Thread: Perentie GS 6000km test run

Hi guys
Thought you might like to know the results of a 6000 km/ 3 week test run of "Fred", my Perentie GS (48-206). The test run took in about 3000kms of dirt/off road, including the Strezlecki, Cordilla Downs, Birdsville and Oodnadatta Tracks, the Painted Desert and the Simpson Desert and there was about 3000 kms of varied sealed roads to get to the dirt up via Dubbo and Bourke and back via Broken Hill and Bathurst.

The truck is basically as purchased from AFM plus the usual waterproofing, lanolin coating, clean-up and fluids changes. The only significant mechanical work/mods was tidying and wrapping the wiring harness and adding a keyed ignition, lockable console and second spare.

The unsealed sections varied from well-graded roads to a lot of light and some very severe corrugations, to long sections of stony gibber tracks, to bull dust, soft sand and sand dunes and a small amount of straight cross country off-road, generally very dusty. For most days top temps were well above 40 degrees and one day of gale force winds and one of high winds and torrential rain (over 30mm).

Moderately loaded with one person, camping gear, food for three weeks, spares and tools, 40 litres of additional fuel, 30 litres of water and 2 spare wheels.

Results:

Overall fuel consumption 9.02L/100km; range - dirt 7.9 to 8.93L/100km highway (85-95km/hr) - 9.5-10.3L/ 100km.

Oil (RX Super) remained at exactly the same level for the whole trip.

Temp: engine ran at 85 degrees the whole way in spite of the very high air temp. Radiator did not require any top up either.

Dust: Not a great intake of dust with the vents open to keep up some internal pressure and not enough buildup to make sleeping in the back a problem.

Waterproofing: During 6 hours of heavy rain driven by a high wind while driving (my campsite flooded), it leaked a bit through the door tops but the load area remained completely dry as did the front seating area except for the floor and door pockets. The windscreen wipers coped but the lights could be better.

Mechanicals: apart from the roof rack and indicator stalk (see later) nothing shook loose or required tightening.

Tyres: Michelin XZLs - Not the best, They were very close to unused but had obviously hardened with time standing around (about 4500 kms in the last 4 years of service life), one developed an 8cm split on bad corrugations though it didn't deflate. I replaced it with the spare. All were heavily chipped and pitted on the top of the tread but I did not have a puncture or need to use the 2nd spare.

Problems:

A tarp strapped to the roof rack ballooned up in the first day of heavy winds causing the bolts to work loose and 2 to shear. I didn't have replacement bolts and eventually had to leave the rack on Cooper's creek at the dig tree.

The stalk with the indicators and horn shook loose and stopped working taking most of the warning lights with it on heavy corrugations. The problem cropped up intermittently had happened before though (see previous posts). Fixed at Port Augusta by an excellent Auto electrician by bridging some of the glass fuses with blades and tightening the stalk and earth. Later, outside Broken Hill, the ignition key would not turn off, only going back as far as the warning light on position. No hope of getting a new barrel so had to do the last 1500 kms using stall stops and disconnecting the battery terminal overnight. The battery never missed a beat. The problem may have happened when the steering wheel shroud was removed to fix the indicators or just from the shaking - the key barrel was an ebay special.

All in all Fred came up trumps with no significant problems caused entirely by trip or original equipment. I have him booked in next week for a thorough check out and to fix the ignition and I'll let you know the results. The driving position and seat were extremely comfortable compared with my old Pajero and 4WD Dual cab ute but even so I reckon I'm much worse off than the truck after 3 weeks of constant solitary driving in 40 degrees! For one 3 day stretch I didn't see one other vehicle except those parked in a few settlements on route and I had most camp sites, like the Dig Tree, entirely to myself - one of the joys of summer travel!

Originally Posted by Trraca

...All in all Fred came up trumps with no significant problems caused entirely by trip or original equipment. I have him booked in next week for a thorough check out and to fix the ignition and I'll let you know the results?.

English Auto at Tuggerah checked Fred out. The running repairs to the fuse box at Port Augusta were a bit of a mess and had to be removed and redone. This cured the key ignition problem so the barrel didn't need replacing and all the electrics are now back to normal. All the fluids were OK with not a drop of a leak in sight. The brakes needed adjustment and a return spring in the door handle needed replacing. The fuel filter under the lift pump had some crud in it but not enough to cause trouble. The only surprise was the the Uni joint in the front of the tail shaft needed replacing due to excessive play, which was odd since the shaft itself was pristine and even had the makers label still glued on it. Other than this Fred seems to have enjoyed his outing and is driving very smoothly.