Just wondering how many (real) Grey nomads, i.e. full time on the road do their own servicing, how do the parks react to this, what do you do with the waste oil etc. Also and including washing down the vehicle and van.
Most parks frown on vehicle repairs and servicing,but in saying that,washing vans and vehicles seems to be relatively tolerated providing of course there is abundant water.
The way I would do it is at a freecamp where there's plenty of space and heaps of time; no restrictions on how long you can stay and preferably within driving distance of a good sized town to buy your parts from.
I do it as in changing oil and filter .. I have side cut out of a 10 litre oil container to drain and drop off at local garage using the new oil container I filled with . Even changed shock obsorbers . Lol discretely ..
We do oil and filter in a free camp at 10,000 ks put the old oil in a used container and take it home with us.our vehicle is always fully serviced before we leave home and our trips are rarely more than 15000 ks so it works quite well. Our recomended service interval is 15,000 so the oil change at 10,000 is a precaution. Landy
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Blaze . What else ? All grease joints were done before we left along with fuel filters . I serviced the air cleaners . Checked brakes, topped up coolant and washer resivour. Checked brake fluid . Plus the 1000 things the dealers put on there list . But hardly check .. Serpentine belt is new . Battery serviced . All checked but I didn't want to bore the non tech .
Most people tend to do oil and filter and forget the rest that you have mentioned and the call their vehicle serviced. Got a mate who proudly tells me how he services his zero turn mowers, just had had it in for repairs because he didn't do valve adjustments at the correct time. For instance, I think the service time for land cruiser wheel bearings is 20000km (shortest book service time I have ever seen on wheel bearings)
cheers
blaze
Yes things like river or water crossings no matter what distance . Besides Manu don't put much grease in bearings these days . Warm bearing into cold water sucks water in too .. I find there's always something that can be checked or serviced . Then there's the durability? If I had a 300,000 Klr Cruiser is top nick for example . Thinking of using it for doing the loop ? One thing I would replace is the clutch as general preventative maintenance .. Brakes, rotors etc you can see them, service on the run . I have the ability to see thing bad most the time BEFORE as Forest would say .. Sh!t happens .. Aha
Lol like your never going to need any tools .. Lol New vehicles are no better . Other than having the warm feeling of warranty !! That depends where you are or going . Service wise ..
I use my money to have a care free life style , And don't have to worry about extra weight carting thing around with us just in case and have RACQ Ultimate cover .
What is a service? I've been thinking about it for years, and what I have deduced, is that a basic service is just changing the consumables, i.e. filters, oil & greases. The next part is actually an inspection, checking lights, brakes etc. etc. And after that comes owner consented repairs.
My van would require the suspension greasing, brakes checking, tire inflation and lights checking as well as a general look over, That saves me $350 - $400. The ute oil and filter change, much the same as above and that saves me $600.
The only hiccup is that the wheels are bloody heavy, but I'd have all day to do it.
The stabilisers on motorhome can lift well high enough to service. Even take the wheels off .. I have a steel bar to prevent failure on hydraulics .. No cam belt on Detroit diesel, tappets are hydraulic. So just keep changing oil, filters . Main things like timing belts should be done before leaving .
-- Edited by Aus-Kiwi on Tuesday 26th of July 2016 04:53:37 PM
Don't forget to change Hubs/Transm. axles. power steering. coolant Auto flush once a yr too.
if doing regular long trips.
I normally drop ALL fluids in car and Transm every two yrs. regardless.
plus the 10000 k oil/fiter trick.
Belts every three.
50 odd yrs. Only ever had one breakdown and that was electronics in home driveway.
When working in UK on Motorways, pipelines, and construction.
I even changed out my engine of Zephyr 6 every yr.
25quid for a rebuilt donk in those days.(mates)
I did a LOT of miles to + from work,
after building a house and not vanning to work.
Never had problems.
Overkill. But it works and great peace of mind.
Mechanicals are easy.
Electronics. Just keep wallet ready..
What is a service? I've been thinking about it for years, and what I have deduced, is that a basic service is just changing the consumables, i.e. filters, oil & greases. The next part is actually an inspection, checking lights, brakes etc. etc. And after that comes owner consented repairs. My van would require the suspension greasing, brakes checking, tire inflation and lights checking as well as a general look over, That saves me $350 - $400. The ute oil and filter change, much the same as above and that saves me $600. The only hiccup is that the wheels are bloody heavy, but I'd have all day to do it.
Hi Iana,
have you ever used a bit of 300mm x 75x 45mm peice of radiator pine wood and your long handled shovel.You wife can lift the tyre on the shovel and you can guide the tyre home onto the studs. Makes for a happy back.
How often should the air in your tyres be changed .
Gday...
That is a very good question.
It all depends on which type of air you are using ... and the duration of each activity.
For instance if you are driving long distances at low speed, you should have Longevity Air ... long distances at high speed - racing air ... when towing - towing air ... and when not towing - city air.
I use a combination of those because of the way I use my vehicle. It is called Hot Air. It comes from Canberra - transported in special containers.
Works a treat - goes on and on forever. I rarely have to change it.
cheers - John
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Hello Jim, I take it you enjoyed your China visit. When I read that's where you had gone, I thought you'd gone there to give them what for over the caravan parts. When you come to WA, Perth give me a hoy.
But yes there are many tricks to setting the wheels up onto the studs, doesn't stop them from being heavy though. I brought some wheel spacers and now I can fit the tugs spare on the van if the need ever arises.
How often should the air in your tyres be changed .
Gday...
That is a very good question.
It all depends on which type of air you are using ... and the duration of each activity.
For instance if you are driving long distances at low speed, you should have Longevity Air ... long distances at high speed - racing air ... when towing - towing air ... and when not towing - city air.
I use a combination of those because of the way I use my vehicle. It is called Hot Air. It comes from Canberra - transported in special containers.
Works a treat - goes on and on forever. I rarely have to change it.
cheers - John
hi john
I suspect you should at the very least option change that hot air from camberra evevy 3 years or so
cheers
blaze
ps also beware it can be explosive and turns to ****
Just wondering how many (real) Grey nomads, i.e. full time on the road do their own servicing, how do the parks react to this, what do you do with the waste oil etc. Also and including washing down the vehicle and van.
Hello iana
Almost any service/repair would be possible, if you had the knowledge/tools/capabilities, and plan beforehand how you are going to do it
Vehicles/caravans/motorhomes can be washed in a car wash bay, as they usually have one area set aside for high vehicles
The important thing is to leave no trace, especially oil on the ground
On my Ford Falcon car towing a caravan
I would carry out a thorough service before I set off
Every 5,000 kilometres I changed the engine oil, and oil filter, while on the road, (three times on my first lap)
I carry 2 x 9 litre plastic buckets, one red bucket marked drinking water, and the other bucket was black and marked waste water. I also carried an empty 6 litre oil container
When it was time for an oil and filter change this was my procedure
Purchase oil and filter, on the understanding that I could leave my, old filter and oil, at the shop
Go to nearest free day/night camp
I would dig a shallow ditch, just deep enough so that the bucket would fit under the drain plug, and just wide enough so that I could get under to remove and change the filter
Drive over ditch
Have smoko/lunch to allow the engine oil to cool down
Fit plastic small bin liner in black bucket
Drain cool engine oil into bin liner in black bucket
Replace drain plug
Put old oil into empty oil container
Remove filter with the now empty bucket (still with liner in) catching the dripping oil
Fit new oil filter
Once again put oil into the old oil container
Place old oil filter, and old bin liner into a new clean bin liner
Fill engine with new oil
Start engine to check for oil leaks
Reverse just enough to backfill the ditch
Take old oil and filter to auto shop
The only thing I was not happy about was that I always like to drain my oil when it is hot, but I would assume that hot oil would destroy the bin liners
As my motorhome services are at 30,000 kilometre intervals, I do a service before every long trip If I was on the road full time, I would use the same procedure as the Ford Falcon car, to change the oil and filter on the motorhome, except that I would not have to dig a ditch
There will come a time, when I will be unable to carry out my own repairs I shall then ask the forum members for information on mechanics they use, in the particular area I am travelling through
As garages normally have a surcharge on disposing of oils, filters etc. when having your vehicles serviced there, I would have thought that they would not be happy receiving ones waste from "do it yourself" servicing, which is potentially a business loss to them. However if they are happy to take it then that's one issue addressed.
The service/inspection on the van should be a walk in the park, as lights and tire pressures are normally checked before each segment of a trip, that's already been done. So its greasing the suspension, spinning the wheels and checking the brakes for wear and adjustment. Maybe a bit of soapy water around the gas line fittings.
Same goes for the vehicle, minor services should be easy, and major services done at a garage.
As garages normally have a surcharge on disposing of oils, filters etc. when having your vehicles serviced there, I would have thought that they would not be happy receiving ones waste from "do it yourself" servicing, which is potentially a business loss to them. However if they are happy to take it then that's one issue addressed. The service/inspection on the van should be a walk in the park, as lights and tire pressures are normally checked before each segment of a trip, that's already been done. So its greasing the suspension, spinning the wheels and checking the brakes for wear and adjustment. Maybe a bit of soapy water around the gas line fittings. Same goes for the vehicle, minor services should be easy, and major services done at a garage.
Hello iana
The usual disclaimer that I am not associated with any auto shops etc
When I travel, I have no problem returning the old oil and filter, back to the auto shop, I purchase them from, mainly Supercheap, and/or Repco
I have always asked, prior to purchase, and have never been knocked back
At home base I use the free service of the local council depot, as they have set aside an area for waste oil, old batteries, damaged electrical goods, etc
I would assume that other councils, would more or less offer the same service
No disrespect to any mechanics, but I feel that if I do it myself, I shall have a better understanding of my vehicle, or at least what to look for, when stopped on the side of the road
I am the first to put my hand up and say, that when the time comes when I can no longer service my vehicle, I shall go to the mechanics, hopefully the ones recommended by the forum members
I do all my own services on van and tug, sometimes the tug service is quite involved with wheel bearing repacks every 20K but this gives me the opportunity to have a realty good look at everything and as I was the last to perform a service I can look at minor changes in appearances. (no certainty that the last mechanic at the service facility is doing the work this time around), I also had experience for service not being performed on rear bearing repack. (I used witness marks to check them after I found evidence that a rear wheel had not been removed)
My inspection of a supposed repacked bearing showed it was quite blue from overheating and had a different colour grease to the front bearing, following this observation I wrote a full set of instruction to save others from the same issues and save a few hundred dollars at he same time posted to a forum for that make and model.
So my bottom line from experience is get detailed instructions from service manuals and forums for your vehicle on how to perform the service and do it yourself id you have a few tools and can follow instructions, not just to save money but to make sure it is done right.
If you have a very reliable service person who is both qualified and shows attention to detail to pick up other issues as well I have no problems with that but they are usually not easy to find and are rarely not associated with manufacturers service centres.
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76 series V8 Landcrab with Jayco Starcraft Outback Poptop
