Last night stop

Travel Bug · Guru

RE: Last night stop

jimricho · Guru

There's a large parking area near the roadhouse at Bellata (mid way between Narrabri and Moree), don't know what the facilities are but could possibly use the roadhouse, also not sure if overnight camping permitted. The area is used by trucks so that may or may not be an issue. I think there may be a caravan park nearby as the the area is popular with gem hunters (agates).

Could be some roadwork delays coming through Peak Hill township, you may have already passed there by now.

jules47 · The Happy Helper

Hey Marj - course you can have power - no drama - water and all the mod cons if you like - I am bowling on Wednesday - in Canungra actually - ring my mobile with what time you reckon you will be here - I will make sure to be around - or not too far away - ok?

will pm you some details

lilly31 · Guru

Hi marj ..Narrabri had camping at showground from memory think it about $16.00 a night for power site $8.00 for un powerd ..has hot shower ect .. Care taker is paul ..his mobile number is 0427923913 not sure how busy they will be with school hoildays ..It in camps 6 book ....might have pony club ect there .. ... most macca will let u plug in your laptop if u stop to have a coffee ....hope this helps .

-- Edited by lilly31 on Saturday 23rd of April 2011 09:02:28 PM

Cruising Granny · Guru

Travel Bug wrote:

Cruisin' Granny,
The AGM stands for absorbed glass mat. According to the people at Battery World, AGM batteries are a newer type of sealed battery that will take far more abuse than Gel.
Cheers. Pam.

Thanks Pam. It's always good to have the right information when investigating the options with these things. Technology moves so fast these days.
I've also noted the recommendation for the 12v charger for the laptop. I have an inverter which I actually won when I wrote an article for a travel mag. I've only really learned what I can use it for.
I have 2 heavy duty 12 volt batteries in the Cruiser. The last one cost me $180, but that's cheaper than the first one.
Thanks for the explanation Pam. Cheers Chris

Sheba · Guru

blaze wrote:
I have to disagree a little with Jim (sorrry Jim), I have found the most effective way to handle our laptops is via a cig plug adaptor which we also use to charge when traveling and also more power effective when parked up. I just purchased a new battery, 110 a/h marine deep cycle and start battery, wet cell but it also is cabable of starting the vehicle with 660 cca. It was $310. They also tested our other deep cycle batteries for $11 each but that wasnt charged on the purchase of our new battery. The est was done over a 36 hour time frame as deep cycle cant be load tested like a start battery. We dealt with battery world in Albany but they are every where
Happy travels marj
cheers
blaze
ps I also believe you should aim to evntually have every thing straight 12 volt and only use the invertor in emergencies. We havnt used ours yet

-- Edited by blaze on Saturday 23rd of April 2011 09:23:02 AM

I was advised by some-one a while back, that Blazes Ps. is the way to go. So far, everything I have just runs straight from the "House" Battery. I have a 12V Adapter for the Laptop, and a 12V TV.

Don't need an inverter.

There is a Cable running from the Battery [under the bed area] with a Triple 12V Socket Bank attatched. I posted a shot of this a while back, but I'm not sure which thread it's on.

Cheers,

Sheba.

-- Edited by Sheba on Sunday 24th of April 2011 12:08:00 AM

jimricho · Guru

To Cruising Granny,

Hi Christine,

If you are considering using an inverter to power your laptop, make sure that it is a pure sine wave (Happywander's is) not a (so called) modified sine wave. You've probably worked out from my previous posts that I would, like others, recommend the 12v laptop charger instead, and that my suggestion to Marj is quite specific to her circumstances.

cheers,

Jim

jimricho · Guru

Hi Marj,

Further to your battery problem, have you checked to see if you have house power (12v) when the engine is running, if so you may be able to use this to charge the laptop "on the go".

If not, it may mean the problem is other than (or in addition to) the battery. As I'm not familiar with the specific wiring of your set-up I can't be sure of this.

happy travelling,

Jim

Happywanderer · The Master

Hi all, Just on here quickly, the next door campers kindly charged my laptop for me. I'm parked 8 ks north of Moree, , only me and the other campers so far, a few trucks have been in and gone again.
I am so over this already. Haven't been able to even take photos as camera died as well, which needs to be charged by plugging whole camera in. Now nothing works except mobile which I have a charger for.
So faqr in 4 days I have driven in the front, slept in the back and filled Myrtle up with fuel, thank goodness I filled the cupboards up with tinned food before I left. Have decided to head straight to my sons via the Moonie Dalby route and get all this sorted one way or the other.
Always said I wanted to step out of my comfort zone, sure have with this. its really testing me. Not much fun when just driving all day to get to the next camping for the night, done nothing seen nothing, can't buy anyhthing as might just scrape it to my sons without waiting for next payday.
For anyone just starting, make sure you have some money behind you as a back up. I thought I had covered everything. S in L did a good job connecting it all for me.
Yes whoever asked back there SinL got me to turn the motor on then come back and check the other bit that goes with the inverter, the light is bright shining red so good so must be the actual house battery. Did get it to chargethe phone for aboutr 10 minutes this morning, testing it as hadn't for a couple of days. After 10 minutes of happily charging it started squealing again. Had enough, it had and so have I.

blaze · Guru

Hw
You should be able to do all your charging by running the invertoer while mobile as the alternator for charging your batteries (house and vehicle) will put out enough power to charge your start battery and run your invertor
cheers
blaze

Firefly · Guru

Geez mate, I wish I was closer to help out. Keep driving safely and once you are at your sons, things may settle in for you Marj. x o x o.

Travel Bug · Guru

Marj,
So sorry that you are having such a rough trot.
Hopefully, after some "time out" at your son's house things will seem better.
Have PM'd you.
Take care mate. xoxox

Ron and Shirley · Senior Member

HW

Chin up.

Once you get the power/battery problem sorted, and with the passage of time, you no doubt will be able to look back on this experience and smile, if not have a laugh.

lilly31 · Guru

Things will get easy if you stick at it .you willl work out all the problems and will look back and say hey you didnt beat me im to strong for that .... H...ang in there alway tought first few trip till you get all bugs iron out and i say most of us here had had a few drama just like your first trip or two .....

Ma · Guru

We all have dramas or set back or hiccups on the first few trips. After all it is a learning curve and at least once we learn something we are never likely to forget are we.

Hang in there Marj. It can only get better and once all the bugs are ironed out you will never be home you will love it on the road that much.

Thats my experience for what it's worth.............come on 12th May........we are OFF!!

jules47 · The Happy Helper

Hey all - poor Marj (HW) sounds fed up - she was so looking forward to this trip, and for the battery to go on her has really put her down. I offered for her to come here, and I would get her some help, but I think she just needs to have family support from her son - then she can get going again.

I'm sure she knows we are all thinking about her.

jimricho · Guru

As Ma says "Hang in there".... We've all been there I can assure you!

Reminds me of going on my first off-road tag-along tour in 2000. Like you, everything was going wrong including having a partial fracture to my arm and sore ribs from a fall just before going. I had another fall on the trip and when we got to the Jim Jim Falls turn off in Kakadu the crew insisted on taking a photo of me in front of the sign!

At one stage I made the comment that "by the time this trip is over I'll be ready to go on it!"

Jim

Happywanderer · The Master

Have started new thread In Kumbia