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New Member - long time Lurker
Hi, Just go around to joining. I've been 4WDing for a number of years and a member of a 4WD Club for as many years . Started with a Hilux but got feed up with accessing stuff in the canopy and looked around for a better solution. Had access to Telstra still patrols thru my work and decided they where the go.
In 2012 found a third hand ex Telstra Patrol with "Pod" that had been setup for touring. Expensive but it had a lot of fruit. 2004 TD42ti DX coil/leaf 200K. Came with steel bull bar, scrub bars and side steps. Roscos box kitted out with draws, shelves fridge slide. Twin Roscos fold down spare wheel carrier on the rear. Full roof rack above the Roscos Box and a smaller one above the cab. Had a Codan NGT HF radio, GME UHF, VMS in dash unit installed.
Then started spending, First up, rated recovery points for the front, hitch receiver for the rear 3 inch Taipan exhaust, UFI hi flow HT18 and dyno tune. This made a huge difference in the driveability. Loaded up for a camping (tent) trip and found that I was 150k over loaded. Don't like overloading so next was a GVM upgrade. Now has a GVM of 3900kg. Bought camper trailer so I could reduce the load carried. Replaced the GME 40ch with ICOM remote head 80ch and moved antenna off the bullbar to the fold down on the roof rack. Replaced the bench seat with a pair of Stratos LTSS and Supa seat covers.
Then set out on a round Australia trip. Got three days into it and rolled the Patrol and camper on the Great Central Road. The camper was write off (less than 6 months old) drive the Patrol all the way back to Perth. Luckly had the Patrol insured to include the accessories total repairs $53K was less than the insured value so it was rebuilt. Only panel not replaced was the cab back wall. The roll over force was taken by the Roscos box, the roof racks and the scrub bars. Chassis was still straight so the insurance could write it off, which made me very very happy as I wanted to keep the TD42ti.
I've since had a inawise TPMS installed and had the steering worked over by Ken Dennis "The Truck Whisper". Installed a rear vision camera system as a replacement for the rear view mirror, and installed 12v Aux distribution on a carpeted rear cab wall along with the HF and UHF radios. This has quietened down some of the road noise.
I've replaced the camper and now planing to start again on a extended trip next years.
Attachment 61399
I know it's not a brief introduction but oh well.
Greg Jones
Perth
VKS 0321
