4WD or Not?

MJG · Member

4WD or Not?

StewG · Senior Member

It really depends on where you wish to go for work and what accommodation you want between jobs. A 4WD will give you the greatest flexibility for your travels and it doesn't have to be fully kitted out with bull bars, winches, etc. to give you adequate safety as long as you are sensible in the roads you choose. A wagon gives you the option of sleeping quarters without having to get out of the vehicle. Window blinds/curtains could be useful if sleeping in the vehicle. Most wagons have adequate room for clothing, food, water for short/long term solo travel. Most 4WD vehicles have adequate fuel tank range for all but the really remote sites. A standard issue Toyota, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Isuzu or Land Rover wagon would all fit the bill. It is a matter of looking at value for money and what best suits your needs.

MJG · Member

Thanks, StewG. You have mentioned Most Makes of 4wd. Is there a preference on models? I am leaning towards a V6 Diesel Landcruiser only because Toyotas are what I know and they seem to still be quite popular. Can you help me out with the essentials required? Two way, etc...

Desert Dweller · Guru

If you're going to work on stations you'll need a 4WD to get access in difficult conditions, the average nomad doesn't really need a 4WD 'cause most of them never leave the black top.

RosieW · Guru

We have a 2WD 2016 MQ Triton cab chassis and a bus. Before the Triton, we had a Barina. That poor wee thing went further off road than most 4WDs; for that matter, so did the bus before we got the Barina. And both did it well. We've never had an issue with the MQ - sure there are areas we can't go, but we do OK in most, gravel or blacktop - even development roads are ok.

-- Edited by RosieW on Tuesday 15th of August 2017 09:18:04 AM

villatranquilla · Guru

remember that your jobs may not follow on immediately from each other so some form of accommodation might be needed (even if its just camping gear) as distance b/w jobs might mean overnight stays somewhere that does not have on-site accommodation available. As well as that you will probably have time to explore the countryside on days off. Also sometimes its easier to find jobs if you have your own accommodation and some accommodation offered may be of a standard that is not so good - especially bedding. So a good option would be a 2WD ute and small camper trailer

PeterD · Guru

What are you going to tow? If nothing or a very light camper trailer then one of the AWD (all wheel drive) soft roaders like the RAV-4, X-Trail of even less (providing it has good ground clearance) will do. Consider the Suzuki models as well if not going for diesel, the Jimny is a really tough character.

One thing if your are going remote, all the stations have diesel fuel available but they may not have much petrol (some only keep a bit for small motors like mowers and chain saws.)

toglhot · Senior Member

If you're going to work on stations they will have vehicles to suit. Your vehicle is only to transport you between stations and in your off hours. So, if you intend having a good look around a 4wd would be great. I'd buy one anyway just in case, if you never use it so what! Of course you will attract the ire of some members on this forum who believe you shouldn't drive a 4wd if you don't go off road.

RustyD · Guru

Oddly enough I've been searching for tear-drop vans for the last 2 days to tow behind a trike (turns out too heavy). Interesting were the Jayco Pod & A-Van Weekender. I reckon PeterD has the right idea with a diesel AWD and if you want a light van look at the Jayco & A-Van. At a station, you may be offered on-site accomodation (donga).

MJG · Member

Thanks Keith & Judy, I figure if I'm going to give it a go, I don't want to miss an opportunity, just because I don't have the appropriate vehicle.

Is the mileage on a vehicle an issue? Especially if it has been well maintained and not been towing horse floats and heavy vans?

In your opinion, is a swag appropriate and adequate?

MJG · Member

Thanks RustyD, Just don't know enough about the AWD. Not sure if they will restrict me too much.

Yes I agree with PeterD too re the diesel.

I would like to travel light and keep my costs down as much as I can. Therefore if I don't need a van or camper or rooftop tent that's a bonus. On the other hand if the donga's and station accomodation are that inhabitable or uncomfortable (with bed bugs and nasties etc.) I would rather have some comforts..

So many questions... I thank you all for your input. It would be nice to have a basic check list of the must haves and then the individuals could add their own comforts and must haves.. I guess it all comes down to just go for it and learn along the way.. What's that saying" if you Never Never go you'll Never Never know"

Thanks Tony, (Toglhot). I think you can see a lot more from a 4wd as it is higher. if I'm going to be travelling to Stations I don't want to miss out on a job because I can't get to the homestead with my vehicle. (Fly in Fly out being the exception)

4x4 National outdoor, fishing and Boating Expo in Melbourne this weekend, not sure if it will help or hinder.

blaze · Guru

I would look at a Toyota cruiser flat tray with at least a canvas hooped frame canopy, somewhere to get out of the weather if needed and a place to throw the swag.
Never thought I would recommend a Toyota, but there you have it. I am a landrover man but not a defender fan so my real choice would be a series 1 discovery with a 300tdi diesel and tow a small camper trailer
cheers
blaze

MJG · Member

Thank you Blaze, Food for thought. Diesel is my preference. I know the food just need to find the beast.

Gaylehere · Guru

Hi there. Have you thought about getting a flat tray and slide on camper? A couple of ladies on this forum use this type of set up. Also other possible employment is House Sitting. There's usually some type of work (feeding dogs, cats, chooks etc., watering plants etc.) at homes. Sometimes you stay in their homes and sometimes you use your vehicle/accommodation. Have a look under the classifieds on this forum to give you a idea of what this entails. Cheers.

RosieW · Guru

Get something you can sleep in, and cooking gear. Just in case, or if you go 'exploring'.

MJG · Member

Thank you Rosie and Troy.. That's the type of helpful hints I need.. The bare essentials.

Thanks Gaylene, I am aware of house sitting but I thought the payed options were very limited. Ideally I'd like to have a little black book of stations and homesteads that have great reputations.(I realise that everyone has different opinions of great. But this will be mine) Listing if they have accomodation or own accomodation required. Making it easier for me to plan my logistics from season to season.

I'd love to get in contact with some Station owners to find out what they really expect or need. Also like to contact stations who still use horses. Haven't ridden for a long time, but would love to get back into the saddle. Learning the skills required for working horses. Have so much respect for the men,women and families at the rodeo's.

RosieW · Guru

www.mindmyfarm.com/ - Try this one.........

Basics (for us) equal, somewhere to sleep, bedding (blanket, pillows), towel, basic toiletries, change of clothes (or 3), a pot, cups, cutlery, small gas bottle, cooker, water, bread, peanut butter, vegemite, & tins of beans. Oh, and extra diesel. We did a trip to Qld for 2 weeks, visiting family, and slept in the canopy, with just those basics there and back.

-- Edited by RosieW on Wednesday 16th of August 2017 03:54:07 PM

toglhot · Senior Member

Diesel 4WD trayback single cab ute with soft canopy, the tray is around 1.8 x 2.4 M, you can fit an awful lot in there: mattress and sleeping bag plus a full kitchen with fridge and stove and still plenty of room left for clothes, food, etc.

iana · Guru

One of the reasons we have steered away from the camper trailers and Expandas, is you don't need a key, just a Stanly knife.

C00P · Senior Member

You could start simple and extend as you go according to your needs. My first trip (to Birdsville) was in a Series III Land Rover- long wheelbase, so I could sleep in the back!

My Navigator and I toured most of outback WA in a Subaru Forester (petrol, manual, with a low range, AWD) towing a second-hand camper trailer that we bought for $4,000. The trip included the Gibb River Road (with excursions to Bells Gorge and other side trips), excursions to Karajini, Purnululu (Bungles), Steep Point and other national parks. We stayed an extra day at Windjana Gorge because it bucketed down overnight and we waited for the roads to dry, but this was just us being cautious.
A diesel is a good idea- we had to carry an extra Jerry of petrol because of one leg on the Gibb where we didn't have sufficient range. We could have refueled if we had been using diesel.
The trip into the Bungles pushed the Subaru to its limits and we did put a scratch in the bash plate that we had fitted before leaving. A little more ground clearance would have been good, but driven carefully, such a vehicle can be quite capable in pretty rough conditions.
The main feature to look for in a second hand camper trailer is the quality of the tent canvas. If you decide to buy one, make sure you can erect the tent by yourself.
If you decide to go for a tent, the Oztents are good, and very easy to set up, but they are a bit expensive, and fairly heavy, although the small ones are manageable by one person (just). I used one on a recent trip to Birdsville.
We now have a Toyota Landcruiser wagon (the 76 series) and a 21' van (both second-hand). This is basically a mobile home, but you don't get much change out of $100,000 for such a set-up. The Toyota we bought had done just over 100,000km, and the van was only 4 years old.
I'd recommend Toyota vehicles, because they are used extensively throughout the outback (especially by mining interests), so if anything goes wrong, you are likely to be able to find someone who knows the vehicle and can fix it.
Hope you find the above useful,
Cheers

C00P

MJG · Member

Great info guys, Tony and Coop. Good food for thought. If someone wants to get in Iana, I'm under the impression nothing will stop them.. Especially if bricks and mortar are no deterrent. What are the major negatives of the camper trailers? Is the canvas a big issue if you have to pack it up wet to move on and then open it up at the next stop?

StewG · Senior Member

There will be as many models recommended as there are respondents to your query. Toyota have a good reputation for reliability and have agents and spares in almost every town. My choice has been a Land Rover Discovery 4, but mainly for reasons of towing and comfort. Diesel is always a good choice for a vehicle for traveling because it is inherently safer that petrol, usually more economical and sometimes more readily available. The longevity of diesel engines is generally better than petrol engines. Ultimately, your choice comes down to where you expect to go and what you want to use the vehicle for.

Forty-five years ago I traveled a half lap around Australia in an old Holden panel van. It had done over 100,000 miles (160,000km) when I bought it. It was my home for 5 months. It successfully did multiple creek crossings and sand/dirt/rocky tracks during its life. and had over 200,000 miles up when I sold it. It would have been nice to have had a diesel 4WD back then, (I would not have gotten bogged so many times) but you make do with what you can afford. The only mods to the vehicle were driving lights and extra fuel tanks; giving it a range of 800 miles.

You are on the right track by asking opinions and doing your research.

MJG · Member

Cheers StewG.. Thanks for the laugh. They don't make vehicles like that any more.. It's really nice to get so many people willing to share their pro's and con's. Hopefully the info shared will not only help me make my decisions, but also help others along the way... Have a great day.

toglhot · Senior Member

Camper trailers are great I've had several soft floor, a hard floor, three Jayco CTs and a few caravans. Drawbacks to the CT are few, they're great, although as you say packing up in the rain is a bit of a pain. The only drawback I can see with CTs are the vehicle will use more fuel, they limit your wanderings when in tow, they can be darned expensive and setting up can be lengthy - depending on how much you take with you. For a single person I think they are way over the top. A trayback ute with an awning fitted would be my choice, no matter where you go your kitchen and bed will go with you.

Warren-Pat_01 · Guru

Sleep in a 4WD wagon, StewG? I'm tall & have "slept" in two Nissan Patrol wagons - once out of necessity, the last because I was too lazy to put up the Eagle alone one night.

As most people have said, it is only if you want to get off the beaten track that you need a 4wheeler. Ground clearance & pulling power are the most important points - if you want to get adventurous.

Warren

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Good tyres on 2WD will possibly get you to most places you want to go . The thing is to know the limits . Even 4WD's require a winch every now and then !! Again depending what and were your going ?

dirvine · Senior Member

We went down this track in great length as well. We had a Great Wall X240, and it had done every iconic 4wd track and even more. So SWMBO and I have decided that camping and putting up tents or awning tents etc was a pain after you had driven all day. We then went drove a RV relocating it from Darwin to Cairns. This was cheap, all petrol paid for etc. We just found that to go off the main road the vehicle was a constant worry. Also it was rather big and clumbersome as a SINGLE UNIT. Next we hired a hard floor CT. The reason no soft floor was I felt it was just like putting up a tent. We also felt that the Hard Floor was not much better. Also they get cold at night and the annex????? So then we looked at caravans. We wanted something that would go off road, be off the grid and the good thing is you can make them a little more secure than a CT if you decide to do some driving around with out a growth attached onto the back. Then it was a decision as to what would be the Tug of a van that weighs 2400KG all up. So we bought a Discovery 4. This is the most comfortable car besides perhaps a Range Rover. I then got nervous about the reliability aspect. So I looked at a 76 Toyota series wagon,. I am the first to admit I am not a Toyota fan but you get all the talk as detailed above about how great they are. So as insurance and the fact we needed two cars anyway I bought one. Put in aircondition and an aftermarket series 200 auto and thought it was the best thing out. We then did a few trips in both cars locally to see which we would take on our trip from Melbourne to Perth to see one son, then across the Outback way and see the other son in Byron Bay and then home. All to be done in 6 weeks!!! Without a doubt the Toyota feels tough and could handle the rough stuff. But it is NOT comfortable. Its noisy, it bounces around even with the caravan attached and it was thirsty, even though the auto allows the car to cruise on 120kph without revving its guts out, like the manuals do. So after carefull consideration we took the D4. Now I fight over which car is mine! We bought a 4WD because we like to travel off the beaten track. Not heavy off road but not the main routes and we like to do side tracks etc. The idea that anybody can fix a Toyota in the bush is now almost a falicy. The electronics on all new cars is now so sofisticated that the average mechanic cannot do much unless they have a computer. We saw 2 LC 200 on flat beds and were told it was electrical issues. Old ones yes and the 76 series are a little more simple than the 200 or Prado. I like to think I am mechanically savvy. I look under the bonnet of both vehicles and just shake my head!. The only thing I did buy for the LANDROVER was a OBD11 reader which is a dedicated one for Landrovers only. You can get a basic one on Ebay for all cars, but a LR one allows you to change and reset some things if they go pear shaped. I have not had to use it.

So what Tug should you buy? It all depends on what you want to tow, where you want to g, how comfortable you want to be and what your wallet can afford! We are all different, and teh above recommendations by all are what they thought best suited your needs. I think do what I did and do a bit of try before you buy. It certainly changed my opinion a number of times.

MJG · Member

Thank you Warren, Graeme & David.
All very helpful info. I figure if I'm going to see our beautiful backyard, I don't want to be restricted by access. Luckily I'm only short so I can fit easily into the wagon. Nice suggestion of try before I buy, my problem is I have no Idea what I am going to do when I get out there.. Work on Stations in remote areas (tick) Explore off track (tick) experience the Kimberleys (Tick) I have no idea of what comforts I want or need.( this will depend greatly on the Stations and farms and what they have to offer)
David, I appreciate you sharing your story. They are the little things that make a difference to us beginners or want to be's.. Interesting what you said about road noise and comfort. I have found tyres can make a big difference with noise, please correct me if I'm mislead. I don't know much about the different 4wd's, have owned a Toyota LC 80 series but that was only to get the billies to and from school and sport.
Thank you everyone, please keep sharing. Stay Safe.