Thread: Advice Please Re Outback Suitability

Cheers Mike
Thanks for taking the time to post. Hope your RRS arrives safely.
Off to the show room for a good look and test drive.
Tony

Hi

Mine is a 2010 D4 2.7 L without rear Diff lock, had traxide dual battery (fitted by Sniegy at MLR Docklands Melb), 100 L Long Ranger Tank, 4X4 Intelligence rear wheel carrier and 5 watt handheld UHF with windscreen mount external antenna, and LR cargo barrier bought from MLR and installed myself, and ARB fridge.

With the original good year wranglers road tyres, have been to Toolangi & Tallarook forests near Melb, Vic High Country incl Billy Goat Bluff and big desert in Vic without problems.

Last October, went on long trip to Birdsville via Corner Country, Innamincka and Cordillo Downs back down the Birdsville track and into Oodnadatta to lake Eyre. Also went up big red on the intermediate difficulty track with no problems. There was another 2.7 L D4 with E diif and a 3.0 L RRS towing a very large TVan with me. All did the trip and big red with no issues. Also 3 Nissan Patrols with us. 2 did not get up big red on the nedium difficulty track, the one that was Chipped managed it.

The only thing was that I blew 2 tyres (goodyears) at the same time on the side track to the Cooper's Crossing. Fortunately had 2 spares.

The RRS has the new GG AT on 19 inch rims and the other D4 had the GG AT2 (the older version) on 18 inch. No problems

The RRS is regularly taken off road including the Flinders without problems

I how have my tyres replaced by the new GG AT (18 inch)by Bridgestone Tyre in Port Melb. Good Job. They are near MLR docklands and will arrange for the car to go to MLR to put the car in "tight tolerance mode" for wheel alingment as part of the service. Have not been really off road with them yet except on some of the the dirt road sections of the Grand Ridge Road in the Strezlecki range 2 hours from Melb. A very faint hum at highway speed with window up. Seems to drive well at highway speed.

The D4 is a very comfortable and quiet care for touring. Handles corrugations well.

Hope this allay some of your concern

regards

GD-4

Hi GD-4
Exactly the type of post I was looking for. I have done many of the tracks you mention over the years manly in V8 County and more recently in Defenders.
In fact did the grand Ridge Road 2 weeks ago, very scenic road, we encountered 3 log trucks on our trip a little hairy to say the least.
I have been encouraged by the responses to my question on this thread and have booked a test drive of the D4 and RSS.
Thanks again to everybody who took the time to reply.
Tony

Hey Tony,
Tell us what you decided and have you been happy?!

I have No problems taking my D4 anywhere.

The main thing you will hear is that you will never get parts for them, but firstly parts can be shipped, no small mechanic shop is going to keep a large inventory of parts for any vehicle even a Toyota.

And let me tell you the story of a mate of mine who cracked a piston on his Prado near Karratha. There is a Toyota dealer there, but they are so busy doing mining work etc that it was more than a month before he got his car back and in the meantime had to fly back to Sydney and then back again to pick the car up. There was also a D4 on the same trip that had issues and it was trucked straight to Perth and sorted out in a few days. Both were expensive but the D4 wa back on the road much faster.

These cars are as capable and reliable and any other which doesn't mean you can't have bad luck and if you do it will be a PITA like it is with any other vehicle.

Stuart02
Have a D4, put in a dual battery , ARB bar and winch, GOE rims (used only for off road use) and GOE rods.
All good the D4 has been put thru its paces and glad to report no drama at all.
I also have a Defender for work around a property we have so have the best of both worlds.
The D4 is great for outback touring especially with good tyres on the 18 inch rims.
Cheers
Tony

A D3 was in our Simpson crossing group and had absolutely nil problems. His only modification was a set of Bridgestone Dueller AT tyres.

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