SHOULD I OR SHOULD'NT I?

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Originally Posted by DazzaTD5

As some of the D4 owning touring veterans have already mentioned..
If it was me and a D4 before I left I would do:
*Alternator (if its never been done).
*Battery (if its 3 - 4 years old).

*Timing belt is close to km's but over in years.
*I've done heaps of timing belts on D4's that arent even close to km's but are 8, 9, 10 years.
*ALSO replace top coolant outlet (I do these AT 100K now) if it splits while travelling on the hiway the temp gauge / computer wont respond quick enough to save the heads.

other info
*I've only ever had one faulty brake pedal switch on a D4, the symptoms were the front brake kept being applied.
*lower control arms, meh likely its already had a set. but if you do just replace the whole control arm its quicker and there for likely cheaper (its got 2 new bushes and a new ball joint)
*Service auto, although doing it 50K or 100K ago would have been the go.

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Many thanks for that excellent advice.
Justin Cooper did the belts, intercooler hose, park brakes clean/adjust, etc during COVID shutdown last year as he was quiet and it was coming up to 7 yrs old but only 140,000 odd klms.
I did the top coolant outlet earlier last year and the brake light switch. I carry a spare switch in the glovebox.
I clean the MAF sensors reasonably regularly.
I'll definitely do alternator and battery and bottom arms and sway bar bushes (they are both original).
I serviced (changed oil) the auto trans two days ago.

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Originally Posted by josh.huber

Why? You can properly check a start battery at any shop in 2 mins.

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Yep, one of mine dropped a cell in the middle of nowhere - not happy Jan!

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Originally Posted by gavinwibrow

Yep, one of mine dropped a cell in the middle of nowhere - not happy Jan!

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About 5 yrs ago I had a 2009 RRS TDV8 (should never have sold it!!) and on the Friday (day before my daughters wedding on the Saturday when the car was going to be used as a wedding car,) the battery simply died.

No prior warning at all. The day before it was working fine.
It just died, thankfully at my house.

Would have been very embarrassing and inconvenient if it had done it the following day.........

you mentioned tyres.....

I have been travelling the SA desert, Flinders Ranges and country roads twice a year for over 20yrs.

its not vehicle tyres I have seen campers having problems with but trailer/caravan tyres.

every trip I do I see/assist caravan owners with blown tyres , not punctures.I suggest you fit same tyres to your van as you do to your vehicle. Good ones. Search the forum, there are tyre threads popping up all the time.

I would not go bush with an old battery, I did unknowingly and it let me down. Fortunately you can get a new battery just about every servo, so just about everywhere.

There are no long distances to travel between towns in the Flinders Ranges and every modern service is not far away.

I personally like the outlying towns around the ranges as I associate with people I know.

It's a great trip , plan to go longer than you intend.

Respect the creeks , for some reason SA creeks seem to have a fairly sharp dip in the bottom , which vans don't like.

Just back from my 4th trip to the Flinders in my D2. I agree re creeks, especially if you take the back road from Yunta or go to Arkaroola (which is well worth it, particularly if you like walks and observatories and restaurants in the middle of nowhere and yellow tailed wallabies). I wouldn't attempt the 4wd trip at Willow Springs (if you were thinking of it) without ensuring the suspension is sorted. Lots of stony creek beds and lots of flinty slabs on the last 20km there-shakes car to bits. Otherwise you should have no problems and there's even a guy who fixes Discoveries in a small village near Blinman and does tyre repairs. He had a series 1, 2 and 3 there when I passed.

cheers
Pete

Don't forget to drop into the Wilmington Toy Museum.
No Discos there, but plenty of Land Rover history.

Recommend you climb the track up Mount Remarkable and stay a couple of nights at the beautiful Mambray Creek camp ground in the Southern Flinders Ranges. Attachment 170924

Have a great time.

Alan

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Originally Posted by Rurover

Don't forget to drop into the Wilmington Toy Museum.
No Discos there, but plenty of Land Rover history.

Recommend you climb the track up Mount Remarkable and stay a couple of nights at the beautiful Mambray Creek camp ground in the Southern Flinders Ranges. Attachment 170924

Have a great time.

Alan

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Thankyou for that info. Very helpful.

At risk of being accused of hijacking my own thread, I want to mention my proposed route thru the FRanges towing a 3.0T van (JB Dreamline 21ft) with leaf spring suspension so people may care to comment or offer advice.

FYI, I have lots of towing experience and was an early member of the LROC (Tas) back in 1977 when it was formed, so have done heaps of hard serious 4WDing (in Ser 2a, 3, Stage 1 V8, then One Ten LR's) and do not wish to do any more, so prefer the FRanges tracks to be relatively straightforward without any winching or serious stuff being necessary.
Guessing that 2 or 3 tracks may be all that's required to view the Ranges???

Would it be beneficial to fit a Llams for these tracks??

so...roughly thinking of this route...

Cradock, Wilpena Pound, (Rawnsley Park?) Blinman, Parachilna, Leigh Creek, Marree, Farina, Oodnadatta Track to Bopeecha, Sth to Roxby Downs, Woomera, then eventually Quorn (Railway trip), then the rest of Sth Aus (Peninsula's etc)

Also want to do Burra and that area before travelling via Broken Hill heading back to Tassy.
Did BH in the RRS without c/van about 6 yrs ago but didn't have a big enough look around.

Thankyou for any advice or thoughts you may provide.

From Cradock to Marree is mostly bitumen, so no drama there.
From Marree on can be pretty rugged at times, but not so bad until William creek.

After that, getting closer to Oodnadatta can be some serious corrugation, I'd be pretty nervous towing a caravan on that for sure!
You shouldn't need llams for that trip really.

Cheers
James

We have done all the roads mentioned with D4 and Trakmaster, gross 5800 kg.

Some very easy, some need caution.

Just poke along and spot the wallabies is our motto😊

Dave