Chris
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Posts posted by Chris
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We all have to make decisions which suit us personally, of course. But as the question has been asked seeking othr's opinions so the original poster cn make a decision, I have to say we firmly decided against the ensuite.
A recent magazine article looked at the issue and revealed that there was a certain percentage of space in the van which had to be sacrificed to fit in an ensuite. I can't remember the figure but it was significant. So that is why people talk about loss of space.
If I were living in my van (and we did travel in our first Kedron for 4 years) I would value the cabin space more than the ensuite. How many minutes a day do you use the ensuite? Five minutes? And the rest of the day you are in the cabin of the van.
In our present Top Ender, it was a no brainer - we have the combined toilet/shower. We never get water on the toilet seat. The floor dries in double quick time, and anyway, we have a plastic mat on the floor which keeps your feet off the wet floor underneath.
Yes, we too have a diesel heater ducted into the cubicle and it is a wonderful asset - nice warm shower cubicle.
Another issue to take into account is the loss of an end of the van to place a window. In really hot weather by opening all four sides' windows, you get better airflow. An ensuite blocks one end off.
Chris
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We had the same problem on the first van (but haven't used the present annexe often enough to know if it is proving to be a problem. From the statements above I am guessing it may have the same hassles. In our case it warped so that when it went onto the van it looked skew wiff. But it did fit, albeit with tugging.
Chris
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Hi Grahame.
Val had taken the batteries offline and quickly checked them each, but as we were "in the field" he couldn't really do any solid and proper testing. When we got home he disconnected them all and tested them individually under load. (I am not mechanically inclined really so am only relaying my limited understanding of what he did). He found them to be OK, but as he can't be 100% sure he has taken them over to an auto electrical firm in nearby Gawler and they will give a proper test with their equipment.
As you say, you always need to consider what might be the issue. When we came home from a three month trip about a month ago, the system all worked just fine. On this trip the monitor was showing good amounts of sun coming in (we have four x 130 watt panels) and the voltage on day one was 12.9 when we got up and looked - before the sun came up!
On Caravaners Forum it has been suggested the problem may be the the load terminal of the monitor. Whatever that is. But I have relayed this to Val.
Chris
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When we were away camping last week we had some sort of systems failure with the batteries/charger/and or monitor.
(On mornings two and three of three days, the monitor flashed and then beeped, indicating that battry levels were dangerously low. The fridge then stopped working and the diesel heater would not start - all indicating no power available. Batteries were checked and found to actually be fine, as they indeed should have been. Re-setting of the monitor appears to have rectified the problem, at least for the time being. There are four GSM batteries in parallel).
But we want to get this properly checked out. Who can we take the van to in or near Adelaide to have that done?
And if anyone has further ideas about what may be going on here, I would be grateful for their thoughts.
Chris
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...and another thought. A friend of mine (who also posts on Caravaners Forum) said he had recently encountered four Kedron vans travelling together in QLD. He says he spoke to them and they all knew Chris from the Kedron forum! I wonder if the group he spoke to was yours? His name is Colin.
Chris
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Laurie and Helen, what great photos - although you do feel for the upturned van's occupants.
I do look forward to your trip report when you get home, and will be especially interested in the KFC section. Danny and Sue sent me or posted here some great photos of the 4 Kedrons all at KFC at the same time they were there.
Chris
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Hi Chris,
I also enjoyed reading your report. Must put it on our list of 'things to do'.
Is that before or after the Flinders Ranges, JJ?
Chris
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I am putting here an attachment which is the section of my trip report relating to the Savannah Way. It has just occurred to me this may be the best way to go. If others want to read this advance section of the report they can...
Chris
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Hi Helen.
We do not discriminate on this forum - everyone travelling this great country is free to ask questions and post information just as you have done. (Mind you, the forum probably has a strict policy on spammers who join purely to push their product...)
The Savannah Way was a dream run. This can change depending on the weather and timing of any grading done by road crews, of course. Our concern was mostly the Robinson River (it was high at about a metre to 400mm at its deepest)and the Calvert, which was no problem at all.
We are now in Mildura, and almost back home now. When I get home I will tizzy up the trip report and post it here in the appropriate section. That should be in about a week or 10 days so keep a look out. Send me a PM if you would prefer an immediate private copy in advance of the as yet unfinished report. (It has the complete Savannah Way section already written up).
Chris
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Hi Chris & Val
Will you be heading our way?. We are back at the cane farm,you know that nice free stay.
You are making us GREEN with envy, we just love the Savannah Way.looking forward to the trip report.
Cheers Blackie & Elle
Ah no Shane and Elle, we won't be coming that way unfortunately. We are heading south from Longreach to Jundah and then to Quilpie, as I understand there is some nice camping at Lake Houdraman and some other spots nearby. Mind you we have had enough of the dust....
Chris
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Now we have arrived at Cloncurry - which has the wonderful virtue of having water piped to the van. I have been doing regular washes along the way using the "creek water in a bucket" technique and spinning out in the van's washing machine spin cycle; but that is only suitable for clothes not for towels and sheets. Well it might, at a pinch....
I absolutely hate having people right next to me in a caravan park after a week or so of quiet bush camps.
The van got filthy dirty and when we hit town today, women and children held their breaths and ducked their heads as we passed them.
Anyway, we found the trip to be an amazing experience. There are lots of camp sites. Just about every creek has a track leading off down the side and for sure they would lead to nice spots. We camped at Lomarium Lagoon, Towns River, and a few spots beside billabongs or gravel pits off the road. The trip report will be a beauty and it will detail all.
We saw a number of Kedrons but no Phoenixes or BTs. And there was any number of little onroad vans out there doing it. Unbelievable how brave they are to cross the rivers.
We spoke to fellow KOGGERS Danny and Sue, near Hells Gate Roadhouse (which has re-opened). It was so good to speak to them and see another Kedron van out there.
Chris
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We have just arrived in Doomadgee (Gulf Country of QLD) and pulled up outside the Roadhouse. Surprisingly there is mobile phone and internet reception! Last night we camped beside a billabong, with no one and nothing else around except birds.
Yesterday we saw and spoke to another Kedron on the side of the road - Danny and Sue. Nice to see another KOGGER!
The trip has been lovely and we have seen some nice spots - as well as a LOT of bulldist and some corrugations. Many, many creek crossings. The creeks are of course a bonus, as most of them are flowing and clear water and have tracks leading down the side where one can camp.
There have been quite a few other Kedrons on the Way - but no Bushtrackers or Phoenixes that we have seen! On the other hand, there has been a lot of onroad vans like Jaycos and Coromals. I am not sure how they get through the creek crossings....
The roads are in great condition and no creek crossing has been a concern. The Robinson was the deepest and it was not too bad.
Chris
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Well, our time in Darwin has come to an end (I think we have been here for six weeks while working and catching up with family and friends).
We have closely monitored conditions on the Savannah Way to make sure roads are all open, and all is now good. So we leave tomorrow morning, driving down to Mataranka then out on the Roper Highway to Roper Bar, Borroloola, Doomadgee etc. At this stage we are not too sure what way we will come south from QLD but think we might drop down from Normanton, then through the middle of Australia back home to SA.
If anyone else is on the same tracks, and see us, please say hello. We have a gold Landcruiser and a Kedron caravan.
I will duly submit a trip report at the end of the trip.
Thanks to everyone who gave feedback and advice on the road conditions. I have some pearls of wisdom form a couple of fellow KOGGERS and that is quite comforting.
Chris (and Valdis)
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Hi everyone,
Some good points by all above. Thanks for the feedback, we will discuss this matter over the weekend and hopefully find a solution that meets the needs of this Group and is ultimately helpful to all parties involved.
Cheers,
Glen
KOG Committee
Thanks Glen, speedy reply. Yes, I agree that it is useful to have a separate section for members to use to promote their products or services. It is preferable for the promoters to be members of the group (that is, to own a Kedron) but I guess that may not always be possible. At the very least though, they should give KOG owners a special deal!
Chris
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Caravanners Forum has a special section for members who advertise their products or services. They do not allow the forum to be used as an advertising medium as such. What is allowed here is of coruse the province only of this forum.
But I am not too comfortable having the KOG forum used as an advertising tool.
Chris
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We had an ATV previously and now a Top Ender. In neither case did/do the roofs leak. We don't have Heiki, as we decided early in the piece that they were problematic (let in too much heat/cold, and dust can be an issue.
Chris
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Thanks Jewel and Rob.
This is helpful. Are you coming on up to Darwin?
Chris
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We are currently in Darwin and want to travel the Savannah Way in late June. Last year we were foiled by road closures after a heavy wet season and they have again had a lot of rain this year. But we are hoping it is open.
I have been using this website for road condition reports? There are a few cautions and closures in the area. http://www.ntlis.nt.gov.au/roadreport/region.jsp?name=katherine.
Does anyone have up to date information or recent experience on the Track?
Chris
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Very witty Russ...
I was intrigued to see a Bushtracker owner admit that they were changing brands, and saying so publicly.
Don't get me wrong - I think BT vans are a great product, as of course are many brands. It is just that its rare to hear from a BT owner that there is any other brand of offroad van.
I am intrigued by this. Clearly I think Kedron is a wonderful brand (after all, we are on our second Kedron van now, and know so many people who have come back time and again too, all loving this brand).
I won't say any more here as I would have the post deleted!
Anyway Nev and Penny, I can well imagine your excitement at getting a new van and bet you can't wait. Keep us informed about the progress of the van and tell us a bit more about it - eg payout etc.
Chris
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Oh yes, the Kedron network of camaraderie is a valuable one - high and low!
Chris
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Thanks Glen and Peter and margaret!
Oh it is so hot and humid you would not believe. At home today (Barossa Valley) it is about 13 degrees maximum!!
Peter, we are in exactly the same spot as last year - which took a bit of doing, I can tell you.
It really helps that the manager of the park has recently taken possession of a Kedron Top Ender. 
Chris and val
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Talking about photos, I am so glad to see we have retained the photo banner at the top of the screen. They are excellent photos.
Chris
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Well, after a couple of weeks on the road, we have arrived in Darwin. We spent about 10 days camping on the way up from SA, including a few days in the West Macdonnells. This van is so good, everything works as it is supposed to, and the solar system churns out energy.
Only a minor mishap - the reflectors on the front of the van fell off, one day apart! Maybe after two years the glue got "unstuck". Small matter to remedy.
We plan to be here for about 5 weeks, while Val (the more technical half of this relationship) is out bush doing some mentoring of school principals, and some relief teaching (if they can force his hands off the door jambs, as he resists being dragged into a classroom).
Chris
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Well, I generally hate change, but this does look good.
I now need to play with it to get used to it...
Chris
Chequerplate cleaning woes'
in Public Forum
Posted
I recall from somewhere else on this forum that the newer vans have a chequerplate which is sealed by Kedron and retains its shiny as new look with only washing with water. Kedron's advice was not to wash it with any chemicals because that removes the protective coating.
Anyone else remember that advice?
Chris