A very short trip report

[lightwing]

Hi all, thought I would put up a short report on my recent trip across Australia with my RFSV perentie.
To start with I acquired the vehicle last November. to prepare it for this trip I fitted a hard top from an early 110, did some small additions to the interior to make organising gear a bit easier threw in a second spare, fitted KLR's turbo kit and set off.
The route was from Melbourne, after crossing over from Tas. then to Broken hill, Innamincka, Windorah,(had some flood water to detour around),Birdsville, Dalhousie, Mount Dare, Alice Springs, Then via Gary Junction to Kanawarritji, down the Canning to the Talawana track, then to Newman and then on down via some less interesting roads to Perth.
On the way back from Perth to Menzies and Lake Ballard, Wiluna, Carnegie Station, The Gunbarrel Highway and Heather highways to Warburton, Giles, Docker River, Ularu, then down the Oodnadatta track, Flinders ranges, Broken Hill, then some less interesting roads to Syney, Canberra, Cann river Via the Monaro Highway, Melbourne and back home to Tas.
Total distance 15,786.
Now what I am thinking is that some of you may be interested in how the vehicle performed.
Fuel consumption averaged 11.45 liters per 100km
Worst 14.2 liters/100km
best 9.3 liters/100km
Worst fuel consumption was in really bad conditions, heavy rain, flooded creeks, sticky mud, first and second gear mostly.
The best consumption occurred in perfect conditions with a tail wind and driving very conservatively
What went wrong or failed with the vehicle? not much actually, I had the clutch slave cylinder fail in a pretty awkward place which resulted in having to drive several hundred k's with a partially operating clutch. Brad from KLR sent one by express mail to Yulara It was easy enough to fit.
And one evening, just about dark and the vehicle just stopped. Fuel was the problem, The banjo fitting at the bottom of the lift pump came undone. by the time I figured this out it was dark and it was a very awkward job tightening it up. but once tightened a few pumps on the hand primer was all that was necessary to get things going again (just love the simplicity of this vehicle)
Apart from those two things the perentie was a pleasure to drive and gave me a great sense of confidence.
If any one would like any more information regarding the above just let me know.
I am busy now getting ready for the next trip


regards, Chris

[mick88]

Good report, sounds like a great trip.
Do we get to see some pics?
At any time did you wish you had power steering or were/are you happy with the Armstrong?


Cheers, Mick.

[travelrover]

Hi Chris

Sounds fantastic, you going to post some photos?

Cheers Simon


Sent from my iPhone using AULRO mobile app

[lightwing]

Hi Chris

Sounds fantastic, you going to post some photos?

Cheers Simon


Sent from my iPhone using AULRO mobile app



Hi Simon, thanks for the interest.
I have of course many photo's, I will try posting one or two to see if I can do it

[lightwing]

Good report, sounds like a great trip.
Do we get to see some pics?
At any time did you wish you had power steering or were/are you happy with the Armstrong?


Cheers, Mick.



Hi Mick, Thanks for the reply. Pics coming when I figure out how it is done.
As for the power steering, RFSV's come standard with power steering and I was very glad to have it. Some of the tracks I travelled were in a very poor state, in places washed away altogether (parts of the Gunbarrel for eg.) This of course meant full left to full right in some very tight places occasionally.

[Chops]

Hi Chris, great little report, but as said by Mick and Simon, pics would be just awesome. :D
Many of us don't get to do trips like this :( , so we love seeing what those that do, get to see and experience on they're trips :D

[Mick_Marsh]

Thanks for posting this, Chris.


Hi Chris, great little report, but as said by Mick and Simon, pics would be just awesome. :D
Yes please.


Many of us don't get to do trips like this :( , so we love seeing what those that do, get to see and experience on they're trips :D
Time to trade the D4 for a Perentie.

[lightwing]

Thanks for posting this, Chris.


Yes please.


Time to trade the D4 for a Perentie.
Sorry guys, I have tried everything I can think of to get some pics up loaded but without success If someone can help me out with this it would be greatly appreciated. Makes me feel like a bit of a dill, but this is one of the reasons that I have a perentie, no computers!
Chris

[rangieman]

Thanks for posting this, Chris.


Yes please.


Time to trade the D4 for a Perentie.

Sorry Mick it will never happen as he has turned for the worse now:eek:

[Chops]

What are you using to upload/communicate on here, a phone or computer?


I cant for some reason post any picture of any kind from my iPhone. You may have the same issue if your using a phone to be on here.

[Chops]

Sorry Mick it will never happen as he has turned for the worse now:eek:

,,,,,,,,, :D

[wpalmo]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for a great trip report. I purchased an RFSV for the same type of trip but in the other direction. Work is getting in the way at the moment but I have a plan to go next year around mid year.

As far as posting pictures goes I find the best results from using a website like 'flickr'. This is an image sharing website and allows you to upload your images from a device like a computer, phone or tablet and then share them on websites like this. It is easy if you just follow the steps and the flickr website has easy to follow instructions and I am no tech wizard and managed to work it out.

Link below to make an account in flickr if you are interested. I am sure that your images from your trip will be appreciated on AULRO.

Regards Warrick.

https://www.flickr.com

[mark2]

Thanks for the report. Did you go through the Simpson between Birdsville and Dalhousie or via Maree? Looking at the fuel figures, I'm guessing it was via Maree? ie 14.2 looks a bit low for a Simpson crossing.
Also looking forward to pictures..

[lightwing]

Thanks for the report. Did you go through the Simpson between Birdsville and Dalhousie or via Maree? Looking at the fuel figures, I'm guessing it was via Maree? ie 14.2 looks a bit low for a Simpson crossing.
Also looking forward to pictures..

Hi Mark2, I crossed the Simpson Via the French line. The track was in poor condition, not on the eastern side of the dunes (ascent) but on the Western side. as most of the traffic crosses from West to east The West side of the dunes is the more common ascent side and petty much destroyed by heavy 4wd's with too much right foot.
crossing the Simpson from East to West is supposed to be the more difficult way to go. However due to the chewed up nature of the western side of the dunes It was the ascent that was easy and the decent that was rather painful. After the second day of the crossing heavy rain made the going even more difficult. If I could have I would have used the WAA line as much as possible but this was flooded so I was stuck with the French line all the way.
My fuel consumption figure is quite accurate as I kept a very close eye on this. Just for comparison I crossed the Simpson last year with my 09 Puma and used 11liters per 100. I guess that's what a common rail computer controlled engine can do for you.


regards, Chris

[lightwing]

Thanks for the report. Did you go through the Simpson between Birdsville and Dalhousie or via Maree? Looking at the fuel figures, I'm guessing it was via Maree? ie 14.2 looks a bit low for a Simpson crossing.
Also looking forward to pictures..




Pictures coming soon, hopefully tomorrow
Chris

[wpalmo]

Just for comparison I crossed the Simpson last year with my 09 Puma and used 11liters per 100. I guess that's what a common rail computer controlled engine can do for you.


regards, Chris

Just out of interest how did the Puma compare to the Perentie. If you did it again which vehicle would you choose to take?

Regards Warrick.

[mark2]

Hi Mark2, I crossed the Simpson Via the French line. The track was in poor condition, not on the eastern side of the dunes (ascent) but on the Western side. as most of the traffic crosses from West to east The West side of the dunes is the more common ascent side and petty much destroyed by heavy 4wd's with too much right foot.
crossing the Simpson from East to West is supposed to be the more difficult way to go. However due to the chewed up nature of the western side of the dunes It was the ascent that was easy and the decent that was rather painful. After the second day of the crossing heavy rain made the going even more difficult. If I could have I would have used the WAA line as much as possible but this was flooded so I was stuck with the French line all the way.
My fuel consumption figure is quite accurate as I kept a very close eye on this. Just for comparison I crossed the Simpson last year with my 09 Puma and used 11liters per 100. I guess that's what a common rail computer controlled engine can do for you.


regards, Chris


It was probably fortunate that the rain didn't fall on the first day - some of those salt pans on the eastern side would be a concern after heavy rain.


Do you think the consumption in the sand would have been higher if it had been dry and therefore softer?


How did you find the RFSV gearing at long term cruising speeds? The transfer is geared a bit lower compared to an FFR or GS (1.113 vs 0.996). Some say they rev a bit high, but I personally feel my GS is geared too tall and have often contemplated swapping in a set of RFSV gears.

[lightwing]

Just out of interest how did the Puma compare to the Perentie. If you did it again which vehicle would you choose to take?

Regards Warrick.


Hi warrick, I would choose the perentie for two reasons. Firstly It is such a simple vehicle that I stand a good chance of fixing anything that may go wrong.
Secondly it has heaps of torque especially after the addition of the turbo. I ma be biased but I don't think that there is anything else that can climb like a turbo'd perentie. It may be hard to believe but I have not yet had to use low range!
The Puma is a nice vehicle and I enjoyed it immensely however I usually travel alone so self sufficiency is very important to me. I can't fix computers

[lightwing]

It was probably fortunate that the rain didn't fall on the first day - some of those salt pans on the eastern side would be a concern after heavy rain.


Do you think the consumption in the sand would have been higher if it had been dry and therefore softer?


How did you find the RFSV gearing at long term cruising speeds? The transfer is geared a bit lower compared to an FFR or GS (1.113 vs 0.996). Some say they rev a bit high, but I personally feel my GS is geared too tall and have often contemplated swapping in a set of RFSV gears.


You are quite right about the salt pans being a problem after rain, I got lucky with the timing that's for sure.
As for the fuel consumption I don't think it would have been much different if it had been dry. As I moved further West especially around the Purni Bore area and towards Dalhousie I encountered a lot of flooded areas and plenty of mud, so softer sand probably would have been somewhat equivalent.
As for the RFSV gearing I can't comment on this as I changed the gear ratio to standard when I did the turbo job. This means that I have a set of RFSV gears if anyone is interested :)

[lightwing]

Pictures coming soon, hopefully tomorrow
Chris
https://www.flickr.com/gp/143404362@N04/TC49Lo

[Mick_Marsh]

Great view
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2016/09/827.jpg

[lightwing]

Thanks for the comment Mick. this photo was taken in the Bunyaroo valley in the Flinders Ranges. I have been through this area several times over the years but I have never seen it looking so green. I will try to post more images. However My computer crashed and I have just got it back from the computer shop sa will try again.
Chris

[lightwing]

Hi Chris, great little report, but as said by Mick and Simon, pics would be just awesome. :D
Many of us don't get to do trips like this :( , so we love seeing what those that do, get to see and experience on they're trips :D
I might have finaly got photo posting to work
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/924/Xry7LR.jpg http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/924/EliAMO.jpg http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/924/4bonZ6.jpg http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/923/5GCT5f.jpg http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/921/G0iUad.jpg

[lightwing]

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/924/g2065O.jpg

[lightwing]

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http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/922/gwS77O.jpg

[wpalmo]

Hi Chris,

Looks like you have sorted out how to post your images. Great looking Perentie. First RFSV I have seen with a hard top conversion. Did you keep all the stuff you had to strip off it to fit the hard top?

Regards Warrick.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2016/09/745.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/LNF9qc)

[Wallaby Ted]

Hi Chris,

Sounded like an awesome trip

Did I meet you at Erldunda around the 30th June whilst you were out and about, we had 3 Discoveries and the 110 and you showed us the photos of the water on the road?

We did the Simpson crossing West to East (French, WAA then Rig Rd due to eastern part of the WAA line closed) and the Western side of the dunes were definitely far rougher than the eastern one.

We had to detour around Lake Poeppel due to the fact that it didn't look passable and as it was late in the day we weren't willing to run the risk of getting stuck.


Richard

[lightwing]

Hi Richard, yes that would have been me at Erldunda. You deffinately did the right thing not trying to cross Lake Poepple when I took the attached pic it was nicely compacted on the wheel ruts but even walking off the ruts was difficult due to it being very soft, any rain and it would be impossible

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2016/09/733.jpg

[lightwing]

Hi Warrick. When I bought this RFSV most of the original equipment had already been removed. The previous owner bought it from Grey's and had planned to do what I did with it. I still have some of the original stuff however.