colnden

I had a 2007 ute and had the same problem, except mine was a loose fitting tow bar and the end result was a cracked rear crossmember.. No joy with Toyota as they claimed that using a Hayman Reece WDH was a non genuine item and although the book says recommend using a wdh when towing, at the time Toyota didn't have a wdh. New Ute's mount tow bar to the side of the chassis only. May pay to check the 4 corners of the rear cross member and on top of the towbar where the coupling slides in. Den

If you have the DO35coupling without the dust cap and use a reversing camera to back onto the coupling, try placing a golf ball on top of the hole where the pin comes through. This will alow you to see exactly where the hole is. In my case the camera is mounted low enough to see the top of the pin when reversing and can back on to the coupling at any angle and be spot on with the coupling. Love the coupling. Den n Col

Hi Danno, just a word of caution with your plans. We set off when we were 50 year olds and planed on travelling for a couple of years. The problem is it can be very addictive and we are now into our 15 th year of tripping around and still love every day like it is a new adventure. The only thing is that doctors seem to want to interfere with our plans as we get older. While young I would say travel and enjoy the lifestyle and have no regrets. Den and Col

Just ensure when you fit the jack and it is fully retracted that you have mounted it high enough on the A frame to give you the clearance required. Den

Yes we use the trailer mate jack but not with the dolly wheel as you will never be able to push it around too much. We use the base plate and have the jack mounted high enough that it can't hit the ground. We then use a plastic block under the baseplate to take up the extra gap when disconnecting the van. Has been that way for 14 years. If you are worried about the jack creeping down when travelling then use a bungie cord to ensure it stays up. Den

Good morning Neville . We have the large plastic trunk on the "A" frame and find it very handy for the side screens for the annex and the shade cloth used as a floor in the annex. If you do fit one always be careful about what weight goes in it. Den and Col

When we looked at a replacement vehicle it was a toss up between a twin cab and a 200 series cruiser. The question of GVM upgrade came up and most people will say that you cannot increase GCM. I first of all rang QLD transport seeking clarification and followed up with an email. I was told that as there is no GCM rating for the Toyota, the GCM is taken as the GVM of the vehicle and what the towbar was rated at. If the vehicle has the appropriate mod plate fitted then I would be able to carry the extra weight without effecting the towing capacity. I subsequently showed the email to Lovells and after a couple of hours of deliberation they said that the transport dept was wrong. As they pointed out to me there is no name on the bottom of the reply so not too sure how it would stand if you were to go to court. In the end it was irrelevant as we decided on the twin cab which gave us the extra capacity we needed. (This depends on the tray and canopy chosen) I am not saying who is correct but if you have a GVM upgrade it may be worth putting the question to the relevant authorities, and make sure you have a name and position of who the respondent is . Den

Same subject but a different trailer. Worked for a firm that had a lease vehicle registered in NSW and we were in Qld. Company had a box trailer that was used twice a day. I questioned the legality of this and to cut a long story short the third party insurer for the vehicle asssured me that it was fine but when asked to put it in writing "Definately not " Qld transport said the trailer is covered by the cars third party insurance IF THE CAR AND TRAILER ARE REGISTERED IN QLD. I wasn't worried about my driving so much but the thought of somebody stepping between car and trailer when pulled up at lights and you take off could be expensive. If you go down this path then get a definitive answer in writing along with author and position of the person givingthe ok. Den

If you decide to go with the 3 way, make sure you get a motor home roof vent fitted for the fridge. I think Jayco are fitting them as standard these days. Had one installed when the van was built and have no complaints about the performance of the fridge. Basically it allows the heat from the fridge to rise straight up through the ceiling, so no fans are needed to try and shift the heat. May pay to research the model of the 3 way fridge as Dometic released a new range of fridges 2 years ago and going by the Jayco forum they had heaps of problems. Den and Col

There was a big problem sealing the newer 4season hatches. A very big problem as nothing would stick to the plastic. Believe thsre is an etch or primer to use now. But that was only forthe four season hatches. Den and Col

Have to ask how long the charger puts in 40 amps for. Our van has a xantrex 40 amp charger and depending on what power has been used it will start at 40 amp and over an hour will drop down to about 5 amps. With the solar , we have 3 x135 watt panel and output varies with position of sun, is the side of the van with 2 panels on facing the sun, if it is winter the sun won't be directly overhead at midday so shadow from the A/C and tv aerial will degrade output. I have placed a hand on a panel and the shade from the hand will knock 70% of output from the panel involved. If the shadow from the A/C is on the 2 panels on one side then it certainly doesn't help. I think the best I have seen is 18 amp output from the panels. Hope this helps a bit to understand things. Den and Col

When you have the door open and separated, the surface of the lock that closes onto the side of the door jamb has a very small button protruding. If you push this button in you can then lock the mechanism with the door open. Just makes removal of the lock a little bit easier. Den and Col

Tolley you can't go wrong coming down here in winter. Look at all the free airconditioning we have. Haven't raised a sweat since we have been here. Den and Col

Merv and Di .The first toilets we went to here were stainless steel and no toilet seat. Now in this weather that makes you pucker up. No dump point and the notice on the dunny wall seems to indicate they get a little upset if you empty the cassette in their septic system. Den and Col

Although it is not Bondi Beach, it is still great to play out side. Just can't convince Colleen that it's ok to get out of bed.

More snow over night Sandra and the dish worked fine. Snow has built up at the bottom and it looks like it has a beard. The only thing you have to do is make sure that you ventilate the van and don't heat up the inside too much. Otherwise condensation comes into play. Couldn't open a window this morning as the hinge has frozen, as could be expected. Good feather doona and a blanket and we were as snug as a bug in a rug. We are on power here so the diesel heater is not in use. Hard to beat sitting at the table with bacon and eggs looking out on a snow covered landscape. Den and Col

Thought I would share a photo of the car and van. Staying at Miena next to the Great Lake ,central Tasmania

We have found a small privately owned postoffice in our suburb and asked if we took a post box and left them a pack of 500 grm and 3 kg satchels , would they be able to forward our mail on to us when we ring them, explaining to them that we are constantly travelling. Once a month we ring and ask that they forward it to where ever we will be. Haven't had a problem in 3 years. Normally buy them a present of chocolates for the smoko room when we are in town. Most mail these days is handled on the net so the amount of mail forwarded is pretty small. Den and Col

Sorry I can't help with your problem, but ours started to get a real howl up when on spin cycle. Long story cut short it was a bearing. Rang four different repairers and was told to buy a new one. in their opinion if you go beyond 2 years you can expect problems. If you have had eight years you have done well. A new machine is around the $1200 mark. Camec have released a new front loader which has a slightly larger capacity as well as slightly larger external dimensions, which meant it wouldn't fit. From memory it was $890 and 4 kg capacity? Unfortunately, if its for a caravan, its not cheap. Regretfully ours went to the dump so can't help with spare parts. Den n Col

The info below may be of help to ppl travelling off the beaten track. I have copied it from the Explore OZ forum. For info, we found out something that may be of interest to fellow travellers – don’t always assume that because you may not get mobile reception when you drive into a town that there is no mobile service available. We have found in two towns now (no doubt there are many others) that a local business will provide a very localised service that may have a coverage no bigger than a house block. In Eulo it only worked from the front verandah of the store and would not work even in the car parked in front of the store. In Milparinka it only works at the pub. So it pays to ask around if you are in need of mobile coverage………. Cheers, Dalb

I guess allowances should be made for ppl who are not really computer literate. Myself I know how to use a computer but finding the correct words to type into a thread search beats me. Have often seen the quote to do a search and although not needing the information I have tried to look up the thread myself. Lets just say that if Mr Google can't help me then it is a lost cause. This not only applies to our forum but most of the others that I visit. Perhaps a key word or two to put into "search" may help. Den and Col

The photos show the results of a can of spray and non-stick that has exploded. In this case the person was cleaning out a cupboard on his hands and knees and as he emptied things out of the cupboard he placed them behind him. In the process of doing this he had a visitor so went outside to talk to them About 10 minutes later he heard an explosion and raced into his van to see this result. When he emptied his cupboard he had accidentally placed the can of spray behind himself and straight in front of an electric fan heater. The rest was history. The contents were turned into an instant mist and if there would have been a suitable ignition source, then the van would have exploded. Incidentally, if you want to cover the inside of your van with oil, then this is a quick way of doing it. Den and Col

This is the fuse that we could not see when looking from outside the boot. Need to put your head inside the boot and look beside the far side of the break-away unit. Was well hidden from view from the outside. Den.

Had a problem with the Anderson lead between the car and van and found the fuse hidden beside the break away control unit. At the same time one of the three fuses on top of the battery, although not blown, it was certainly cooked. Would pay to have a look at those 3 fuses as this is the second case of this happening. Den and Col

Hi Colin, we are headed towards Menindee via the Darling River then Broken Hill and then toss a coin to see which way the wind is blowing. Col has to return to Cns for doc appointments in Aug so plan on being around either Melbourne or Adelaide and she will fly home for a couple of days. Thinking the Flinders Ranges would be nice but love the idea of no plans. Looks like the weather is going to be kind to your group although winter is finally kicking in. Bourke is forecast for 4 deg on Sun and 3 deg on Mon so you should be in for some cool nights by the time you are down this way. Travel safe. Den and Col