Westy's trip to the top

[BigRAWesty]

NO.....as long as everything is serviced you shouldn't have to much to worry about,maybe a flat or a bearing but we can be prepared for that...we do big km every year to see my daughter,sometimes up to 10000 km round trip depending on way home....sometimes the hardest thing is hoping the track you are taking is the one you are meant to be....

Not even the first time??
This is the longest trip by far that we've done in time and distance.
Previous to this its only 14 days in the old gq and tent and 2200km doing the gawler ranges in the gu..

[happygu]

So anyone else stress out before trips like this..
Everything i do im questioning is it needed?
Were is it needed and how often.
Will it survive there..
Ive got the roof bag on with blow moulded table, portable solar pannels and eunsuit tents on top.
Foam mats are wet so once they dry will be in there too..
Reason being these buts will onky be needed on extended stays..
Im now thinking i should have mounted my pannel up front of the rack and had it connected to the second battery at all times..
To late now..
We've pushed D day foward to tuesday now..
So well take the south road into uluru..

Time to hook up the camper and go ... it will all be good. You WILL have a great time.

What's done is done, and what isn't doesn't matter ..... as you travel you will find out what you REALLY need, and what you can do without.

As for the solar panel, if you are sitting for a day or so, then connect up the panel, but if you are like us, you end up doing something most days anyway, so the solar panel just becomes a backup, and rarely gets used.

[BigRAWesty]

Time to hook up the camper and go ... it will all be good. You WILL have a great time.

What's done is done, and what isn't doesn't matter ..... as you travel you will find out what you REALLY need, and what you can do without.

As for the solar panel, if you are sitting for a day or so, then connect up the panel, but if you are like us, you end up doing something most days anyway, so the solar panel just becomes a backup, and rarely gets used.

Thats all the solar is but the weaco is running as a freezer so is pulling 17-22 amp a day..

[BigRAWesty]

Well first day done.
Made the overland corner.
Stopped in on relies at pinnaroo to find the fridge contents sprawled over the floor, clup vibrated off...
So another stop in on a canvas worker to have a tauno cover occy strap put the fridge and door so its solid as now.
But dam what a vista this morning..

Now in berry..
Decided last night to do the oodnadatta track up to oodnadatta and across to marla then doung the mulga park track into uluru..
Thatll fill 4 days...

[happygu]

Awesome .... good to see you are on your way.

Nice pic, and good to see you are going to do the Oodnadatta ... much better to do this on the way up when you have the time, and then have the highway option for the way home when you just don't want to come back

[Rossco]

Awesome Kalen & Co. Have an awsome trip very jelly, must be nice heading to sum warmth and awesome country . . .

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[gaddy]

Keep the photos coming ! We will be up the oddnadatta in a couple of months 😊 we have allowed 2 weeks for the track !

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[MB]

Safe travels Kallen & Nissa, like others have said, keep those pictures rolling in for us mates :-) !

[BigRAWesty]

Hey guys. Cheers foe the good praises..
Fingers crossed its smooth sailing from here because Oodnadatta was anything but..
First up wife wiped out a side mirror on a shrub she wasnt watching.
Nice dents down the side of the car..
And the van lol..
She did it right thats for sure..

And then when pulled up for the night at the Peak Ruins ive noticed the hand brake level missing.. wow what a hit..
But no..
What's happened is the backing plate mounts have sheared the welds and started spinning on the axle and have wrapped the cable around the axle before it snapped..
Dam..
But first i have to repair the tyre..
Luck would have it that i have pulled up with a buldge showing on the top.. ffs..
So out with the air jack wife bought me as a christmas pressy..
Yep air jack. It has a pump!!!
Start pumping..
Cars not even off the ground and bang the pump blows apart!!!!!!!!!!
Ffs..
Out with the wind jack..
Cant find the long rod!!!!!!!
So under the car and winding it with just the handle.. using the annex ad a mat!!
We got there...

So limp into Oodnadatta for a welder.
Nup its broken. Bugger..
Tie up the hubs to try and stop them rotating and limp into Marla.
Local mechanic is shut.. fark.
Drive past a nice big open workshop i though i have to ask..
Knock on the door and an old lady comes out.
Turns out her husband is a concreter and is away west on a job.
I mentioned im a welder and that eased her nerves a little, we talked a price and then she showed me the workshop and let me loose....
Hurray.
So hubs are re welded and now welded on all 4 sides and hopefully we can repair the electrical over the next few days between sight seeing here at uluru..
I have also noticed this arvo one tyre is scrubbing on the van..
It was scrubbed a bit when i bought it but ill have to keep an eye on it.
Hopefully i havent bent the axle as we did get air once on the track.
A cattle grid completely caught me off gaurd amd shit we hit hard..
Its the kitchen side wheel so a lot more weight in it..

So 1/4 travelled and what a trip..
Thank fark we have an emergency account..
We're gunna need it..

Pics are as followed
Tyre issue..
The war memorial is Farina.
Then peak ruins.
And then Agnes Creek
And then the main event..

[Cuppa]

An eventful time & only 3 days into it, that’ll be worth a story or two in years to come!

Mate, you may not listen ............ but I’ll say it anyway .............SLOW DOWN! You are racing though gods own country & giving your car, your camper & yourselves a hard time. Now you’re at one of the countries most spectacular & special places & you’re having to think about fixing stuff. I’m sure that’s not where you want your head to be at. You’ve dreamt of this for ages & I’ll hazard a guess that a series of repairs were not part of that dream. You have plenty of time, it’s not a race - 3 days from home to Uluru via the Oodnadatta ... Phew! You missed the cattle grid, caught the bushes , got air .........

The journey is the destination.