Help!! Setting up current Prado

If you dont have room for the Lightforce 240's get the Lightforce 170's. They rock.

A guide to choosing an Antenna can be found here :
GME Guide

Im biased towards the Engel, love my SS40 to death.

Perf,
For a UHF aerial, you can't beat the POLAR, 6dB extended gain unit. Have a mounting spring built in, and compact enough for the 'burbs, but have performance of the bigger whips.

Hella produce an HID lamp, in the Rallye 1000 series, about 75% of price of the bigger HID's. Hella 4000's are good QH lamp, very robust, with best alignment system, of any light on market.

We've got a Black Widow storage system, which we're pleased with. A snorkel is cheap insurance, if you happen to have an attack of "bravado", when attempting some water crossings.

Might need some h/duty springs with all that "Fruit" added to the playdough.

hooroo...

We did the Simpson last year in our new Diesel patrol. Check out the fuel consumption are of the trip planning pages and make sure to carry enough - the Prado tank should be plenty.

I got drawers form Offroad Systems, Narellan near Camden. Quite a bit cheaper than others and work fine. Snorkel is worth getting. We have had an Engel (passed on to son) and now a Waeco. Both work well, Waeco is cheaper. Lightforce 170s are a good light and have the advantage of being light so they won't rattle loose on the corrugations.

Spend a bit more on the air compressor. You'll be letting tyre sdown a few times and it gets frustrating waiting for the cheap ones. We have an ARB mounted under the bonnet but there are several worth checking out. I hear the largest bushranger works well.

All that said, the Simpson is a great trip. Keep an eye out for camels.

Peter

Simpson desert will be fine with your standard 180 litre tanks - you'll probably use about 130-150 litres Birdsville-Oodnadatta. Winch won't be much use in the desert, but the extra weight on the front will mean that you will definitely need to upgrade the springs.

Check the spec for allowable weight on the Prado before buying the tent - 90series Prado had a 75kg limit for weight on the roof. While those roof tents are great if you're on the move every day, just remember that you'll have to pack it up every day when you're staying put, and may lose a campsite. I've had 2 engels and the latest model is brilliant.

Storage - I make my own, so I can change it when the needs arise, or I get better ideas. The steel drawers do weigh a lot, and waste space in my opinion. Also some of the drawers do not come out very far and the rear space is hard to access. Also, some offer the security of locks, but you can just unlock the fridge slide to get in the drawers. Its nice to have the engel at floor level so its contents are easily accessed. Lightforce are the first choice in lights. Ignore the snorkel, unless you're planning on water crossings. If you find the air cleaner dusts up quickly on dirt tracks, then maybe reconsider. Bushranger max air and the others ones out of the same factory seem good value - worth the extra money - this item doesn't depreciate much, and you can move it to future vehicles if needed.

Recovery gear - need a 9metre 8000kg strap, and a sling with two 3.25T bow shackles to use on the loop recovery points on the front of the 120 series.

You may want to check the 120scool tech section

Cheers
Phil

G;day

I have a 120 Series Prado GX TD.

I did the Cape in it last year, and have heavily modified mine for 4wding.

Happy for you to fire any questions my way:

steven@offroadshoo.com.au or 03 9336 3340

Regards

Steve

Perf
Contact me on kmcfarland@casey.vic.gov.au My Prado is being set up for a major three year project entitled 2006 Canning Stock Route Re-Enactment.
Cheers
Kim

Just keep in mind the the more weight you put up top on the rooforack, the more sercurely it will need to be fastened, and the more likely it is to fail.

Last simpson xing seen failures of 2/3 roofracks - overloaded. 2/3 would not stay on the roof in the expected locations (slid forward repeatedly).

Dave