Ecoranger

We are considering purchasing a portable satellite dish as opposed to replacing our Jack Aerial (which provides poor reception at best). I assume many out there have purchased one of these rather than getting a $3-4K permanent satellite dish on the roof? Therefore I am interested in any opinions on quality brand names and ease of use. Also, where do you store it whilst on the road? Thanks. Regards, Kym.

Has anyone ever had one of these made for a Yamaha 2800i? I assume any engineering firm could make one? Needs to fit box with max dimensions: 700 (deep) x 490 (wide) x 465 (high). Regards, Kym

Thanks for all your replies. After a long and serious consideration and much research, we have decided to purchase a Yamaha 2800i....just in case and for those hot days in the middle of nowhere! As it is more powerful and therefore will run effectively in the heat, nearly as quiet, revs lower, has larger fuel tank, fits into a pre-built box in van and is slightly cheaper than the Yamaha 2400i. I just need to get a special slide made up for the box to make it easier to move! Regards, Kym.

Having recently upgraded to a Lovells Tow System, I have for sale my previous 3500kg McHitch Tow System and 800lb Weight Distribution bars. This includes Hayman Reese drawbar and brake lever. Asking $400 ONO. (under half price). Regards, Kym.

Thanks for all your replies...so much variation!! Still not sure if we should have a generator, just in case, anyway, maybe a smaller one will be adequate? Cheers, Kym.

Also, is it even worth taking a generator on such a trip? I have 3 solar panels and 3 AGM Batteries with backup Redarc chargers in both van and vehicle?

My caravan spares have the same stud pattern as my Landcruiser and the tyres are the same size. However I was advised that I would need to fit spacers onto the Landcruiser hub before being able to use the them as spares in an emergency? Is anyone aware of this and is it factual? If so, what size spacer should be used?

After many years of searching and much advice from various people, it appears that the Yamaha 2800i is the best generator for all round performance and reliability. In particular to run an Aircon up north. Many manufacturers claim their cheaper generators will do the job, but I am not convinced. Any other opinions or experiences out there??

Hi Terry & Mary Lou....great to hear from you! We just arrived home yesterday having spent the previous night in the Spear Creek Caravan Park, a private camping area at the base of the ranges just southeast of Port Augusta and it was rather warm at about 42 deg! So all night air-conditioning and a few beers was the only way we survived!! Luckily we were the only one's in residence, as it was a bit tight getting out, however very peaceful and shady with a few roos! Arrived home to about 40 deg and slowly unpacked the van. Still waiting for it to cool down tomorrow to 30 deg to give it a washdown. Streaky Bay was a great spot, just pity about the heat and wind. Fishing was just not possible. We moved on down the coast with one night in Elliston, very windy and then 2 nights in Coffin Bay...still windy, but we managed a drive out into the National Park and a few dozen oysters!! After this we made a short trip to Port Lincoln and stayed with family for the week, which was great and very relaxing. Finally managed to go out fishing in my Bro in Laws boat to Sir Joseph Banks Group of Islands...just sensational and luckily we bagged our 30 King George Whiting and had a feast when we came ashore. Now also have a few fillets in the freezer to keep our Omega 3 in check!! On the van front, well we had it serviced in Port Lincoln as it was time at 5,000km and attempted to have a few issues resolved, like the laminate trim lifting on almost every cupboard and narrow surface!! They fixed some, but still more to do...will be trying to resolve with Kedron. They had never seen any van as bad as what ours was!! Anyway, hopefully we will be able to resolve the issues that we are having before our next adventure? Just hope it will not mean an unexpected trip to Brisbane to achieve it!!? As an aside, make sure you keep one of your nifty coffee tables aside for us, we will work out a way to get it from you somehow!! Hope you are both going well and looking forward to more adventures..... Kind Regards, Kym & Kathryn

Hi Mike, I would like to get the specs of exactly how this box was made and fitted to your van. It looks fantastic and I would like to add one to our van. I assume it was made and fitted by a local metal fabricator? What was the cost? Cheers, Kym.

We are considering a good quality cover for our Kedron XC, as we are planning to store it outside. So it needs to be weather (heat, rain, wind) proof and padded to stop any hail damage that may occur. Anyone who could recommend such a cover, we would be really grateful.

Thanks to you all for your Warm Welcome. As we have really only had one trip after collecting the van and that was into QLD and back to Mildura via Kedron, we have not experienced enough to have too many questions. However, we would be interested to know if anyone else has experienced any (what I would term cosmetic) issues with their van after they first collected it from the factory. We experienced quite a few, for example....from the fridge failing and fuses blowing to unfinished timber edges (not varnished) and cupboards not closing properly. Small things in reality, however we considered that given what we paid and the apparent reputation of Kedron for quality, attention to detail was lacking in many areas. We have raised these issues with Kedron and most were fixed during the first service, others I had to fix myself, although the end result was not as good as if it were done ( as it should have been) in the factory, in my opinion. Anyway, we were advised by other caravan owners that all caravans have issues and "teething problems" apparently...we just felt a bit aggrieved and being so far from Brisbane, we could not just take it back for repair! I guess these are some of the joys of caravanning and no doubt we are not alone in experiencing quality control issues? Anyway, we would be interested in anyone's experiences or opinions on this issue, as our journey continues.......

Hi All, Just purchased 19' XC in August and had a few weeks running it in through Queensland up to Rockhampton. Tow vehicle is 2014 Landcruiser 200, which has performed well, albeit a bit thirsty at times. Now back in Mildura and planning our next adventure. Kym & Kathryn