You are taking your family camping, but you just can not fit all your gear in the car. How can you maximise the gear that you can take? First off be realistic with what you need to take — after all, camping is about living outdoors for a while, not living it up in a 5-star hotel. See my my camping gear checklist for my view on the essentials for car-based camping. Next, when … more »
I recently had a heavy duty (four capacitive coupler pad model) CouplerTec electronic rust prevention system installed in my Toyota Prado by TJM at Coopers Plains. I specifically purchased a second hand four wheel drive to go beach camping — I did not want to drive a $60,000 brand new car down the beach! Even though my Toyota Prado is second hand, I still wanted to install an electronic rust protection system in the vehicle. I … more »
The Waeco PerfectPower 150 watt can size inverter does the job of providing 240 volts to power small consumer devices, but it does have some design limitations. On my last road trip to Tasmania, I found that the 12V DC charger adaptors for my phone and laptop were not powerful enough to recharge the batteries in a suitable length of time. I would spend all day driving with the 12V chargers connected, but … more »
A quick-erect sun and rain awning is a very handy addition to any four wheel drive vehicle. Rather than purchasing an of-the-shelf awning, I have developed my own from some surplus gear in my camping kit. There are numerous different awnings available on the market that bolt semi-permanently to roof racks — examples include those available from ARB, TJM, Bushranger, and OZtrail. While I could have easily purchased an off-the-shelf awning, I have … more »
The photos in this article are possibly the first photos on the internet of the Rhino-Rack Pioneer Alloy Platform Rack System fitted to a Toyota Prado 120 series. I could not find any photos on the internet of the roof rack fitted to a Toyota Prado at the time I was making my purchase decision. The system is made up of the Pioneer Platform (part number 42102) and leg set RLCP03. I had the roof rack supplied … more »
Duck Creek Road is a great track to try if you are new to four wheel driving, or only have a soft roader or SUV. With the drought-breaking rain in recent years, Duck Creek Road has become sufficiently rough to warrant carefully thinking about where you plant your wheels, but not so challenging that you are likely to get stuck or seriously damage your vehicle. I recently took the family on a four … more »
During the 2010/2011 Christmas/New Year period, my family had the best holiday ever. I did a road trip from Brisbane to Tasmania and back. My family flew to Tasmania and we met there for a holiday around the Apple Isle. For various reasons, I have only just got around to writing about it. During the coming weeks I will write more stories about the road trip, but I am back-dating the published dates to … more »