Back home after 6 weeks away
Submitted: Sunday, Sep 07, 2008 at 16:38
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Member - RFLundgren (WA)
Well we finally got back on Friday late afternoon after being away for 6 weeks. Not a bad trip, some parts great and some not so great. We saw some great
places and met some terrific people. The vehicle came out a litle worse for wear, but all in all not too bad.
4 x punctures (3 able to be plugged)
1 x tyre totalled
1 x new DC battery
1 x radiator repair and new top
tank
2 x rear windscreens
1 x fuel filter
2 new beauty spots on the vehicle.
Took loads of pics and about 40 hours of high def video footage, which Tracy will begin to go through over the next few weeks.
We will post a trip report in a couple of weeks also, once we have returned to normality.
After only 2 days back at home I think I am ready to go again, way too many people and distractions here in the city.
Reply By: Member - Tony B (QLD) - Sunday, Sep 07, 2008 at 17:53
Sunday, Sep 07, 2008 at 17:53
Richard. I know what you mean, we have been back for two weeks after our six week trip over to WA and back to FNQ. We were lucky, no problems at all. Wondering why the back windows, did you tow a camper? Also what tyres are you running? Regards Tony
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Follow Up By: Member - RFLundgren (WA) - Sunday, Sep 07, 2008 at 17:59
Sunday, Sep 07, 2008 at 17:59
Tony
Yes was towing a camper. I did think about protection for the rear windscreen, but in 5 years of towing the camper I have never lost one. The only difference this time was the tyres. I have always previously run BFG AT's. This time I had Maxxis 751's which did the job pretty
well I must say, although the rears are a little cut up after almost 11,000 kms across some pretty crappy roads at times.
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Follow Up By: Member - Tony B (QLD) - Sunday, Sep 07, 2008 at 18:22
Sunday, Sep 07, 2008 at 18:22
Yes I too was looking at the Maxxis, price was very good, could not get the size I wanted and in the end tried Cooper Sts. We did 12500k and tried to stay off the bitumen as much as possible. There is some very ordinary tracks out there, just the way we like it. I would say you will be looking at rear window protection from now on. I wonder if the Maxxis are a softer tyre compound which in turn may have flung rocks in a different manner than the BFG ATs? Just a thought. :-) Cheers Tony
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Follow Up By: Member - RFLundgren (WA) - Sunday, Sep 07, 2008 at 18:57
Sunday, Sep 07, 2008 at 18:57
Tony
That could be a definite possibility. They do seem much more cut up than tyres I have had on previous trips. Not too sure whether I will put them on again, as will probably only get about 60 - 70K out of them which compared to my old BFG's is not good value.
Time will tell I guess......
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Follow Up By: Richard W (NSW) - Sunday, Sep 07, 2008 at 19:13
Sunday, Sep 07, 2008 at 19:13
Richard,
Looking forward to the trip report. I've been back 2 weeks from an 8 week trip to WA. Heading off on the
Bourke Outback Trek in 3 weeks.
Did you have a stone guard on your camper trailer?
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Follow Up By: Member - RFLundgren (WA) - Tuesday, Sep 09, 2008 at 17:11
Tuesday, Sep 09, 2008 at 17:11
Richard
Yes I do have a stone guard on the camper, which has always worked before.
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Follow Up By: Richard W (NSW) - Tuesday, Sep 09, 2008 at 17:15
Tuesday, Sep 09, 2008 at 17:15
Richard,
Thanks. I've just built a stone guard for my camper trailer and as it's untried I'll put some cardboard over the back window and see if it has any marks.
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Reply By: Willem - Sunday, Sep 07, 2008 at 18:24
Sunday, Sep 07, 2008 at 18:24
Hi Richard
Good to hear that you had a successful trip
Sorry about the rear windows but hope the lesson has sunk in.
How did Tracy enjoy her holiday after all the worry?....lol
Yes, when you get back home after some weeks away it takes a while to get back to the humdrum of life.
Cheers
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - RFLundgren (WA) - Sunday, Sep 07, 2008 at 18:55
Sunday, Sep 07, 2008 at 18:55
Hi Willem
Yes the trip was good for the most part. It is nice to be home to the everyday convienences but that wont last for long.
Yes have learnt my lesson, go back to BFG AT's and ditch the Maxxis tyres...LOL
Tracy did enjoy it I think except for the first 10 days or so where she was really sick with both ears infected and a severe throat infection. As a result we did not do the abandoned section of the GBH, so I told her we would have to do it again sometime. She told me that I could do the bloody track on my own :)
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Reply By: Member - Zig (WA) - Monday, Sep 08, 2008 at 05:46
Monday, Sep 08, 2008 at 05:46
Richard
Good to hear you are back safe.
Looking forward to the trip report as we are off to the NT in a few weeks and I believe we will be travelling some of the track you have just done.
The rear window is a bit of a worry. I just had Outback Campers make up a stone guard for my camper. I have also thought of covering the rear window with some perspex or similar. I have never had a problem in the past , but sooner or later...
Cheers
Zig
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Reply By: Member - Oldplodder (QLD) - Tuesday, Sep 09, 2008 at 16:03
Tuesday, Sep 09, 2008 at 16:03
Interesting about the rear window.
Just done a fair few Ks too, with just a stone guard on the CT.
No problems. May have done more bitumen than you though.
But there must be some stones being flung back from the car since the break control wires on top of the axle kept coming loose. Heavy duty plastic zip ties and they were being broken by stones. Used some fencing wire and no problems now.
Water tank at the back of the CT got a caning too. Put a sheet of rubber on as a guard.
Got back last Friday too from the NT. Already planning the next trip :o)
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Follow Up By: Member - RFLundgren (WA) - Tuesday, Sep 09, 2008 at 17:19
Tuesday, Sep 09, 2008 at 17:19
John
Yeah I am also looking at the next trip as
well. :) Not quite sure what tracks I will take next year but if I can convince SWMBO the CSR will definitely be one of them.
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Reply By: Member - John (Vic) - Tuesday, Sep 09, 2008 at 16:13
Tuesday, Sep 09, 2008 at 16:13
Richard any issues with the HF after all the hassles you had before leaving?
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Follow Up By: Member - RFLundgren (WA) - Tuesday, Sep 09, 2008 at 17:14
Tuesday, Sep 09, 2008 at 17:14
John
No, no issues whatsoever with the HF. Despite what the experts at the service place here in
Perth tell me, once I replaced the control cable it worked fine, and did not fail to tune at any time or on any frequency during the entire trip.
The guys did however put a new profile into the radio with the updated Radtel frequencies and updated the firmware to the latest version that the radio would take before it needed a hardware upgrade, so it was still $'s that needed to be spent in any case.
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Reply By: equinox - Tuesday, Sep 09, 2008 at 16:23
Tuesday, Sep 09, 2008 at 16:23
Welcome back Richard.
I look foward to the trip report (still working on
mine).
I'm the opposite - I'm not ready to go back to the bush yet. Have hardly left the house of late (apart from work).
Regards
Alan
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Follow Up By: Member - RFLundgren (WA) - Tuesday, Sep 09, 2008 at 17:17
Tuesday, Sep 09, 2008 at 17:17
Alan
Yes I must get Tracy onto writing it ASAP :) She has spent the last 4 days putting the kids video together for the little documentary about the trip that we promised their teachers we would have them do.
I have yet to type all my scribble out, which is contained over about 70 pages in one of my notepads from work, which I reckon I will have trouble reading, seeing as most of it was either written first thing in the morning while drinking coffee in the dark, or late at night while drinking red wine in the dark....LOL
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