Big week coming up for Ol' Roachie!!!
Submitted: Friday, Jan 15, 2016 at 20:49
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Roachie Silverado
Got to hit the sack soon and get a good night's sleep.
Tomorrow we leave Kadina SA around 0600 and head for
Nyngan NSW (1,000 klicks). Stay there overnight, then on to
Warwick on Sunday (another 800 klicks). On Monday it's only a short drive to
Canungra to meet up with the current owners of what will then become our "new" caravan; a 2013 Bushtracker 20 footer.
It will be nice to finally be able to hang something substantial off the tow bar of the Silverado!!
After a good hand-over period, we will set off in a more liesurely manner and take about 4 or 5 days to come back
home....not sure which way yet....I'd like to go down into south west Victoria for a change, but we'll just have to see where the road takes us.
Roachie
Reply By: Motherhen - Friday, Jan 15, 2016 at 20:59
Friday, Jan 15, 2016 at 20:59
Great news Roachie :). Take it easy on those long day's driving. When we purchased our BT we drove long days, getting up in the dark, leaving at first light and driving all day. We drove in shifts. I even made lunch on my lap to save stopping. We found somewhere to stay as soon as we could when it got dark. Four nights and almost five days across Australia was an exhausting ordeal.
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Follow Up By: Roachie Silverado - Friday, Jan 15, 2016 at 21:34
Friday, Jan 15, 2016 at 21:34
Thanks Motherhen,
I'm the sole driver (Annette has never bothered to learn), so I will be careful to take a break or 2.
I drive for a living every day, so an extra bit won't bother me at all.
Looking forward to all the comforts of "home".....
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Follow Up By: vk1dx - Saturday, Jan 16, 2016 at 01:25
Saturday, Jan 16, 2016 at 01:25
I took all of my original post and moved all of it to the end.
Phil
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Reply By: Member - John - Friday, Jan 15, 2016 at 21:00
Friday, Jan 15, 2016 at 21:00
Roachie, hope the Silverado has c/c? Have a safe trip and enjoy the new van.
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Follow Up By: Roachie Silverado - Friday, Jan 15, 2016 at 21:34
Friday, Jan 15, 2016 at 21:34
Yes mate....cruise control will get a fair old work out for sure.
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Reply By: Geepeem - Friday, Jan 15, 2016 at 21:06
Friday, Jan 15, 2016 at 21:06
Don't forget to post some pics of the rig on the way back. Also would be interested in average fuel consumption towing the BT if you can remember to record it. Safe travels.
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Follow Up By: Roachie Silverado - Friday, Jan 15, 2016 at 21:36
Friday, Jan 15, 2016 at 21:36
Thanks mate.....the onboard computer keeps all those records, so it won't be a problem to let you know the consumption. I get in the high 14s without towing on the highway and expect that will go up to around 19L/100 or so.
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Reply By: Stu & "Bob" - Friday, Jan 15, 2016 at 21:08
Friday, Jan 15, 2016 at 21:08
Congrats on the purchase, hope it gives you many years of service.
When we ever go on long trips, we find ourselves on the road at around 0400-0430...
Not by any planning, just wake up early with anticipation and keen to get going.
Not saying it will happen to you, but I wouldn't be surprised if it did...
Happy motoring.
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Follow Up By: Roachie Silverado - Friday, Jan 15, 2016 at 21:37
Friday, Jan 15, 2016 at 21:37
That's EXACTLY what happens when it's just me....but SWMBO likes to dawdle!!!
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Reply By: Bob Y. - Qld - Friday, Jan 15, 2016 at 21:09
Friday, Jan 15, 2016 at 21:09
Sounds good, Roachie! 20 footer would be an ideal size, even for the Silverado. :-)
You been to the Warrumbungles, near Coonabarabran? Would be worth a look on the way
home....
Safe travelling,
Bob.
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Follow Up By: Roachie Silverado - Friday, Jan 15, 2016 at 21:43
Friday, Jan 15, 2016 at 21:43
Yes mate, Warrumbungles is on the short list if we decide to come back the inland route.
However, I think we'll be going down the
New England initially.
I want to see how easy these DO35 hitches are to use and unless they are BRILLIANT, I will be swapping the BT over to a McHitch Auto coupling....which would mean going down to
Lithgow, where the factory is. Then down to
Goulburn to catch up with friends.
But, who knows where we'll end up going???
It'll probably be of my magical mystery tours that SWMBO "loves" (not)....hahahaha
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Follow Up By: The Original JohnR (Vic) - Saturday, Jan 16, 2016 at 10:58
Saturday, Jan 16, 2016 at 10:58
Roachie, the DO35 is good, but I found I had to keep our
well greased
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Follow Up By: Motherhen - Sunday, Jan 17, 2016 at 00:37
Sunday, Jan 17, 2016 at 00:37
Ah, the Warrumbungles. It was my shift driving while my temporary navigator was asleep, and somehow I took a wrong turn out of Gilgandra, on our way the Queensland. I was still seeing "Co" on roadside posts, thinking I was in the way to Coonabarabran. The when I crossed the Castlereagh River I knew I had made a mistake. Scanning the map, I worked out where we were. Easy; drive on to Gulagambone and cross the Warrumbungles. It was a beautiful little detour even if we didn't have time to stop and take some of the walks.
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Reply By: Bonz (Vic) - Friday, Jan 15, 2016 at 22:33
Friday, Jan 15, 2016 at 22:33
Well done Roachie, let us know when youre in SW Vic and I am sure JR (another BOGGER) will want to know too, I hear he has free diggings for rent
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Follow Up By: The Original JohnR (Vic) - Saturday, Jan 16, 2016 at 11:01
Saturday, Jan 16, 2016 at 11:01
Might even have a Mini Muster (EO locals) to welcome you to BT ownership. Two BTs along the road. A few BTs call for a
camp over
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Reply By: Gone Bush (WA) - Friday, Jan 15, 2016 at 23:16
Friday, Jan 15, 2016 at 23:16
Well done Bill,
Take your time, set up in free camps and learn the BT systems.
Some suggestions here (dependent on the weather, heat and/or rain):
Dunns SwampTemora Aviation MuseumCheck their Flying Calendar first.
You've got my mobile, feel free to ring if you have any questions and the sellers can't answer them.
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Reply By: vk1dx - Saturday, Jan 16, 2016 at 01:50
Saturday, Jan 16, 2016 at 01:50
Memories of "quickie" weekend trip of our younger years.
Scenario: Saturday morning driving down Parramatta Road (you could actually do that back then) with nowhere to go and my girl in the passengers
seat.
"What do you want to do".
"I don't mind. What do you want to do".
Bright flash of light as he thinks of something mad.
"Lets go to Surfers for a milkshake".
"What !!!! Okay."
Sunday evening we arrive back
home having no sleep but one lovely big milkshake on the beach at Main Beach.
Yep - Younger years. Take it easy mate and enjoy the new
home.
Do you think that you should
check the wheel bearings etc, before a big drive
home? Just an idea.
Don't know what the others said. And maybe we aren't as
young these days and the fatigue can come on quicker. No doubt this has been mentioned so I won't rave on.
Safe drive mate.
Phil
PS I like the edit!!!!!!!
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Follow Up By: vk1dx - Saturday, Jan 16, 2016 at 01:53
Saturday, Jan 16, 2016 at 01:53
PS It's the same girl these days, 45 years later and we have been known to be as mad but not as quick.
Phil
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Reply By: Navigator 1 (NSW) - Saturday, Jan 16, 2016 at 06:25
Saturday, Jan 16, 2016 at 06:25
Congratulations Roachie and Annette, you will love glamping in the BT.
A couple of great spots you could visit are...
*
Goulburn River NP north of
Mudgee (great wine and port area)
*
Hill End with lots of history.
* Carcoar
Dam, south of Blaney.
*
Abercrombie River NP.
Robyn & Chicka
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Follow Up By: Gazza11 - Monday, Jan 18, 2016 at 14:50
Monday, Jan 18, 2016 at 14:50
Roachie,
If you follow the advice above and do Abercrombie you most likely come out at
Gunning, hang a left and travel thru to Gundaroo, the rec ground has free overnight stays and the locals are friendly.
Patrolster.
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Reply By: Member - Alan H (QLD) - Saturday, Jan 16, 2016 at 14:01
Saturday, Jan 16, 2016 at 14:01
Congratulations Roachie on joining the BT club
A lot of us from near
Brisbane use
Heifer Creek Rd to get over the range if travelling south inland. In your Silverado I guess the ranges are no problem.
Heifer creek is a slower winding road but has less gradiant and less truck traffic on it but it is interesting country (large road cutting)
If you want an interesting way back south could I suggest heading out towards
Toowoomba but turn and go through Gatton and
Heifer Creek Rd is about 5km out the other side of Gatton. Over the range on
Heifer Creek then Clifton Leyburn Inglewood Texas Warialda
Bingara and then down south to Gunnedah (Fossickers way) and then on to SA
Alan
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Member - Rob D (NSW) - Saturday, Jan 16, 2016 at 20:10
Saturday, Jan 16, 2016 at 20:10
Roachie,
I see you are selling your Ultimate; how could you! You can't play golf with one club.
We bought a BT about 3 years ago and kept our Ultimate for trips where the BT will not go. We have been almost everywhere, but we may want to go again.
We are retired and in our 70s.
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Reply By: Roachie Silverado - Friday, Jan 22, 2016 at 23:31
Friday, Jan 22, 2016 at 23:31
Well, thanks to all those who have wished us
well for our journey.
We had a great, but tiring trip and saw a lot of country we'd never seen before.
Unfortunately, I also got to know a couple of blokes rather better than I would have wanted to.
A bloke called Allan (and his wife) own the business: Temora Truck and Tractor Repairs. I got to know Allan and one of his workers ("Mouse") quite
well during the 2.5 hours I spent there while they fixed the Chev's towbar......it snapped the rear-most bolt mounts just as we were about to leave Temora. Thank goodness it didn't let go while I was driving through some of the rough, isolated tracks we'd been on the previous 2 days!!!
Got
home just before dark and the first job I did to the BT was to unbolt the DO35. Tomorrow I will be enlarging the 4 bolt holes I need to mount the 6 tonne McHitch Auto that I bought from the
Lithgow factory on Wednesday.
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