Steve and Kez

Just a couple of thoughts I have when getting a 4 Ton upgrade. Putting a chip in it and changing suspension is all well and good But do they put bigger brakes on it? Most vehicles will pull a big van................. pulling it up is very different and in my opinion, far more important. Also how do they stop the "Tail wagging the Dog"? Changing suspension wont change theses issues

Did anyone happen to see the segment on a current affairs on channel 9 on Friday night regarding the Qld roads and traffic authority pulling over caravaners and checking weights and tow capacities....................... very interesting and rather amusing at times as some people are sooo bloody stupid or just not interested in doing the right thing. In one of the shots there was a Kedron TE3 or 5. There were many unhappy campers even though they only issued warnings on this occasion, but did go on to say that from here on in, fines will be issued It looks like the fun is about to start ...... giddy up

I too just used a piece of old Telegraph wire that I found along the Oodnadatta track 5 years ago. Its about 1m long. It works a treat and it may even be heritage listed ........... cost - $0

Hello Laurie and Helen, I wish you would stop photo shopping your pics................. we all know you drive a D Max Welcome to the "Enlightened Side"

Hello Pepper, I can assure you that you won't have an issue with Kedron. I reason I say this is because Kedron replaced our air cond while in Broome (No charge) when the van was 4 years out of warranty. I had a leaky sink tap while in Lawn Hill and Kedron sent us a new one ........No charge and the van is 6 years out of warranty. I broke the neck off my diesel heater tank (My fault) and they sent me a new tank ........ you guessed it .......no charge. I broke the flap of the outside power point and .............yes .............. Kedron sent me a new power point to Alice Springs ........... No charge. We met a couple on the Birdsville Track who had just purchased a 10 year old ATV from a private sale and travelled with them to Lawn Hill and along the way the rocks from the road smashed the plumbing couplings and he could not buy new ones easily, so I told him to give Kedron a call ........... and guess what........... they sent him new ones .........No Charge. They where in total disbelief. Pepper, I have never dealt with a company like them. They just want you to enjoy their product and go out of their way to "Do the right thing" ............ very rare these days.

Andrew and Sally, I am sorry if I offended you. That was not my intention. Yes you are most welcome to express your opinion on this site. That is what makes it a great site. However, what I really prefer is the vast wealth of information from all the people with the "Real Experiences" and not a "Presumed" belief of what might be. .................. For that, I can go on Facebook. Like I keep saying on here. The best things in life are the things you are most happy with and if that is a 200 series ................... good for you. Life is to short not to be happy. Cheers

Interesting comment from Andrew and Sally. I wonder if they have ever driven a "BIG HEAVY YANK TANK"????????????? As most people who have the ........... "less positive" comments about things they have never had anything to do with the subject. From all the outback, off road places we have travelled with our van and our "BIG HEAVY YANK TANK" compared to the places we have travelled with our 200 series (when we had it), I can genuinely say with hand on heart, the big heavy yank tank flogs the under powered, under performing, thirsty 200 series. I have been astounded by the offroad capabilities of my big heavy yank tank and I can assure you it has been extensively tested. I am happy to concede that an empty, unhooked 200 series would maneuver better ............... but who has an empty vehicle when travelling? Enjoy what you have no matter what that is, but don't put something down if you have never tried it.

Hello Cargo05, I agree with you, Both are very competent off road vans. We were in your situation 6 years ago and actually decided to go BT until we got a first hand experience with their customer service at the time we were about to hand over the deposit.......... thankfully. Because of that "enlightening" experience, we purchased our wonderful Kedron and have been so thankful for the decision. I now advise people who are researching which van to buy that when asking BT and Kedron owner they really don't need to ask about the quality of the vans. The better question to ask is .............. how happy are you with the after sales support. That will make your decision so much easier................. and then you can join the KOG once and for all.

Guys, here is our 2 bob's worth Tyre pressure adjustment and slow down do help. We lined the bottom of all cupboards and draws with a good quality anti slip mat...... not the cheap, thin stuff as it still moves and rubs through. We do use the thin stuff in between the plates and wrap the cutlery in the thin anti slip mat also and put a elastic band around them, this stops the rubbing buff marks. We leave the glasses in the box they came in and/or put them in stubbie coolers. we also stack the cups upside down or big side down to stop over balancing. We only use the snap lock plastic containers. As for the fridge and bathroom cupboards, we purchased small cheap thin plastic storage trays with sides about 60-70 mm high which stops things falling over and falling out when you open doors. We also put a golf tee's in the holes to double lock the fridge doors If we are travelling over badly corrugated roads we tape any screw top lids and we have a supply of cask empty wine bladders that we blow up and pack in all the voids. (It was a big job accumulating the bladders but we were up for the challenge) The bladders are great as when they are not needed you let them down, roll them up and store away and take up far less room than extra towels and pillows. We have been travelling for the last 5 years into some of the most remote places and so far we have only lost 3 wine glasses which isn't a real issue as we learnt how to drink straight from the wine bladders when we attended a couple of KOG gatherings......... Nothing is fool proof but this all seems to work for us. Safe travels guys

I find them to be very good. I got mine from Kedron. I actually got them thrown in at the time of purchase. Cheers

Hi Guys, Ok…………… I am not sure which way you will be coming from but the must visits in the Flinders and Oodnadatta track are: Wilpeena Pound, but stay at Rawnsley Park Stn, which is about 30kms south of Wilpeena Pound. It is a great place to base yourself for a few days and do day tripsfrom. Book a powered site along the creek if you can as it will give you uninterrupted views of Rawnsley Bluff and the sunsets. Take some wood as they supply fireplaces. There are also a few nice walks on the property ……………Rawnsley Bluff is a bit steep but well worth the effort. While at Rawnsley Stn do the day drives of: The loop of Brachina Gorge and Parachilna Gorge with a lunch stop at the Prarie Hotel at Parachilna for lunch. Self drive of Willow Springs Station. This has a cost but is beautiful .It has a bit of 4wd bits and will take you all day so take a lunch. (You can also stay there now if you choose)There is also a place to see about 10kms on the R/H/S north of Rawnsley Stn called Sacred Canyon. It is a small walk in a gorge and has a bit of aboriginal art. If you wish to "Free camp" in the gorges, there are a couple of places to do so but check it out when you do the day drive. If you decide to stay in one of the National parks in the gorges, there is really only one with enough room for the van and it is big open spaces. I can't think of the name of the spot, but it is about10kms in on the Brachina gorge road, on the right hand side. It is beside a big dry creek bed and very beautiful. You can also have fires there too. When heading for the Oodnadatta track, the best way to cut across is the Parachilna Gorge road (you can decide). Once at Parachilna, turn right and just follow the signs. It might be a good idea to overnight somewhere before you get to Farina Stn as you should get there by 3.00 to get the choice of the best spots (your choice). If you get to Farina Stn, early, there is plenty to see to fill the day/days in. Just before Leigh Ck there is a nice spot to stop at. It is the town water supply and it is a beautiful spot and it hasplenty of room for the van to move through. The turn off will be on your L/H/S. There is a caravan park at Liegh Ck which is Ok and the pub has a great feed too. There is also another van park about 5 kmspast Leigh Ck called Copley. It too has a van park and the pub there has a fantastic (country pub) feed and there is a good pie shop there too and is famousfor their Quondong pies. I would recommend staying here over Liegh Ck. Farina Stn is only about 70kms from Copley and there is 28 kms of dirt starting from Lyndhurst. There is not a lot to see around Lyndhurst. (Lyndhurst is actually in the middle of Farina Station). Faria Stn would be one of the best camping areas is SA Outback Donkey showers and flushing loos and grassed camp sites. If you don't have timber, you can buy sleepers from the owners Once at Farina Stn head to the camp groundand set up as to can walk to all the sites of interest (the ruins, cemetery,old railway bridge). The owners are Kevin and Anne Dawes …………… say G'day if you see them as they are really great people. You may even find that the bakery is open. If it is, it has the best cream buns in the world. The next stop to think about is: Mulcoorina Station is a beautiful spot but you will have to backtrack (but worth it if time permits). Turn right about 2kms west of Maree and travel 50 kms (all good dirt roads) It is beautiful. It has a large waterway and plenty of birdlife. When you get there you will come to the small toilet block, look to your right and you will see a single date palm in the distance. Just past there is a beautiful camp spot at the very end of the road and has plenty of room to turn the van around. You have to take your own wood for the fire. You will have to back track for this spot too. Clayton Station, 50kms up the Birdsville track is also good and has an excellent outdoor bore spa The next spotalong the Oodnadatta track is Coward Springs …………….. a must. It has a thermal bore pool and is wonderful. You can have fires there also On the way to William Creek there are a few things to see along the way if you choose.William Creek Hotel is a must for lunch and then onto Oodnadata. Oodnadatta tothe hwy is the Painted desert and it is spectacular. Guys I hope this helps and if you need any additional info , give us a call as we have extensively traveled and worked in the whole area you are looking to travel in and have a lot more info if required Hope it can help you Steve

I don't think I would like to tow 4T with the cruiser. It is a definite case of tail wagging the dog.They don't pull up 3.5t well let alone 4t and when it comes to long steep inclines, they couldn't put the skin of a rice custard with 4T.......... and yes I have tried them and learnt my lesson. The only good thing about it is you will get a warm and fuzzy feeling of being legal, but that will be short lived when you go to pull up in a hurry and it doesn't happen. Been there and got the t shirt. Good luck

Buy a GMC/Chev and you won't have to worry about the extra weight on the draw bar ..........

Oh Rick, I sympathize with you, this is a bugger of a light to fit. I tried so many different ways that I can't remember which one worked. I do remember that a lot of swearing and cursing certainly helped and I do remembering that I wish it was as easy as changing all four tires at once. ............ Good luck my friend

Guy ......... and girls, I am not sure if everyone does realize that if you increase the gvm of your vehicle, it does not increase your overall gross combination mass capacity(GCM). The fact is that by doing so means the weight that you can tow decreases. Overall, there is no real benefit. The only benefit of increasing your vehicle gvm is that your vehicle can carry more if your not towing. Personally, I don't know how you people with 3.5t tow capacity vehicle and large vans can sleep of a night with all that stress of worrying about what can I put in the van............will I put 1 or 2 knifes and forks in? I find it a personal challenge to see how much more unnecessary stuff I can get in ................... LOL

I am starting to think people are over thinking things. I also agree with Merv, It won't be the vehicle cracking the chassis, it will be poor/old fashion design of the van chassis. I say this, as we have a very heavy van (4T) and we tow it with the GMC with the standard McHitch and have not had a problem ........................ mind you we have only done around 62000kms towing it over the same "tame" roads as Mayzee .......... Great Central Road, Gibb River, Oodnadatta track (3 times), Birdsville track, Cape Leveque road (8 times), Tanami track ......etc. But what would I know? Happy motoring Steve

Is it the "Dark Side" or the "enlightened Side"????? I too have air bags and run them with 35 psi. I don't use WD Bars at all and my van is 4T and has a ball weight of 395kg. The veh also has the full length metal draws (which are full) and a 60lt fridge. The veh weighs in at 4.35T when full of fuel, water and all the other crap we seem to carry.

Hello Tony, Finally........................about bloody time. You have made the right decision. I am sure you won't regret it. Cheers Steve

LOL ................. Rick, The guys at Kedron would say "Kedron & Toyota ,great combo". I would too if I had a sweet heart deal with Toyota. I find it very funny that after watching all their DVD's, I have never seen them towing a "Fully Loaded" 21 foot TE or any other 21 foot van. Actually I have never seen them tow any van "fully loaded". I know many people do and that is a personal choice..................... just keep it legal. P.S: Thanks Rick & Lea for you hospitality. It was fantastic to catch up with you guys. Have a great xmas and new year Steve & Kez

Sorry to give you bad news Rocket. If your van has a GVM of 3.5ton then you will require a veh with a tow capacity of 3.5t or better to tow it regardless of weather the van is loaded or empty.

Now you have opened up a can of worms. My suggestion would be the best you can afford, remembering while the duel cab utes may have a 3.5 ton tow capacity, ........... they wont do it easy, while a cruiser will do it better, but still not that easy when it comes to steep inclines and declines. (anything can tow on the flat) Good luck in your research Steve

Hi Barramundi, Congratulations on your purchase. I am sure you will be very happy with your choice as you will now understand the whole concept of "relaxed towing", which is something that is unachievable with an under rated tow vehicle like a LC or less when you have a heavy van. I can tell you that you will be continually surprised by the excellent fuel economy once you start towing and astounded by the power and performance you will have once you hook up the van, not to mention the braking ability of the exhaust brakes. Happy travels.

Hi Neville, He did tell me but I can't really remember the name. If you fire a couple of names at me it might jog the brain. However, after talking to the guy and then talking to the guy who did my GMC and he also does the Dodge's, I get the feeling people should REALLY do their due diligence before purchasing one.

Hello Sullie We too have just completed the Birdsville track 2 weeks ago, plus many more other tracks which was far worse than the Birdsville Track with our GMC (Silverado) with no issues. I am not sure about the road from Windorah and Mitchell, but the Birdsville Track was VERY easy except from a bit of stone damage as you would expect from the Sturt Stony Desert. We are also running at 4Ton for the van which I am sure would add more stress to the van components. I am interested to see what the conclusion is for you.

We just had a couple come into Adels Grove today and as it happen he had a very nice looking Spinafex van and his tug was a 8 week old Dodge Ram. He was looking to purchase some Ad Blue, which was unavailable here, so I told him I could help him out as I had a spare 20lts and was happy to sell him. So we were having a bit of a chat .................... as you do and he started telling me that buying the Dodge was the biggest mistake of his life. It has been plagued with electrical issues and that when they pulled the dash out, the whole dash was packed out with paddle pop sticks the get it to align correctly. As you could imagine, I was in disbelief, so he showed me..................... and is I suspected, they were not paddle pop sticks .......................... they were actually the sticks out of "Magnum" ice creams, so I told him that at least Magnums are much more up market than paddle pops .......................... thankfully he saw the funny side of that. I really felt sorry for the poor bugger. Even as he thanked me for Ad Blue and went to drive off, the computers had a "hissy fit" and shut the veh down. After about an hour of trying to fault find the issue I decided to call the guy in Vic who I purchase my GMC from as he too does Dodges. He informed us that the issues he was having are VERY common and to disconnect the batteries for 10 mins and reconnect and see how it goes. .......................... Thankfully it worked and he took the guys number from me, thanked me and went on his way. So its not a good outlook for Dodge I guess. The only upside is that................. at least it is still better than a L/ Cruiser .......................................................... Only joking about the LC.