust at about 12m and went down, stupidly the second vehicle came down, same thing at the 5 to7 m mark. Second vehicle had lockers and was going nowhere despite numerous attempts, the first vehicle had a winch and was able to winch out, then recovered the second. Without a winch, they would have been there for a long time just trying to get out. Don't rely on another vehicle coming along and if you can hook up to something with the winch, you will almost always get out.
And that your honor, is how the fight started.
Regards.
Tony F8

Some strong points have been stated in regards to lockers versus winches,

With respect to all perhaps we should kill this I have considered for's and against for both, and i think the winch has it for me over lockers .

A very worthy point too was keeping it simple i guess in a nut shell this basic rules applies to most things,

I am still arguing with myself over vehicle choice, Troopy i think is a no brainer here for reasons given earlier, Landcruiser 80-100 versus Patrol, Now i can also see sparks flying -) What would be a fairly true fuel consumptions figure;s Yes i know so many variable, But just an average/guess etc is all i am hoping for with this , ie 10l/100k 15l/100k or just ks to the tank,

Quick thoughts on the 2.8d turbo patrol. I have notice quiet a few of these available, Mainly with full reco engines and turbo;s plus drive train overhauls, Being specific ,mostly having 300k plus. I am assuming being the smaller and engine working harder etc etc, But are these a reliable engine/model ???


Txs - Tony

Just like ot thank everyone for replies and thoughts,

I have found a 93" Landcruiser in showroom condition with just 95000k.s, hoping i will not have to worry too much with reliabilty issue.

Now need to look at roof tents