spares and extra's
Submitted: Wednesday, Apr 03, 2002 at 00:00
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Jeff Harwood
Hi all. have just sold our business and are planning to head of around OZ for at least 2 years. My questin is, what do you all think are the "must have's" as oposed to the "would like to have's". We are travelling in a '96 L/R Disco that has been modified with the following;
raised 45mm allround, Kamar rear bumper with spare,
snorkel, dual battery, rear rollar _Affordable_Storage_Drawers.aspx, full length Overlander roofrack, 16" 235/85 Cooper STT + 2 spares, 85lt Flexi tank (H2O), 95lt fuel tank, 2 x 32lt Engel fridges (1 for freezer), XD9000 Warn winch mounted on ARB bullbar,Garmin GPS Plus II and software, high lift jack and all recovery equipment.
Anything else that you recommend? we are also going to be towing a 3.6mtr alli dingy. We would like to be able to access everywhere.
All responses are appreiciated. Thanks for your input.
Reply By: Gordon - Wednesday, Apr 03, 2002 at 00:00
Wednesday, Apr 03, 2002 at 00:00
Jeff, consider 4 things, (i)tyres, (ii)comms, (iii)weight and (iv)range. TYRES: Tyres are the most vulnerable part of any 4WD. I would feel unprepared without spare tubes(3),
puncture repair kit, bead breaker, tyre levers, rubber mallet and a compressor. In the outback it is not uncommon to get more than two punctures before you get to the next town (I've had 3 myself and once met a guy who had 4 in one day.) You will also need to reduce tyre pressures in soft sand but without a compressor you'll baulk at the idea. COMMS: If you have a problem you can't fix yourself and you're in a remote place then either
HF radio and/or EPIRB is a potential life saver. HF is expensive but gives you access to RFDS and VKS 737 (Aus National 4WD Radio Netw). With VKS 737 you can regularly report your progress, get road reports, talk to others in the vicinity and get messages to and from loved ones. I would also recommend CB's (both UHF and 27 Meg) so you can team up and talk to others you meet along the way. WEIGHT: The down-side to taking lots of gear is the extra weight which will shorten your range and put extra stresses on everything especially tyres. Some sugestions: a)Replace the second spare wheel with a spare case only - know how to remove and re-fit a case if needed. Consider split rims, which are dead simple to fit, and 7.50R16 tyres, which are easy to get in the outback. b)Replace your Engel fridge with a good quality esky of the same capacity. With 4 large freezer blocks (2 in the esky, 2 in the freezer, swap daily) we have no problems keeping things cool and there is less weight and less drain on batteries. Remember your spare wheel carrier are made of steel and is very heavy. Leave it behind if at all possible - put the spare case on the roof. This also improves access to the tail
gate. Have a guess how heavy is your vehicle fully laden - then weigh it - a mate did this and his L/C Tray Back went over 3.5 Tonnes compared with less than 2 tonnes curb weight? RANGE: 95 litres is not alot of fuel in outback conditions with a heavy vehicle. As a rule of thumb we carry 50% more fuel than needed to get to the next refuelling point. This means that we can get 3/4 of the way and if the road is impassible we can still get back to the previous refuelling point. This sounds a bit like a lecture but I know you'll take it in the spirit it is given - have a great trip.
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Follow Up By: Dennisn - Wednesday, Apr 03, 2002 at 00:00
Wednesday, Apr 03, 2002 at 00:00
Gordon, A great reply which I think everybody reading it will benefit from. One point on using HF Radio/EPIRB if you find yourself in a problem you cant fix yourself. The EPIRB must only be used in a genuine LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCY - as opposed to the
HF radio which you could use to get help with a broken down vehicle or similar situation. The use of EPIRBs is the same as an SOS or Mayday call on normal radio Distress Frequencies - only for LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCIES. Regards
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