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Bas

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Everything posted by Bas

  1. Hi I have been crossing the chains ever since I had a towbar fitted by Hayman Reese many years ago. The Hayman Reese employee advised it was HR preferred because in the event the hitch broke, the front of the A frame was suspended to some degree and did not dig into the road surface or whatever. It's easier enough to do and makes more sense than having great loops of chain almost dragging on the road. Barry
  2. 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
  3. Hi Neville, I fitted a Jaycar wireless reversing camera to our 100 series sometime back to assist with hooking up, and sometime later Jaycar released a model where two cameras can be used with the one screen. You can select which camera you want to use. Because I had purchased the solo model, they did a bit of a deal when I wanted to upgrade. The vehicle mounted camera gives a crystal clear picture, whereas the van mounted one does suffer some interference from other vehicles, power lines etc. However, I discovered that by leaving the foil window shades in the van down, the reception is much better. I need to only know if there is another vehicle behind me and how close it is, not the colour of the driver's eyes!! For that it is good enough. For the camera on the van, I tapped into the radio wiring (we have a rear kitchen) and ran the wiring to the camera through the exhaust fan ducting. I have a switch discreetly mounted to turn the camera off when on-site or in storage. Regards Barry
  4. Hi Rich and Miss Lizzie As our ATV was to be parked outside, we decided to use a cover and as there was no power available nearby, to have clear panels over the solar panels to keep the batteries charged. Research found a cover maker on the Sunshine Coast (Kawana we think, as we are away from home at the moment) and in a phone call to discuss cost etc, we were advised they would not make a cover with clear panels. To make a cover like that would compromise the integrity of the cover. The company suggests use of a small portable solar panel/charger, which can be connected via the wiring normally used to connect the van to the tow vehicle. They can sell you the gear but we had one so saved what was a reasonable-priced panel, which has sufficient output to keep the batteries happy but does not require any other electronics. Coinciding with a visit through the Sunshine Coast, the company came to the caravan park and measured up, and by the time we were heading home, the cover was finished and we called in for it to be test-fitted etc. The cover is heavy duty and has some hail protection properties. Being covered, there is minimal air-circulation in the van and so we always place 4 moisture-absorbing pots of crystals in the van. Let us know if we can be of further assistance. Barry
  5. Hi all Early this week we commenced preparing the van for some time at Elliott Heads, including turning on the fridge etc. An hour or so after doing this, checked to see that the fridge was cooling, but alas, it wasn't. Turned it off and on again and noticed the motor ran for about 10 seconds and then cut out. Rang Kedron to see who they could recommend but the factory is on hols, so as advised by the message, rang Jan at the sales office. She suggested I contact Andrew the Fridge Whisperer. This I did and arranged to take the van to him. I had pulled the lower vent off to see if there was anything obvious and noticed that the fan was not running, because overnight the fridge had started to run but was not cycling off. Rang Andrew and told him about this and he said it could be the problem. Thursday 8:00 am we were at Caboolture to see Andrew and he pulled the fridge out and replaced the fan, refitted the fridge,let it run for almost two hours to check that it pulled the temperature down and to make sure it was cycling. All was great. Andrew remarked that the Vitrifrigo fans last about 5/6 years at most, less in dusty conditions. The service we received was first class and at a reasonable price. Now at Elliott Heads and looking forward to the next 5 weeks. Bas
  6. Hi folks Earlier this year while at Woodgate, there was a purpose-built off-road van which appeared to be a one-of, but very professionally constructed. I was intrigued by the air cleaner on the van and asked the owner what it was for. The answer was that when they are off-road, they turn on a blower (sucker?) which pressurises the inside of the van, drawing air through the air cleaner. Ship chandlers and the like sell bilge blowers which would do the trick nicely. They move a large volume of air but don't draw a lot of current. There would be a bit of work in setting up such a system and the air cleaner would have to be located in a place where there is not a lot of dust, but it is permanent and once done, no more taping up etc. Cheers, Barry
  7. Bas

    USA spare parts

    Zolle I was a bit intrigued as to what Eastern Marine's prices might be so had a look at their brake bits to do a compare with the same items I had purchased through Vehicle Components some time back. Backing plates complete with linings etc etc from Eastern Marine are listed at $31.99 (VERY cheap) but the killer is the freight at $150, which puts them on par. Lighter items may be competitive. Barry
  8. 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
  9. Hi to all We have a 2006 ATV and also like to have it on the level. But rather than spend a heap of hard-earned on commercial products, experience has proven that some chocks cut from 100 x 80 mm treated pine, and levellers from 200 x 50 mm treated pine, and thinner ones from 20 mm waterproof ply, work very well. They are light and not bulky. And minor levelling adjustments can be made by putting something under only one wheel. It is hard to understand why caravanners, like our van's former owner, never used the corner stands. One only has to wander around a van park to see that few people use a spirit level. Doing all of this may take a few minutes more but it makes the on-site experience much more pleasant. Barry and Carolyn
  10. Bas

    VAST con

    My experience with VAST can only be described as exceptional in terms of both service and the facility itself. An added and unexpected bonus is the near-absence of advertising and the scenes from various parts of Australia. It's only a pity some of the scenery is identified whereas some channels do not provide a caption. You can register for any state you wish. If in WA, you can register for NSW and watch games live, but for practical reasons, it's probably best to register for where you are so that you receive local news. After enduring the vagaries of terrestrial reception for years, VAST is out of this world (literally!!!). Barry
  11. When I replaced the Hyland with a DO35 on the ATV, I also purchased the lock designed for it and while no lock is impregnable if somebody puts their mind or angle grinder to it, the DO35 lock is certainly daunting. With spares and the hitch on the vehicle, where do you start and stop? I don't leave the hitch on the vehicle when unhooked and the spares have locked chains on them. Bas
  12. Thanks Tony H I rang VC yesterday and am to arrange to take the van out for them to inspect the brakes. They also want to look at the old drums etc as the person I spoke to this time was a bit surprised that the grooves could be as a result of the brake controller being set too high. Yes, the cost was high but the drums had to be replaced as it would not have been economic to have them machined, but no doubt the shoes could have been obtained at a better price. At least I now have some spare shoes which can be relined for spares. Regards, Bas
  13. We purchased an 18'6" ATV which was first registered 11/06, in May 2011. It was/is in very good condition, but the first thing to check before any travelling was the brakes and bearings. All of the drums had deep circular grooves/scores almost down to the wheel stud heads, and the magnetic blocks had corresponding ridges. Visited Vehicle Components here in Brissy who supply Kedron with brakes and other bits, and was advised they had not seen anything like it before and suggested the previous owner must have had the brake controller set for too severe braking. There was no option but to replace the drums and the blocks and decided to do the shoes at the same time, as well as bearings, and it was just as cheap/expensive to start from scratch with new backing plates etc etc. Two things have developed:- 1. When turning sharply, and this includes going through a roundabout, AT TIMES one or more of the brakes comes on briefly as the van can be felt to tug for a while. 2. This may be related to the above, but after travelling for a while and the brakes/drums are warm (not hot), on stopping one or more of the brakes binds (and I believe only on the right side). By rolling or reversing back just a few centimetres, the brake/s free up. One reason I have heard for number 2 is that brake blocks can retain some current. On the way home from Tamworth a few days ago we stopped at Aratula for a break and chatted to folks with a Top Ender. Asked if we were happy with the Kedron, the brake problem was described. The TE owner replied that he had a friend who had a Boroma which had the number 2 problem for some time and after much perserverence it was resolved but unfortunately he could not remember how. I would be grateful for any info/ideas/solutions.
  14. Hi We turn our Vitro off at the thermostat. The light in the fridge is operated by a magnetic switch which is on the body of the fridge, and the magnet is on the door. By using a small but powerful magnet (as in computer hard drives!!) which is placed on the switch and held in place by a piece of tape, the switch can be turned off and presto, the light in the fridge goes out, allowing the door to be left open when the fridge is not being used. Bas
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