Preparing a D3 TDV6 for a 12 month trip around Oz with 3 young kids

[jimc]

I think the title speaks for itself. Plan on doing Oodnadatta Track, Tanami Track, Gibb River Road..maybe Telegraph Track and will be towing an offroad camper. Unfortunatly the camper runs landcruiser wheels.

The car has 117K and at next service I will get all belts done.

So far I have ARB bar, traxide dual battery, mitch hitch, brake controller, Linear LED in car unit, snorkel, roof racks, UHF and basic recovery gear.

I am thinking of getting these...

for the car
long range tank
winch
wheel carrier
new bridgstone D697 LT tyres
second spare 18" rim and tyre
a spare tyre carcass
Spares as suggested by Gordon in recent GOE seminar.


and for the inside
seat organisers for middle row passangers
better head unit for old iphone full of audio books and reversing camera
some method to tie down a fridge AND leave at least one rear seat free when WW3 erupts in the centre row.
12v plugs for centre row seats

This is only prelim planning so no doubt the list will change before we head off.

[discotwinturbo]

Lucky bugger!
Have a great time.

Brett.....

[Graeme]

Does the camper have HD hubs or just standard hubs?

[IvanR]

Given that the Tanami is the only track that really requires extra fuel, I would suggest that extra jerrys (4 off) carried on the camper is a far cheaper option to the long range tank.

Ivan

[~Rich~]

I like your list Jimc, I'd add LLAMS or GOE Rods though.
Fitting either of these would allow you to drive faster than 50kph at either +30 or +50mm without the suspension lowering.
This gives you more clearance from your bumpstops.

[jimc]

The trailer is rated to 1700gvm running on independent cruisemaster air suspension, so yes it has heavy duty hubs. It does not have 50mm parallel bearing but heavy duty cone/cup...something I am not too sure about, but the trailer has already done most of the major offroad destinations with the previous owner without any dramas.

the trailer has heaps of on board water and space for 3 jerry's. I thought getting a long range tank for the truck would allow us to carry more water..if needed.

[IvanR]

As the camper does not have parallel bearings it means that it is possible to fit Disco wheels to the camper if you were to get new drums with Disco stud pattern (with parallel bearings the drums at not able to be machine small enough to fit ths Disco spigot) Assuming that the camper carries a spare and all 3 are Disco pattern then there would be no need for the extra spare wheel carrier on the Disco, only need to take an extra tyre.

Ivan

[Graeme]

Parallel bearing hubs are the 10" brake HD hubs rated at 1600 kg for large wheels. At 1700 kg your hubs should be 2T rated and have 12" brakes.

Edit: I am in the process of fitting parallel hubs to my caravan that are initially for X5 rims but will eventually accept LR rims too, but still only rated at 1600 kg.

[Ashes]

Perhaps consider a fridge slide and perhaps an enclosure box so stuff can be put on top of it. I think you would find it a bit of a pain having to climb into the back to get into the fridge all the time.
If you have rear air con perhaps consider putting the middle seat in the 2nd row down and using this as a table for car games etc. and keep the kids apart anyway.

[Tote]

A Couple of suggestions:
UHF CB
Tyre pressure monitor - this is cheap insurance for a slow leak that may destroy a tyre.
7" android tablet to run oziexplorer on and mount on the dash where the factory screen goes.
If you don't get a long range tank you can use the spare tyre winch to hold the spare carcass. Make up a plywood disk with a hole in the middle and use this to hold the tyre on to the winch.

Regards,
Tote

[PeterMax]

Hi JImc
Did a shorter 3 month trip with wife & 3 young girls a couple of years ago in our D3.

Keeping the seat in the back free was our saving grace when things got tough between sisters. One claimed it as their own after a few weeks and problems solved. The next best accessory was the DVD player. Only allowed on in afternoon but made extended driving days possible.

Regards

Peter

[DiscoWeb]

jimc,

As someone else suggested I think a Thule or similar roof box would be good as it might give the added flexibility for shorter trips where you do not want to take the trailer but need to carry a little extra gear, and light stuff like chairs, sleeping gear and soft bags can be put up in the roof with out the concern of dust and water getting in.

Whilst a DVD player is great the audio books, which I think you made mention of in your OP are fantastic and I found makes the longer travel days go faster for everyone.

Perhaps also look into installing a water traps on your fuel line to stop problems with bad fuel wrecking you holiday. As you said you will be travelling to remote locations and I assume trying to stick to a budget means you will probably choose or be forced to choose cheaper fuel options. A water trap can save you a lot of head aches. and lot of $$.

I second the GOE Rods or LLAMS. I have the GOE Rods and they do only take 15 sec per wheel and mean you do not have the annoying bong every time you get to 50km per hr in off road height.

What every you choose it sounds like a great experience for you all , enjoy !!!

George

[Tote]

One advantage of an extra fuel tank not mentioned is the ability to choose where you refuel. This can be an important choice with a common rail Diesel.
Regards,
Tote

[Nomad9]

Hi Jim, Something to bear in mind is all the additional weight you are putting over the rear axle/s. The air suspension will compensate and keep everything level, however the vehicle becomes very heavy "in the bot bot", noticed this more when towing the stability control tended to come on more often, and sand driving, especially on 18 inch tyres. Maybe consider changing to 17's as long they will fit if you are going to add the LR tank, the dual wheel carrier and the fridge (full of food).
Having the extra fuel and the extra wheel certainly give you that additional peace of mind, good batteries are important together with the right dual battery set up I run the Piranah DBE 180S, this has a solar feature that you can plug a solar panel in to keep the batteries topped up if you decide to camp out for a week. I put my plug in the bull bar easily accessible.
Be very careful with the tyre selection, and then be careful with the temperatures and the speed you travel at, I got Cooper HT plus tyres because of their load rating, rubbish, shredded two on the great central road and changed them all out to General Grabbers when I got back, found the warranty wasn't worth the paper it was written on. If you go to 17's you can get some BFG's and rest easy, my opinion of course. The Bridgestones I had on my Disco 1 were great, I hadn't done any long touring only some off road work, they were fantastic.
Good air compressor make sure you've got one, also a good device for lowering tyre pressures, at least one spare pressure gauge, you will lose at least on on your trip. Spare keys, make sure you've got some somewhere and not to well hidden, make sure everyone knows where they are.
A couple of hand held UHF radios (charged) always handy, when my wheel came off the camper trailer I had to send my daughter off into the bush to find it whilst my wife and I tried to get the camper trailer up high enough to re fit the wheel. Keeping in contact is very assuring especially for the person going off into the bush.

My experiences hope some of this is of value.

[TDV6]

I would also consider a "HAWKEYE" diagnostic and fault code clearer.

See http://www.bearmach.com/downloads/Diagnostic/Hawkeye_v3and4_GB.pdf for detail. Fleabay has them for less than $400.

There is a GPS based travel tracker that lets you track where you have been and also has other features, I have seen mention of it in the caravan mags.

I also took a GPS equiped GME EPIRB so if we really got stuck we could call for help when out of moblie range.

A Telstra G3 rural mobile, it's the only one with any coverage out bush.

Have fun, should be a great trip.

Ryall

[TDV6]

Forgot to say the GPS based travel tracker also lets freinds and family see where you are while you are on your trip.

I'll go back through some mags and see if I can find the info on it, unless someone on the forum knows more on it.

Ryall

[connock]

Lucky bugger
Have a safe trip
I know it will be great:)

[eddomak]

Forgot to say the GPS based travel tracker also lets freinds and family see where you are while you are on your trip.

I'll go back through some mags and see if I can find the info on it, unless someone on the forum knows more on it.

Ryall

If you happen to be running an Android device (sorry, I am not familiar with what is available on iOS) with mobile data connectivity of some sort there are a lot of apps that can do the same function.Some that come to mind are Google Latitude or Glympse.

The main thing with these is that they tend to use the battery of the device more due to the GPS being on, but if you happen to be plugged into the car's power supply then this is not an issue.

On that note, it may also be worthwhile either purchasing a spare mobile phone battery (or "charge pack" if your mobile cannot have the battery removed) or even mini solar charger. With the long distances and less reception phones tend to chew up batteries faster, and if you do need to leave the vehicle in an emergency then by carrying an additional battery pack for insurance will give you longer time to keep in contact or use the GPS etc. On eBay these things go for under $20.

[Steve223]

Did a 4 week trip trough outback NSW and QLD with 2 kids and my D3 100k

What I would definitely add is:


LLAMS
Cargo Barrier
Some sort of drawer system (which we did not have at the time but it was missed)
Hawkeye
would also suggest a remap or chip and EGR blank
and from own experience a silicon turbo hose
Fire Extinguisher
2 x iPad with hema maps ( one served as distraction for kids from time to time and as map back up)
I definitely also carried a EPIRB or satellite phone
well stocked first aid kit

[Peter]

You are a very lucky guy... Having a look through the many posts I will add a few which I have or wish I did. Caveat - time and money solves and limits most things.

Ground independent UHF Aerial on the roof - RF industries type - I have done this and it does make a real difference to distance and clarity.

Snorkel - wish I had one - dust is evil and should be avoided.

Refrigerator Slide - a good sized fridge will not open in the back so this is important. My mate has one and I have fidge slide envy.

Smaller Drinks fridge <=40 litre - the main fridge/freezer when opened for drinks will work very hard otherwise.

Two (2) 100amp deep cycle batteries - my 80 litre Engle and camp lights etc will pull a 100amp flat in a little over two days and I just suggested a drinks fridge :).

Telstra 3G /4G modem with external aerial plug - They now handle up to 4 wireless devices and are really fast in 3G areas.

3G external aerial - laws of camping state that the perfect spot will be on the edge of the 3G reception.

Wireless External Hard Disk - Store a heap of DVDs and CDs etc for the kids and your own sanity when you are out of reception. Get the kids to load it up.

Heavy Duty Accessory plugs - two (2) in the back, Two (2) on the back of the console for the kids.

240v inverter - >300W and modified sign wave or better if possible.

More than two (2) USB charging sockets - Remember 2amp for tablets and 1amp for phones. I am considering permanently putting these into the front panel rather than have cords hanging down the dash.

Awning - I have a 3m*3m and it is just about the right size with kids.

Staun Tyre Deflators - cause they are that good.

Air Compressor - For use after Staun Deflators.

[jimc]

Thought I better give an update on the D3 in preperation for our shake down 2 week trip into the Flinders Ranges.

The car now sports the following.

Rhino Pioneer rack + shovel holder + custom made Maxtrax anchors
Rijidij rear wheel carrier + rear light on extendable pole
Mitch hitch
Longranger auxiliary tank
traxide u160 dual battery with rear 12v and anderson plug for trailer
custom made single draw unit (140mm high) + fridge slide
GME UHF
ARB front bar
Apline head unit + reverse camera
redarc brake controller
Runva 12000 winch
replacement for silly OEM wheel wrench
Bridgstone D697 tyres
Linear in car LED module
fan for rear passanger
Nexus 7" tablet builtup as oziexplorer and turn by turn GPS + RAM mount
12v extension sockets to charge kids DVD players, phones etc


I think we are almost ready to go!

[TDV6]

Have you considered the auto transmission steel pan conversion and accompanying ATF oil flush? You have not mentioned doing this in earlier posts, and you will be towing and you are over 100k. As mentioned in other posts Fuchs oil for the ATF is available and is approx $15 per litre, not up on current steel pan pricing though.

Ryall

[Steve223]

Have you considered the auto transmission steel pan conversion and accompanying ATF oil flush? You have not mentioned doing this in earlier posts, and you will be towing and you are over 100k. As mentioned in other posts Fuchs oil for the ATF is available and is approx $15 per litre, not up on current steel pan pricing though.

Ryall

I paid just under 1k for 2 conversion kits and 20l of oil from ZF

[jimc]

sorry..forgot to mention these bits as well...

2.5kg fire extinguisher
snorkel
auto trans flush + steel pan

the last item yet to be done is the cam and fuel pump belts, water pump etc, but thats due next service.

[SimmAus]

I am super jealous. The vehicle sounds well kitted out and what a trip to do!!

I'd seriously consider adding Rods (or llams) if you're planning any trips offload - rods at around $150 are the cheapest lift kit available and will stop that annoying bong sound in offload height when you reach 50kmph.

Enjoy...:-)

[Graeme]

I'd seriously consider adding Rods (or llams) if you're planning any trips offload - rods at around $150 are the cheapest lift kit available and will stop that annoying bong sound in offload height when you reach 50kmph.Its not just the annoying bong but the frequent use of the compressor to get back up to off-road height after it lowers.

[dukemasterpro]

Given that the Tanami is the only track that really requires extra fuel, I would suggest that extra jerrys (4 off) carried on the camper is a far cheaper option to the long range tank.

Ivan

Good point Ivan - what's your understanding of fuel consumption on the Tanami? Going to Broome that way next April :-)

[rutmutt]

The Tanami changes regularly and there is no way to know what it will be like without calling ahead. I did the Canning stock route 2 months ago which exits onto the Tanami near wolf creek. One of the couples in our party said they had driven the Tanami the year before and it was the worst road they had ever driven.

We exited the CSR to find the Tanami like a bowling green and sat on 90km/h no worries at all, we were overtaken by many many people doing in excess of 120km/h

[pohm66]

The wife and I did the lap with 2 dogs and a 2 ton ATV caravan a couple of years ago. 31,000ks in 5 1/2 months. Free camping most of the way. Car now done 300K.

Sat phone a definite as well as a comprehensive 1st aid kit with 2 of you knowing how to use it.

We always traveled with an extra 40lt of diesel as twice towns we pulled into had the sole petrol station closed due to pump issues. Tom Price was one place (parts and service from Port Hedland), the extra fuel meant we could get to the next town.

We had a 90 fridge in the van with a dicky freezer so used the 45 Lt in the car as a freezer.

Also hunt down in country towns for their depot fuel stations, usually off the main drag but cheaper.

A fly mesh room was great to relax in when the fly's came to visit, made eating and relaxing more pleasurable, just hung it from the caravan awning. Put split lead fishing weights around the bottom edge to hold in down in the breezes.

Also get the top car coverage from RACQ or equivalent.

Useful tip to help keep cool on hot days in the van when no air con. Spray the fly screens on the windward side with water and the breeze as an evaporative effect. Help with 42 regs at Winjana Gorge WA.

Now looking to do it again someday BUT slower.

Enjoy

Have a great trip.

[mijango]

We did a 3month trip too into the red centre towing an off road camper trailer (cub brumby) recently.

Best bit of advice i received is just get out there and do it. It sounds like you've gone through the logical steps and if you're starting on the East coast anything you're missing is never far away.

One thing I would never go off the beaten track without is a sat phone. Give it a good test and you'll then be travelling with peace of mind. If something goes seriously wrong, backup is only a phone call away

Enjoy :)