I Can't Seem to find the Right 4WD for my Needs

I was going to suggest an Iveco Daily :-)

Yeah, an Iveco Daily dual cab might be the go. Has been some discussion here about them, might be worth doing a search.

Daily 4x4 has about 3 gear ranges, so might be the goods in the areas you frequent. Fuel range might need upgrading?

Canters are a good, light truck but they can be a bit rough!

Bob

You might have to rob a bank beforehand, but have a a look at F trucks

Bob

Its the towing weight that was upgraded in 96 because of the previous towbar being 2500kg rated.

A 100 series diesel GVM is 3260KG

Robin,

This is away from the topic but I noticed that you twice referred to the "real" Madigan line in your post above and was curious as to what you meant. What other version of the Madigan line is there?

Ando

Hi Ando

The approved path that is now the Madigan line misses almost 1/2 the original camps Ando.

These days you miss 2 or 3 near the start and most now go up or down the Hay River track from 15 instead of proceeding across to camps 17,18,19 etc which I found the harder to reach camps.

The centre section is a fairly straight forward , and worthwhile but easier drive.

Okay, I see what you mean. We missed camps 3-5 because of the difficulty getting permission, but I think some parties just take the liberty of going anyway. We were able to do all the rest of the route except for camp 24 I think (or whichever is the last one before Birdsville) which the station owners asked us not to go to.

It is certainly a beautiful drive and we're heading back again this year.

No offence Bob but I've spent seventeen years of my life living in this part of the world - the Kimberley and Pilbara - and most of the gear gets used. Many would say I understand this part better than most. And that includes vehicle needs.

Okay, I get the fact that you wanted to stir the pot a little but I'd come back at you a little and suggest your knowledge seems to be lacking quite a bit. Here's why (and intended in good spirit).

Dual wheel carrier. Already stuff on the roof. Solar panels for starters. Inflatable raft for water work that I do. Some water gerry cans also. I carry 80 litres of water. As I say, I travel remote. More remote than most and often on the turn of a dime.... There's also the OHS issues hauling a 40 kilo plus tyre up onto the roof. Particularly in 46 degrees in summer. Not fun.

Get rid of the bull-bar. You've obviously not hit too many roos or bulls or camels or horses for that matter. I've dinged a 400 kilo cow at 110kmph. Nearly hit some camels. A herd of them actually. Narrowly missed horses. And then had probably three to six near misses with cattle that would probably have been fatal. You get that with a lot of night driving. Had a difficult drive a fortnight ago up here also. Six times had to brake hard.

High lift jack. That doesn't necessarily get used as a jack often but it does a whole heap of other stuff that becomes important if you're bogged out in Savoury Creek on the Canning in January in 47 degrees.

Solar panel. Should be plural. They do more than the aircon. Fridge to keep the food cool when you're out in the desert. Or even in the western Hamersley as I've just done six weeks. Ten days in a row over 45 at one stage.

Aircon. Fair call. The old timers never had it. But if it's there these days I say use it. No point being more uncomfortable in summer up here than you need to.

And sub tank. Again, you obviously don't do many miles. Or miles at night. This part of the world not a lot of service stations open past seven at night. And if you have to do a big night drive you can't do so on a 90 litre tank. Or even out in the desert 90 litres doesn't get you far. That sub tank more than earns its keep.

Appreciate you don't know me. But I've had my days belting around with an ice box in the Great Sandy Desert over here in WA in January and opening it up to find olives and butter and every other concoction floating around. And I've had being bogged for 49 hours after a cyclone came through.

Most don't get off the black top, but by the same token I don't spend a whole heap of time on it. There are still remote places in our WA though they are getting chewed out quickly by mining.

Take it easy.

Maybe some good ideas but there are some essential items like a bulbar without one you may be stuck somewhere with a roo, tree branch etc in your radiator, 60 plus kg of spare tyres on the roof not a good idea when off road making a vehicle more top heavy than it needs to be, winch very handy piece of equipment especially if you're on your own not only for de-bogging forwards and backwards but removing trees of tracks etc. I know you're trying to make a point but some people need extra gear when there set up to be self sufficient in the bush but yes some do go overboard as well.

DQB, thanks for the reply.

I certainly acknowledge your vastly greater experience in that part of the world than mine. Having said that, I have travelled most of the tracks in the WA and NT, albeit in favourable seasons and in company. And yes, I do avoid travelling at night where possible.

Maybe I've been lucky, but I have been able to avoid fauna strike everywhere in Australia except in the street where I lived in Wamboin NSW when a roo struck my stationary vehicle.

I firmly believe vehicle mass is your enemy.

I have to agree with moving heavy wheels. I am working on a light weight winch to swing them from the roof to the hub.

Bob

Hi Bob.

No problems. Fauna strikes are one of the major hazards up here. There's probably half a dozen times I could have been killed regardless of whether there was a bull-bar up front. But a bull-bar nevertheless is more than important.

There's a stretch between Hillside turnoff and hedland on the Great Northern. A few years ago a number of new mines opened up. So many that you've got a road train at a rate of about one a minute coming at you. The road trains of themselves are not a problem. It's the quantity and the fact that you can't get your spotlights going. Throw in a lot of cattle from Yandeyarra and it's a catastrophe waiting to happen to some unlucky LV. Hopefully not me. It's been atrociously managed by Main Roads.

So, while I get the thread of your point, it's horses for courses and every driver's needs are different. Those needs depend on what you do, where you live, what times you drive and what you drive.

I do a lot of night driving as well as day because of what I do and have done hundreds of thousands of kilometres up here. And if you do night driving many will know about the suicide roos also. Nothing you can do. I've also experienced suicide cattle that nearly killed me and a mate coming the other way in another vehicle one night just out of Fitzroy Crossing. Such is life. But the bull-bar is important for people like me despite the weight. Heavier the better actually.

Cheers.