Is it a industry gone mad?
Submitted: Sunday, Oct 14, 2012 at 20:49
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Axle
After a good day at the Eastern Creek 4wd show, i can't help than think theres to many jumping on the band wagon, Theres still big demand out there but do we need all the goodies offered, i mean your tent could be more luxurious than your lounge room, what you
cook over is more than what our parents had at there
home!, and so it goes on, but what concerned me the most was the lack of thought by some companys on certain important areas of their product..eg.. there was a fibre glass slide on camper mounted on a hilux, and looking at it i thought it was a top unit as far as been practical, strong . a lot of room, and very compact...But the way it was mounted to the ute tray, was a disgrace and very dangerous to the unwary,... two 3/8 nuts on their tie down lugs tightened down on the fibre glass with no plate or anything to take the load was just crazy, 1/2 hr on a dirt road and the whole lot would be ready to fall off i reckon.....the industry needs a shake up i reckon!
Cheers Axle.
Reply By: mikehzz - Sunday, Oct 14, 2012 at 23:03
Sunday, Oct 14, 2012 at 23:03
I came away thinking how all the gear was just spoiling the whole exercise. I don't want to pack the kitchen sink, I'm trying to get away from it :-) I'm starting to look at the guys taking off on motor bikes with a minimum of gear and think they have the right idea (except they aren't in a car)
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Follow Up By: The Explorer - Sunday, Oct 14, 2012 at 23:12
Sunday, Oct 14, 2012 at 23:12
....don’t forget backpackers (the bushwalking types). Everything you need on your back (clothes, accommodation, light, food and drinks). Having a motor of any type is taking it easy.
Cheers
Greg
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Follow Up By: mikehzz - Monday, Oct 15, 2012 at 07:23
Monday, Oct 15, 2012 at 07:23
No thanks, that's why we invented cars. Same with push bikes. Passed a few of them in
places like the
Birdsville track. Dressing up in lairy tights puts me off as
well :-)
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Follow Up By: splits - Monday, Oct 15, 2012 at 09:49
Monday, Oct 15, 2012 at 09:49
" don’t forget backpackers "
That subject was mentioned in a 4wd magazine way back in the 1970s during a discussion on excess gear. From memory the author said something like have you ever wondered how bushwalkers can live in the bush or two weeks with only what they can carry on their backs.
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Reply By: Michaeljp - Monday, Oct 15, 2012 at 01:58
Monday, Oct 15, 2012 at 01:58
I remember the very first trip away i ever done in my hilux 26 years ago, just 2 of us and the ute was almost packed to the canopy roof of camping stuff and couldnt see out the back window, and the back
seat just had our clothes.
The last trip i did alone 2009, and i had barely enough camping gear to reach the top of the ute sides. I could see out of every window of the canopy. A chair, 1 evacool esky,a box of tinned food and frying pan and pots, a swag, small gas cooker, shovel, axe, maxtrax, 2x 25 liitre jerry's and 1 water jerry. The back
seat had a bag of clothes and my cameras. And that was for 1 month holiday up the
Kimberley's.
Theres nothing like roughing it in the great outdoors.
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496696
Follow Up By: Bigfish - Monday, Oct 15, 2012 at 09:14
Monday, Oct 15, 2012 at 09:14
Totally agree. Things seem to go in circles. The biggest laugh I get is seeing the huge vehicles and vans , costing many hundreds of thousands, travelling along the bitumen roads. Might as
well stay in a motel and save your money. Each to his own but I will never fathom why people need a travelling house.
Half of the stuff offered is frivolous to what is needed. Cheap over seas imports aimed at catching your attention and telling you that it is a must to have. Go into a major 4wd
shop and look at the garbage on offer. Not all of it is garbage, just a lot of it is. Prices are way off target as
well.
Keep it simple stupid should be the motto you approach your travelling with. Less stress and saves many dollars for more travelling!!
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Follow Up By: Steve M1 (NSW) - Monday, Oct 15, 2012 at 13:58
Monday, Oct 15, 2012 at 13:58
I think you'll find it's the Australian prices that are "way off target". We recently had a discussion on here about Australian products that are available overseas at a lower cost, despite the shipping costs to get them there. We are frequently ripped off by Aussie companies who tie all their retailers together with a rrp inflated beyond it's worth. The "cheap overseas imports" are sometimes cheap in quality but not always. We'd be paying a lot more if it was left to our local suppliers. Supply and demand, I suppose. Even in what is a recession for a lot of Australians, the boating, 4x4 and caravan/camper market continues to boom, judging by continuous prices hikes and proliferation of companies and goods. If we're prepared to pay it........
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Reply By: member - mazcan - Monday, Oct 15, 2012 at 12:52
Monday, Oct 15, 2012 at 12:52
hi axle
i have seen simular attachments at shows and
you might find if you challenge the sales poeple like i did about the way the slide-on was mounted
you will more than likely be told it was only put on in a temporary manner just for the show display purposes but i think that very bad sales ethics
they dont consider that they could actually have an unforseen accident to or from the show in transit
cheers
AnswerID:
496714
Follow Up By: Member - OnYaBike - Monday, Oct 15, 2012 at 20:39
Monday, Oct 15, 2012 at 20:39
I'm not so sure. I'm looking at an article on what to look for in slide on campers in 4WD Action Custom Utes #3 and this is mentioned, especially for slide ons for style-side utes. It shows one with Northstar on the front and back, attached to four hooks pop-rivetted to the body. They ask how long this would last on corrugations.
I know I had a roof basket attached to pop-rivetted runners on the Rodeo roof, and they started ripping out on one side on the third
Cape York trip. Admittedly I was probably overloading it as they are not made for much weight.
I ended up getting a custom rack made which attaches to
the tub.
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Reply By: coonick - Tuesday, Oct 16, 2012 at 12:17
Tuesday, Oct 16, 2012 at 12:17
I think too many have forgotten what camping is about, it isnt defined in any specific terms however.........
Camping is just that, using a simple tent or swag to sleep in.
Sit around a fire with wood not gas or airconditioners.
Cooking on a fire on a hot plate or at most a
camp oven, even using a toastie iron.
eating basic foods like baked beans, bacon and eggs cooked on a fire....for the taste.
Going
home in clothes that smell of smoke and are actually dirty.
The whole idea HAS been blown out of the water with all the convenience of camper trailers, caravans, hot water showers, gas cookers or electric ovens to name a few.
These modern things have a place somewhere but to define camping as such yes too many on the band wagon with too many over priced un neccassary gimmicky toys.
It seems many just dont get it....simple as that.
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