Bug Screen Tips - Driving to Grand Final

[PerthDisco]

Wife has declared if the Eagles get through this Saturday we are driving over to Melbourne leaving Monday.

Just wanted to check if I put some flywire in front of radiator I wont blow it up or cook the turbo? Have heard various reports of not using on a TD car.

My idea is to hang a sheet of flywire directly in front of the radiator and coolers.

Me, I'm a Kangaroos fan so a Hawks v Kangas GF might see some cheap flights East and the car not leave the garage.

If a Derby GF the Nullarbor might be busy!!

Thanks
Richard

[Tombie]

Don't bother with it.

All it does is interrupt flow...

A few bugs is nothing, just clean it with a hose when you get home (of course a locust plague is something else but none at the moment)

[dublin_101]

Wife has declared if the Eagles get through this Saturday we are driving over to Melbourne leaving Monday.

Just wanted to check if I put some flywire in front of radiator I wont blow it up or cook the turbo? Have heard various reports of not using on a TD car.

My idea is to hang a sheet of flywire directly in front of the radiator and coolers.

Me, I'm a Kangaroos fan so a Hawks v Kangas GF might see some cheap flights East and the car not leave the garage.

If a Derby GF the Nullarbor might be busy!!

Thanks
Richard

thats a lot of dedication mate....surely it would be cheaper to fly ..but i commend your dedication.

[BMKal]

thats a lot of dedication mate....surely it would be cheaper to fly ..but i commend your dedication.

Definitely not cheaper to fly. ;)

Airfares at the moment are being quoted at more than $1,000 each one way, so for two people, $4K plus return.

If you can't drive a Disco across and back for considerably less than that, there's something seriously wrong with it. :D

We're going across to Tassie again in January. Looked at flying over there as well. Once we add in the cost of a hire car for the time we're over there, it's much cheaper to drive across, including the boat fare with car and overnight cabin both ways. Of course if you're driving, you have to make allowance for overnight accommodation on the way across and back (unless you're really keen and want to do it non-stop :eek:) - but there are cheap options here too. We are well set up for overnight stops, so don't spend too much money on this.

Long range fuel tank helps a lot - fuel prices across the paddock can be scary. But I can easily make it from Norseman to at least Ceduna (have managed right through to Port Augusta on our best trip, with a tail wind), so this is not a big concern for us.

We happened to be driving across (on our way to Tassie) the last time the Dockers made it into a Grand Final - the road was busy but not so bad as to be any bother. Finding accommodation might have been an issue though if we had needed to. But the tent that clips under the awning only takes a couple of minutes to put up and is all we need for an overnight stop. :D

If you're worried about bugs - you are far more likely to encounter them between Perth and Southern Cross on this side, and then through the wheatbelt in SA. Plenty of towns there where you can pull up and hose the radiator out if you need to. You won't have any problems with bugs between Southern Cross and at least Penong in SA. Both my son and I hit a locust plague recently on our way down to Perth. I was in the D4 and they didn't give me any grief apart from the mess on the windscreen and the front of the vehicle - managed to wash it all off while they were still wet and easy to move at Lifestyle 4WD in Morley when I got down there. The young bloke had a few more issues in the D2 the following day - it started running hot from around Northam through the hills. He ended up pulling in and hosing it all out at The Lakes, and no more problems after that.

[rangieman]

Id be more worried about driving at night with the wildlife than a few bugs;)
Word of warning only the brave or dumb drive across the paddock of a night in a car

[Graeme]

I had bug screens on my D2s, my D4 and have just fitted one to my RRV. I live in a farming area where bugs of one sort or another occur most of the year and I don't want to spend my life reverse cleaning radiators. With canola in full bloom native bees are the current culprits and they had already made a mess of the RRV's radiators. Its standard practice with farmers around here to have a screen permanently fitted.

[cripesamighty]

"Id be more worried about driving at night with the wildlife than a few bugs
Word of warning only the brave or dumb drive across the paddock of a night in a car"



Yep, both brave and dumb and drove with my eyes on stalks. I've had to do it a couple times and it was a bit hairy to say the least. Nothing like a road train coming in the opposite direction outlining of a bunch of camels crossing the road outside the range of your lights to get the old heart rate up! Would hate to think what the Defender I used to have would have looked like after running into one of those....

[rangieman]

"Id be more worried about driving at night with the wildlife than a few bugs
Word of warning only the brave or dumb drive across the paddock of a night in a car"



Yep, both brave and dumb and drove with my eyes on stalks. I've had to do it a couple times and it was a bit hairy to say the least. Nothing like a road train coming in the opposite direction outlining of a bunch of camels crossing the road outside the range of your lights to get the old heart rate up! Would hate to think what the Defender I used to have would have looked like after running into one of those....

Ever seen what happens to Accord that hit Camels of a night across the Paddock :censored:
Not a good sight:o

[dublin_101]

Definitely not cheaper to fly. ;)


have you tried other ways to get cheap flights? eg via Singapore etc? Sorry I just love these sorts of challenges :)

[letherm]

Drove south through the Victorian Wimmera region (I think that's what it was called - western Victoria) during a locust plague. The smell of splattered and cooked locusts stank to high heaven. I had a windscreen vertical mesh stone guard on and it kept getting blocked. Literally took me 45 minutes at Warnambool to power spray most but not all of the critters off the car. I was still getting the odd locust dropping out of the engine bay etc more than 12 months later. Not something I'd want to experience again:p

[Tombie]

"Id be more worried about driving at night with the wildlife than a few bugs

Word of warning only the brave or dumb drive across the paddock of a night in a car"







Yep, both brave and dumb and drove with my eyes on stalks. I've had to do it a couple times and it was a bit hairy to say the least. Nothing like a road train coming in the opposite direction outlining of a bunch of camels crossing the road outside the range of your lights to get the old heart rate up! Would hate to think what the Defender I used to have would have looked like after running into one of those....


Done the run at night a couple of times.

Good driving lights are worth every cent.

Would I do it again? Anytime.

We nearly hit a mob or Roos - less than 45km from home. The paddock was nothing!

[LandyAndy]

I would drive at nite if I had too.Its a matter of driving to conditions.I have plenty of light on the D4.
One tip.Buy a large squirty bottle of windex and a pack of microfibre cloths.A 5 min pit stop and you have a brand new windscreen;););) Bugs are shocking here at the moment!!!!
Andrew

[BMKal]

have you tried other ways to get cheap flights? eg via Singapore etc? Sorry I just love these sorts of challenges :)

Haha no thanks. https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

If I make it to Singapore in my travels again, I'll just keep heading north back to China - loved it up there. https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2015/09/243.jpg

As far as driving the Nullarbor at night goes - I don't have a problem with it and have done it more than once before now - I have plenty good lighting. But these days I don't do it so much, it's more of a need for sleep - must be getting old. https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2015/09/244.jpg

[Outback 1]

Used to do it every week in a road train would not recommend doing it at night in a car to many hazards that bounce or walk and I have seen the aftermath of when it goes wrong

Sent from my SM-G900F using AULRO mobile app

[PerthDisco]

Thanks for the great discussion and options.

Turning it into a school holiday adventure with kids so yes would be $8k in airfares if you could get them. Not so sure how the run home will go - might be a few complaints I imagine. Will do the more scenic tour on the way back. Keen to try the track through to Hyden.

Plan on camping overnight and taking about 4 days to get there in time for the Friday parade. Seems to be lots of camping options.

I did do a 62 hour cannonball run to Coolangatta via Broken Hill when I was 20 rotating a sleeping driver from the back of a Magna wagon. Nothing hit fortunately.

Oil changed and tyres checked so ready to go subject to the weekend results.

Richard

[cjc_td5]

Have fun driving over to watch Freo vs Kangas :wasntme::wasntme::wasntme:

I wouldn't bother with a bug screen. Its the big furry wildlife you need to be wary of.....

It's a good drive (I like it anyway).:)

[Aaron40]

Those with airfare tickets may wish they drove if re fuelers strike as planned prior to GF... Drive safe!;)

[PerthDisco]

Trip complete
13 days / 9.2 driving days
7677km door to door (home via Great Ocean Road)
137000km on clock now

It's a long way to the MCG if you want to see the Grand Final!

Did only day time driving however ran an hour into dark on way over to punch out a few 1000km days. Last hour at 80kmh as kangas and emus do get friendly. Bull bars only for night driving unless you're very lucky. Morning road kill is impressive.

Spot on about bugs. Feral in WA and SA (worst) wheat belt. Almost none on Nullarbor.

Temperature was great and everything nice and green. 3G all the way pretty much. Slower days on way back and saw great sights and beach driving along coast at Eucla. Tried some of the fishing tracks you can see from road on SA side of border in rock crawl low range. Road side camping better than expected.

On the way back came through Norseman to Hyden track which was brilliant. Gravel at last. Great camping spots and sights. The most remote of whole trip.

Disco did not miss a beat. Ultimate comfortable driving machine for that trip. Appreciate the design and placement of everything now so much more now as built for such miles and passenger comfort. Did not use a drop of oil.

Between Kalgoorlie and Port Augusta on way over saw only one other D3/4 at the WA border. Did not see a Disco on return trip until about 30km from home! Saw about 20 D3/4 Discos in total in regional SA and VIC. Saw about 5 older D2s and a few old RR no previous model RRS. No current model RR or RRS the entire trip outside of the CBD area.

Very surprised. An exclusive club!

There are literally /1000s of Sahara / Prado / Hilux rigs of new and old variety. (Insert any jap brand really). The variety of grey nomad rigs are amazing beyond that.

There were at least 30 to 40 almost brand new Jeep Grand Cherokees towing almost the same style of brand new caravan. It's like they have stolen the Disco price point as offer a similar luxury package. Someone must be selling a car and caravan package or something as it was uncanny passing and seeing so many. Everyone else has a random camper or caravan style.

So much to see. So little time.

[LandyAndy]

Glad it all went well,thanks for the update.
Andrew

[PerthDisco]

Oh yes, a few dead Eagles on the Nullarbor and at The MCG.

[rangieman]

Glad it went well and interesting you commented about the wild life :cool: It is something serious to consider for any one contemplating a drive across the paddock after dark:angel:

[PerthDisco]

Yes I am a big believer that the roo bar is only needed if you have to drive at night at high speed. It is quite a big step to have one fitted and your car is forever changed. The odds of strike in the day are extremely low and for the occasional trip into the bush I want to drive days only for the views.

I did the Nullarbor in my 20's so the entire country from around Cocklebiddy to Ceduna was brand new to me as it was done in the dark previously (we actually had a roo clip and bounce off the side of the car that particular night).

What was more surprising to me was seeing only one other D3/4 on the road during both crossings. Most are definitely employed on the school run as I see about 20 a day on any morning around my house. Most with Discovery on the bonnet. Makes me think there will be a buying bonanza in 2-3 years time when the leases expire.

[shanegtr]

There are literally /1000s of Sahara / Prado / Hilux rigs of new and old variety. (Insert any jap brand really). The variety of grey nomad rigs are amazing beyond that.


I headed up to Karratha on the school holidays, I know where you coming from with this statement. I did see one (I assume grey nomad -but didn't get a good look at the occupants) brand spanking new looking Range Rover towing a caravan.