TonyH

I use mine to assist me when getting up on the drawbar...... when removing the padded stone screen, washing the front of the van or roof

Hi Rick, Heres a link worth having a look at />http://www.satechi.net/index.php/new-products/satechi-st-tp01-car-holder-mount-for-5to10inch-tablets-samsung-galaxy-tab-blackberry-playbook-htc-flyer Regards

Hi, I am experiencing exactly the same problems/dramas as you with radio reception with the Kedron std fit radio aerial. On several occasions I have spoken to Tom & Dave at the factory re an upgrade of this antenna..... but to no avail In fact it was only very recently the subject came up again as my van is currently at the factory getting a 'new side' due to a recent indiscretion with a steel fence post (thats another story).... as this would have been a good time to upgrade the aerial. I can see the benefit of having the flexible aerial as it doesn't get damaged easily when brushing up against a low hanging tree branch. I have slightly improved the performance of my aerial by 'undoing' a steel coathanger.... coiling one end of it & slipping/pushing it over the aerial..... 'Next time' around when I build a new van, I will look at the probability of having an auto retracting unit fitted (automotive style) as I don't believe this could be an item that could be retrofitted easily in an 'old' van.

Hi....you lucky buggers, I towed my 19'6" ATV into Lorella Springs with no dramas, track conditions varied from good to average in different sections ...... just drive to the conditions, you will have no worries On arrival or during your stay you will meet Rhett & his mother (cant remember her name .... the owners) such lovely people & I believe Rhett is still recovering from a horrible accident he sustained last year.

Hi John & Tina, Having an extended draw bar works for me I would have no hesitation in going this way again. Longer bar definitely makes reversing & positioning the van easier & as Bob mentioned the extra length can be used for storage purphases.... (remembering tow ball weight) One thing often forgotten about longer draw bars is storage (as in parking up & not using)..... not knowing what your situation is, will the extra length of the draw bar (increasing the total length of the van) be a problem?

Hi Ann, That sounds like a voice/advice of experiance .... which I agree with as it it works for me as well...... but I just usually sit the cutlery draw in the middle of the bed & to date it hasnt moved (hope I havent jinxed myself) Regards & hugs to you & Sue!!

Hi Peter, (Quote, An emergency solution is apparently to connect a battery to the red and black terminals on the breakaway unit to get the brakes to release.) A correction to your comment above..... Yes.... Battery power (12v) is required from the tow vehicle to charge the auxillary battery in the Breakaway control unit. If the 'Breakaway brakes' are activated, the battery in the control unit will supply the power to apply/operate the brakes. I believe with reserve capacity (& general condition) of the battery plus current draw of the unit there is sufficent power there to operate the brakes in a 'locked' condition for approx 15 minutes, after this time the brakes will release. This is why the 'Breakaway' should NEVER be used (not that you indicated it should) to 'park or hold' the van when not connected to the tow vehicle.

Hi Reece, I would certainly agree with you, although I dont believe it is a problem with the Toyota......we are currently in western Qld, & suffering a withdrawal from 'our ABC' since the ABC has starting transmitting/broadcasting in FM the signal soon disappears as you hit the outskirts of the town it is broadcast from. This morning we left Isa listening to 106.5 local radio not long after leaving the reception started to crackle & fade.... Not long before .....silence from the radio......did a scan & search on the FM band with no joy...... Had to spend the rest of the morning listening to Ray Hadley on 2GB (on relay) giving us Sydney traffic conditions & opionated talkback via the AM band......... They call this progress??????

Hi Chris, Sorry to say but I discarded my paperwork/receipt which had the contact number for the caretakers Helen & Eric on it. But if you were to turn up unannounced I doubt very much that you would be turned away. If on the very odd chance they couldn't fit you in there are other 'conventional' caravan parks not to far away The gates at the showground are locked at about 7.00pm....when I was there about 5 weeks ago council was doing road works around the entrance gate, not that this made entry difficult but just a little harder to pick out. The entrance is just past or before (depending on approach) Supercheap Auto Parts & there is a turn off lane if you are approaching from the Kedron factory side permitting you to turn across the road into the showground. Hope this helps....enjoy your stay!

Hi Jeff, Recently (two weeks ago) did this trip BOTH ways heading north no dramas at all for the 200 series hardly noticed the hills coming back locked in second gear doing 40kph down the BIG hill..... take your time drive to the conditions & all WILL BE well!

Hi all, There has been posts recently about Lawton Showground as in poor or not very friendly reception on arrival & during your stay. I have just left there after a two day stay, & had a very friendly, warm welcome from Helen (the new caretaker with her husband Eric who I didnt meet....during my stay). For those who havent stayed at Lawton it is very close to the Kedron factory (only 5 or 8 minutes depeding on traffic), it has nice (huge) grassy sites, the amenities are adequate & very clean. Tariff is $20 per night. For those interested, heading north from Brendale you go through Lawnton business district at the crest of a hill you will see a Supercheap Auto sign on the right at this stage you must be in the right hand lane as the turn off to the right (to the showground) is not far past this sign. Springers are just down the road also for those who require their services, also. There are heaps of other associated services also in the same area.! On a scale of 1 to 10 an easy 12. PS I have no affiliation with management!!!!

Hi Colin, Any dramas, or lack of satisfaction with the TJM enquiries PLEASE let me know & it will be rectified. Even though you didnt purchase these mirrors through me I could have organised warranty for you. Cheers, cu down the road.

Here here!!!

Happy birthday Chris..... & I see its a significant one too..... best wishes!

Hi Pete, If you have ordered a new pump..... fair enough..... hope you ordered a new one via eBay (from a guy in Turkey of all places). I would suggest you try cleaning the pump in metho ( as in flushing through).... Ashley at the factory has great success resurrecting 'old' pumps this way. Mine was brought back to life this way almost three years ago... still going fine

Hi Pete & Margie, Pete I presume, For my 2 bobs worth I would definitely be leaving the van hooked up to 240v otherwise if its in a shed the solar wont be working & you be up for a new set of batteries for sure. Thats great you have replaced your ANODE on your water tank.....I would leave the tank full my self, draining the tank you will have air in there which will promote oxidisation & other nasties, re water tanks there is currently debate about this topic on previous threads, again I would leave the water tanks full & give a through flush before next use. I hope the withdrawal from caravan life isn't to severe

G'day Noel, How are the mirrors? My van has a diesel heater, great performance, two outlets one in the van one in the ensuite, economy is fantastic ....never had gas heating in a van so I cant do a comparison. There are some negatives though with diesel heaters, the fuel pump, continual ticking from the pump whilst operating.... the pump in my van is mounted underneath the van below the bed, tick tick tick very obvious when first turned on .....but you do get used to it after a few minutes. Operational noise inside the van is minimal.... but outside in a quiet environment say first thing in the morning or late at night operational noise outside is surprisingly loud.... something I'm aware of if there are others nearby....but on the whole these negatives are far outweighed by the performance of the diesel unit. it is great to be able to programme it to come on first thing in the morning. Consider mounting the control unit beside your bedhead, so you dont have to get out of bed to operate.

Rick, Usual Kedron pricing a smile a thankyou & a carton of beer..... took all of ten minutes to do & I think the material he used would have been an off cut from a side panelling job.

G'day, Last time I was at the factory Ashley fabricated one for me ..... a bit of chequerplate bent at the appropriate angle, then sicaflexed & screwed on. recent trip to Tassie not much dust on black top so cant comment but it looks as if it would. Planning a trip up to Ngukurr (Roper Bar) then Darwin will give it a work out then.... just waiting for Qld to dry out a little.

Hi, Speak to Ashley or Tom, they let me stay in the van (over night in the yard/factory) while repairs were carried out.... very easy ...... access to showers & toilets also...... what a great company to deal with!!!!

Is it under warranty??? are they going to fix it????

I have one similar only she is apricot hears strangers coming long before the cattle dog or border collie!!!

Hi Bas, You have paid out a lot of 'hard earned'..... suggest you contact Vehicle Components for their comments & recommendations! My understanding & I will stand corrected that those grooves are normal 'wear' BUT can be accelerated by dirt & dust, remember you have two metal surfaces rubbing together. My drums & blocks have 'scores' on them after 50,000k expect to get another 10,000 before replacement of blocks. Hoping to be able to machine the mating surface of the drum (faces) at that time to extend the life of the brake drums. In passing I was caught short once when I was at Brendale & had trouble with my van brakes being relativly close to Vehichle Components (VC) I went there & purchased a set of replacement brake shoes (being in the trade) I couldnt believe the money that they were asking for these replacement shoes..... begrugingly I forked out the money for them..... in hindsight the problem was with the brake controller (yes I made a bad diagnosis....only human) if I had a day to spare up my sleeve I should have taken the brake shoes to a reputable brake shop & had then relined/rebonded for a fraction of the price that VC asked for & GOT. Remember Google is your friend, a little bit of searching & all brake componentry is available over the internet at a fraction of the cost, there are times when it is good that our $ is valued so high

Hi all, I too just turn the fridge off at the thermostate, touch wood havent had a problem.....yet? It is a very simple procedure to remove the light cover (just wriggle cover gently being careful not to break the plastic pins) & then the globe. I then place the globe in the inverted light cover & sit it in one of the door shelves..... easy

G'Day Brad, Welcome to this forum, you have put this post in the wrong section but I'm sure the moderator will happily move it. I may be biased but my preference would be for the 200 series, few of the reasons 1. longer wheel base, resulting in more comfortable ride. 2. heavier tow vehicle, more stable, just because its heavier doesnt mean more fuel my 200 when towing returns 18.6 lphk's 3. in the unlikely event of vehicle trouble, LOT more Toyota dealers out there than Jeep. Heres hoping you purchase the Kedron & become a regular contributor on this forum.