petenmargie

Thanks for your thoughts on the matter. BJW44 it's good to hear that you are very satisfied with your new CX3 it confirms our thoughts on the other "off roaders". But I am surprised by your tare wt on the 17.5ft van, do you have much extra bolted on over the standard Kedron fit out? Thanks Zolle, it's good to hear that the van performed so well for you as the Cape is not for the faint hearted. I am also pleased to hear that the built quality is still good for the lightweight van. As you point out the issue is getting something that suits the Prado. Unfortunately, we went for the auto so are limited to ATM of 2.5t. Also appreciate your comments about the need to allow for extras. Will have to talk to Kedron again to see if that is at all possible. Fingers x'ed Pete and Margie

Hi Everyone, We have just downsized our Landcruiser petrol V8 100 series and now have a brand new Prado diesel. Since completing our 3 year around Oz trip in 2012 we promised ourselves to upgrade our old tug(270,00km!). The whole idea was to get a more economical tow vehicle and get a lighter van. We have now sold our 2009 21ft ATV2 and have been seriously thinking about what type of van to get to match the Prado ever since. Although we loved the Kedron we were prepared to look at some of the other light "off roaders". We have now come to the conclusion that the new CX3 is definitely the best for our needs. So, having said all that I was wondering if any Kogers have one of the new Cross Country 3 vans and what you think about them. I realise that most of youare into full size Kedrons but this one should suit our needs very well. We wont be doing any more long distance touring but still like to get "dirty" occasionally. We still enjoy getting out there and want to do a bit of remote camping and love a bit of fossicking and prospecting not to mention a bit of fishing at remote locations while we still can. We realise that the CX3 is a bit of a compromise when compared to what we have had but being on a fixed income now makes economy very important to us. Looking forward to your replies. Pete and Margie

I thought I'd just finish this thread after making a couple of enquiries about the power supply. As it turned out that the Bain Tech power supply had failed but I was curious about Zolle's post so, I called Tom at Kedron who said that they don't install the 12v power supplys anymore and that I could just run lights, fridge fans etc of the batteries even when on 240v power. I then called Bainbridge Technologies the manufacturer, who advised that not using a power supply would reduce the life of the batteries. Always good when you get conflicting advice ain't it? Anyway I have decided to replace the unit at least I now know it isn't critical. Now to pack the rods and reels. Thanks everyone for your thoughts and help with this. Cheers Pete

Thanks Webby. Yes, fuses were OK but still worth another check. Jaygee, mine's a "Baintech" power supply not sure if they're all the same but it's right down at bottom LHS so hard to check but the fan's not running when 240v switch is on. Can't find a reset switch so looks like this may be the problem. Thanks for the info it looks like a simple replacement job. I'll go a see an auto electrician today. Cheers Pete

I am getting our 2009 ATV ready for a short trip up to Bowen and seem to have a problem with the Xantrex charger. The ATV has been stored in the shed for about 10 months since we returned from our 2 year trip around the island. I have followed advice and kept the batteries charged by switching on the 240v every 2 or 3 weeks until they were back to 100%. Everything seemed fine until yesterday while getting set up for the trip. I switched the 240v power on and tried to turn on the interior lights but found that I did not have any 12 power. I've checked all the obvious things but still no 12v power when connected to 240v. When the switch is set to 12v all is fine with voltage at 13.6v but when set to 240v no lights or pumps. All other 240v appliances work fine so there is obviously power getting in. Any ideas out there? I hope it's something simple (like my brain) and not a major replacement job. Thanks Pete

Thanks for all the good advice. Yeah, packing up all the gear and cleaning van for storage had me feeling a bit sad but I hope that the next 12 months will pass quickly so we can hit the road again in 2013. Pete

We have a great run out of our little Airtronic deisel heater in our ATV from -5 degrees in Victorian Alps and frosty mornings in central Oz. I have only ever changed the filter once and kept the deisel clean and fresh before use. But it stopped working last August in a flurry of smoke and lots of clicking. Would like to get properly cleaned and serviced before we need to use it again. Any advice as to how to go about this? I guess I have to take unit out to get worked on or, is it something I can do myself? Any handy KOGer's had a go on one of these units? Thanks Pete n Margie

Hello All, After nearly 2 years of great touring around Oz in our 21 1/2ft ATV and living in it for 7 months while house was built we will now be putting our van in the shed for about 12 months before we head of once again (yes there is still much to see and do). Can any of you wise KOGer's let me know what I should do with batteries (storage wise)and should I leave van connected to 240v power of leave off? Also, a bit worried about what to do with the water heater (gas only) and have replaced cathode (?) recently. Should I drain it or leave it full?? Thanks in advance. Pete n Margie

:helpsmilie: 8.45 pm Denmark in WA. All power now off. No lights, no nothing. Very dissapointing. Will now tow dead van to Albany for help. Just thought you would like to know. People here have been very helpful but no one really knows anything about the Xantrex system. Checked 3 batteries and they are fully charged. Checked all fuses and they are OK. Just no power to van. Pete

Hi Alan and LIz, We've had other small issues with our Nov 2009 ATV but the air-con was not one. Basically, it's had 9 months constant use across the top and down the west coast (41C at Marble Bar 5 days in a row). Only issue was a fused motor at Coral Bay that was due to the crap power they supply (160volts!!). Aircommand replaced it even though the warranty period was up by the time we got to Perth. They even supplied a new facia after the "technician" broke the original while installing the new unit. After that I can't falt the service from Aircommand either. Sounds like an add for them I know but we're happy. Pete and Margie

Thanks Phil, I'll give them a try but I'll probably have to wait until I get to Albany and see an auto electrician. Bad luck about the gear box but Kerry says you should have bought a Dodge. Cheers Pete

:sad: Just a quick report about the "Noisy Pump Syndrome" or KNPS. I finally installed a Sureflo accumulator tank and mounted the pump on a 1/4" rubber sheet but it has not done the job. The vibration is as bad as it ever was. I guess I have to use ear plugs when having a shower. Any other ideas are welcome. Cheers Pete

Just wondering if anyone can give some advice about the "synchronizing" batteries opperation on the xantrex charge controller. We have 3 pannel and batteries on an ATV and have been travelling for the past 14 months now, and I have performed the synchronizing function several times in that time by simply pressing the left and right buttons at the same time for 3-5 seconds. This seemed to set things right for about 3 months then do it again. But this time the flashing "synchronize" message won't go away. Can anyone tell me if this is a problem and will damage occur? I am a bit reluctant to go to an auto electrician as all they want to do is sell you new batteries. Thanks for any help with this. Pete n Margie

Just found a leak from the tank that holds the diesel for our heater (couldn't live without it). First noticed it when dog water had a layer of diesel as the external water tap is also just under the diesel tank. Looks like one of the pop rivets joining the aluminum prop plate covering the tank has rubbed a hole through the plastic tank. I will pull the tank off tomorrow morning but was wondering if it was possible to patch a plastic diesel tank? May also try to find a better spot to mount the tank. Any ideas? Tanks Pete