It’s always been a great feeling to pick up a new four-wheel drive from the dealership and head home, all the while planning the next big escape to the bush. I should know, I’ve owned enough new 4×4 vehicles over the years: two Daihatsus, a Datsun Patrol (before they became Nissans), Toyotas ranging from HiLux dual cabs, to my current Land Cruiser Prado and a couple of Nissan Patrol Wagons to boot. Suffice to say that my penchant for pristine four-wheel drives has managed to keep my bank balance at the lower end of the scale for most of my life.
These days, regardless of make or model, most modern 4×4 vehicles are very reliable and capable enough for the vast majority of our off-road and touring applications. However, the potential of most of them and our enjoyment of the trips can be improved markedly with just a few minor upgrades.
Here are 10 cost-effective tips that will greatly enhance your four-wheel drive’s touring reliability, off-road ability and safety in the great Aussie outdoors. We need to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
Most new 4x4s come with standard ‘road’ type tyres. However, for most real four-wheel drive work, they are a less than acceptable option that will have you bogged at the first off-road obstacle, or tear out a sidewall on the initial rocky track.
From my experience, super aggressive tread tyres are not really necessary, except under the most severe of off-road conditions. The best option by far is a good all-terrain 4×4 tyre. My last two new 4×4 wagons have had the standard road tyres replaced with BF Goodrich TAs, before I drove the vehicles off the showroom floor.
The BFG TAs have served me well on many of my four-wheel drives for plenty of years and I can’t rate them highly enough. They offer good on-road handling with a minimum of road noise, but are aggressive enough for 95 per cent of all four-wheel driving situations, with tough sidewalls that will resist punctures. The road specific tyres as supplied with new 4x4s just won’t cut it once you go off the black stuff, so consider fitting one of the better brands of all-terrain 4×4 tyres as an alternative.
To my mind, anyone who drives a 4×4 through rural Australia without a bull bar on their vehicle (or should that be roo bar) is inviting real trouble. Do enough kilometres in the Outback and inevitably you will likely end up with a roo strike. I did it in a Commodore sedan many years ago, with no bull bar and two roos through the radiator just near Tambo in Queensland, which kept me as a visitor in the town for the next two days while the radiator was replaced.
Now I don’t drive my new vehicles out of town until they have a bull bar and tow bar fitted. With the addition of a couple of tow points front and rear, for vehicle recovery purposes, you’re good to go, with much less likelihood of ending up stranded at the back of ‘Woop Woop’ after a close encounter of the Skippy kind. If you incorporate side rails with the bull bar, minor front guard damage will also be minimised from the slightly slower roos.
It’s not that we want to constantly drive through deep water, but a snorkel does guard against water finding its way into the air intake when traversing waterways. But always remember: ‘If it’s flooded, forget it’. The main advantage of the snorkel is for our vehicle to take in clean air from roof height, rather than excessive dusty air from under a front guard, where most air intakes are located. This translates into less problems associated with clogged air filters and keeps the vehicle running better for longer.
For the same reason that we need a good bull bar, we also need good driving lights, if travelling in the Outback at night. It is much easier to avoid a roo strike if you can see them before the incident and the addition of good driving lights will greatly assist in that regard. Whether you choose the traditional spotlights or a light bar, your ability to identify dangerous situations with animals on the road will be vastly improved, making for a much safer journey. With the proliferation of low-priced LED light bars in recent times, the decision to put extra lights up front on your 4×4 is a no-brainer.
The old CB radio made famous by the 1970s trucking movies has long been replaced with the UHF radio, now with up to 80 channels. They have become invaluable for anyone travelling in the Outback for safety reasons such as vehicle breakdowns, but more importantly to send and receive warning messages while on the road.
Most country people have lived with UHF radios in their vehicles for years, but city-based travellers may not have. There are many ‘wide loads’ regularly negotiating our highways in the Outback and they constantly warn oncoming traffic of their location and width via the UHF on channel 40, making for a much safer journey for all involved.
The average 4×4 wagon has fairly limited internal cargo space available to store and transport all of our travelling/camping needs. At times, extra room is required and that’s where the roof rack shines. For large, bulky items like swags, tents and some recovery equipment, the roof rack is just the job, freeing up the internal space of your vehicle for less bulky/heavier items.
The roof rack is also a great place to carry a second spare wheel, which might be the ideal thing that helps us out of a sticky situation. I wish I’d had a ‘second’ spare some years back when I suffered two flat tyres within 1km. It can and does happen, Murphy will see to it.
This is an invaluable piece of kit that I’ve had fitted to my last two 4×4 wagons. Mine is 3m long and rolls out 2m from the vehicle to create a handy shade area, either to camp under or just sit in the shade when you stop driving for a cuppa.
They are extremely easy to erect and mine has an additional zip-in fly mesh room that I sometimes camp in when I go bush for a few days. It can easily accommodate two full-size stretchers for camping and has its own LED light system. They come in many and varied sizes with different add-on features and most won’t break the bank.
I believe that a set of quality seat covers to protect your vehicle’s seats, and your posterior, are a mandatory requirement. Years ago, I couldn’t decide between the tough, purpose-built canvas type industrial covers or sheepskin.
The sheepskin covers won out and 12 years later they were still in reasonable condition.
I have had mates who opted for the canvas version and I was taken aback to hear that they had worn holes in them at stress points within a short few years. Surprisingly, sheepskin covers will last you a long time with a minimum of care, and are much more comfortable into the bargain. They are great in winter and they don’t become ridiculously hot to sit on in summer either.
It almost goes without saying that when you’re on the road in the Outback, you need to prepare yourself to be as self-sufficient as possible, if certain emergency situations arise. Initially, we need a well-stocked first-aid kit to treat everything from blisters and bruises to broken bones. A reliable torch or two with batteries or the appropriate recharging cords is a must. Our UHF radio also falls into this category.
A jerry can of spare drinking water is mandatory, because if you’re stuck in the middle of nowhere, you won’t last long without it. The addition of a shovel, either the compact folding variety or a longer handle one, has many uses including digging latrines at campsites to hoeing out mud or sand from around a bogged vehicle.
However, my favourite bit of emergency kit is, without doubt, the Personal Locator Beacon (PLB). For about $300, with a battery life of 10 years, this little gadget can and will save your life, if and when needed, anywhere in Australia. It works on the same band as the marine emergency position-indicating radiobeacons (EPIRBs) and they can summon help directly to your location in a minimum of time, literally saving your life. I don’t go anywhere without mine. Of course, this list is not comprehensive and you can add whatever else you think is necessary for your own journeys or circumstances.
By carrying some basic vehicle spare parts and recovery equipment you will greatly increase your self-sufficiency. Even if you can’t do the mechanical work yourself, there may be some around who can. If you have the necessary parts to hand, you may avoid an inconvenient wait.
Carrying a ‘spare’, spare wheel is always a good idea in the Outback, as is a fan belt set and the coolant system hoses specific to your vehicle. A tyre puncture repair kit and small 12v air pump, jump leads to start a vehicle with a dead battery and a good basic tool kit are essential. A jerry can or two of spare fuel carried while touring the Outback will never be regretted either, as will some basic recovery equipment like a ‘snatch strap’, ‘tow chain’ and if you can find the space, a ‘hi lift jack’.
These 10 simple tips can make your trip a safer and more enjoyable one, assisting you in preparing for a few of the more common pitfalls, problems and mishaps that can be encountered with travelling through our great Aussie Outback. It’s not just the Boy Scouts that need to ‘Be Prepared’, so stack the deck in your own favour.
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