New Vehicle replacement

Submitted: Wednesday, Dec 12, 2018 at 20:52
ThreadID: 137553 Views:5758 Replies:9 FollowUps:39
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I currently have a 2006 V8 Landcruiser on LPG. The 2 kids are now at that age where they won't be coming on any long adventures. Tow an off road Coromal Magnum pop top van Loaded at around 2600Kg GVM 2990Kg. Wife has stopped driving the Land cruiser around town as she feels its to large.

I have test driven a Toyota Parado and have hooked up the van. Noticed that rear end drops heaps. Pulled the van ok but could not give it a good test due to no break controller on demo vehicle. Also not happy with the barn door rear tail gate.

I am thinking of taking the Ford Everest and Ranger for test drive, Thinking the 3.2 engine might have some more pull power.

Looking for some feedback and advice.
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Reply By: IvanTheTerrible - Wednesday, Dec 12, 2018 at 21:02

Wednesday, Dec 12, 2018 at 21:02
This will be epic. Try Isuzu
AnswerID: 622605

Reply By: RMD - Wednesday, Dec 12, 2018 at 22:51

Wednesday, Dec 12, 2018 at 22:51
Shaun
Probably the parking spaces in town have shrunk rather than the cruiser getting larger.
You can fit better springs to a Prado, the OE rears are for comfort an not really for load carrying.
Isn't the Prado fitted with one large door? Barn type on Patrols and earlier cruisers and troopies.
A ford Everest or Ranger would definitely pull the van better, it has more torque.
Depending on the comfort you require and the bling level, the Isuzu models are popular towing vehicles.
If you want to tow with any of the mentioned vehicles it may be an advantage to have far better shocks and rear springs to handle the additional mass and transferred forces of a van. They will all tow your van but having a safety reserve is a wise move, so upgrades of springs and shocks will ensure a safer package.

PS. If your wife finds parking in town difficult with the cruiser, a ranger or Isuzu will be harder to maneouvre into spaces where the cruiser will easily drive into. I could park my old HJ61 far easier and in smaller spaces than my Isuzu ute can. The cruiser was shorter than a Falcon/Commodore, the Isuzu and most others are longer. Cruiser is far more maneouverable in tight stuff.
AnswerID: 622607

Follow Up By: Shaun H - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 06:24

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 06:24
Hi

Yes the Parado has the large swing out door, wasn't sure what to call it. Not good when van connected.
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Follow Up By: Alloy c/t - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 10:53

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 10:53
Rubbish , parking spaces smaller ? Compare the size of an 80 series cruiser to that of a new Prado or an early 2005 Hilux to a current model or Ford Ranger Etc Etc ... every new model is bigger ,not necessarily better , [ insert sarcasm ] whereas the the size 'rules' and regulations for parking spaces have not increased since the days of the 'mini minor' ....
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Follow Up By: Ron N - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 11:19

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 11:19
I have found personally, that there can be a sizeable variation in parking space sizes, depending on who owns the property, and who painted on the parking lines.

There is no set dimension under any regulations or AS/NZS standards (AS/NZS 2890), for parking space dimensions.

I do agree that many models increase in physical size, when the new model is released. For my general useage (just a retired couple), a 200 series is way too big, and too heavy. The 80 series was a good size, IMO.

But for heavy towing purposes, the 200 series is ideal. You can't have a big heavy towing vehicle, and a vehicle that is small and easy to park, in the one vehicle.

Cheers, Ron.
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Follow Up By: Alloy c/t - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 11:31

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 11:31
Ron , there are actually 'regulations' set state by state , council by council for 'parking' size , even major shopping centres on 'private' property need to follow the regulations as to size , problem being that the 'regulated' sizes have not kept up with the physical increase of vehicle sizes that the public now drive , have a 'look' at the size figures and 'compare' them .,, an 80 series to a 200 series and for a laugh the new BMW 7 seater , no its not as 'tall' as a 200 but a lot longer and wider and can tow a bloody lot more ....
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Follow Up By: Member - David M (SA) - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 13:27

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 13:27
Think Prado also comes with a lift up rear door now, but you have to make do with one tank.
Dave.
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Follow Up By: RMD - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 19:18

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 19:18
The parking space size was mentioned as a throwaway comment but irrespective of that, parking spaces do vary despite regulations. My HJ61 was noticeably shorter than a falcon s,wagon of the time. The 61 could be parked where a Falcon would not fit.
HJ 61 4,750. 1800. 200 series 4950 L mostly plastic bits 1,970 W

Ranger 5,359 L. 1.849 W

In my local shopping centre you can’t park a dual cab Ute because they stick out into the traffic. They just don’t fit. Yes, parking spaces are small in length. Tight in width.
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Follow Up By: Kazza055 - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 19:24

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 19:24
Yer, my D-Max sticks out but anyone running into the HR hitch are going to get serious damage.
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Follow Up By: splits - Friday, Dec 14, 2018 at 20:45

Friday, Dec 14, 2018 at 20:45
If you want to tow with any of the mentioned vehicles it may be an advantage to have far better shocks and rear springs to handle the additional mass and transferred forces of a van. They will all tow your van but having a safety reserve is a wise move, so upgrades of springs and shocks will ensure a safer package.
----------------------------------------------------------

There is one important thing that anyone who does that should keep in mind when towing is shifting more weight to the rear of a car and/or stiffening its rear springs can easily change its handling characteristics from the factory designed understeer to oversteer.

The last thing you want when towing something heavy and long is a tow car that is likely to slide its tail out sideways in a sudden swerve or when the van starts swinging its ends from side to side.CHARTS
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Reply By: Notso - Wednesday, Dec 12, 2018 at 23:21

Wednesday, Dec 12, 2018 at 23:21
Buy a Jeep Grand Cherokee.
AnswerID: 622609

Follow Up By: wooly0005 - Wednesday, Dec 12, 2018 at 23:23

Wednesday, Dec 12, 2018 at 23:23
Make sure it comes with a fire extinguisher
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Follow Up By: Ron N - Wednesday, Dec 12, 2018 at 23:53

Wednesday, Dec 12, 2018 at 23:53
Ahh, yes - Jeep Cherokee - Queen of the vehicle recalls .....

Product Safety Australia - Jeep Cherokee recall notices

Cheers, Ron.
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Follow Up By: RMD - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 09:26

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 09:26
Jeep doesn't recall vehicles, they go to you and your breakdown and take it away so as to limit embarrassment.

They did that with the earlier ones which had the steering boxes detatch from the chassis.
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Reply By: Ron N - Wednesday, Dec 12, 2018 at 23:47

Wednesday, Dec 12, 2018 at 23:47
I've got a mate with a MU-X and he's very happy with it. Not as plush as the Landcruiser, but a pretty practical overall finish. The drivetrain is bullet-proof.

They're down a bit on power as compared to the 3.2L Everest. However, I've seen a few blown 3.2's - but I've yet to see a blown 3.0L Isuzu engine. That comes with its truck engine history.

Some people reckon the Isuzu gets a bit noisy when driven hard. I guess a bit extra soundproofing would cure that.
I don't reckon they're as noisy as that 2.8L VM Motori engine in the Colorado.

Cheers, Ron.
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Follow Up By: RMD - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 09:28

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 09:28
When a Motori Colorado pulls alongside I wind the window down to try and count the ball bearings thrashing round in the engine. Yes, they are noisey.
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Reply By: wooly0005 - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 00:03

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 00:03
Hi Shaun,

Now don't go making any rash decisions mate.

You all ready have one of the best vehicles going around. Why change for no good reason.

If you are determined to spend some coin, spend 5K and freshen up the engine and get rid of the gas.

Then buy your missus a Corolla.

Problem solved
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Follow Up By: Shaun H - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 06:19

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 06:19
Hi

Totally agree, the cruiser has never let us down and pulls the van with no issues.

Re the Gas, I love the gas and use it most of the time, it starts on petrol until engine is hot then switches over to gas. So much cheaper to run.

What do you mean by engine freshen up?
The car has just hit 200,000km and the engine all seems fine.

Daughter is learning to drive in a Toyota Echo and my wife is driving it. Maybe when she gets her licence she can drive the cruiser.
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Follow Up By: Crusier 91 - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 12:30

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 12:30
Reverse camera helps with parking which is what kept my wife driving the 100 series apart from the 1HD FTE Turbo
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Follow Up By: axle - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 15:00

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 15:00
Hi Shaun, 200,000ks, is probably the best time to trade her in ,if you have been running it on gas most of the time. Unless the engine has been built from the bottom up to specifically run on gas you won't get any where near the mileage you normally get from the same engine without gas.


Cheers Axle







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Follow Up By: Ron N - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 17:25

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 17:25
"Unless the engine has been built from the bottom up to specifically run on gas you won't get any where near the mileage you normally get from the same engine without gas."

What a lot of rot. The only thing affected by burning LPG in a petrol engine is the valves and valve seats, because LPG burns hotter than petrol.
In some cases, exhaust manifolds can crack because of the higher EGT - but this generally only happens with wide open throttle for extended periods.

All engines today have hardened valve seats, and far better quality valves than older engines. Toyota is no exception.

The beauty of LPG is NO CARBON. As a result, the oil stays cleaner, bore wear and engine wear in general is REDUCED, and coke and carbon buildup is non-existent.

Here's a bloke who's done a million clicks on LPG and the engine is still original.

Landcruiser on gas clocks up 1,000,000kms

Cheers, Ron.
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Follow Up By: Michael H9 - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 17:32

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 17:32
I've had 4 lpg dual fuel cars and not had any engine troubles. I'd go another one if they hadn't jacked the price so high and started ripping out bowsers all over the place. I did 400k + in all of them.
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Follow Up By: wooly0005 - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 18:51

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 18:51
Hi Shaun,

By freshen up I meant maybe check the valve clearances and top end which are usually the things that suffer in engines run on gas.

If the engine seems fine and compression is ok then just keep driving it.

Personally, I don't like the fact that power is reduced on gas and engines wear prematurely on gas so I would not use it.

The way gas prices are these days, I am not sure if it is worthwhile using it at all.

Its 95c per litre here in metro Adelaide.
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Follow Up By: Shaun H - Friday, Dec 14, 2018 at 21:34

Friday, Dec 14, 2018 at 21:34
I pay max 85 cents for gas, runs great and engine is still going strong. Vehicle has probably done 180,000 km on gas. The only time I switch off the gas is on the very steep climbs when towing then switch back.

I think the advantage of my system is that it runs on fuel unit the engine gets hot enough then switches to gas.

I had a Ford Falcon company car that was on gas it also ran fantastic.. car was traded at 250 000 km no issues.
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Reply By: Gbc.. - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 06:30

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 06:30
Ranger is nearly 500mm longer wheelbase than a 200 series. You’ll be a reverse parking champion around town. The Everest is a shorter wheelbase and overall. For 3 t the longer wheelbase is a more stable tow but not as plush (not comparing the 200 here).
Bear in mind also that at 2800 kg tow the ranger retains its full payload as well if you have a bit of gear. It will need a suspension change to do it full time though.
If you thought the prado towed ok you’ll like the Fords.
AnswerID: 622612

Follow Up By: Member - nickb "boab" - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 08:11

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 08:11
Agree~My Ranger is quite a bit longer then our 100 series V8 petrol ,mim 500mm longer
The Land Cruiser 100 series is a great vehicle for towing ours has done 350, ks and still going strong- beautiful motor
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Reply By: Idler Chris - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 09:32

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 09:32
I always look at a brands customer service history. Volkswagen, Ford, Chrysler and Holden are in a race to see who can be the worst, so I do not care what vehicles they have I am not going to deal with anyone who always try to avoid their obligations.
I travel for 4 to 5 months a year as a grey nomad and the number of D-Max's and MUX Isuzu's I see on the road is very noticeable. Not the most luxurious but would seem really good value, and as others have said reliability is its major asset.
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Follow Up By: RMD - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 10:47

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 10:47
G'day Chris
In the four marques mentioned above you seem to have forgotten Nissan and their special way of working with valued customers.
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Follow Up By: Alloy c/t - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 11:01

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 11:01
You do realise of course that the major reason you see 'more' Dmax or Mux is the price point of said vehicles ...it does not equate to 'reliabillity' of the vehicle .
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Follow Up By: Idler Chris - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 11:17

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 11:17
To be popular you need to be both price competitive and reliable. Reliability is best ascertained by a google search for any known problems, and Isuzu's fare very well in this department.
Chris
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Follow Up By: Gbc.. - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 11:25

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 11:25
Isuzu is ok. No great silver bullet though. Stupid things breaking on ours like Ac condensers. The Fords are much better for towing - esp nearly 3t.
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Follow Up By: RMD - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 12:48

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 12:48
Gbc/

How many aircon condensers have you had break? Perhaps there was a manufacturing fault or some mounting problem. Either way it would only be once.
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Follow Up By: Ron N - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 12:57

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 12:57
A/C condensor failure is a reasonably regular failure on many vehicles, it's not confined to Isuzu.

Condensors are first in the firing line for road debris hitting them, suffer from vibration, particularly on rough roads, and have to contend with a wide variation in temperatures and pressures, daily.

They're not a critical item, you can keep driving with a split condensor, and they're relatively cheap to replace, because they're a fast-moving part.

Cheers, Ron.
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Follow Up By: Kazza055 - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 13:45

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 13:45
If we were going on price alone we would all be driving a Triton or one of those Chinese utes.
When I was looking back in 2014, the price was not even considered. I was more interested to see how the car performed, it specifications and it had to have climate control. I knew it would not be the cheapest car to buy and ended up getting a LST D-Max. If it had been any other brand it would have been the top of the range.
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Follow Up By: splits - Friday, Dec 14, 2018 at 20:24

Friday, Dec 14, 2018 at 20:24
Unless the engine has been built from the bottom up to specifically run on gas you won't get any where near the mileage you normally get from the same engine without gas.
Cheers Axle
---------------------------------------------
You are right Axle. There are a lot of things that have to be done to a gas engine in order to get the best out of it but they are rarely if ever done during a normal gas conversion because they would more than double the cost of the conversion. If you did go that far, the engine would no longer be suitable for petrol.

Some of the changes include a higher compression ratio, a different cam grind and major changes to the ingition timing at idle and maximum advance.

If the engine has copper/lead bearings, they will be eaten away. We had some of those eaten bearings on display in the classrooom at Ultimo TAFE in Sydney when I was doing a gas licence course.

I used three gas cars over an eighteen year period for commuting to work. I did not do anything else to the engines except harder exhaust valve seats in two of them and advancing the ignition by two degrees at idle. They really needed about ten more and some taken off at the top.

They were all down on power and higher in consumption in comparison to petrol but I saved a fortune on running costs because of the price difference. Gas prices were always much higher out of Sydney and I would have not used gas had I been commuting in country areas.
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Reply By: Member - mark D18 - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 16:40

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 16:40
Shaun.

I am with Chris Idler here and what he wrote was spot on.

Head out West and a fair pproportion of tow vechiles are the Dmax and 200 series Cruiser, towing almost 3 ton you really only have one senceable choice and that's a 200 Cruiser, thats if you chose to buy another tow rig.

Good luck.
AnswerID: 622620

Follow Up By: 9900Eagle - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 17:00

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 17:00
That's different from what I have seen. The most tow vehicles are 200 series, Rangers and BT50's by my reckoning, and that is from many, many kilometres of western travel. The D-maxs are very popular wth camper trailer people.

My Ranger will tick over " 100,000 towing kilometres" by the end of next year and yes that's towing K's, I keep a log of both towing and bobtail.
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Follow Up By: RMD - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 19:25

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 19:25
A strange phenomenon is Australia is not noticing other makes of vehicle until you or a family member drive that make of vehicle. Then the eyes are open. Plenty of Dmax and Mux out there. Camouflaged obviously.
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FollowupID: 895632

Follow Up By: Michael H9 - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 19:46

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 19:46
By the time there's a bullbar and lights on them you are hard pressed to tell what they are at first glance.
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Follow Up By: 9900Eagle - Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 20:40

Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 at 20:40
RMD.
Not really, sitting high up behind the wheel and often doing 5000K a week, you notice a lot of things, especially what is on the road.
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Reply By: Kumunara (NT) - Wednesday, Dec 19, 2018 at 17:03

Wednesday, Dec 19, 2018 at 17:03
Rather than the Ranger, look at an Amarok V6. Ranger 470nm, Amarok 550nm (580 on boost) Great tow vehicle.

Also has antisway system which automatically is activated when you plug in a trailer/caravan. Very good safety feature.
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Follow Up By: Frank P (NSW) - Wednesday, Dec 19, 2018 at 17:05

Wednesday, Dec 19, 2018 at 17:05
"Also has antisway system which automatically is activated when you plug in a trailer/caravan. Very good safety feature."

So does the Ranger/BT50.

But that Amarok V6 ... yummmm
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Follow Up By: Kumunara (NT) - Wednesday, Dec 19, 2018 at 17:14

Wednesday, Dec 19, 2018 at 17:14
Frank


I have been on 4X4 trips with people in BT50s and Rangers and I like them, they are good vehicle.

I test drove them before I bought my Amarok. They do not however compare to the Amarok in handling, power, comfort, etc. Off road they are as good as the Amarok. On road, not as good. Towing, not as good.

Towing a 2t Camper Trailer I average 11.2 L/100km. You would use more than that towing the van.


Regard


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Follow Up By: Frank P (NSW) - Wednesday, Dec 19, 2018 at 17:59

Wednesday, Dec 19, 2018 at 17:59
Kumunara,

Yes, I agree, the Amarok is a more sophisticated vehicle. Had the V6 been around when I bought my BT I may have considered one.

But I do like the low range in my BT50. It helps me get my van where I like to go.
"Towing a 2t Camper Trailer I average 11.2 L/100km. You would use more than that towing the van."

Hah! I use more than that just dragging my tradie canopy and roof rack around :-(
Add my van and :-( :-( LOL

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Follow Up By: Kumunara (NT) - Wednesday, Dec 19, 2018 at 20:07

Wednesday, Dec 19, 2018 at 20:07
Frank. The BT50 is a very good vehicle. If I owned one I would be very happy with it.
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Follow Up By: Shaun H - Wednesday, Dec 19, 2018 at 20:17

Wednesday, Dec 19, 2018 at 20:17
We are using VW on our fleet including Amarocks. Yes good vehicle but service costs very expensive. One of the reasons we are now changing over our fleet.
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Follow Up By: Frank P (NSW) - Wednesday, Dec 19, 2018 at 22:09

Wednesday, Dec 19, 2018 at 22:09
Kumunara,

I am VERY happy with my BT. The way I have mine set up, the aerodynamics are gone and it's a bit heavy, so I pay the expected price in fuel. Cost of having fun, I guess. But I love it. It does everything I ask of it, and then some, but I try to keep an open mind.

Cheers.
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Follow Up By: Frank P (NSW) - Wednesday, Dec 19, 2018 at 22:43

Wednesday, Dec 19, 2018 at 22:43
Shaun H,

Out of interest, what are you changing to?

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