Neville and Kay
-
Posts
101 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
4
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Documents
Store
Posts posted by Neville and Kay
-
-
We had our Van up graded to 4 ton 2 years ago & found out because we live in a remote area [Cooktown] we do not have to go for inspection each year. Prior to finding this out we were told when you get new Rego. go to the authority in the state you are in if not [Qld] & phone Qld. Transport & they will give that state a Number for the inspection & it is to be returned to Qld. before the due date. We had spent three quarters of an hour on the phone to Qld. Transport who at first said we had to be in State to do Rego. then another Dept. said about ringing & getting number for other states to do inspection, then when they realised we are Cooktown based they said for get it & it will be reviewed every 4 yrs.
Neville
-
Good Morning Ian,
The fantastic fan on low has a small hum & increases with speed. We have a 240lt.? Vitifrigo fridge with 4/130 wat. panels on roof & carry 2/130 wat. panels in tug, all hooked up to 3 AGM Batteries & we have free camped 12 days straight & have not had to run Gen. Also run a 60 lt Waeco as a freezer on minus 15 deg.
Hope this helps
Neville.
-
UPDATE.
Towed the van from Pottsville NSW to Lawnton Qld, 164 km mainly along the freeway. Sat on 105 kph average fuel consumption 19.1 L/100 km
Happy with that.
Colin
Colin.
How does that compare to your L/C.
Neville.
-
Colin ,
What sort of fuel economy did you get out of L/C towing the van
Neville
-
Here is an update.
Colin,
What sort of fuel consumption did you get out of the L/C towing the van.
Neville
Now in Pottsville just over the border from Queensland. From Cairns to here we averaged 21.5 L per 100 km towing the TE with full water tanks, 300 l and driving on cruise control at 105 kph for most of the trip.
Driving was a dream. For the first time Gayleen did some driving on the highway with the van attached. I really enjoyed that and so did she. The exhaust brakes are a fantastic asset. We came down the Toowoomba range with absolute ease and confidence with the vehicle just sitting on the exhaust brakes. I have, over the past four years avoided the Toowoombw Range in the 100 Series LC. Not any more.
I don't want to sound like a PITA Silverado Salesman but, the 2000 km we have just completed has been the most relaxed we have experienced. It really is a different world.
Yet to give it a go on the dirt. That is my unanswered question about this vehicle. Otherwise, I am a convert.
Regards
Colin
-
Half way into our latest adventure the 230l Vitrifrigo died (2007) leaving us to live out of a borrowed 40l Engel. So on the way home we stopped in at the Fridge Whisperer only to be told that the damage to the fridge was terminal. The sad thing about it is that the fridge had been working the best it had ever worked thanks to the good work that the Fridge Whisperer had done a year ago. Up until that time we were not happy with the performance of the fridge.
The damage to the fridge was caused by the rough roads that we had been traveling on.
So now we have a big decision to make;
1; replace the fridge with another 230l Vitrifrigo this is by far the easiest or,
2 replace it with a 215l Waeco this will require a fair amount of alterations to enable the fridge to fit into the existing opening.
To help with this decision I am seeking some information on the effectiveness of the 215l Waeco and any problems people have encountered with this fridge. Also if anyone has had any experience with the new Vitrifrigo this is the one with the additional rack in the freezer.
We have heard that the Waeco uses less power than the Vitrifrigo and that the fridge compartment is colder.
Thank you
Graham and Ann
Good morning Curly
A couple of months ago we had a problem with our Vitrifrig & we went to Portable Fridge Solutions in Cairns & he put a new freezer unit in as pipes were cracked he said to put lighter product to the bottom of freezer & heavier product on wire shelf as pipes run around bottom. Also if you want fridge to be a bit colder drill a few holes in Plastic slide out tray. To replace fridge he pulls the fridge apart in van & passes through window & same with new one. I suppose if you Google the power usage of both fridges you will see which uses more power.
Neville.
-
Good timing this post.
We are also trying to deal with this issue at the moment .
Our topender has 3 110 amp batteries and 3 120 w panels and find that we have to very careful with our power consumption .
I mean turning on only one led light at a time ,maybe 3 hrs tv watching and using the diesel heater sparingly
If we live this way the battery level in the morning at around 8 is somewhere between 12.2-12.5 and Soc 75-83 persent this is ok but I am constantly worried and sending the mrs around the bend checking checking and rechecking !!!
So I have contacted the victron service agent in Perth and he suggested to install another 120 w panel on the roof.The only clear section we have is the front where it slopes up . He also suggested to increase the wiring diameter to prevent voltage drop .
Has any body out there installed a panel on this part of the roof?
I must also add that we travel mainly in the south coast of Western Australia were the sun is not that helpfull and we also have a 70 amp charger which works a treat.
Sorry Ian not trying to take over your post
John
John & Jo,
We have a Topender which originally had 3 panels & on the side where there was only 1 panel I slide this one back to just clear the TV Antenna & put bent like a flat z 2 pieces alum silicone to roof in front of this & mounted extra panel here & wired it into one of original panels & works just great. We run the standard Fridge /freezer as well as a 60lt waeco as a freezer,sat.TV & Recording box & have been in bush camping for up to 6 weeks,& usually run the generator approx. every 10 days to top batterys right up.Our time was spent around Laverton & North. Hope this helps you.
Regards Neville & Kay.
-
Hi Neville and Kay
Not a pleasant experience. The fortune is you are close to where repairs can be made.
Is yours a petrol or diesel 'Cruiser?
Barry
Barry
ours is a Turbo Diesel & we have never had any problems with it. It appears as if the Plastic Tank has failed from inside out as outside looks like new but when we looked under the top [which blew off]it was all crazed & you could scratch bits off. The pressure cap did not its safety, temperature was normal, over flow bottle was only just half full with rubber hose still attached, they think the plastic failed & there is no way of checking inside of tank through where Radiator cap goes. I still have not got final assessment. Will update on final out come.
Neville.
-
Well here is another Question or Warning we have a Dec. 2006 L/C Sahara 198,000km always serviced, well yesterday we were heading up the Kuranda Range north of Cairns pulling Kedron 17.6ft. van almost to top & a hell of a bang steam every where managed to go 300 meters to pull over place at top, popped bonnet & the whole top of Radiator was blown off, water res. was only half full & still okay. Rob from Cape York Auto managed to get new Radiator & fitted it on side of road said he had never seen anything like this before & on closer inspection of plastic top it was perfect on exterior but inside it was all crazed & you could scrape bits off it. They have our car in Cairns going over everything to see if they can come up with reason for this to happen. The rest of Radiator is in great shape just like new inside. Rob said he will keep this in the memory bank & if any of his costumers are pulling loads with similar vehicles or older he will tell them what happened & they can make the decision as to what they will do, as you can not look at the interior of the top tank. I will keep you updated when we know the final out come. It will not be a cheap outcome.
Neville
-
Has anyone installed or had anything to do with Wireless Reversing Cameras.
Neville.
-
Hello Koggers,
I have had it suggested to me that a better route between Cameron Corner and Innamincka is along the Bore Track. The idea interests me, does anyone have any information and experience on the Bore Track? Love to hear from you.
Colin
Good Morning,
We travelled the top part of the Bore Track heading to Innamincka in Sep.2013.from Cameron Corner East towards Omicron up to Epsilon then up the top part of track to Innamincka [bottom part of track was closed]top track DOES NOT GET GRADED it was sandy in places & you swing off main track in places & it is a bit rough in places. When heading back to Innamincka on return trip,217 km south is camp 601 SA Montecollina Bore it is a must. South from Birdsville camp 386 SA only 315 KM plenty of bird life & hot Spa & cold beer. Oodnadatta to Coober Pedy another must is The Painted Desert.
Neville.
-
Good morning Reece.
We had same problem early last year [ours is a cassette C2 which carries its own water]& it was the pump. We got new one from Green RV at Gympie, Qld. cost about $150. & to install you remove toilet paper holder pull pump out cut wires, re join & it comes with heat shrink & put back in tank & all is great. Hope this is of help.
Neville.
-
Hi John & Ann,
We had a simular problem but our microwave was screwed in through the base & we had seen now Kedron use a Powder Coated Alum angle to fix the microwave in & this makes the unit a lot more secure,which we have now done. Having done 70,000km [caravan km] with a lot of this on dirt with great success.
Regards Neville.
-
Perhaps a poll on problem differences between front kitchens and rear might be interesting.
I recall seeing comments on a web site somewhere that rear kitchens suffer from more bounce at the back than the front.
Mine is front and we have few problems compared to what others are posting.
Cheers
Hi, our Van is rear Kitchen & only problem we ever had was when I removed 2 spares off back of Van & put them in back of cruiser to shift weighy off Van but soon put them back on Van as going from Mareeba/ Chillagoe/ Normanton we broke 2 plates & the cutterly draw was turned up side down because the rear of the Van was pitching on gravel road without the 85 Kgs of spare wheels on the rear of Van.Neville.
-
Hi all , We have travelled the Plenty/ Donohue H'way, The Gibb River Road,The Great Central H'way,The Oodnadatta Track & Birdsville Track & have never changed our tyre pressures we run about 38PSI in Van & L/Cruiser & on the gravel, speed can vary but around 80 KMPH depending on conditions. We have a 17ft 6 inch Top ENDER Van & have never shook anything to bits. Neville.
-
Hi folks
I have been following the message trail with interest as we and my B.I.L.(a non Kedron owner) are both interested in doing the trip but a June departure is too early for us and early/mid July is more suitable. That aside, a smaller group, say 4 to 6 vans max is the preference for campsite-size issues alone.
Does anybody know if there is a structured road maintenance/grading programme or is it ad hoc? Doing the trip while road conditions are at their best would be a bonus.
Currently slumming it at Elliott Heads:what a great spot.
Cheers,Bas
where is KOG sense of adventure we did it by ourselves as have many others.Neville
-
Hello Neville,
Just went back to the post you mentioned. That is good info and I have cut and pasted it into my file. We had better get together in the New Year.
Regards
Colin
Good morning Colin, We will be back in Cooktown after Boxing day but will be back in Cairns later in January,we are in phone book,would like tosee you both.
Neville & Kay.
-
/Hello Interested Outback Way Travellers,
Attached is a first cut proposed Itinery. Comments please.
Regards
Colin
Good morning Colin,if you look back on forum 4/7/12 Sandra & Clive looking for road report Great Central we replied 11/7/12 camp just west Docker River great [bUT TOILETS GROSS]Keep well away,you should have a great trip as Kay & I did it by ourselves.We are doing the Strezleki & Tannmi next year.We are currently in Cairns would like to meet you some time Neville
-
Thanks Jacky Jacky.
I've had a look - there's quite a lot of reading and info to digest.
Cheers,
Bill
Hi Bill,I am not sure but give Phil & Len at creative conversions a ring I think they do a suspension upgrade & they are just around the corner from the Kedron factory. They are extremely helpfull & after sale service is great. Neville
-
We have just arrived back from our long anticipated trip up to the Cape. The road was better than I expected in parts (including some stretches of bitumen) but We were appalled at the actions of some of the cowboy drivers who overtook us at speeds well in excess of 100 kph at times. Most of these thoughtless drivers were young-uns towing their fold out camper-trailers who are so impatient to get where their going that they don't give a thought for anyone else.
There were a few fatalaties on the road in the time we were there and we witnessed the aftermath of a few roll-overs on the track.
On a happier note, our Kedron X-Country performed beautifully with very little troubles and nary a screw loose (except for the water filter which fell off. I don't know how I amm goint to replace it without removing the sink to get in behind it. Any suggestions?)
For anyone planning this trip, I can highly recommed a visit to the "Out of the Blue" cafe at Portland Road (close to Chilli Beach for the best fish and chips you are likely to get anywhere in Australia, nay in the World. Absolutely beautiful.
We are now eagerly planning our next venture to Tasmania in February of next year.
Since we had such good advice from members on our Cape York venture I am again seeking advice as to the best camping spots and places to visit in the Apple Isle.
I am a bit concerned in taking the van to some of the camp sites mentioned in Camps Australia Book
Also the cost of getting the truck, the van and ourselves across Bass Strait on the Ferry is turning out to be hellishly expensive - over $1600, that I am considering buying a small Kombi campervan for this trip thinking that I might save a fair bit on fares and fuel to pay for half of it. Any thoughts?
All suggetsions would be greatly appreciated.
Happy traveling,
John and Sandra
John & Sandra, I was told by a couple from Tassie [while we were at Niagara Dam in W.A.] that if they had travelled with there car only it was $90 plus their fares but when they added van it was $1600 return as it is classed as freight,needless to say they were not happy as it goes on total length of combination.So mabee kombi option is worth a look at.
Great adventures
Neville & Kay
-
John, I am an owner of the[OTHER HITCH]& we have done thousands of Km's on Great Central,Oodnadatta, Birdsville Track & have never had any problems with unhitching or hitching up as others have spoken about on the forum. First hand experance is always best & I am extremely happy. Neville.Nice to hear a good story Gazza,
Unlike another hitch maker that belted us all around unmercifully and unchecked in this forum not too long ago your story speaks heaps for a product that really does cut the mustard and is well supported in the event of a glitch.
CheersJohn.
-
Hi to all Koggers !
We are planning to head off in our brand new XC3 up to Cooktown in August this year and had thoughts of travelling along the road from Cape Tribulation through to Wujal Wujal, Helenvale and then on to Cooktown. We have since heard that the road over the Cowie range north of Cape Trib. is pretty steep and is not a good idea to take a heavy caravan over it. Others have said it should be ok as long as the road is dry. Naturally we don't want to be in a situation where we end up being stuck halfway up a steep and narrow road with all the added consequences. The van is being towed with a V6 TDI Touareg which has plenty of grunt.
Can any fellow koggers give some advice or share their experience of doing this stretch of road with a caravan or would it be advisable and obviously safer to get to Cooktown via the Mulligan Highway instead.
Cheers,
Bob and Flo
Bob & Flo,Bloomfield Track has sign no Vans (no Insurance if you are unfortunate to have accident) track is narrow in places & a lot of tourists travell to fast on it & a lot of the corners are blind it is a good trip but just be carefull.We live in Cooktown .Neville
-
Hello, has anyone travelled on the Great Central Road this year. Would appreciate a road report as we are planing to head home from WA early August.
Thanks, Sandra and Clive
Sandra & Clive; we are in Alice Springs at the moment having just completed the Great Central we left Niagara Dam (between Leonora & Menzies)on monday 2/7 refueled @ Laverton & camped 195 km east Laverton, then on to a Telstra tower (great hidy place) about 8km west Wharbton just at the end of tar a real supprise approx 20 km in the middle of nowhere. We only got to here as we lost 4 hrs with collapsed air suspension on Land cruiser,next day on to Docker River camp site west of community toilets gross & no water but quiet at night,then on to camp 66 NT IN CAMPS 6.day 1, 397km/day 2, 345km/day3, 337km/ day 4, 414km.The road was good in places & rough in others,we have a 17.6ft Kedron Topender.We then stayed @ Kings Creek Station & then did the Mereenie Loop up from kings canyon up to Namatjira Drive to Alice & are staying at G'DAY Caravan park doing washing & services etc as we have been out for 8 weeks.FUEL DIST $ 2.35LT DOCKER RIVER/CURTAIN SPRINGS $2.20LT ALICE $1.69LT hope this helps & you have a good trip as we did.Neville & Kay.
-
Hi
Sharon and I are about to head off on an 8 week trip to the Northern Territory only leaving on the 8th May 2012 travelling firstly from Hervey Bay to Alice Springs. We are contemplating going through Boulia and then across the Plenty Highway, just wondering if anyone has travelled this way recently and has any relevant information(fuel, road conditions etc.)that might help us decide if we should do this.
many thanks and happy travels
Michael Kennedy (ATV 2 and 200 series LC V8 Diesel)
Hi Michael,
We did the Plenty & Donohue hwy in 2008 & had no problems & we have never let our tyres down on any of the dirt roads incl the Gibb River & around the bottom of the Gulf & have never broken anything. You will enjoy it . Neville
Removal Of "Service" thread
in Public Forum
Posted
In all our travels we have seen heaps of Kedron Vans but only the odd one who is a member now I see why.
Neville.