John and Ann

Hi Col, I bought hatch covers last year from the US. At the time I posted in this thread http://www.kedronown...ch=1 $256.00 for 3 inluding freight. The rest I made myself with bits from Bunnings, Clark Rubber and what I had at home, I'll take it back off over the next day or two and post a photo of the filter I made that slides in behind the grille. Aside from the hatch covers the bits cost me about $40.00 or so. Patent Pending...... bahahaha Cheers John

G'Day All Thanks for the info Russ. Ann said that she agrees with you John [JHerron] Funny that. Though I'm sure she will ask me "Why is it we can't we watch the Satellite TV outside" .....bahahaha. Oh so true Bill. Like Bill said, don't be jealous Colin. We've all got an area(s) of interest that are different, how boring would it be if we all had the same knowledge. I guess that's what makes this type of Forum so valuable, the knowledge pool and peoples willingness to share helps fill in the blanks. Cheers John

Hi Russ, I've been and had a bit of a look around and there seems to be quite a few different models, mostly they run on 5vdc from a 240v plug pack. Which is it that you have? Do you have a 12vdc model or run them via a plug pack or 12vdc-5vdc switchmode converter? I'm asking because I try, as best I can, to have as much of this stuff as 12vdc. Thanks in advance. John

Hi Bill, Tell me about it, mine has leaked, right from the outset, hopefully it's sorted now. I've got two Fantastics as well, but raise you one in the bathroom. Oh, I've just changed the centre Fantastic to be a van pressurisation fan complete with oiled/foam intake filter, be interesting to see how it performs. Promising so far, blows heaps of air out of the rangehood exhaust outlet (blows out the flame on a gas lighter), door vent and Four Seasons hatch. I modified this to accomplish the task: The accumulators are a dead easy retro fit, just buy the accumulators (Jabsco is what I have one on each drinking and shower water) online and grab a few fittings from the local caravan supply store. Your pumps will love you for it, even more than you will enjoy the reduced noise of the cycling. Could be that your inverter has an apparent power rating of 1800va and a real power rating of 1600w (my Victron unit seems big at 2000va but the real power rating is 1600w). "W" and "VA" are not the same thing, the difference is important and understood by sparky type people, for the most everyone else they are a source of confusion. The best things come to those who are patient and wait, I'm sure your turn is just around the corner. Regards John

Hi Russ, Good post, very handy indeed, food for thought (for many I suspect) Good tip, I'm onto it, I've got two TV's so I presume I can use a HDMI splitter before the transmitter if I want that option. Now that can be classed as thinking outside the box(square). I got the expensive gizmo as a Christmas gift from my boys and I love it, but your solution is a very viable alternative. I'm sure your post will give many cause to look into their own options. Thanks John

Hi Bill, It seems sometimes things just happen (I'm assuming with the best of intentions), even if you visit them every day during the build as I did. I've got a Four Seasons Hatch which I specifically didn't want, after much discussion, I agreed to leave it there as it seemed way to difficult to undo. I trawled all manner of related forums, didn't ask too many questions as most of them had already been asked and answered were I looked. Being a sparky with construction industry experience not to mention being a bit of a technology tragic I knew what I wanted. We'd not lived in a van since the mid 70's so had to rely on opinions of others about layout and functionality, needless to say there are tings I would do differently, the hindsight thingy you are also experiencing. There are a few things that I think I definitely got right/wrong. Got Right (factory firsts) Specifying LED lighting throughout, including strips under overhead cupboards (one fluoro did sneak into the front boot and I had to change the swivel and rangehood downlights to LED myself).Specifying Accumulators on the water pumps.Specifying Fusion Audio System with a wired remote in the external TV hatch. Got Right (but, they tried to convince me I was wrong) Insisting on the Victron 12/2000/80 Inverter Charger despite getting a few phone calls trying to talk me out of it. In the end I had to indemnify them to get it across the line, they were that persistent. It's been a brilliant piece of gear and made the transition to LiFePO4 batteries a doddle.Got Wrong: Didn't fit the Auto Satellite Dish, got talked out of it by popular misconception that they are more trouble than they are worth, re: trees and line of site to satellite. I now know I could work around this and would be a small price for the convenience.Didn't take enough close-up photo's during the build, particularly when it was all wired up and the external skin had not yet been fitted.No HDMI between satellite receiver and external TV hatch ( can't even retro-fit it, believe me I've tried)Didn't fit USB charging outlets (12vdc connected version), I could think of at least 5 locations for one of these. All in all though it's a brilliant van and we thoroughly enjoy our yearly escape.... can't wait for late May when we'll be off again. That you can be sure of, I'm cursed with being a habitual tinkerer with too much time on my hands, so there's always a project or two (dozen) on the go with the van, cruiser or our semi-rural property (the later comes a sad last on the prioritisation list. Enjoy the road, travel safe. John

G'Day Russ, Thanks for your reply, indeed it helps. I've sort of ended up in the same place on this question as you (minus the kamikaze frog). I believe that changing to LiFePO4 batteries has in itself added efficiency to the charge cycle. It's a bit early to get a grip on the time taken to go onto float as we are not actually in travelling mode, parked up at home getting ready. Early indications are that the system would likely go onto float somewhere about midday as you suggested. G'Day Bill, That's interesting, wonder why they keep changing. Did you have the option of either one or the other. I would be expecting that most quality builders that provide solar systems on their vans would opt for MPPT as the relative difference from new is minor compared to the outlay on the van. Cheers John

Hi All, Wondering if anyone has the newer technology MPPT Charge Controller in their van. I've read they can be up to 30% more efficient in less than perfect sunlight than the previous PWM type which would be in most vans unless you've changed it. Perhaps the newer vans have them as standard, don't really know. Would appreciate some feed back from anyone that has an MPPT controller: What was your motivation to have it installed or was it included in your build?What brand of controller do you have?Do you have a feel for the performance of an MPPT vs the older style PWM controller?What is the total wattage of your solar panels? I'm asking because I'm thinking of changing out my current Xantrex C40, there's nothing wrong with it, just looking for more efficiency to avoid the generator blues. Thanks in advance. John

EDITED (got to be bad when you can't remember when your were somewhere) G'Day John, Sorry we both (Ann and I) had a bit of a giggle, that's the one, 2011 2012 for us, it was a shocker, although, not as bad as the track into Silent Grove in 2012 the same year that was extra bad. Cheers John

Hi Russ, I thought the poll was a brilliant idea! Good to see there are so few that have sustained tyre damage and that generally speaking there doesn't seem to be a lot of van damage being incurred. Just need to get a bit more input, there seems to have been plenty of lookers if you use the download counter on attachments as a guide. I too have been very guilty of not airing down on those pesky short diversions from the tarmac. On at least one occasion the regret set on quite quickly, it was a shocker road in Kakadu and I had no choice but to stop and air down, even then it was so bad that the winch control box on the forever shacking 200 series bullbar destroyed itself, funny that, we were to see a few of these boxes strapped to these airbag compatible bars on Prado's and Landcruisers, apparently they eat UHF antenna's as well if you've selected the wrong type. It's not the airing down that's irksome I use an ARB deflater that pulls the valve out of the stem for full flow, it's the re-inflation that takes the time, my compressor is big enough and does the job quite quickly, but, it is not continuously rated and had a thermal protection device that stops it periodically, it's always a case of have a cuppa and just take your time. When on the Gibb River Road last year I ran 28psi vehicle front, 32psi vehicle rear and 28psi on the van, a bit of trial and error was used to get to those settings, but, they seemed to be the most universal for the conditions we encountered. Speed is the demon in all of this, sometimes even a crawl can be a painful journey. We did see many that opted for the skip across the top technique, heaven knows the pressures they were running but we did see the price a few of them paid, tyres and wrecked suspension systems. Cheers John

In the paperwork we were given when we collected our van there was a sheet which had those pressures stipulated on them, it's attached below. Pre-TravelCheckList.pdf A year or two there was much discussion about tyre pressures on this form. At that time consensus seemed to be that there is no universal tyre pressure. Rather, the tyre(s) has it's own technical specification and the pressure it is inflated to depends on the load applied. The table I used for both the vehicle and van is attached in a spreadsheet, it can easily be adapted to the specification of another setup by changing the values in the yellow cells. Tyre-PressureCalc.zip Cheers John

Hi All, Here's some more info from Thuraya. They are certainly talking about use in Oz on their website. I've already got a iSatPhone Pro Merv, it's not perfect either. I dare say the subsidy will apply to this device also, I did hear recently though that the subsidy has a limited life span. Oh and I don't plan on going to Bangladesh any time soon, but, I think that there could a few countries that don't allow/recommend you to take a Satellite phone into them. Oh yeah, I've no association with Thuraya or any organisation that sells their products. I'm just a technology tragic. Thuraya SatSleeve FAQ_.pdf SatSleeve Factsheet 100313.pdf You can find the brochure HERE, it was too big to upload. Cheers John

Hi All, If you have an iPhone 4, 4s or 5 and need to have Satellite access when your out of your Telco's coverage then check out the iPhone Satellite sleeve due for release shortly in the US, I like it! http://www.redmondpi...atsleeve-video/ Wonder if and when we might see them in Oz? Cheers, John (aka, Mr Gadget)

Hi all, Dumples, hmmm, the technical equivalent of dimples perhaps or just a typo Glad to hear it's solved Russ, another energy saving measure ticked off the list? Cheers John

Hi Russ, No doubt you have a different model to my own. The only one I have is in the front boot and the diffuser is easily removed by using your finger nail under one corner to pull the side away from the body. In my case the fluoro has a switch one end with a curved diffuser and roundish ends. On this model the diffuser is retained by protrusions on the diffuser that clip into dumples on the fluoro body, two each side. Good luck John

John, I'm happy to report that our first encounter with the wayward self unscrewing screws was identical to yours excepting we added a diversion to Alice Springs because we couldn't return to Brisbane until the 2010/2011 flood waters had subsided. I suggested to Tom, when we called in at the factory for a quick once over, that they should be using thread lock on their screws during the build. Many of the screws that have worked loose are on appliances, so not all the responsibility falls on the shoulders of great team at the factory. For my part I never simply do up a loose screw. As I've said before I use removable thread lock in all locations, internal and external. A small bottle of the blue Removable Thread Lock from the local hardware supplier is a really valuable addition to your toolkit. Cheers John

Hi All, It doesn't take a badly corrugated road and/or bad driving technique to make things come loose or move about. I've found that traveling on the highway or lightly corrugated roads can challenge the build of any van. We've found many a screw has worked it's way out even when not traveling on dirt. The most common screws that have needed attention were awning track, rangehood, oven & grill doors, a few cupboard hinges and the compressor assembly of the fridge, the latter had only one screw holding it in place when I went to give the area a good clean I only noticed by chance when I found a screw laying on the drip tray. Oh and I forgot we almost lost the cover from the external air con as all the screws had come out , luckily it got caught, but, it was on rather a strange angle looking like it was ready to take off. Maybe we've been unlucky with so many coming loose. Might even be able to attribute it to the aggressive tread pattern of the van tyres causing more vibration that highway tyres. Either way I'm always on the lookout and have the removable thread locker close at hand. John

We've all been caught off guard at some point on the quarantine issue I'm sure, seems the power that be have adopted a sensible and more reasonable approach to the GCR by having the amnesty bin near Laverton rather than at the border, good to see. John

That's a really, really good point Chris, Our WA quarantine laws are savage, you can't bring very much in at all. I've heard stories that at the southern border station near Eucla they have asked people to turn out they're garbage and anything in there not allowed or parts of what is not allowed had to be separated and handed in, including potato peel. You can't escape that process by saying show me the bin I'll just bin it all as they don't provide that facility so refuse to let you do it. Makes for a bland trip west without any fresh produce until a major town, not too many Woolies, Coles, IGA, etc on the GCR. I'd do a fresh produce drop for the convoy, but, I'll be too early going east. I will though post an update as to what is available at the various stops the convoy will pass through headed west. I wouldn't be hanging out for anything special at a reasonable price though, all part of the journey in the end. On our last crossing near Kununurra we gave away or binned everything well before the border. We kept the honey though as it was a product of WA the inspector was fine with that. I doubt an inspector will be standing at the border waiting to flag down the west bound convoy, it all comes down to an honesty system and the conscience of the individual traveller. Happy pondering John

Thanks for that Colin, Apologies for barging in with my previous post .

Hi Colin and the Outback Way gang, The alcohol issue seems pretty clear for the GCR, NT/WA border to 130km east of Tjukayirla Roadhouse you can convey, but not consume, sell or otherwise distribute alcohol, a slight clarification below over and above the wording on the issued permits. Roughly about 400kms, looks like our overnight at Warburton is a tea-total event which might not be such a bad thing RegardsJohn Here's an extract from the web http://www.tjukayirlaroadhouse.com.au/faq.php The Ngaanyatjarra Council (Aboriginal Corporation) By-Laws, which apply to the whole of the Ngaanyatjarra Lands, prohibit the possession and consumption of alcohol on the Lands. The by-laws allow you to convey any alcohol that you have with you through the Lands, but you cannot consume it. The Lands are 159,948 square kilometres in size (compare to the size of England, 130,439 square kilometres). While travelling along the Great Central Road from approximately 130 kms east of the Tjukayirla Roadhouse right through to the Northern Territory border, you are in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands and you are subject to the by-laws. Penalties for breaching the by-laws apply and fines up of to $5,000.00 can be imposed. In addition, any breach of the local by-laws will cause your permit to enter and remain on the Lands to be reviewed. Please enjoy your time on the Lands. Information provided by the Ngaanyatjarra Council.

That's interesting, I'll be sure to keep it in mind. Also, just couldn't resist adding to the John's posting on the thread RegardsJohn

I'm inclined to agree with you Colin on all fronts. I don't believe that the risk of stone puncture is any more real than with the steel cylinders for the reasons you mention. I would also guess that unless they were at least equal in strength to the steel version you would probably not even be able to buy/sell them under Australian law. The light fingered risk is I think quite real although with some lock and the like it could be discouraged at least to the same extent as the current ones on my van. I thought that the biggest issue might be rocking up to some filling facility out back of beyond only to find the operator willing to do nothing more than scratch their head and say "hmmm, waht the heck is this, don't know about that" Haven't given up on the idea just yet. John

Hi All, Was wondering if anyone had looked at or considered Composite Gas Cylinders distributed out of QLD. They take about 10kg of the front of the van as a pair, but, at a price. They're transparent though so you can see at a glance how much gas you have left, very cool. Take a look http://www.southerns...products_id=432 Oh yeah I have no affiliation with the product or any supplier or agent, just thought it might be of interest if you've got nothing else left to tweak on your van. Happy travels. John

Hi Russ & Sue, Been waiting myself, but knew you were busy on the road. Have to respectfully disagree with your daughter, Ann and I always enjoy reading your very well written musings. Just a quick off topic note, am now the owner of 4 Winston LP12V90AH's now for the associated work.... Travel safe... John